DARIEN – As Noroton Heights enters the final stage of a $300 million 15-year redevelopment near the Metro-North train station, Evonne Klein wanted to make sure residents and officials alike knew the role affordable housing has played.
The former first selectman and state Department of Housing who is now leading efforts to end homelessness and build more affordable housing last week led a walk audit of Noroton Heights transit district with the help of Desegregate Connecticut.
Starting on Heights Road, the tour included Heights Crossing, Darien Commons, Heights Corner and The Heights (the former Darien Housing Authority’s Allen-O’Neill Homes). As she stopped at each development, Klein read out loud the details of each of the housing and mixed-use complexes.
“When we think about this neighborhood and about 2 miles from here, houses range from the high $700,000s to $4.5 million,” she said as she stood outside Heights Crossing on Heights Road. “So, again multi-family housing is being built, affordable housing is being built and not having a negative impact on our neighborhood.”
Her point was to show the fear many residents had about housing density and traffic issues have not come to fruition at least in the early phase of such developments.
Among the 203 units of luxury housing that is either completed or in progress in the Noroton Heights transit area, 26 are deemed affordable with rents at 80% of the state median income.
Starting with a townwide redevelopment plan back when she was first selectman from 2003-2009, Klein set the wheels in motion for today’s new Noroton Heights and downtown Darien. A large part of that plan was the creation of inclusionary zoning regulations that require developers to set aside a portion of new housing as below-market-rate units, with recent amendments increasing the mandatory percentage from 12% to 14%.
First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky, who was among the town officials on the walk audit, explained how affordable housing works in an affluent town such as Darien.
“Affordability is not a binary concept,” Zagrodsky said. “The 14% rule for Darien is that the 14% (of apartments’ rent) has to be at 80% of SMI. The state legislature is talking about 60, 40, 0% SMI to make it affordable to people who really don’t have a lot of income.
“In towns like this, it’s extraordinary difficult to get less than 80% SMI done because it’s not economical for the developer.”
Zagrodsky and Klein are hoping Darien can be a model for affordable and generational housing for the recent college graduates trying to stay in Connecticut after finding a job. The simple idea is that such housing developments can include a mix of luxury, affordable and commercial units near a major transportation hub like a train station.
Their views are shared by Todd McClutchy, president of The JHM Financial Group LLC of Stamford who was present on the tour when it stopped at The Heights.
“We have several developments near transit hubs,” McClutchy said. “Picking the appropriate locations is a key element for all of this. Most of them are in close proximity to transportation along the Metro-North corridor. We’re close in Norwalk. We’re right on it in Bridgeport.”
He added how important it is to create housing that is convenient to young workers just starting out in their careers.
“Our community, our state’s economic engine, our overall quality of life depends on housing options for individuals at varying economic levels,” he said. “Without these options, we all suffer. We need young professionals to live in close proximity to their employment opportunities so they are not commuting multiple hours a day so they are not sacrificing their own quality of life.”
Another facet of the Darien model for housing includes having the right financing tools, Klein said.
“One of the important tools that communities like Darien and New Canaan have is a local affordable housing trust fund,” she said. “I think Westport has just started. We can really be creative with housing funding. Those federal funds are key.”
The most recent housing and mixed-use developments are on property that had withered over the years. For instance, the site of the former Stop & Shop and Walgreens and a huge parking lot is now Darien Commons.
“It was all asphalt,” Klein said. “Now it’s mixed-use and mixed income (operated) by Federal Realty (Investment Trust). It is home to 122 one- and two-bedroom apartments.”
Here is a brief description of the most recent housing and mixed-use developments in Noroton Heights near the train station:
Darien Commons
Darien Commons includes mostly luxury apartments and retail space near the Noroton Heights station. The property owners, Federal Realty Investment Trust of North Bethesda, Maryland, envisioned a more vibrant and welcoming space that could serve as a downtown in the Noroton Heights district with locally inspired architecture, landscaping, and pedestrian-friendly connections to engage the community.
This project consists of two 3-story apartment buildings (totaling 122 units) and restaurant space. The main buildings have residential apartment units on the 2nd and 3rd floors, while the 1st floor is reserved for retail space.
Income restrictions are set at or below 80% of the statewide median income. Based on a previous application period, the income cut-offs were $62,600 for a one-person household and $89,400 for a four-person household.
The rents for one-bedroom are $3,400-$4,000, two-bedroom are $4,500-$5,700 and studios are $3,000-$3,300. There are 16 affordable units at 80% of state median income. The affordable rent for one-bedroom are $1,522 and two-bedroom $1,817.
Heights Crossing
Heights Crossing brings elevated living to the heart of Noroton Heights. It includes 65 units, 10 of which are affordable, and mixed-use units that include Garden Catering and Pvolve. As for the rent, one-bedrooms start at $4,000-$4,300. Two-bedrooms, which were originally $6,300 now is a little over $7,000, according to Jon Vaccaro, V20 Group, managing partner.
The luxury units, which are much larger than the other units, will go for as much $11,000, Vaccaro said. In comparison, the affordable one-bedrooms are around $1,560 plus utilities and the two-bedrooms are $1,850 plus utilities.
Heights Corner
Heights Corner LLC was just before the Darien Planning & Zoning Commission Oct. 7 for its proposal to redevelop the property at 90, 100 and 188 Heights Road as mixed-use residential/commercial; and to perform related site development activities, including construction of parking, public plaza areas, installation of landscaping, lighting, and stormwater management. It is mixed-use with three, 1-bedrooms, seven, 2-bedrooms on the second and third floors, and 130 parking spaces. In addition to planning and zoning changes, the developer is seeking payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT), which is part of Darien’s inclusionary zoning regulation.
The three-story building would feature a basement level with amenity, media and fitness rooms. The first floor would consist of 9,504 square feet of commercial space, which may include retail, personal service, restaurant, and other suitable uses.
