Developer reduces proposal to 57 units and seeks PDD rezoning at 74 Todd Road; neighbors raise noise and sewer concerns

The Shelton Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 8 heard the public hearing for a proposal by J and L Enterprise LLC to change the zoning at 74 Todd Road from IA-3 to a Planned Development District to allow a four-story, 57-unit multifamily building.

Attorney Benjamin Proto, representing the applicant, said the current proposal was reduced from an earlier 87-unit, five-story concept. The revised plan eliminated building-level parking, reduced the height and lowered unit count to 57 units including two studios, 41 one-bedroom units and 14 two-bedroom units (the application materials list 15 two-bedroom units in one place; the applicant stated 15). The developer told the commission the building would provide a total of 93 parking spaces, allocated at 1.25 spaces for studios, 1.5 for one-bedroom units and two spaces for two-bedroom units.

Engineer Jim Swift described site constraints: the steep hillside, existing adjacent uses (a private school to the north and a materials-transfer/recycling facility to the east), proposed retention walls and a new driveway connection to Todd Road intended to route most traffic south to Bridgeport Avenue. Swift said the plan includes a small on-site amenity area, picnic tables and a fire pit and that the applicant proposed to connect to municipal water and sewer in Todd Road.

During the public hearing, nearby operators of a recycling/transfer facility and representatives of a local waste-hauling firm raised concerns about noise, truck activity and early-morning operations. Commissioners and staff noted the transfer station is an established, licensed facility and that heavy equipment operations are concentrated in a rear area; applicant representatives said they will propose additional tree buffering and, if necessary, acoustic measures and high-performance windows to reduce sound transmission.

The applicant said the project would include workforce-affordable units under state programs and discussed possible mixes of 60% and 80% of area median income (AMI); developers noted state financing programs favor 60/80 AMI mixes but said the precise percentages would be set in later financing agreements.

Commissioners also asked about parking, potential visitor demand and whether a new traffic study was needed; engineers said the current project produces fewer vehicle trips than the earlier 87-unit proposal and that the previously submitted traffic study therefore remains conservative for the reduced plan. They also discussed the school connection and an internal access drive that would connect the proposed lot with the private school property to the north.

The commission closed the public hearing by unanimous roll call (6-0). Commissioners said they will schedule deliberation at a subsequent session and that staff will continue to collect technical comments from the city engineer, fire marshal and the Shelton WPCA regarding sewer capacity and other utility issues.

Why it matters: The rezoning would change land use on a 1.77-acre site near Route 8 and Bridgeport Avenue and add workforce housing units into the city's housing stock; soil, noise, sewer capacity and emergency access were prominent technical issues raised at the hearing.

What’s next: The commission will consider the application at a future meeting; staff will coordinate outstanding technical reviews including sewer capacity/flow questions with the Shelton WPCA.