Affordable housing committee moves to secure consultant for preliminary site modeling

The New Canaan Affordable Housing Committee agreed to move forward with recommending a consultant to produce preliminary conceptual massing and unit-fit studies for three town-controlled sites, using an existing $30,000 allocation and subject to administrative sign‑off.

Committee members said the work is intended to provide early, nonbinding visuals showing how many housing units might fit on parcels the group is considering, not to authorize design, permitting or construction. The three sites identified in the discussion were Richmond Hill, Locust Avenue and the lumberyard parcel; a fourth state-controlled site was set aside from this first round because of anticipated extra complexity.

Committee member Krista (committee member) described a process that began with informal outreach to a Norwalk architect, Bruce Bienfeld, and later to another firm based in Hartford after Bienfeld fell ill and died. Krista said the Hartford firm’s initial proposal exceeded the committee’s available funds but that staff worked with the firm to pare the scope to fit the $30,000 budget. Scott Hobbs (staff member) and Mike (committee member) were identified in the discussion as staff and committee points of contact who had previously worked with some of the firms.

The committee agreed it did not intend this step to commit the town to any subsequent design or construction work. Instead, members said the deliverables would be used as presentation materials for the subcommittee and, later, the full committee and town staff. Diana (town staff) was identified as the person who would be asked to sign off on the procurement if the committee recommends moving forward.

Committee members discussed procurement process limits for projects under $50,000 and noted the advantages of hiring a consultant already familiar with New Canaan and with prior working relationships with local staff. No formal vote was recorded in the meeting transcript; the group agreed to prepare a recommendation and bring the proposal to Diana for authorization.

The committee also noted an outstanding warranty or punchlist issue related to a separate project (referred to in the meeting as Canyon Parish) that the committee expects staff to continue resolving with the builder; that matter will not block the proposed consultant engagement.

The committee will circulate the consultant proposal, proposed scope, and the edited budgeted deliverables by email and expects to revisit the recommendation at its next meeting before any contract is executed.