Milford officials refer 40 South Broad Street plan that preserves eight municipal parking spaces

Milford officials voted to refer a proposal for construction within a municipal parking easement at 40 South Broad Street to the Board of Aldermen for further review.

Attorney Thomas Lynch said the front-end request is for a referral under Connecticut General Statutes §8-24 so the applicant may work within a City of Milford easement. He described a mixed-use building that would contain 11 residential units and three commercial units, and said the design preserves the eight public parking spaces created by a 1979 easement while adding a covered, enhanced condition and a separate handicap-accessible space. "We go from here, with a hopefully, affirmative vote from the board referring this matter to the board of alderman," Lynch said.

City Attorney John Bertram told the panel staff met with the applicant and that the city's primary interest is retaining the public parking. "As presented ... there is no loss in spacing," Bertram said, adding the spaces may be more desirable because they would be covered. He described the project as consistent with the Milford Center Design District and transit-oriented development goals and said impacts are limited to the construction period, which Lynch estimated could disrupt parking for about six months.

A board member asked whether the easement and municipal responsibility to maintain the spaces would remain if the developer later altered project plans; Bertram confirmed the municipal easement remains in place regardless of future private changes. After discussion, the board member moved to approve a referral under §8-24; the motion was seconded and carried on a roll call vote, referring the item to the Board of Aldermen.

Next steps: Attorney Lynch and city counsel said they will present the matter to the Board of Aldermen; if aldermen approve, the developer expects to return to the Milford panel with a formal site-plan application.