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Design Review Board approves 24‑unit 'Roberts Village' site plan in Waterford
Summary
The Waterford Design Review Board unanimously approved PL 24‑14, a site-plan for 24 mixed‑income homes called Roberts Village; eight duplex units will be deed‑restricted as affordable under CGS §8‑30g, and the developer said the units will be rented initially due to current financing conditions.
The Waterford Design Review Board voted to approve a site plan for Roberts Village, a 24‑unit mixed‑income development proposed by 1721 LLC, the board concluded on Oct. 22, 2024.
Bill Sweeney, a land-use attorney representing 1721 LLC, told the board the project is being filed under Connecticut General Statutes §8-30g, the state’s affordable housing appeals law, and that the statute limits local zoning review to narrow grounds. “This is what is so‑called a friendly 830 G,” Sweeney said, adding the filing is intended to gain flexibility while delivering deed‑restricted affordable units to Waterford.
The project team, including Joe Ren, a project engineer with Indigo Land Design, presented plans for Roberts Village on about 5.71 acres at the end of Robert’s Court off Senco Drive between Old Norwich Road and Route 32 in the Quaker Hill neighborhood. The submission shows 24 detached single‑family and duplex dwellings designed to be one‑to‑two stories and to match the scale of nearby homes, with unit footprints described in the materials as roughly 1,200 to 2,160 square feet and three‑ to four‑bedroom layouts.
The developers said the site will be served by public water and sanitary sewers, will include a private looped driveway accessed from Robert’s Court, and provides a pedestrian connection to sidewalks on Old Norwich Road. The plan indicates stormwater basins and a small wetland pocket; the applicants stated the project previously received wetlands commission review and approval.
Applicants said eight units — the four duplex buildings — will be deed‑restricted as affordable housing; the remaining 16 units will be market‑rate. Sweeney said the affordable units will be deed‑restricted for a minimum of 40 years. In response to a question from board member Mike about whether the first units will be rentals, the team said they intend to hold title to and rent the affordable duplexes initially because current interest‑rate and financing conditions make selling affordable units infeasible at present.
Board members praised the project’s neighborhood scale while offering design feedback. Board member Joy suggested using native inkberry instead of boxwood for lower long‑term maintenance; the applicant said the plans show a stone‑wall entrance sign labeled “Roberts Village Drive.” Several members said two of the proposed styles (the Flacko and Craftsman) fit the neighborhood, while the larger Garrison unit could benefit from additional architectural detailing at the entrance and on elevations.
After brief discussion and no recommended conditions, a motion to approve PL 24‑14 was made and seconded (the transcript records a second by board member Mike). The board voted in favor; the transcript records the approval as unanimous but does not list individual vote tallies or name the motion mover.
The board subsequently approved the minutes of its Sept. 10 meeting and adjourned. The developer and project team said they will consider the board’s design and landscaping suggestions as they proceed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, where Sweeney noted the review under §8‑30g is limited to specific statutory grounds.
