Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affordable Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer outlines workforce-housing plan as board says regulatory steps remain
Summary
Developer Tim Bobrowski told selectmen he is pursuing a workforce-rental project in Thomaston and described WPCA hookup limits and pending NV COG guidance; the board said regulatory implementation is still pending and WPCA hookups remain unsettled.
Thomaston ' Developer Tim Bobrowski, whose Thomaston Valley Village owns property on Rose Ridge Road, briefed the Board of Selectmen on an affordable/workforce housing proposal and asked whether the town has advanced implementation of its affordable housing plan adopted Sept. 6, 2023.
"My name is, Tim Bobrowski. My wife, Lynn, and I own Thomaston Valley Village on Rose Ridge Road," Bobrowski said, and he described a proposed rental project he intends to bring to planning and zoning, noting he has a waiting list for senior housing and is pursuing a mixed project with some workforce units.
Bobrowski said the town's regulatory follow-through has been limited. He told the board that a moratorium had been lifted "for 250 units to be connected" but said the WPCA currently attributes only 18 hookups to his parcel, which may be insufficient for the scale he envisions. He said resolution of that and other WPCA technical questions will likely take months and that he will pursue planning-and-zoning review and WPCA conversations.
"The moratorium has been lifted for 250 units to be connected that was predetermined," Bobrowski said. "At this point in your part is 18 hookups." He added that he anticipates using Connecticut Housing Finance Authority or Department of Housing programs for some financing and that detailed unit mixes and income targets would be determined through planning and state program rules.
Selectmen emphasized the complexity introduced by recent state legislation and recommended the town await or work with the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NV COG) as it develops model regulatory language for municipalities. Board members also raised concerns about costs from a separate school-feasibility discussion and urged formation of a parallel committee to study reuse or disposition of school buildings should options require closures.
No formal action was taken on Bobrowski's proposal at the meeting; he was advised to proceed with planning-and-zoning filings and discussions with WPCA and NV COG guidance.
