Affordable Housing Subcommittee Sets Public Forum for May 19

Other Committee · Meeting of April 15, 2026

New Canaan affordable housing subcommittee locks in May 19 public forum after weeks of scheduling delays. The panel, working to help the town qualify for an 8-30g development moratorium by 2032, chose the Lapham Community Center's Douglas Room over a competing Wagner Room date, citing the latter's Memorial Day weekend timing and a consultant's unavailability. Members said a comparison chart shows maximizing affordable units at the Richmond Hill and Morse Court sites together would yield only about 125 of the 150 points needed, short of a full moratorium.

Two members, Jane and Hillary, were assigned to lead outreach, including an FAQ document and press coverage in local outlets. The subcommittee also moved to correct an Advertiser article it said mischaracterized a member's prior comments as a decision favoring Richmond Hill, and set its next working session for April 29.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 871 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of April 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

NEW CANAAN — April 15, 2026 — A New Canaan subcommittee working to identify sites for state-mandated affordable housing set its long-awaited public forum for Tuesday, May 19, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Douglas Room of the Lapham Community Center, after weighing that date against a competing Thursday, May 21 slot at the high school's Wagner Room.

The panel, a working group under the town's Affordable Housing Committee, is developing recommendations to help New Canaan qualify for a moratorium on certain developments under the state's 8-30g affordable-housing statute, with a target of meeting point thresholds by 2032. Subcommittee members spent Wednesday's meeting finalizing outreach plans, reviewing a site-comparison chart and discussing how to keep the May 19 session focused given the volume of material to cover.

The Full Story

The subcommittee opened by unanimously approving minutes from its March 25 meeting, then turned to the scheduling question members said they had been trying to resolve for weeks. May 21 was set aside chiefly because it falls on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend, when members worried residents would already be leaving town, and because representatives Jeremy and Miles from the town's planning consultant were unavailable on May 18, complicating that alternate week. Members said Lapham's Douglas Room, used previously for public-outreach sessions, can accommodate town audio-visual equipment for a recorded session, while the Wagner Room's availability for livestreaming was less certain since the Board of Education typically controls that space.

Members discussed a format built around a presentation capped at 30 to 45 minutes, followed by breakout groups at six to eight tables, a report-back period and roughly 30 minutes of question-and-answer. The meeting will be recorded and posted online, but members decided not to offer Zoom participation in the breakout discussions themselves, citing technical limits, though residents will be able to watch a livestream and submit written questions.

The subcommittee assigned public outreach duties to two members, Jane and Hillary, covering a frequently-asked-questions document, a press release for local outlets including the Advertiser, the Sentinel and the New Canaanite, and a slot in the town's newsletter edition set for May 14. Members also discussed addressing a recent Advertiser article they said inaccurately characterized a subcommittee member's comments from a prior meeting as reflecting a decision to prioritize the Richmond Hill site.

A site-comparison chart presented by a subcommittee member showed that even maximizing affordable units at the Richmond Hill and Morse Court sites combined would yield roughly 125 of the 150 points needed to qualify for an 8-30g moratorium, meaning the town cannot rely on those two sites alone. Members also discussed rough cost estimates, including roughly $550,000 per affordable unit and $30,000 to $45,000 per parking space, that they said are illustrative only and not a public cost projection.

"We are here to advise the town on where we think an appropriate housing development that meets the requirements for a moratorium under 8-30g can be satisfied for 2032." — a subcommittee member

Members also debated how to address a nearby lumber yard property as a potential future site in FAQ materials, describing it as one option among several rather than a settled plan, and agreed to steer questions about the separate, currently open 30 Parade Hill application to the Planning and Zoning Commission rather than address it at the May 19 forum.

"I think it would be very noticeable if we didn't consider that as an option." — a subcommittee member, on including the lumber yard site in public materials

The subcommittee set its next working session for Wednesday, April 29, when members hope to review a draft presentation, draft FAQs and a press outreach plan. Members also discussed holding a separate meeting with elected officials, including the Board of Selectmen, Town Council, Board of Finance and Housing Authority, likely in June after a post-forum public survey closes, with a final report to elected officials envisioned for September.

The meeting adjourned on a unanimous voice vote following a motion.

Why It Matters

New Canaan is working to satisfy a state affordable-housing statute, 8-30g, that allows towns meeting certain thresholds a temporary shield from certain outside development proposals. The subcommittee's May 19 forum is residents' first structured opportunity to weigh in on which town-owned or town-connected sites, including Richmond Hill, Morse Court and a lumber yard property, could host affordable housing to help the town reach that threshold by 2032.

The subcommittee's own analysis shows two of its leading sites combined would fall short of the points needed, meaning additional sites or projects will likely be required. A public survey is planned after the meeting, with a recommendation to elected officials targeted for September.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approval of March 25 subcommittee meeting minutes Tally: Approved unanimously

• Action: Public meeting date and venue confirmed — Set for Tuesday, May 19, 7-9 p.m., at the Lapham Community Center's Douglas Room, in place of the alternative May 21 date at the Wagner Room.
• Action: Next subcommittee working session — Continued to Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

- Vote: Motion to adjourn Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

Town Of New Canaan: Affordable Housing Committee subcommittee meeting, April 15, 2026