Housing subcommittee reviews three site plans, no site chosen

Other Committee · Meeting of March 11, 2026

New Canaan housing subcommittee reviews three affordable housing site plans, no pick made. The Project Development Subcommittee of the Affordable Housing Committee, chaired by Krista Nielsen, walked through design schemes from architecture firm Amenta Emma for Richmond Hill, Locust Avenue and the Lumberyard commuter lot, with unit counts ranging from 18 to 163. Nielsen relayed a rough cost estimate for the Lumberyard site of "just over a hundred million" dollars, based on $30,000 per parking spot and $550,000 per unit.

Town planner Sarah Carey warned a boxy single-building Richmond Hill scheme would be "less palatable for the neighborhood," while town engineer Maria Copt argued for separating parking garages from housing on future projects. The subcommittee approved its March 4 minutes unanimously and plans to survey the public before recommending a site; officials estimate the town needs roughly 400 more units to reach the 10 percent threshold under the state's 8-30g law.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 892 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of March 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

NEW CANAAN — March 11, 2026 — The Project Development Subcommittee of the Affordable Housing Committee spent a special meeting Wednesday walking through architectural concepts for three potential affordable housing sites, weighing parking ratios, construction costs and neighborhood impact ahead of a planned public outreach process.

The subcommittee did not select a preferred site. Members reviewed competing design schemes for the Richmond Hill parking lot, the Locust Avenue lot and the Lumberyard commuter lot near the train station, with unit counts ranging from 18 at a townhouse-style Richmond Hill concept to 163 at the largest Lumberyard scheme. A rough cost estimate for fully developing the Lumberyard site came in at just over $100 million.

The Full Story

Subcommittee chair Krista Nielsen opened the hybrid meeting, held partly on Zoom and partly in person, with a roll call. Present were Nielsen, Hillary Orond, Mike Sweeney and Jane Williams. Committee members Bill, Bob Strong and Jeff Williams did not appear to be present. The subcommittee first approved the minutes of its March 4 meeting on a voice vote after a motion and second, with all members present indicating approval by a show of hands.

The bulk of the meeting was devoted to reviewing site plans prepared by the architecture firm Amenta Emma, presented with input from town planner Sarah Carey, town engineer Maria Copt, Kathleen Holland and a participant identified only as Tiger, who joined by Zoom. Scott Hobbs, representing the housing authority, was expected but did not join the call; Nielsen said she would follow up with him separately on questions related to the housing authority.

For Richmond Hill, the subcommittee reviewed two schemes: a single boxy apartment building of roughly 20 units built atop a two-level parking structure, and an 18-unit townhouse-style alternative that members and staff generally agreed would be more compatible with the surrounding single-family neighborhood. Members discussed whether the adjacent Walgreens building's unused subsurface parking area could be leased to offset parking replacement requirements, and reviewed parking utilization data reporting a waiting list of 18 for the Richmond Hill lot and 47 for the Lumberyard lot.

For Locust Avenue, architects presented a 89-unit scheme with a garage fronting Locust Street and a 76-unit scheme with a garage wrapped in residential units and entrances split between Locust and Heritage Hill. Copt raised concerns about a privately owned pond built for the Heritage Hill condominiums that has lost storage capacity to sediment, contributing to downstream flooding on Locust and Forest streets during major storms. She said the site presents an opportunity to add subsurface stormwater detention as part of any redevelopment.

The Lumberyard lot generated the most extensive discussion given its scale. Nielsen presented three design schemes, including one with 156 units across three buildings and roughly 550 parking spaces, and a second with 163 units and 631 spaces that wraps the parking deck with residential units on three sides. Members and staff discussed potential coordination with Metro-North and the state Department of Transportation given the site's proximity to the rail line, and the possibility of reconfiguring station-lot access with the state to create additional green space at Park and Elm streets.

Nielsen also relayed cost estimates from Amenta Emma's Miles, based on roughly $30,000 per parking space and $550,000 per unit.

"I did some rough order of magnitude costs assuming $30,000 per parking spot and 550,000 per unit. And I think all of the lumber yard came in just over a hundred million." — Krista Nielsen, subcommittee chair

Carey cautioned that the single-building Richmond Hill scheme could face neighborhood resistance.

"I do think this specific scheme for Richmond Hill would probably be less palatable for the neighborhood just because obviously you're surrounded by single family style type buildings other than the view." — Sarah Carey, town planner

Copt argued for separating parking garages from housing on future sites to reduce construction costs tied to fire and sprinkler requirements.

"There is something very powerful for separating the two uses." — Maria Copt, town engineer

Members also discussed Morse Court as a possible future site and noted the town had previously ruled out a leaf-pile lot due to sewer and wetland constraints. Nielsen said the subcommittee still needs roughly 400 additional units to reach the 10 percent affordable housing threshold that would relieve the town from further exposure under the state's 8-30g statute.

Why It Matters

The subcommittee's recommendation will shape which town-owned site, or sites, New Canaan pursues for affordable housing intended to help the town reach the 10 percent threshold under the state's 8-30g law, which currently allows developers to bypass certain local zoning restrictions in towns below that threshold. The Lumberyard site alone, at an estimated cost of more than $100 million, could nearly close that gap by itself, while smaller sites like Richmond Hill and Locust Avenue would require multiple projects. No site has been chosen, and the subcommittee plans to survey the public before making a recommendation to elected officials.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approval of March 4, 2026 meeting minutes Tally: Approved unanimously

No other formal votes were taken at this meeting; discussion of the three site plans was for informational and planning purposes ahead of a public process.

Source

Town Of New Canaan: Affordable Housing Committee, Project Development Subcommittee meeting, March 11, 2026