New Canaan board continues Parade Hill housing hearing to May

Planning and Zoning · Meeting of April 28, 2026

New Canaan zoning board grills 14-unit affordable housing plan, continues hearing to May 26. The Planning and Zoning Commission spent over three hours on 30 Parade Hill Road, a 16-space, 14-unit 8-30g project, before agreeing to an extension past the May 13 statutory deadline. Traffic engineer Jim Bubaris, hired by neighbors, testified "this whole site needs to be reconsidered," while Westport resident Tara Welch, who lives in an affordable unit built by the same developer, urged approval, saying denial means "denying kids' lives being better." Fire Marshal Paul Payne said a raised exit curb would be "a deal breaker" for emergency access.

Commissioners also questioned whether the developer's nonprofit tax exemption qualifies as government assistance under the statute. Separately, the board unanimously approved, 9-0, a two-lot subdivision at 0 North Wilton Road and a special permit for artificial turf fields at New Canaan Country School.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 885 words

Source: the Planning and Zoning meeting of April 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

NEW CANAAN — April 28, 2026 — The New Canaan Planning and Zoning Commission spent more than three hours Tuesday questioning the developer of a proposed 14-unit affordable housing building at 30 Parade Hill Road, then agreed to continue the hearing to May 26 rather than vote.

Commissioners pressed the applicant's team on undersized parking, site drainage, snow removal and modern architecture that several members said clashes with the neighborhood. The commission also approved, without controversy, a two-lot subdivision at 0 North Wilton Road and a special permit letting New Canaan Country School convert two of three athletic fields to artificial turf, both by unanimous roll-call votes of 9-0.

The Full Story

The Parade Hill Road application, filed under the state's affordable housing statute, Connecticut General Statutes Section 8-30g, seeks approval for a 14-unit residential building with 16 parking spaces, about 1.14 spaces per unit, on a roughly one-third-acre lot. Attorney Amy Sugin, representing GHF Parade Hill Road LLC, told the commission the project engineering team had responded to prior commission questions on drainage, storm water and elevator access since the last hearing.

Town Engineer Maria Coplin's office told commissioners the drainage analysis is largely consistent with town policy pending clarifications, and Fire Marshal Paul Payne said his office does not object to the project as designed, provided the exit island remains painted rather than raised. Payne testified that a raised, or "drivable," curb at the site's single driveway would be unacceptable to the fire department because it would block Ladder 3 apparatus from making the turn.

Hardesty and Hanover traffic engineer Greg Del Rio, the town's peer reviewer, said the development's parking ratio is low compared with the 1.3 spaces per unit typical in similar projects, though he said he has seen 1.14 approved elsewhere. Jim Bubaris, a traffic engineer retained by neighboring property owners including abutter Ryan Connealy, argued the opposite conclusion in blunt terms after reviewing the site plan.

"This whole site needs to be reconsidered. Fourteen units is way too much for this site." — Jim Bubaris, traffic engineer for neighboring property owners

Several residents echoed Bubaris during public comment, citing snow removal logistics, a 2.5-foot buffer between one parking row and an adjoining property line, and existing congestion at the nearby Route 123 intersection. One exception came from Tara Welch, who lives in an affordable unit at a comparable development on Wilton Road in Westport built by the same developer.

"So if you leave this meeting and you do deny it or anyone in the town, just know that you're denying kids' lives being better." — Tara Welch, resident of an affordable unit at a comparable Westport development

Commissioners also challenged the applicant's legal theory for bypassing a town moratorium on 8-30g applications, questioning whether the developer's nonprofit tax exemption and reliance on housing vouchers qualify as the "governmental assistance" the statute requires. Architect Andrew Hennessy defended the building's contemporary design against commissioners who called it out of character for the street.

"We should be designing buildings that look like they're from 2026, not 1906." — Andrew Hennessy, architect for the project

The commission's attorney calculated the statutory 65-day deadline for a decision falls May 13; the applicant agreed to an extension so the matter can return at the commission's regularly scheduled May 26 meeting. Commissioners asked for updated renderings showing all 16 parking spaces, an accurate depiction of the site's grading, and a more detailed rear-elevation view before that session.

In other business, the commission approved the North Wilton Road subdivision, sought by Keith Simpson Associates on behalf of DeForest Road Developers LLC, splitting an 8.94-acre parcel into two lots of about 4.9 and 4.1 acres. It also approved New Canaan Country School's special permit for grading and a retaining wall tied to converting two of three athletic fields at 635 Frogtown Road to artificial turf, after attorney Steve Finn reported the school and neighbors had reached a compromise on field usage. Conditions include an as-built survey confirming setback compliance and a ban on permanent or temporary field lighting.

Why It Matters

The Parade Hill Road case tests how far a nonprofit developer can go in using 8-30g's assisted-housing exemption to bypass the town's affordable-housing moratorium, an argument Commissioner Nielsen and others said has rarely, if ever, been used in Connecticut. Commissioners noted the town spent $75 million last year acquiring 104 units at Riverwood partly to protect its moratorium status, raising the stakes of any precedent set here. Residents near Parade Hill Road face a possible 14-unit building with parking commissioners themselves called tight; a decision, or another continuance, is expected May 26.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Two-lot subdivision approval, 0 North Wilton Road Tally: For: 9, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 9

- Vote: Special permit for athletic field alterations, 635 Frogtown Road (New Canaan Country School) Tally: For: 9, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 9

• Action: Site plan application, 30 Parade Hill Road (14-unit residential development) — Continued to May 26, 2026 meeting

- Vote: Grace Farm seasonal court-rental schedule for May Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Meeting minutes of March 31 and April 9 Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

Town Of New Canaan: Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, April 28, 2026