New Canaan panel extends housing survey, favors Lumberyard site

Other Committee · Meeting of May 28, 2026

New Canaan housing panel favors Lumberyard site, extends survey to June 23. The Affordable Housing Committee's Project Development Subcommittee debriefed an 80-person public forum at Lapham Community Center where residents favored a town-owned Lumberyard lot over Locust Avenue and Richmond Hill, while Morse Court drew broad opposition over traffic and sightlines. Subcommittee member Hillary called it "the most productive, positive thing I've ever been a part of." Member Chris Wilson said the group's report will still target a 2032 affordable-housing moratorium despite a town official's suggestion that converting Riverwood units could push the timeline to 2036, warning of a "tipping point" if too high a share of Riverwood becomes income-restricted.

Members noted Tuesday's Planning and Zoning Commission approval of 751 Weed Street on remand could add roughly 71.5 points toward the moratorium. The panel's online survey, at 35 responses, was extended from June 9 to June 23.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 823 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of May 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

NEW CANAAN — May 28, 2026 — Residents at a recent public forum on affordable housing broadly favored the town-owned Lumberyard lot over two other candidate sites, members of the New Canaan Affordable Housing Committee's Project Development Subcommittee said at a special meeting Thursday, as the panel voted to extend its public survey deadline to June 23 to gather more input before recommending a site to the Board of Selectmen.

Subcommittee member Chris Wilson also told colleagues he still expects the group's final report to target a 2032 affordable-housing moratorium, even after a conversation with a town official identified only as Diana suggested the town could delay action until 2036 by converting existing units at the Riverwood complex instead of building new housing. Members also noted the Planning and Zoning Commission's approval Tuesday of 751 Weed Street on remand, which could add roughly 71.5 points toward the moratorium credit if built.

The Full Story

The subcommittee convened at 7 p.m. with five of seven members present: Krista Nielsen, Hillary, Mike Sweeney, Jane Williams and Jeff Williams. Members William Peret and Bob Strong were absent, and Wilson joined partway through the meeting. Members first approved the minutes of their May 13 meeting on a unanimous voice vote.

Most of the meeting was devoted to debriefing an approximately 80-person public forum held earlier in the week at Lapham Community Center, where residents split into table groups to discuss potential affordable-housing sites. Members said the Lumberyard lot, near the train station, drew the most consistent support, though several tables raised concerns about rush-hour traffic through its likely Grove Street and Elm Street entrances and about which elementary school district would absorb new students. Locust Avenue drew concerns about density and traffic layered on existing congestion on Locust, Forest and Heritage Hill roads. Morse Court, a third site near the center of town, was described by multiple members as the least popular option, with residents citing traffic on its two state roads, sightline concerns and the likely need for two levels of parking. Members also discussed Richmond Hill as a possible smaller, complementary site to Locust Avenue that could spread new students across South and West elementary districts rather than concentrating them at one school.

Several members also raised a town-owned parcel known as the mulch pile, near Waveny Park, as a longer-term option worth researching, though members agreed not to add it to the current shortlist. Jeff Williams and Hillary said the parcel's deed appears to restrict use to parkland, school or medical purposes, meaning any affordable-housing use would require a deed change with input from surviving heirs to the original grant.

Wilson, updating the group on the town's affordable-housing moratorium strategy, said he told the official he identified as Diana that the subcommittee's report would still target 2032, giving the Board of Selectmen cost comparisons between building new units and converting existing Riverwood apartments. He cautioned that converting a large share of Riverwood's market-rate units to income-restricted housing carries a "tipping point" risk to the property's remaining market-rate rents.

"At the end of the day, they make the choices they make," Wilson said, referring to the Board of Selectmen's ultimate authority over any Riverwood conversion decision.

Hillary, who helped lead the subcommittee's outreach for the forum, said the turnout and tone of the public discussion exceeded her expectations.

"I attend a lot of town meetings and a lot of stuff, and this by far was the most productive, positive thing I've ever been a part of," Hillary said.

Nielsen, who led Thursday's meeting, said she believed the group's online public survey, open since roughly May 21 and drawing 35 responses so far, had likely run long enough to reach most willing respondents once it closes.

"I think five weeks is probably reaching that point," Nielsen said. "If people haven't responded after five weeks, they're not going to respond."

Why It Matters

New Canaan is working toward a 2032 deadline for enough income-restricted housing credit to secure a moratorium from further state-mandated affordable-housing approvals under Connecticut's 8-30g law. Where the town builds, and how much, depends heavily on which of the sites debated Thursday, the Lumberyard lot, Locust Avenue, Richmond Hill or Morse Court, ultimately moves forward, and on whether the Board of Selectmen instead pursues converting existing units at Riverwood. The subcommittee's public survey, now open through June 23, will feed directly into the report the group expects to bring to elected officials, tentatively by fall, ranking site options rather than recommending a single one.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approval of the May 13, 2026 subcommittee meeting minutes Tally: Approved unanimously

• Action: Online public survey deadline extended from June 9 to June 23, 2026, by group consensus
• Action: Next subcommittee meeting — Continued to June 30, 2026

Source

Town Of New Canaan: Affordable Housing Committee Project Development Subcommittee meeting, May 28, 2026