🔒30-unit housing project approved in Bristol

A proposed site plan to build 30 units of residential housing on Wolcott Street was unanimously approved Monday by the Bristol Planning Commission. The project, proposed by Crown Estates LLC, was granted a zone change last year from single family to multifamily residential. The design of the project has been modified since then to accommodate concerns raised by town staff and neighboring property owners. Originally, the site plan proposed erecting three buildings with a total of 30 units on the property, which includes four wooded lots — three that border Wolcott Street and a rear lot that in part extends in a narrow band to Old Wolcott Road. Combined, the four lots total 3.89 acres. The site is essentially opposite Bristol Central High School. The town Department of Public Works has assigned the address of 525 Wolcott St. to the combined property. A revised site plan was discussed during a public hearing that began on Sept. 22 and was continued to Monday. That site plan consolidated the 30 units into two buildings, reducing its overall impact on the property and allowing for a larger buffer zone from neighboring properties. Attorney Timothy Furey, of the Bristol law firm Furey, Donovan, Cooney & Dyer, spoke on behalf of the applicants during Monday’s continuation of the public hearing. He said the only entrance and exit from the property will be on Wolcott Street, and that a review by traffic engineers determined that the sight lines are adequate. He added that, because Wolcott Street is a state road (Route 69), the state Department of Transportation also must approve the entrance/exit, and if it does not the applicant would have to return to the commission to review and approve any changes. Furey also stated that the applicant has not yet decided whether the 30 housing units, which will include two handicapped-accessible units in each building, will be apartments or condominiums. The project is expected to begin in the spring of 2026 and be completed within 18 months.