A developer is pitching a 92-unit, age-restricted community on a former farm property in Berlin.
The 57-acre site, at 102 Meadow Lane, consists of steep slopes, wetlands and a brook. It has sprawling fields and orchards, and has been the subject of multiple development plans that have failed due to the challenging terrain.
The developer, Steve McLarty, owner of Coastland Enterprises, recently told the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission that he hired East Hartford-based real estate consulting firm Goman+York to determine the “highest and best use” for the parcel.
Previously, McLarty considered potential industrial and commercial uses, including a bus terminal and bus repair facility. But the grade of the land made them unfeasible.
Now, McLarty and his team believe the property is best suited for single-family residential development.
The project would consist of up to 92 detached dwellings, ranging from 1,500 to 1,700 square feet, with a combination of two- and three-bedroom configurations.
Amenities would include greenhouses, pickleball courts, community gardens, a dog park, walking trails and other gathering places.
The northern edge of the property sits along Meadow Lane, which would serve as the primary access point to the development. It’s bounded by Toll Gate Road to the west and, to the east, the Berlin Turnpike, on which it has about 400 feet of frontage.
The development team pitched its plan in a pre-application presentation during the Planning and Zoning Commission’s June 5 meeting.
Commissioners were generally supportive of the concept and encouraged the team to submit a formal application.
“Hopefully, we’ll come back to you in a few months and present to you a site plan for approval,” said Justin LaFountain, senior vice president of planning and economic development at Goman+York.
The property is zoned for planned industrial use, which allows single-family, age-restricted housing with approval of a special permit.
A zone change would not be required.
Although the property as a whole would be owned by residents of the community, each unit would be owned and occupied by a single family. Owners would need to be at least 55 years old; residents 18 and under would not be allowed.
“We believe that age-restricted housing is not only the highest and best use for Meadow Lane, but also the most beneficial and least impactful use for the town and the neighboring residents,” LaFountain said.
Goman+York’s market research shows that the 55 to 64 age group is seeing a significant decrease in Berlin due to a lack of supply of smaller homes for empty nesters, he explained.
“Our research continues to show that there is a demand for age-restricted housing, and they fill up almost as quickly as they become available on the market,” LaFountain said.
The 92 units would have a net positive fiscal impact of $641,240 per year to the town, largely because residents would not have children receiving Board of Education services, said Don Poland, senior vice president and managing director of planning and strategy at Goman+York.
Residents of the development would pay about $1.1 million per year in taxes, at the 2024-25 tax rate of 30.21 mills, he said.
Currently, the property at 102 Meadow Lane is owned by a family trust.
About one-third of the site is controlled by the Berlin Land Trust and is undevelopable.
