The developer of a proposed 74-unit, multifamily housing project that was rejected by the Cheshire Planning and Zoning Commission nearly two years ago has filed a new application for a wetlands permit for the project.
The application was filed with the town on April 29 by 869 W. Main Associates LLC, which lists Mark Forlenza of Cheshire as a principal. It is listed under “unfinished business” on the agenda for Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission.
Neither Forlenza nor his attorneys responded to requests for comment Tuesday.
According to the application, 869 W. Main Associates is seeking a wetlands permit to construct “a 74-unit multifamily residential community” on three combined properties totaling 10.8 acres at the intersection of West Main Street and Mountain Road.
The properties are all undeveloped and owned by Riz Realty LLC, a unit of The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. The largest parcel is zoned for commercial use and would require approval of a zone change, while the other two parcels are in a residential zone. The Inland Wetlands Commission, however, will consider only the application for a wetlands permit.
A letter from March 2024 that was included with the application states that 869 W. Main Associates is under contract to buy the properties.
Its wetlands application states that developing the housing community would require “no direct wetland disturbance,” and that it is seeking approval for “limited activities within the 50-foot upland review area on-site, none of which will adversely impact the values or functions of the wetlands.”
The project would also install related site improvements, including a stormwater basin, parking, utilities and landscaping.
The application states the proposed building would be located on the northwest corner of the site, with parking to the south and east.
“Resident amenities, including a landscaped courtyard, an interior amenity space that opens into an outdoor swimming pool area, a gazebo, and walking trails
through the open space on the southerly half of the site, also will be provided,” the application states, adding that the building will be served by public water and sewer.
Site plans submitted with the application show that residents would enter the site using a driveway on Mountain Road or via a second, “right-in, right-out-only” driveway on West Main Street.
Documents submitted with the application also refer to the project as “The Gateway,” which is different from “Piedmont Corner,” which was the name provided for a similar project that was rejected in 2024.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 8-1 on Sept. 10, 2024, to reject the application from 869 W. Main Associates LLC, which at that time was seeking to rezone the property to an Affordable Housing District to develop a 74-unit, four-story apartment building on the site.
That project proposed making 19, or about 25%, of the 74 units affordable as defined by state law.
The commission rejected the proposal after citing safety concerns related to traffic, as well as their desire to retain the property for commercial use.
The wetlands permit application does not indicate whether any of the units in the new project proposal will be deemed affordable.
The Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission is scheduled to discuss the project during its meeting Tuesday at 7.30 p.m. in Cheshire Town Hall.
