Newington’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday voted against a $32 million-plus affordable-housing development proposed near one of Newington’s CTfastrak busway stations.
Town Planner Craig Minor said the zoning commission voted 4-2 against the development at 550 Cedar St. amid safety concerns.
A key part of the denial, Minor said, had to do with the need for a sidewalk to connect the three building, 108-unit apartment complex on land owned by Stop & Shop Supermarket to the CTfastrak bus station.
Massachusetts developer-landlord Dakota Partners Inc. offered to fund the sidewalk installation and pledged to work with the state Department of Transportation to mitigate safety concerns.
The sidewalk plan, however, was not feasible based on the steep topography of the land, Minor said.
The town planner said there is a lack of shoulder room to fit a sidewalk, making it “difficult if not impossible” to create enough space from traffic. Minor said the sidewalk would have also not complied with requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“The commission just felt it was unsafe,” Minor said of sidewalk’s uncertainty. “There was no way to guarantee there would be sidewalks from the CTfastrak station.”
Residents during public comments aired concerns over an increase in traffic, but Minor said the commission agreed the traffic impact would have been minimal.
Dakota Partners, which also owns Hartford’s Capitol Lofts and 179 Allyn St. apartment buildings, may appeal the decision as the town has less than 10 percent affordable housing, Minor said.
“I imagine they will appeal,” he said. “They have put a lot of effort into the project at this point, it seems likely they will try to get it approved through the appeal process.”
A spokeswoman for Dakota Partners on Thursday said the developer has not made a decision on whether to appeal Wednesday’s decision.
Under the site application, Dakota Partners pitched a three-building complex at the long-vacant lot spanning over 7.7 acres. The complex, billed as Cedar Pointe, was aimed at low-income residents at the former site of automobile dealership Crest Motors.
If approved, the developer had planned to break ground in spring 2019 with an estimated completion in 12 to 14 months.
The proposal called for 81 two-bedroom units and 27- one-bedroom units and 152 parking spots.
Rents ranged from $410 to $1,046 for one bedroom and $486 to $1,240 for two-bedroom units.
