On Monday, October 13, Milford City Council tabled a decision on the Carlisle Lane project planned for Truitt Avenue. This project was approved by the Board of Adjustments in March but denied by Planning and Zoning in August.
The project is for a garden apartment and townhouse district located on vacant land on Truitt Avenue. The applicant requested 32 variances, mostly lot setback and street width reductions. There was a request to allow the developer to plot land in the 100-year flood plain, but the applicant swore under oath that nothing would be constructed in the flood plain.
Residents who live in the area spoke during the public hearing in August in support of the project which is designed to bring affordable housing to Milford. Dan Bond, who has renovated and constructed many buildings in the downtown area, also spoke in support of the project. The only person during the public hearing to speak against the project was Julie Morris who gave an address on Cedar Beach Road when she spoke.
“All I am asking is that you guys look at this plan and do what is right for the community,” Matt Feindt, the developer, said at the public hearing. “Vote for what is best for the community, not what is best for you or the one individual sitting out there running their mouth online. If it doesn’t go the way I’d like it to go, I’ll go back to the drawing board and do something different. What is different may be worse than what you see now.”
According to zoning code, Feindt could build 16 apartments per acre which could be up to 73 apartments. Feindt stated he would prefer having townhomes which would offer the ability of homeownership rather than apartments, but if he could not get the townhomes approved, he may have to adjust his plans. Should he do that, Feindt would not be required to seek approvals from council. At the October 13 meeting, City Manager Chris Coleman provided details on how the project would need to move forward with council.
“Council heard from the applicant, Carlisle LLC, on the project,” Coleman said. “As part of the public hearing process, council members heard testimony from the applicant, the public and staff at that meeting. The public hearing process was closed, and the council began to study the project. As a result, the council voted to table the request.”
Coleman continued, stating that during council’s deliberation, there was discussion regarding affordable housing and low-income housing coming to a workshop.
“I just want to remind council and viewers that any workshop discussions could not be applied to the application but could be applied to future applications, just not this one,” Coleman said. “So, Council, you have two options, and the solicitor can correct me. You can vote based on the testimony you heard. If there is additional testimony you want to hear, we would then need to post a public hearing so that you can hear that.”
Coleman explained that council could vote on it that evening without asking additional questions of staff, the applicant or the public or they could table the matter and schedule another public hearing in order to obtain more testimony.
“I also want to point out that since the Planning Commission denied this request, we would need a super majority from council to override their decision,” Mayor Todd Culotta said. “We have a super majority here tonight, so we could vote if that is council’s desire.”
A motion was made to table the matter in order to schedule another public hearing and gain additional information. The motion passed with a vote of seven to zero with Councilwoman Lori Connor absent.
