Key Points
- Kimco presented its first plans for Phase II of the Wilton Campus redevelopment, adding 225 apartments in two new residential buildings.
- Commissioners raised early concerns about architecture, parking, public space, walkability and affordable housing before a formal application is submitted.
- The proposal would bring the redevelopment to 393 apartments and could take about four years to complete if approved.
Why It Matters: Phase II would reshape a key Wilton Center property, add hundreds of apartments and could play an important role in the town’s affordable housing strategy under Connecticut’s 8-30g law.
A month-and-a-half after Wilton’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) unanimously approved minor architectural modifications to Kimco Realty‘s first phase of the Wilton Campus redevelopment at 15-21 River Rd., the developer returned Monday with its much-anticipated Phase II proposal.
The proposal calls for demolishing the site’s remaining office building and replacing it with two new four-story residential buildings containing 225 apartments, bringing the mixed-use redevelopment to a total of 393 residential units.
P&Z heard Kimco’s pre-application proposal at its Jul. 28 meeting, during which commissioners offered extensive early feedback on the proposal, focusing on the proposed number of affordable apartments, architecture, parking, and walkability and public access to green space.
Kimco — doing business as Wilton Campus 1691, LLC — said that the “Phase II” proposal became possible after all of the site’s remaining office tenants vacated the building, leaving it completely empty.
The “Phase I” development approved by P&Z in November 2024 capped three years of often contentious review, revision, and debate over a range of issues including the provision of public amenities, the addition of a fifth floor on one or both buildings, and the inclusion of affordable housing — which Kimco decreased from 16 units in the initial application to just three in the final proposal approved by P&Z thanks to a loophole in the zoning regulations.
Kimco Vice President for Development Nick Brown told the commissioners that the company plans to begin construction on Phase I “within about two months’ time,” after which they expect construction to require “a solid two years” followed by another year to fully lease the residential and commercial units. He predicted that the overall project could take at least four years to complete.
“We Certainly Have Our Work Cut Out for Ourselves”
The proposal would replace the existing 118,000-square-foot office building with two four-story apartment buildings at the center of the 12-acre parcel. The larger structure would contain 174 one-, two- and three-bedroom and studio apartments surrounding a 10,000-square-foot internal courtyard with a private pool, and an enclosed multistory parking garage. The second, smaller building would contain 51 apartments of various sizes. Other amenities include a clubhouse, lawn areas with outdoor seating, a walking path and a dog run.
Brown noted that Kimco would be pursuing LEED Gold certification for the Phase II buildings, a higher standard than the LEED Silver requirement specified for the Phase I buildings.
Following Kimco’s presentation, commissioners zeroed in on several areas of concern:
- Architecture: The centerpiece of Phase II, referred to as “Building C,” drew criticism for both its shape and size. P&Z Vice Chair Mark Ahasic called it “massive” and noted that it lacked the more visually appealing wraparound designs of the two proposed buildings in Phase I. P&Z Chair Ken Hoffman also criticized the massing on the building’s corners, which were not set back like the rest of the building. Commissioner Margit Ritz suggested that green space could be added to the flat concrete roof to provide visual variety, and commissioner Anthony Cenatiempo suggested that Beinfield explore breaking up the building into several smaller ones.
- Parking: Several commissioners pointed out that parking in Wilton Center was already at a premium, and emphasized that Kimco should ensure there would be enough spaces for both residents and shoppers. P&Z Secretary Michelle Saglimbene noted that parallel parking along Village Dr. will likely only add to the congestion, especially since the road will not be widened with additional lanes. Cenatiempo urged the developer to open up the Building C garage to non-residential parking. Brown pledged to provide a detailed traffic study as part of its formal application to P&Z, and explore ways to add more parking spaces than strictly required by code.
- Public Space: Commissioner Trevor Huffard suggested that one way to improve the designers’ emphasis on walkability would be to replace part or all of the proposed road alongside Building C with green space, and he suggested improving the undeveloped back side of the property with a grass promenade and possibly a perimeter walkway for joggers.
- Affordable Housing: The two phases will have different affordability requirements, which will likely be a flash point for future negotiations. Because of the inadvertent loophole in the Wilton Center zoning regulations in force at the time, Phase I is required to have only three affordable units priced for the area median income. Under regulations currently in force, Phase II will be required to have at least 22 units priced according to the lower state median income. Saglimbene noted that the lower number of affordable units in Phase I would mean the total number would fall below 10%. Brown indicated Kimco expects to comply with the regulations.
“This is the reason why we’re here tonight, is to get a lot of great ideas on the table, and we certainly have our work cut out for ourselves,” Brown told the commissioners at the end of the discussion.
Will New Proposal Rekindle Debate Over Affordable Housing at Wilton Campus?
The proposal to construct additional rental units in Wilton Center comes at a time when the current P&Z commission continues working to position Wilton for a future affordable housing moratorium under Connecticut’s 8-30g statute.
Under 8-30g, municipalities where less than 10% of housing stock has been set aside for median-income renters and buyers, developers are entitled to sidestep local zoning regulations provided they designate at least 30% of a project’s units for median-income occupancy. To prevent that, the town has two options: it can either increase the total number of affordable units to reach the 10% threshold, or it can earn a four-year moratorium on developers seeking to sidestep the regulations by increasing the number of median-income units by at least 2%, which, in Wilton’s case, is 132 units.
Earlier this month, the commissioners unanimously adopted new regulations using state median income as a basis for calculating the number of units in at least some developments that will be priced below market rates — in part because residential developments that use the state median income count toward the moratorium.
With nearly 400 new apartments planned — 168 in the approved Phase I development and 225 in the proposed Phase II — Kimco’s Wilton Center redevelopment will likely play a significant role in Wilton’s affordable housing strategy over for the next several years.
Between the planned units in-town, the activity near the train station, and the appartments near Rings End and ASML, has P&Z thought about the pressure on the Wilton school system that this might create? Has there been any consideration of adding any 55 and older housing in town?
TRAFFIC WITHIN THE VILLAGE CENTER HAS ALREADY INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY OVER THE PAST YEAR. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT THE ADDITION OF 400 MORE APARTMENTS WILL DO TO THE TRAFFIC FLOW! AT WHAT POINT DOES P AND Z SAY “ENOUGH!!” (LIKE DARIEN)
Why hasn’t the article addressd the real concern traffic? Do we really want to end up like Norwalk or is it to late?
Let’s face it. It was not because of a loophole that Kimco was allowed to have only three affordable housing units. It was because of poor oversight on the part of the previous P&Z. Thank goodness the current commissioners are on top of things now, and are making thoughtful suggestions that will benefit the town and everyone in it. Let’s just hope there are no “loopholes” this time.
This is hideous. Another flat-roofed monstrosity. And as for affordable units, P&Z should insist — since it messed up in the first place — that Phase II must include enough affordable units to bring the projects TOTAL to or above 10%. Ack!