Toll Bros.’ Train Station Housing Proposal Make-Over Gets Positive (but Non-Binding) Review from P&Z

On Monday, Mar. 12, the Planning and Zoning Commission held a second pre-application hearing for Toll Brothers’ proposed 206-unit multifamily residential complex project at 15 Old Danbury Rd., across from the Wilton Train Station. A pre-application hearing is a non-binding opportunity for developers to have a candid discussion with the Commission about a project earlier on in the design process. These discussions are non-binding for both sides and no public comment is allowed at this stage.

The project has gone through a near-complete design overhaul since its initial pre-application hearings with P&Z and the Architectural Review Board/Village District Design Advisory Committee in October 2023. The original design of red brick townhouses with stoops has evolved into a pair of steel and glass structures that wing out from a central amenity space. The architecture of this new connecting area is meant to recall the shape and style of a train station hall, a nod to the site’s transit-oriented location. The building remains a complex of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom rental units, with one less unit than originally proposed for a total of 206.

Once formally submitted, the Toll Brothers’s development would be the first application to make use of the new Transit-Oriented Development zoning overlay created through P&Z’s master plan process. The zoning overlays created for Wilton Center and Danbury Rd. sought to update Wilton’s zoning and, ideally, reduce the number of projects that require an individualized text amendment to customize the town’s regulations. However, a representative for the applicant signaled that they may still seek a text amendment to alter the requirements of the new zoning overlay.

“We are wondering what your appetite is for a text amendment,” Lisa Feinberg, the attorney representing the applicant, asked the Commission.

“I don’t know how I feel about that,” Chair Rick Tomasetti answered. “We’ve just gone through our process talking about this… this would literally be the tallest building in Wilton and I’ve got a little concern about tinkering too much.”

That said, he added that the Commission wants to be pragmatic and allow property owners to develop in a “nice, meaningful way.”  

Tomasetti would later ask specifically whether the TOD overlay’s setback requirements, which require buildings to leave 50 feet of unbuilt space between the building edge and the property line was “handcuffing” the team in terms of site layout. Seelan Pather of Beinfield Architecture replied that it’s natural with a setback like that to fill it with parking, which seems to explain the moat of above-ground parking that surrounds the building. The bulk of the parking is located underground, however.

As for the design changes, the Commission by and large responded positively to the new look and shape of the complex.

Commissioner Chris Pagliaro called it “a nice project to continue developing,” and noted that he appreciated the scale of the windows and the simple sophistication of the design overall.

Commissioner Mark Ahasic praised the new layout of the buildings and train inspiration for the amenity building, but questioned whether the façade was too gray. He suggested that the team considered reincorporating some of the original red brick into the updated design.

Tomasetti urged the team to return with renderings that depict the project from additional angles besides the current view from the train station, noting that the building will mainly be seen from Danbury Rd. and Ridgefield Rd. The sunken nature of the terrain will likely mean that the building’s five-story height appears shorter from elevated locations on the roadways.

He also noted that the new TOD overlay requires projects to meet the requirements of LEED Silver, if not receive the official designation, and that the applicant team has more work to do to lay out the sustainability elements of the project. Finally, Vice Chair Melissa-Jean Rotini reminded them to check with the Fire Department about the safest location of electric vehicle charging stations.

The Commissioners were divided over a WILTON rooftop sign concept that appeared in the proposal. Some Commissioners thought it helped create a gateway effect, while others called it “corny” and pointed out that it could confuse motorists into thinking that turning onto Station Rd. is the way into Wilton Center.

In closing, Tomasetti suggested that a third pre-application hearing might be warranted, while noting that the project would soon be in front of ARB again. He noted that he would try to “stay in my lane” and leave the architectural feedback to them. The team representing Toll Brothers seemed amenable to returning once more ahead of filing a formal application.