P&Z Keeps Public Hearing Open as Community Weighs In on 118 Old Ridgefield Rd.

Following over a dozen public comments and newer emails still coming in, the Planning and Zoning Commission decided to keep the public hearing open for the mixed-use development at 118 Old Ridgefield Rd. until its next meeting on Monday, Apr. 28.

A mix of some support and more concerns were expressed to P&Z at its meeting on Monday night, Apr. 14, including worries about parking in Wilton Center, building height and style, and how potential flooding on the adjacent Norwalk River could lead to pollution from the site.

Some individuals also shared disappointment regarding a limited opportunity for public comment, arguing that it was being solicited too late, as the project already appeared to have won approval from the commission.

Others applauded the design and were comfortable with the additional height. They said the parking would not be an issue, as there was ample additional parking throughout downtown, and they expressed appreciation to the town and the developers that new housing options would soon be available in Wilton.

Project as it Currently Stands

The proposed multifamily project, which would be situated just south of the Village Market, will rise to four stories, featuring 20 apartment units, including four 3-bedroom units, nine 2-bedroom units, and seven 1-bedroom units. There will be underground parking for 29 vehicles, just shy of the 30 spaces that would necessitate the addition of an electric charging station, per state law.

The development plan, which includes 3,300 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, went through some minor tweaks following recent discussions with town officials, including the Village District Advisory Committee.

“Site plans and floor plans have remained the same … What has changed is the aesthetics of the building based on comments that we got from the board,” architect Ken Anderson said.

“There were a number of comments of adding some detail along the street front,” he said, including moving the gable on the right side of the building back and adding some panel columns and transoms. Changes meant that the developer would now only need a waiver for the inclusion of a decorative turret added to the front, left side of the building, which would exceed the 41-foot height limit by around 4.5 feet.

“It was a design element that we thought was important, to have that pop up a little bit,” Anderson said.

He said they had worked very closely with P&Z, attending many meetings and fielding many suggestions. “We tried to adopt all of the suggestions that you had,” he said.

Public Reaction and Response

For resident Barbara Geddes, however, that tact resulted in a design that she said was an unpleasant “amalgam of styles,” likening it to something one would see on the New Jersey shore.

“I really think there’s too much input here and the poor team doesn’t know what to do … If they chose one style, you would do better,” she said.

Geddes, like other, also expressed unhappiness with the height of the building.

“This is going to loom over Old Ridgefield Rd. … There’s something way out of scale and I think a little disrespectful to the neighbors,” she said, including the American Legion Post 86, which will stand in the new building’s shadow just to the north.

“I’m terribly afraid we’re all gonna regret this,” she said.

Resident Jack Essig shared an opposite response.

“I think the architecture’s great,” he said. “I’m a huge fan and support this project wholeheartedly.”

Essig said that instead of focusing on the height of the building, people should be thinking about creating more reasons to go downtown.

“There’s less and less reason to be going to our town, so I think this is in the spirit of enhancing our town,” he said.

Resident Tom Costello concurred.

“I really like the idea of revitalizing our downtown, changing up some of the buildings … I fully support this,” he said.

Resident Sara Curtis said it was very unfortunate that the P&Z Commission was already talking about details of the projects as if its approval were a foregone conclusion.

“It’s a foregone conclusion when you start talking about rounded gutters and earth tones,” she said, referencing exterior details being discussed. “It’s too late.”

She said the process as it stands is “disrespectful” to the public. “Give us some credit … Allow us to contribute early on in the process,” Curtis said.

“It’s a massive building which has been dropped down into the middle of our town,” she said. “It’s too big. It’s looming. The site is too small, and I do not think this is going to be the solution to … more retail in Wilton Center.”

Resident Christine Wachter said that 29 parking spaces would not be enough to accommodate all the vehicles associated with 20 new units, which will result in people parking at the library, the Village Market, and other places.

“There’s already an issue with parking downtown,” she said, also favoring the addition of another EV charger.

“The ones we do have are either broken or already in use,” Wachter said.

Resident Jeff Woodring said he didn’t feel the parking was of any concern.

“I’m fully in favor of what’s going on,” he said, noting that as an empty nester, he’s considering new living options. “I think it’s going to add a lot to downtown, especially when you look at the amount of retails that’s vanished.”

Resident Ariel Friedman, who identified as a small-business owner in town, said parking issues dissuade shoppers.

“I’m not really understanding how we’re bringing all these new apartments in and expect to have a robust business center … They’re gonna go somewhere else to do their shopping,” she said.

“I totally am on board with adding more housing to Wilton,” Friedman said. “I just do not think that our tiny town center is the place for it.”

Resident Julie Corbett agreed.

“I fully support the idea of diversifying housing options in Wilton [but] I’m extremely concerned about parking and the disproportionate scale of these recent developments,” she said, calling on P&Z to reject this development.

Resident Greg Oddo identified himself as a weather expert and warned that construction near the flood-prone Norwalk River was a recipe for liability issues.

“My concerns are really about the amount of insurance claims we get … We are a town that has had multiple millions of dollars in insurance claims along that river, and now we’re building along that river again,” he said.

“We really, really need to pay close attention to the flooding issues that we’ve had,” Oddo said.

Resident Barbara Dubiel also said she didn’t understand the logic behind the development in relation to the Norwalk River, largely because of potential toxic runoff.

“People are complaining at the library because there’s no place to park at the library,” she said, because construction workers involved in downtown projects are leaving their vehicles there during the day.

Resident Kevin Wall said issues with the Norwalk River were not a matter for concern.

“It seems like the applicant and their team have addressed that,” he said.

“When I saw the new renderings, I thought that was a pretty good-looking building,” Wall said. “I like what they’ve done to it.”

Resident William Moreno disagreed.

“It seems to lack some of that New England style that we were hoping for,” he said, adding that he didn’t understand why an exception was needed for additional height.

“It’ll definitely look out of whack,” Moreno said.

Resident Danielle Correale said that these building heights were not something she associated with Wilton Center, likening the building to something that would be seen in a Disney movie.

Resident Rusty Hurd said that, largely speaking, there needs to be more unity among the developments being planned for downtown.

“The part that bothers me is that I don’t see any cohesive design for the buildings that are being built,” Hurd said. “They’re all over the map.”

After spending close to 90 minutes on the application, P&Z Chair Rick Tomasetti said he felt it would be appropriate to keep the hearing open to continue at the next meeting.

“I think we can leave the public comment period open … I don’t see what harm that’s going to do,” he said.