After two years and 188 high-rise rental apartments approved downtown, Wilton Center may finally get a residential development that matches the vision of its no-longer-new zoning overlay.
On Thursday, Dec. 4, the Village District Design Advisory Committee (VDDAC) saw a presentation by former VDDAC Vice Chair Sam Gardner for a series of townhouse condos at 20 Old Ridgefield Rd., the triangular sloped site at the intersection of Old Ridgefield and Ridgefield Roads.
Gardner was a central figure in the Greater Wilton Center Master Plan Subcommittee that drafted the downtown zoning overlay, and he is serving as the architect on the project for owners Marek and Heather Mroz of M&M Constructions.
The proposal for 20 Old Ridgefield Rd. seemed to be a breath of fresh air for the town’s design panel, which has so far seemed disappointed by the architecture produced under the new zoning rules.
In late 2023, after years of work by the master plan subcommittee, the Planning and Zoning Commission passed a new zoning overlay for Wilton Center. Written as a form-based code, the new zoning rules sought to encourage a diverse, walkable downtown by allowing developers to build new residential density if they incorporated pedestrian-friendly design, mixed uses, varied housing types, and public amenities.
The first project to take advantage of the zoning overlay — Kimco’s hulking 168-unit, two-building rental complex at 5 River Rd. — wasn’t exactly what the Commission and VDDAC had envisioned, however. The second project — the much smaller 20-unit rental development at 118 Old Ridgefield Rd. — started out strong with a tower façade element and bright public arcade architecturally inspired by the Town Green gazebo across the road. But after five rounds of design revision across both P&Z and VDDAC, the proposal that finally came to a vote was a flattened white brick building with two retail entrances set back in dark caves to either side of the residential entrance. Even the four lonely male figures wandering in and out of the final rendering seemed a bit beaten down by the process.
The pre-application hearing for 20 Old Ridgefield Rd. showed, maybe for the first time, the kind of development that the overlay intended to produce.
“We see this as an opportunity to propose to the town housing that hasn’t — up to now — been proposed, and kind of set the tone for a walkable, pedestrian-friendly type of project,” Gardner explained.
Gardner preview preliminary floorplans for the first, second, and basement floors, but the third floor layout may be custom for each buyer. 
Gardner preview preliminary floorplans for the first, second, and basement floors, but the third floor layout may be custom for each buyer. 
Gardner preview preliminary floorplans for the first, second, and basement floors, but the third floor layout may be custom for each buyer.
“We might even get in a situation of pre-selling the units and building to suit that third floor,” Heather Mroz explained. “We’re really amazed at how many people have reached out to us already. They say, this is the kind of project that we’ve been looking for, because we want ownership, we want a really nice space, but we’re tired of having two or three acres to maintain in town.”
The materials are still being decided, but some mixture of brick (color TBD) and white siding with copper gutters seems likely. The preliminary plans include the addition of a pocket park for public use and Gardner explained that the Mrozes will be working with the Department of Public Works to create a sidewalk in front of the site. They hope they can convince Frontier Communications, which owns the site next door, to create a sidewalk as well, which would then create a continuous pedestrian path to the Pearsall building and the rest of Wilton Center.
The reaction from the VDDAC members was equal parts praise and relief.
“I think you’re off to an excellent start,” VDDAC Chair Kevin Quinlan said. “Working with the topography, going for the townhouse, the whole pocket park/walkable concept… you’ve made all the right moves.”
The VDDAC members offered a few suggestions about the facades and various architectural influences the Mrozes might consider looking to, from the Brooklyn brownstone to the English rowhouse. There was discussion about possibly incorporating a subtle, unique design elements in each of the five townhouses, though the Mrozs cautioned that the degree of ornamentation and variation may come down to cost.
“Well, hopefully you’ll make a lot of money on this, as well,” Poirier said towards the end. “That’s the idea… you’re not supposed to go broke building.”
She added, “We’ve had a lot of developers come to this forum and say, ‘[I] can’t build this small. It won’t make me any money.’ I think you’re going to prove them wrong.”
Pre-application hearings are non-binding discussions where applicants can solicit feedback and input from the town’s planning and design boards before submitting a formal application. No public comment is permitted during pre-apps, but once the project is formally submitted to the town, a public hearing process at P&Z will take place.