September 21st
Vessel Technologies, Inc. appeared before the Planning Commission requesting creation of a new housing designation, Honeyspot Housing Zone (HSHZ), an amendment that would change the parcel of land at 313 Honeyspot Road (and Lot 14) from RM-1 (two family districts) to HSHZ.
Vessel proposes to construct a three-story 15-unit affordable housing development as allowed by the Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) Section 8-30G. According to Josh Levy, principal of Vessel, the Town Council has already given the nod to Vessel to develop this property, which is currently a municipal property.
According to Levy, the 15-units meets all POCD (Plans of Conservation Development) goals and objectives, and the Stratford housing plan.
“We are working to invent the technologies behind a 21st century housing economy. Our efforts are focused on better design, material selection and manufacturing processes. Our mission is to offer a housing alternative that is reliable, functional, durable, secure, accessible and affordable. We are developing close partnerships with landholders, such as municipalities, philanthropies, or private individuals, who share our vision and want to see their vacant land put to productive use. Our plan is to activate entrepreneurs within the communities we will serve, who will find opportunity in the jobs we will create in building and operating the Vessel system.”
Editor’s Note: The Vessel System US Patent Number 10,704,251, is construction using modular systems and methods for assembling multiunit buildings, and particularly to systems and methods wherein individual units are constructed from multiple vertically stacked modules.
Levy noted that Vessel has been working with the town for over a month on developing the site, and, must have approval by October 1st. The 15-units will each be 525 square feet, 1 bedroom, and provide 1 parking space per unit. There will be a deed restriction of 1 person or 1 couple per unit.
The Vessel proposal passed the Planning Commission by a vote of 3-1.
In other business:
Merritt 8 LLC went before the Planning Commission to amend Section 5.3 and 6.3 regarding residence apartments (3 or more multifamily housing units) in an Office Park Development (OPD) Zone. Stratford presently has two sites listed as OPD, Merritt 8 building on Hawley Lane, and the Stratford Executive Park on Lordship Boulevard (which apparently is not viable at this time).
The Commission instructed Merritt 8 that in order to move into Zoning for approval they needed to add affordable housing to their proposal, as well as mixed use.
Their proposal passed unanimously.
Tabled until the next meeting was a general discussion on recreational cannabis, and a moratorium extension on methadone clinics.
