With construction happening all around town, from our side roads to Interstate 95 roadwork is happening, like the milling and resurfacing on Route 113, to the approved plan to renovate the John Benjamin House passed on Monday, July 14th by the Town Council, Stratford is undergoing a bit of a facelift. The road construction, depending which way you turn, is set to last through next week.
Wetlands, Turtles, and the Stratford Zoning Commission: After years of back and forth, approval, and then denial, Superior Court Judge Dale Radcliffe overturned an earlier ruling which denied the building of a 129-unit apartment building, equipped with a community space for residents as well as an outdoor pool, plus a 300 space parking area. The commission denied the first request citing the construction plans did not sufficiently take into account the 10-acres of wetlands or provide adequate safe guards for the wildlife. The Stratford Zoning Commission must approve the building before construction can begin. As of yet, there hasn’t been a date set by the commission for the vote on the building of the 129-unit apartment behind Big Y on Hawley Lane.
Photo Credit: Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media (CT Post)
John Benjamin House: In 2019, the White House stood sans the Shakespeare Festival Theatre behind it, after teens burned the theatre down. Mayor Hoydick announced a partnership with the architectural firm Svigals + Partners who will take the lead in drafting the blueprint and overseeing the renovations of Stratford’s development of the arts center. The contract with the firm will cost $461,000 for their part, according to David Wright, Town Historian. Mayor Hoydick shared in an interview with the CT Post that the project will cost approximately $6 million dollars to renovate the white house (built in 1830) and the grounds, and will be controlled, initially, by the Stratford Recreation Department. Mayor Hoydick anticipates the project will take a little more than two years to complete and boast art studios, a kitchen, community space, art galleries, ceramic making-opportunities and more.
You can learn more about development prospects by attending a Stratford Town Zoning Commission meeting. The meeting schedule can be found on the Town Hall’s website.
Nikkya Hargrove is a mom, wife, author, and owner of Stratford’s only bookstore. She enjoys cooking dinner for her family, binge watching (any) television show with her wife, and spending time experiencing life with her family and dogs.
Instead of calling it “developing Stratford” should be saying “destroying Stratford” Landscape that whole area was wooded wetlands, etc. and it’s just being encroach upon any place that there’s green Space and Stratford is gonna turn into apartment building more residents more strain on the infrastructure the schools crowding, etc.. This town is losing its charm and it’s very small geographically. It cannot accommodate all this growth is become very loud crowded. You don’t feel like moving at this stage of my life, but I’m not happy here, you bring people but not business to town so it does not change the tax structure either
Don’t pay as much in taxes if these were individual condos or homes again too many cars not enough parking just getting across town takes forever. Everything is a line if you hit a main road or a busy secondary road for housing rental property not people who plan to be here long-term, and are invested in the town.