A Meeting With Local Residents
Residents in the surrounding area of the proposed apartment complex on Sutton Street were invited to an informal meeting with representatives of Romano Brothers Builders, LLC. The meeting took place at Sterling House on Thursday evening, February 19th. The purpose was to provide neighbors an opportunity for questions and discussion concerning the project, which will be located on the land that previously was Center School. Sutton Street branches off East Broadway, a block from where East Broadway merges with Main Street.
As currently approved on the 3.8 acre land, the main building will hold 134 apartments, consisting of a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, each of which will have a washer and dryer. The four structures at the front will each contain four two-bedroom apartments. There will be 164 parking spaces, some of which are below the building itself. (The underground parking was a requirement of the town for all potential builders, which added a great deal to the costs in their proposals.) A portion of the apartments will be considered affordable housing with rents of $1700 – $2000. The Romanos say that the high-sounding numbers are due to the high cost of materials.
While the project is called ‘mixed use’, the non-residential components are what is currently the Calvin and Ruby Fletcher Museum African American History and the small historic building which has been used as law offices. That building will be restored and continue to be rental space for offices. Romano Brothers will own that building, as they own the land of the project, but the town will retain ownership of the museum building. Both of these structures are on East Broadway.
Access to and from the site will be primarily East Broadway. The Romanos stated that traffic studies have been done and shown no significant difference in the patterns.
Another concern had been the water table, since that area had considerable flooding in the past. The water table is the top level of water just below the surface of the ground. At the meeting, people were assured the water table was “not that high” and that the retaining wall behind the property was “in good shape”. Should there be any problems, the Romanos would be responsible for any costs and repairs since they own the property and the town does not.
In response to concerns about noise levels, inconvenience to the neighborhood, and toxins exposed from the excavation, The Romanos informed residents that during the estimated eighteen months of construction time, the work hours would be restricted to 7a.m. – 6 p.m., and that the land has already been remediated.
The project is part of the Transit-Oriented Development concept of creating mixed-use communities close to quality public transportation, and the Romanos foresee residents to be younger professionals who would make use of the nearby train station. They anticipate that upon completion, it will take eight months for the apartments to fill.
Early on in the five-year process, Town meetings invited residents’ comments on the property’s use. Most of those who spoke expressed a preference for the town retaining ownership of the property and creating a park with open spaces for gatherings and activities. The former administration chose otherwise, and the town property was sold. Given that, the residents attending this meeting were pleased that the Romanos were selected, and appreciated their taking the initiative to discuss and answer questions about this project with the people on whom it will have the greatest impact.
The next Zoning meeting will finalize the project. Please check with Town Hall for the accurate date of that if you wish to attend.
For an earlier Stratford Crier article on this subject from January 28, 2023, go to:
