35 Leroy Disposition: The First Blush

At his meeting Monday, First Selectman Dave Campbell formally presented his new proposal for 35 Leroy: a Senior Center-Board of Education shuffle that gives no mention to affordable housing. Where the Republican selectmen think the idea is "fantastic," the Democrats are less enamored.

The three-phase plan, news of which surfaced in board meetings last week, looks like this:

1. Move the Board of Education to the former library building at 35 Leroy Avenue; Darien Arts Center may use some space for dance classes
2. Move the Senior Activities Center to the Board of Education building at 2 Renshaw Road; build a privately funded community pool
3. Tear down the former Senior Activities Center building at Edgerton Street, and keep the land as playing fields

With public interest and the approval from the Board of Finance, Campbell will be able to move forward with an anticipated $10,000 study of his new project, which at this point is just an idea in infancy.

"This is just the first blush," said Campbell.

The idea revolves around "fixing" the Senior Center, a building Campbell said is in "deplorable condition." A 2008 Condition Assessment of the Darien Senior Center by the Department of Public Works and a more recent November 2009 study list innumerable problems; the anticipated rehabilitation costs near $3 million, and building a new center from scratch would cost more than double that. Campbell said knocking the building down and relocating the seniors is the only financially sound solution.

Campbell estimates the entire three-phase project, sans the pool, will cost about $5 million all in, with possible grant funding from the state for the Senior Center. The project would begin in late 2010 and pan out over a number of years. But this is all hypothetical, Campbell said.

"If there's public support, we can go ahead with the study. I'm not just saying, 'We're gonna do this,'" said Campbell.

He's already made a fan of Selectman Jayme Stevenson:

"The driver for me in the excitement is that Dave's plan takes a global look at the general needs of the town," she said. "The Senior Center is high on my list of priorities."

And of Selectman Jerry Nielsen:

"I think your idea is fantastic. We need to look into it, but I think it would be really wonderful for the town."

But Selectmen David Bayne and Callie Sullivan have their doubts. The veteran selectmen say that while Campbell's plan may fix the problem at the Senior Center, it leaves long-term problem of affordable housing unsolved.

Plans for an affordable housing development at the former library site at 35 Leroy Ave. are years in the making. For proponents Bayne and Sullivan, both highly involved in the project's development, the appeal lies in attaining a moratorium under state mandate 8-30g possibly two times over.

The law allows developers to put up projects that are denser than normally permissible in towns where less than 10 percent of the housing stock is affordable. Towns that increase that stock by two percent are granted a four-year moratorium.

Bayne's concerns with Campbell's plan are related legal woes:

"35 Leroy could be the basis of a second moratorium. I'm concerned in giving that up without reassurance that 830g can be alleviated in some way."

Campbell said he hopes to be freed from the grasp of 8-30g before application for a second moratorium is due and that there are other, more attractive opportunities for a first moratorium. The 35-unit Garden Homes development is one such way; accessory apartments present another.

The Garden Homes application to convert a vacant property at 397 Post Road into 35 rental units (11 of which are affordable) is pending likely approval from Planning & Zoning by Jan 28.

Currently, Darien has 113.2 points and 22.64 more are needed for a moratorium. If approved and occupied before the 2011 census count, Garden Homes will bring 25.5 points.

Campbell is confident in the project's timeline; Bayne's concern is that any delay may come at a huge cost. 

"Anyone in real estate knows delays are endemic. If there's a six month, 13 month delay, what's plan b for a moratorium?"

Campbell said that there are a number of accessory apartments in town that are not deeded affordable, but could be.

Stevenson said that while it's "not the be all and end all," or even a hugely popular option, accessory apartments deserve consideration in a town like Darien with little open space for new development.

"That's a necessary piece. We're 99 percent built." Stevenson said. "You're going to be chasing the number forever. It's better to go to state to fight."

That fight is already underway, said Campbell. He said State Representative Terrie Wood is working to amend the law so the 10 percent requirement is lowered.

"That does concern me, because towns have been trying to fight for years," said Bayne.

Campbell, admittedly "not a lawyer, just a simple lumber guy," said that at the end of the day the fight is a worthy one.

"The law is flawed," said Campbell adding that of the 160 towns subject to the law, only two have achieved a moratorium. "I will tell you as a business person, we can communicate in today's world."

Where Bayne's concerns are mainly legal, Sullivan's are ethical in nature:

Dozens of people have put substantial time and effort into the old plan, said Sullivan, and they deserve to be kept in the loop. In particular, developer Mutual Housing Association (MHA), who has being working on approving land use and financing for the affordable housing project since the Option to Lease was approved in early August.

"The more we delay him, the more we put him out." Said Sullivan. "I don't like that piece of our plan. It reflects badly on Darien."

Campbell said he would have MHA present his idea to the board; after all, he said, the future of affordable housing at 35 Leroy Ave. is not entirely quashed.

"If we think 35 Leroy would be good for housing we'll go rent space for Board of Ed. But I would recommend making it senior affordable housing," said Campbell. 

Selectmen peppered Campbell with a number of other specific questions: Is the Board of Ed. building big enough? Is the former library building too small? Is there enough parking? What about the neighbors? Where would the pool go? What does P&Z say? Indoor? Outdoor?

"We're kind of beating a dead horse," said Campbell.

He said the proposed study will help answer most of those questions, many of which he shares. In the meantime, Campbell proposed a tour of the Board of Ed. space, and a community homework assignment:

"Go to the senior center and tell me what you think."