Darien Takes Stock of Affordable Housing

Eyeing Darien's continued that could allow developers to skirt local planning agencies if the town falls short of affordable housing requirements, town officials this week took stock of what Darien offers and what may be done to boost the number of qualified units.

A town can earn an exemption from the law — as Darien did last year — in one of two ways: 10 percent of its housing units must be affordable, or it must increase its affordable housing units by two percent during the course of the four years. 

According to Planning and Zoning director Jeremy Ginsberg, the 2010 federal census showed Darien had 7,074 housing units. In order for Darien to earn a moratorium in 2014, it would have to earn 141.5 points, a measurement of affordable housing structures. Ginsberg highlighted a few properties that recently switched their use.

Office space became affordable housing at 397 Boston Post Road, a development called Garden Homes. These properties contain 24 market rate units, and 11 affordable ones. The formula assigns .25 points for a market rate unit, and 1.5 points for an affordable unit. These 35 units account for 22.5 points.

Also, office space became affordable housing at 23-33 Boston Post Road. These Tokeneke Properties contain six market rate units, and two affordable units, accounting for 4.5 points.

“There is slightly more need for apartments than for office space,” Ginsberg told the Board of Selectmen Monday night at the panel's regular meeting. “The thing you have to rely on is the private sector.”

Considering Garden Homes and Tokeneke Properties account for 27 points, the town would still need another 114 points to secure another moratorium.

Selectman David Bayne asked what policies municipal officials can take to encourage the private sector to pursue affordable housing.

First Selectmen Dave Campbell said he wants to continue the moratorium. “We have a long way to go [to achieve 141 points],” he said. “There is not a lot of land in this town.”

“You cannot rely on the government to do affordable housing,” Campbell said, referring to Allen O’Neill Drive.

Allen O’Neill Drive is a neighborhood of subsidized affordable homes across from the Noroton Heights Fire Station. The road currently contains 53 housing units, but the Darien Housing authority is planning to rebuild the site to include 106 units.

“They are waiting funding from the state, which will determine if they get funding this year,” Ginsberg said. “We will know better once the state makes a decision.”

Town officials previously considered transforming the former Darien Library site at 35 Leroy Avenue into affordable housing units.

“If we had turned 35 Leroy Avenue into affordable housing, how many points does that count for?” Selectman Callie Sullivan asked.

The other selectmen responded: 21. 

“We see a lot of people being a lot pickier about what they buy and how they buy,” Ginsberg said. “The climate is a lot different than what we saw 10 years ago."

Correction: The original version of this article misstated the Representative Town Meeting's role in the planned reconstruction of Allen O'Neill Homes. The RTM but did not vote on the Darien Housing Authority's proposal for the site. Patch regrets the error.