Stefanonis 'On the Verge' of Another Housing App

Developers Margaret and Chris Stefanoni are "on the verge" of submitting another affordable housing application to the Darien Planning and Zoning Commission, according to emails exchanged with the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The messages, traded between Margaret Stefanoni and DECD Community Development Specialist Michael C. Santoro, are dated May 6, the day that the Town of Darien announced it would seek a four-year moratorium under affordable housing law 8-30g.

"I heard a rumor this morning that could affect the timing of an application I am on the verge of submitting to the Darien Planning and Zoning Commission," Stefanoni wrote. "Since you are much more reliable than rumors, I turn to you. Has the Town of Darien applied for a moratorium from 8-30g appeals?"

After Santoro responded that the town was working on an application but had not officially submitted one, she continued, "So that I completely understand, up to the date of what 'event' (submission/publication) do I have to submit my new affordable housing application to the Town before the moratorium (assuming one is approved) deprives me of the appeals procedure?" 

The emails, acquired from the department through the Freedom of Information Act, suggest that the couple will file one or more applications before a potential moratorium takes effect, validating a concern expressed by First Selectman Dave Campbell in February.

No strangers to affordable housing projects in Darien, the Stefanonis have made recent property acquisitions on Hoyt Street and Tokeneke Road. It's "safe to say" that these lots would be the subject of future proposals by the pair, Chris Stefanoni told Patch on Saturday.

Statute 8-30g permits residential developers to overstep local zoning restrictions in some situations in order to encourage affordable housing construction. Normally 10 percent of a community's dwellings must qualify as affordable for it to be exempt from the statute, but if a town can show that it has added affordable housing units—or the equivalent—equaling 2 percent of its total stock, it can qualify for a temporary moratorium.

Though its calculus has been sharply challenged by the Stefanonis, Darien purports to have done just that in its application to the DECD. The department has 90 days in which to approve or reject the request; absent a response during that time, the application will be considered "provisionally" approved.

If a moratorium is granted, the Stefanonis will also have 90 days from the date the application was officially deemed complete (July 27) to submit project proposals under 8-30g. After that time, any future developments would be constrained by Darien's zoning requirements—including density restrictions—for the next four years.

In June, Chris Stefanoni maintained that he and his wife's stand against the town's application was not a stall for time or a direct result any particular project, but rather an attempt to inject transparency into the process. 

The pair successfully petitioned to hold a public hearing on the issue in June and, more recently, forced a weeks-long delay in Darien's application process after pointing out to DECD that the town had failed to submit an updated attorney certification.

"My applications—if I want to submit them—have been ready for months," he said at the time.

On Saturday, Stefanoni echoed his earlier sentiment but said that he was keeping close tabs on the process.

"The application for a moratorium by the Town of Darien does not worry me, becasue the town according to the rules does not have enough points," Stefanoni said, but "for me not to keep my eye on the ball would be wrong."

"The public can be certain that the Stefanonis will keep up to speed with all of the moratorium deadline with respect to the future senior affordable housing proposals," he continued. "It's really the Stefanonis versus the Town of Darien on this issue."

Stefanoni declined to comment on the specifics of any pending applications.

Concern over the pair submitting additional project proposals led Dave Campbell to urge secrecy during the early stages of the moratorium application process, according to an email obtained by the Darien News.

"Confidentiality is critical," Campbell wrote in the Feb. 24 message to the Board of Selectmen. "If we keep this news from Stefanoni, he will not be able to develop his properties at Pheasant Run or Hoyt [Street]. If he finds out that we have made an application for a moratorium, he can rush an application to beat the deadline. Only the selectmen, Andrea [Aldrich], Jeremy [Ginsberg] and Karl [Kilduff] know of the application. It is imperative we keep this to ourselves."

See the emails between Margaret Stefanoni and the Department of Economic and Community Development, as well as the letter that prompted a delay in the application process and the department's response to the town.