Commission Considers

Reconfiguration Of The Homesteads

By Andrew Gorosko

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members are considering a proposed reconfiguration of The Homesteads at Newtown, an elderly housing complex on 60 acres at 166 Mt Pleasant Road in Hawleyville.

In 1998, The Homesteads received town land use approvals to build a 100-unit assisted-living rental apartment building, 38 condominiums, and 160 congregate housing units, for a total of 298 units at a former sand-and-gravel mine near the Bethel town line.

The 95,000-square-foot 100-unit assisted living complex opened in March. The condominiums are under construction, with the first condos expected to open this summer. The condos are intended for people over 55. The congregate housing complex has yet to be built.

Dr Morton Silberstein and his wife, Linda, who have developed the project, are now seeking to modify the mix of units at The Homesteads.

The Silbersteins now propose eliminating one wing of the proposed congregate housing complex, thus cutting 28 units from the 160-unit facility. They also propose adding eight condominium units to the 38 units that have already been approved. The net change would result in 278 housing units, rather than the initially approved 298 units.

The Silbersteins have returned to P&Z many times since the initial approval in 1998 to modify the plans for The Homesteads.

The Silbersteins attended a May 17 P&Z public hearing on their requested reconfiguration of the complex. P&Z took no action on the matter. Members are expected to review town technical information on the proposal before reconvening the public hearing on June 7.

Mrs Silberstein has said The Homesteads is seeking to modify the mixture of units at the complex in response to changing conditions in the elderly housing market.

When initially proposed in 1998, The Homesteads gained rapid approvals from town land use agencies, considering the scope of the plans. A group of residents living along Pocono Road, however, questioned the need for the complex to have an accessway linking the complex to Pocono Road. Those residents had P&Z place certain restrictions on that accessway to ensure that it is only used for emergency access to the site.

By eliminating 28 units of congregate housing, the complex would omit 16 two-bedroom units and 12 one-bedroom units. In lieu of those units, the developers would build eight condos in two buildings on the site.

When reduced to 132 units, the congregate housing complex would be cut to 168,000 square feet in area, according to Elizabeth Stocker, the town’s community development director. The congregate housing complex would thus contain 85 one-bedroom units, 40 two-bedroom units, and seven studio apartments.

In a detailed review of the proposed reconfiguration, Ms Stocker noted that the proposal amounts to relatively minor changes at the site when considering the scope of the project. But the proposal contains certain deficiencies which need to be addressed by P&Z, she added.

The Homesteads construction project spurred the extension of sanitary sewers and a public water supply to Hawleyville. The presence of those two public utilities is expected to encourage additional development in the area.

Based on the grand list of October 1, 2000, The Homesteads is the town’s third highest taxpayer. The property has a tax-assessed value of $10.29 million.