Stonington — Director of Planning Jason Vincent said Thursday that opposition and social media criticism of the controversial Smiler’s Wharf project has been cited by three developers who have decided not to proceed with plans for projects totaling $20 million.

Vincent first made the revelation on Wednesday, during a program in Norwich on downtown redevelopment. Vincent is the former vice president of the Norwich Community Development Corp. and is the co-owner of a downtown Norwich brewery.

Vincent said Thursday he was told by professionals representing the developers of the three mixed-use projects that their projects no longer are on the table due to concerns about the public response to the Smiler’s Wharf project. He said they are concerned about investing the money needed to bring plans to the application stage and then facing similar opposition.

“And the bigger the project, the bigger the risk,” he said.

Vincent added that the three projects, which would be in the exits 90 and 92 areas of Interstate 95 and in downtown Mystic, generally would be well received by residents but the developers are looking for assurances after reading about the opposition to Smiler’s Wharf. He did not identify the projects.

Vincent said combating the situation is difficult because of the impact of social media and people sometimes spreading incorrect information.

On Monday residents packed the Stonington High School auditorium as the Planning and Zoning Commission opened public hearings into the Smiler’s Wharf project. The hearing is slated to resume July 8, with opponents continuing to detail their objections to the plan.

Noank Shipyard is seeking to rezone a 7.5-acre portion of Seaport Marine’s 11-acre site off Washington Street from marine commercial to Neighborhood Development District and obtain approval for the master plan for the site. The developer says the project will increase tax revenue and jobs for the town, increase public access to the water and improve coastal resiliency and redevelop a site that has outlived its use as a boatyard.

The plan calls for the demolition of all buildings on the site except for the popular Red 36 restaurant and construction of a five-story, 45-unit hotel; a 16,590-square-foot, three-story marine service and community event space; a three-story, 200-seat restaurant; a six-story, 25-unit apartment building; 16 townhouses; six units of multifamily housing; a kayak rental building; an open-air plaza; a park; 120 boat slips; a 200-foot public boardwalk extension; 130 feet of new coastal access; a new boat basin that will require the removal of 13,000 square feet of land and adding a new bulkhead to protect against storm surge.

Opponents say the project lacks enough parking and would increase congestion in the Washington Street neighborhood. They also maintain the project does not conform to the town’s Plan of Conservation and would damage the character of the village. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has recommended the Planning and Zoning Commission not rezone the property.

j.wojtas@theday.com