Old Lyme — The town zoning commission recently approved a proposed 37-unit affordable housing development on Neck Road near Interstate 95, formally known as the River Oak Commons I and II, so long as developers meet 17 conditions related to safety, traffic and health, among other concerns.

The five-person commission voted 3-2 on the decision, which stipulates that the project’s two developers, HOPE Partnership and the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development, must obtain many regional, state and federal permits before moving forward with the proposal.

The proposed project calls for a 37-unit affordable housing development to be built on two adjacent land parcels by Interstate 95 North Exit 70 off-ramp and Neck Road (Route 156) — a location that has raised concerns for hundreds of town residents over recent months.

The commission outlined that the development is subject to denial pending that any of the permits or approvals are not met. A final review of the proposal will be conducted before the developers break ground, said zoning commission Chairwoman Jane Cable.

The commission’s approval was the final hurdle developers needed to pass on a municipal level before searching for funding for the project. Wetlands approvals were made earlier this year, Cable said.

Since the River Oak Commons project was proposed to the town last spring, town residents have turned out by the hundreds to several public hearings over recent months to speak for or against the project.

At those meetings, speakers expressed opposition to the location of the proposed development and raised concerns ranging from traffic safety and accidents to the number of schoolchildren the development would bring.

Supporters argued the development would provide needed affordable housing for first responders, teachers and other working individuals and for local families looking to remain in town without having to purchase a home.

According to state mandates, Connecticut towns are required to have 10 percent of their housing stock considered affordable. The state Department of Housing, in 2017, stated that only 1.57 percent of Old Lyme's housing stock was considered affordable.

Cable, in an interview Tuesday, said that because the project was applied under the state’s affordable-housing statutes, the zoning commission could not, by law, deny the project unless it explicitly was proven that public safety and health concerns were greater than the need for affordable housing.

“Nobody presented any concrete evidence to use against this project,” she said. “So that solidified my decision. Without concrete evidence, you are basing an opinion just on speculation. And that isn’t a good foundation for making an opinion, especially in the case of state-mandated affordable housing.”

“Normally, a project proposal won’t come in front of zoning unless every permit you need is already in hand. We want to see that everything is passed. But it is a different process when it comes to affordable housing. They can apply for the project without the permits,” she added. “Our decision allows them to get the necessary approvals needed, leaving those permitting decisions to experts.”

Commission member Jane Marsh, who voted against the proposal, argued Tuesday the proposed location, directly next to an Interstate 95 off-ramp, was a significant safety concern.

And though she said the commission listened to traffic study findings conducted by traffic two engineers, one hired by the developers and the other by the commission, Marsh did not find their findings satisfactory, even after reading through the findings word for word, she said.

“It is all about the entrance (to the development), and I think that is an unsolvable problem. It’s the configuration (of where it is located in regards to the highway) that is bound to cause trouble,” she said.

Specifically, Marsh explained that she was concerned that an off ramp coming off the interstate would present issues to residents trying to arrive and leave from the property, in particular, those trying to make a left-hand turn out of the development, as well as other issues.

“My fear is that now that the town has approved it, that the town seems completely agreeable to the project,” she said. “I’m not convinced that the (Department of Transportation) will give the project the rigorous scrutiny that it needs.”

That isn’t to say that Marsh, or concerned residents in town, are against affordable housing, she said.

“We are just reacting to what we think would be a dangerous traffic situation,” she said. “There is a need for this housing in this town and we could use some more, I agree with that. But I think those people deserve to safely navigate that area.”

m.biekert@theday.com