Old Lyme — In this historic shoreline town, job growth, tourism and affordable housing are inextricably linked facets of life that must be addressed by working together instead of in silos, according to officials.

A forum hosted by the Economic Development Commission was held over five hours Saturday morning, bringing together members of boards and commissions involved in shaping the town's future. Ranging from selectmen to zoning board members to open space commissioners, the attendees gathered to talk about growth.

Commission member Howard Margules said officials need to figure out what kind of development will be tolerated.

"We know many people don't like to see a lot of change in Old Lyme," he said. "That's why they live here."

Courtney Hendricson, vice president of partnerships for the public-private economic development agency AdvanceCT, said a survey of 730 residents conducted by the group prior to the COVID-19 pandemic showed people in town want development focused on recreation, entertainment, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and the town's natural assets.

"Any such development, of course, should be of a type and scale consistent with the unique character and cultural heritage of Old Lyme," she said as she highlighted the main takeaway from the survey findings.

Key to the town's heritage is its vaunted arts tradition seen in institutions like the Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme Art Association and Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. The history goes back to the Impressionist painters who flocked here more than a century ago, said to have been lured by a unique brand of light emanating from the confluence of the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound.

Hendricson told town leaders they need to capitalize on that history to lure the kind of businesses residents say they want.

Margules, pointing to an effort to revitalize the series of strip malls known as Halls Road, said that could mean connecting it to the arts district on Lyme Street via a pedestrian bridge.

"If they can have a nice walking path from the museum to Halls Road, that's going to be good for both," he said.

The Halls Road initiative is spearheaded by a committee formed in 2015 to turn the area between two exits of Interstate 95 into a livable, walkable town center.

EDC Chairwoman Cheryl Poirier said people visiting Wee Faerie Village at the Florence Griswold Museum or checking out the art galleries often want something to eat afterward, and they want to walk there.

The town shouldn't want them to get into their cars, either, according to Poirier, who said, "They can go over the bridge and get pizza or something, but we want them staying in Old Lyme."

Another focus area called out by residents and supported by the EDC over the years involves the "shoreline gateway" along Route 156 and down into Sound View Beach. A committee similar to the Halls Road group was formed last month by the selectmen to create a master plan for transforming the area.

A divided public has made for slow progress over the past half century at least, and Margules said everyone has strong opinions on the matter.

"There are people who would prefer doing nothing and there are people who would prefer to have it look like something like Watch Hill," he said. "We've got to come to terms with that as a community and decide which do we really want — or something totally in between."

The sewer problem

Sources of job growth touted by officials revolved around sectors that aren't dependent on water and sewer infrastructure or large plots of land. Hendricson said that could mean office-based jobs for one- or two-person firms like those operated by attorneys, accountants or marketing professionals. The light industrial sector could be an option, too, if it's focused on assembly instead of production, she said.

Poirier pointed to existing successes in the experience-centered dining, entertainment and retail realms.

"Think Black Hall Outfitters," she said of the outdoors business with a location on Shore Road. "You're going there to kayak and maybe even buy a kayak. It's so successful."

Affordable Housing Committee member Jenn Miller said the success of the economy is intertwined with the availability of housing.

She said attracting business and creating jobs depend on making housing affordable "for people to move here if they're single, if they're young entrepreneurs, if they need office space, if they're working from home, if they're senior citizens who just want to stay in the area."

The committee is in the process of coming up with a plan for increasing the amount of affordable housing in town. State statute specifies the plan must be submitted by June 1. Presentations given so far show members favor small- to medium-sized developments made up of multifamily units, duplex-type units and clusters of starter homes, as well as accessory dwelling units and the "adaptive reuse" of existing properties.

"Increasing that availability will allow people to come here and not jump into a five-bedroom colonial on three acres of land that they probably couldn't afford," Miller said.

Those options differ from the large-scale model of affordable housing that has proliferated since the state in 1989 added Section 8-30g to its statutes to promote fair and diverse housing options. The law puts the onus on a town's land use commissions, if they want to reject a proposed development, to prove in court that public safety and health concerns are greater than the need for affordable housing.

Critics of the statute say the real benefits are reaped by developers who use it to build more apartments than they might otherwise get approval for, as long as at least 30% of the units are set aside as affordable, meaning rented or sold below market rate.

Citing the same limitations that make it hard to bring businesses to town, Miller said overcoming the lack of available land and public utilities is the committee's biggest challenge.

First Selectman Tim Griswold invoked the regional implications of building out a sewer system when he brought up a 240-unit affordable housing project proposed for Hatchetts Hill Road near the East Lyme border. Businessman Mark Diebolt has tried to get the location considered for the new sewer line slated to extend into East Lyme from the beach area but has not had any success.

"I don't know how we can convince places like New London and Waterford and East Lyme to extend the sewer for that kind of project," Griswold said.

e.regan@theday.com