Stonington — A group of residents criticized aspects of a proposed affordable housing plan during a Planning and Zoning Commission hearing Tuesday night.

The opposition comes six months after residents rejected a tax break for a developer looking to build an 82-unit apartment building on the former Campbell Grain property in downtown Pawcatuck. That project would have contained some affordable units. 

The commission completed the public hearing, attended by about 70 residents at Pawcatuck Middle School, late Tuesday night but made no decision on whether to approve the plan. The commission will begin discussing possible changes to the plan at a special meeting that has yet to be scheduled and then vote.

Adoption of the plan does not mean the recommendations are in effect. That would take additional approvals and hearings by the commission to alter the zoning regulations or by the selectmen and residents.

A state law known as 8-30g requires municipalities to adopt an affordable housing plan by June 1. Currently, about 6% of housing in town is dedicated as affordable, short of the 10% goal set by the state. When communities have less than 10% affordable housing, developers do not have to conform to zoning regulations when they submit projects that have 30% of the units as affordable. Over the past several years, several projects with affordable housing have been built in Pawcatuck but not other areas of town.

Housing is defined as affordable when it is "sold or rented at or below prices for which a household pays 30% or less of their income"; in Stonington, the median family household income is $79,250.

The first portion of Tuesday's hearing involved planning consultant Don Poland of the firm Goman + York outlining the plan that he created for the town. The town used a $15,000 state grant to hire Goman + York to research and write the plan.

Poland pointed out that the town's housing stock was designed for past generations and families and does not reflect the current need, which is more single individuals trying to afford housing on one salary. With that change, he said, the greatest need is for one-bedroom apartments.

He said quality affordable housing provides social and economic stability for households, families and communities and supports the local workforce, jobs and economic development.  

Poland pointed out that affordable housing could be placed around Exit 90 in Mystic and Exit 92 in Pawcatuck off Interstate 95. He said some of the older hotels in Mystic would be suitable for redevelopment into a mix of commercial and residential space. He also pointed out that studies show affordable housing does not negatively impact the value of nearby housing.

Among the recommendations in the plan is requiring developers to make 10% to 20% of residential units in projects affordable, offering tax abatements that provide qualified affordable housing units, creating an affordable housing trust fund and allowing increased density of multifamily units in residential zones. It also calls for reducing the required parking for multifamily housing.

It also recommends creating Tax Increment Financing Districts in the areas around Exits 90 and 92 to fund infrastructure improvements to support affordable housing and to assist with financing affordable housing developments that need capital. With such a district, the town would expend money up front to fund infrastructure improvements, land acquisition or other aspects of an affordable housing project, often through bonding, and then repay the money with tax revenue from the project.

Poland said the plan's best recommendation is the establishment of an affordable housing trust fund to raise funds to provide loans or grants to affordable housing developments, or buy land or build affordable housing. Money for the fund could come from an annual town contribution, donations and fundraising, a percentage of land use and building permit fees collected by the town and contributions from developers who are not able to provide affordable housing as part of their projects.

"This stuff is possible," he told the commission, even in communities opposed to more multifamily and affordable housing. 

The criticism

A letter signed by five former PZC chairs — Lynn Young, John Prue, John Swenarton, Dave Rathbun and Ben Tamsky — and read to the commission by Swenarton on Tuesday night, said that while there are some laudable goals in the draft plan, there are many suggestions that simply don't have anything to do with affordable housing.

"At times it reads as a wish list for developers to avoid regulations through zoning while not getting the town any closer to realizing the goal of creating more affordable housing," they said.

They added that residents rely on zoning to provide predictability for development in their neighborhood and town but the plan would upend many current practices without any real opportunity for public debate. 

Swenarton urged the commission to reject the plan and send it back to the drawing board.  

Leslie Driscoll, a member of the town Architectural Design Review Board, said she supports having developers provide affordable units in developments but she opposed recommendations such as the trust fund or tax abatements. She added that 100-unit warehouse apartment buildings do not contribute to the quality of life in town. Instead, affordable housing should be in small, multifamily units above commercial buildings.

Pawcatuck resident Laura Graham urged the commission not to approve the plan, saying that if it went to a referendum vote, it would be soundly defeated by residents. "The majority of taxpayers don't want tax abatements for developers but this plan calls for tax abatements," she told the commission.

She added that while affordable housing is a national crisis, the proposed plan is not specific or actionable. She urged the commission to eliminate the "handouts" for developers and not allow it to diminish zoning and parking regulations.

Former PZC member Young called the proposal "8-30g on steroids," a reference to the state's affordable housing law, and said it should be rejected. 

Resident Carlene Donnarummo opposed having the Exits 90 and 92 areas host affordable housing unless it is located above commercial space because she wants to preserve those areas for commercial use, which generates greater tax revenue. She added Pawcatuck already has "a plethora" of affordable housing, including numerous units not officially deeded as such.    

But Phylicia Adams, executive director of the Stonington Housing Authority, said she has many people on her waiting list and others who are seeking housing in town.

"The need for affordable housing in our town is apparent," she told the commission, "and having a plan is a step in the right direction."

j.wojtas@theday.com