Stonington ― The Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve an application by WinnCompanies to develop an affordable housing project on the former Campbell Grain site in downtown Pawcatuck.

During the public hearing that preceded the commission’s vote, four people spoke in favor of the project, three opposed it and one posed questions to the developer.

“There is a high demand for new senior housing in all areas of Stonington, and a low supply, and for many years, Stonington’s leaders and volunteer committees have understood this housing situation and considered it a high priority,” Pawcatuck resident Don Kluberdanz said.

“I applaud the town of Stonington for teaming with Winn over the past few years on the development of this much needed project,” he added.

WinnCompanies went through the approval process a second time after earlier receiving a permit for an 82-unit, affordable housing development on the vacant site in downtown Pawcatuck.

The new proposal for a 55+ age restricted community reduces the square footage of the original project by approximately 25%, to 95,000 square feet, eliminates all three-bedroom units, addresses concerns about the building’s appearance, increases the number of parking spaces to 93 and reduces the number of units from 82 to 70.

Winn Senior Project Developer Matt Robayna said, “we think the team has put together a proposal that is more in line with what the community is looking for, and we are pleased that the Planning and Zoning Commission approved the project, and we look forward to advancing it.”

Ninety percent of the units will be affordable housing, which is housing that is affordable to people who earn 80% or less of the area median income.

An individual earning 80% of the area’s median income, $63,000 per year, would pay $1,500 per month in rent.

Opponents of the original proposal cited traffic and parking concerns, restricted access on the narrow street and a location next to the railroad tracks. They also said the building would be too large, was unattractive, and questioned why more affluent areas of town, such as Mystic and the borough, do not host any affordable housing.

Comments by those opposed to the project at Tuesday’s hearing fell along similar lines, though some speakers asserted that the project was a threat to health or safety for reasons including the location in a flood zone, concerns about fire suppression, and dangers posed to pedestrians due to traffic, parking, and related issues.

Pawcatuck resident Tracy Swain presented documents she obtained from the Westerly Water Co. to assert that the water company did not produce the needed capacity to handle the sprinkler system in the building, and that years of neglected maintenance to water lines in Pawcatuck made the project a hazard to other residents.

Additionally, she cited two sections of state law governing planning and zoning to suggest that the commission could deny the application based on the water capacity issue.

Her claims were rejected by Winn Representatives as inaccurate and Town Planner Keith Brynes said the project was thoroughly evaluated and approved by the Pawcatuck Fire Marshall, Westerly Water Co, the town engineer, an engineering consultant, a flood hazard consultant and the Water Pollution Control Authority.

“To cut to the chase, there are no issues with feasibility when looking at this,” Brynes said, adding that denying the project was not an option, but rather the commission needed to choose between the development plan approved in 2020 or the newly- proposed smaller development.

“Reasons to deny an affordable housing application do not include increases in traffic or parking,” Brynes continued, adding that other concerns cited such as lack of compliance with zoning regulations, the number of affordable housing developments in a specific area of town and aesthetics were likewise not legal reasons to deny the application. He also noted that there is currently an affordable housing crisis in the area.

Under state law, if less than 10% of a municipality’s housing is legally deeded as affordable, an application can only be denied if there is a clear threat to public health or safety which cannot be rectified through design changes. Additionally, the burden is on the town to prove that such a threat exists.

Currently, 5.71% of Stonington’s housing is considered affordable, a decrease from 5.93% in 2019 despite the recent addition of other new affordable units.