NORWALK, Conn. — A proposed plan to convert two Merritt 7 office buildings into roughly 300 housing units, 27 of which will be designated as workforce housing, was delayed last week after unresolved fire safety and access issues prompted the applicant to seek more time before presenting to the Norwalk Planning and Zoning Commission.
The commission had been expected to vote on the proposal at its Jan. 21 meeting.
During that meeting, it was announced that the applicants for the Merritt 7 project requested an extension of their presentation until the commission’s Feb. 18 meeting.
Fire safety concerns delay Merritt 7 presentation
Steve Kleppin, planning and zoning director for the City of Norwalk, said the applicants for the project, Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey, were “waiting to work out some details with the fire marshal” before presenting to the commission.
“They’re working through some technical engineering issues right now, and I hope that will get resolved any day now,” Kleppin said.
In an email, Norwalk Fire Marshal Troy Donohue said, “We are in discussions with the applicant to ensure proper safety and emergency access in the building.”
“The applicant is conducting further research to determine what will be required to address this issue,” Donohue added.
Lisa L. Feinberg, a partner at Hennessey and the attorney listed for Merritt 7 on the site plan application, declined to comment.
Kleppin said he “couldn’t say with any kind of certainty” whether the plan would be approved until the fire marshal signs off on the proposal.
Later in the interview, Kleppin said that if the issue is resolved, “it will likely be approved.”
“There’s a need for housing, so there’s some positives to the proposal,” he said.
Tax impacts remain unclear
Kleppin said he did not know whether the new apartments would affect property taxes in surrounding areas, noting that “that’s typically not how the process works.”
Jenn McMurrer, the city of Norwalk’s communications director, also said she was unaware of how the proposed development might affect property taxes.
Affordability framework submitted, details still under review
Kleppin provided a draft affordability plan for the project.
The document outlines how affordability would be determined, administered, and maintained under Section 6.12 of Norwalk’s zoning regulations.
The proposal calls for a mix of studio (56), one-bedroom (182), and two-bedroom (62) units.
According to the draft, maximum monthly rental payments would be calculated based on household size, assuming 1.5 people per bedroom for workforce housing units. For studio units, the plan assumes one occupant.
The draft lists affordability thresholds based on household size, expressed as percentages of the area median income:
- 1 person: 70%
- 2 people: 80%
- 3 people: 90%
- 4 people: 100% (base)
- 5 people: 108%
- 6 people: 116%
- 7 people: 124%
- 8 people: 132%
“The property manager is required by law to strictly enforce the Norwalk zoning regulations set out in Section 6.12 concerning workforce housing,” the draft states.
“In general, income for purposes of determining an applicant’s qualification shall include the applicant’s family’s total anticipated income from all sources for the 12-month period following the date the application is submitted,” according to the document.
More details about the Merritt 7 proposal and other projects discussed at the meeting can be found on the Planning and Zoning Commission’s agenda materials.
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