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Ground breaking on the Food Emporium building to start the foundation will happen soon; the developer recently received CT DOT’s approval for their driveway cut onto Federal Road. Address will be 731 Federal Rd. The building will include an Ace Hardware, which will be a mirror image of the Food Emporium. The building will also offer 40 1- bedroom apartments and 16 public parking spots for the Still River Greenway. Construction is expected to take 12 months in part because of material availability. According to Community Development Specialist Greg Dembowski “CT DOT looks like they will be allowing the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Federal Rd and Laurel Hill Rd” which would create another pedestrian crosswalk.
Streetscape Phase 3 construction will start in earnest the week on May 9, adding a pocket park in front of the Dunkin and recently re-opened Portobello Restaurant , 2,100 linear feet of sidewalk which will also extend the Still River Greenway Trail to Laurel Hill Road, 13 sidewalk lights and significant landscaping and other pedestrian-friendly enhancements. The Ground Breaking Ceremony was held on April 25th.
Across from the Food Emporium they started construction of 12 market rate duplexes named Greenway Crossing. The address is 37 Old Route 7 and there will be 6 buildings with 2 units in each building. They will also be building a Medical Center which will house various offices and possibly a pharmacy. The address will be 730 Federal Rd. There is no schedule to start construction of The Enclave. Located north of Four Corners, at 854 and 874 Federal Rd, its permit is for 181 apartments but that plan may be modified to a smaller scope project. 80% will be market rate and 20% will be incentive housing. Unlike affordable housing, incentive housing cannot override zoning regulations. Streetscape Phase 4, which puts sidewalks from Agora Restaurant to Newbury Village, is on hold until The Enclave commits to construction schedule. There is a significant amount of utility relocation and rocky ledge excavation that must be done since the sidewalk will run along the west side of Federal Rd. Coordination between the streetscape and Enclave projects will important to avoid any rework.
There is no schedule to start construction of The Enclave. Located north of Four Corners, at 854 and 874 Federal Rd, its permit is for 181 apartments but that plan may be modified to a smaller scope project. 80% will be market rate and 20% will be incentive housing. Unlike affordable housing, incentive housing cannot override zoning regulations. Streetscape Phase 4, which puts sidewalks from Agora Restaurant to Newbury Village, is on hold until The Enclave commits to construction schedule. There is a significant amount of utility relocation and rocky ledge excavation that must be done since the sidewalk will run along the west side of Federal Rd. Coordination between the streetscape and Enclave projects will important to avoid any rework.
Streetscape Phase 5 which extends sidewalks from Brookfield Cleaners & Tailors to Food Emporium will soon start final engineering design now that CT DOT has approved the traffic control plan at the intersection to the new grocery store.The long- awaited work on the Lower Federal Rd Project has begun! This project is fully funded by the CT DOT and includes 5,300 feet of roadway improvements on Federal Rd from BJs’s to the shopping plaza at 317 Federal Road and 800 feet on Old New Milford Road. Improvements include sidewalks, additional turning lanes (including one for Chick Fil A !), new traffic signals and 7 bus shelters. This project will turn Old New Milford Rd into a cul-de-sac named Wagon Wheel Way. Greg asks that “the public follow detours and Police directions and practice patience.” Construction is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2023.
A Latin cuisine restaurant will occupy the former Panchos and Gringos Restaurant. No update as to when they will open.
No update on if/when Amazon Fresh will open in Candlewood Lake Plaza. Sorry folks, we will post an update when there’s more news on this.
We asked Greg to respond to many resident complaints that we have too many nail salons and furniture stores. Greg emphasized “it’s not the town’s decision on what private property owners open as long as they abide by all building, zoning and other land use regulations.”
Brookfield Town officials are awaiting approval of their application for an affordable housing moratorium by the state’s Department of Housing. The previous granted moratorium went from 2017 until 2021. According to Greg, the town’s pursuit of the application is not meant to block affordable housing. “Our concern is losing control of our zoning regulations,”
In cities and towns in Connecticut where affordable housing units do not account for at least 10 percent of the municipality’s entire housing stock, an element of the state’s housing law, known as 8-30g, allows developers to bypass local zoning laws, with certain exceptions for health and safety, if their proposals include a percentage of affordable housing.
“I believe that a moratorium is important because it allows the town to control this and until we can work through the current sewer moratorium” explained Greg.
As Brookfield town officials await a decision on their latest application, they are also considering a draft version of an “Affordable Housing Plan” required by state law to be approved by the town and filed with state housing officials every five years. The primary goal of the plan is to encourage “development of housing that is affordable to young families and professional just beginning their careers,” along with “a wide array of housing, in particular housing designed for older, less mobile residents with associated amenities by seniors.” The Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on the proposed plan at their meeting in May 19. Residents are encouraged to participate.
Bids are due on April 29th for the engineering services RFP that will evaluate options to extend the Still River Greenway north to the New Milford border. Based on the pre-bid meeting the town is expecting to receive multiple bids.
Ground breaking on the Food Emporium building to start the foundation will happen soon; the developer recently received CT DOT’s approval for their driveway cut onto Federal Road. Address will be 731 Federal Rd. The building will include an Ace Hardware, which will be a mirror image of the Food Emporium. The building will also offer 40 1- bedroom apartments and 16 public parking spots for the Still River Greenway. Construction is expected to take 12 months in part because of material availability. According to Community Development Specialist Greg Dembowski “CT DOT looks like they will be allowing the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Federal Rd and Laurel Hill Rd” which would create another pedestrian crosswalk.
Streetscape Phase 3 construction will start in earnest the week on May 9, adding a pocket park in front of the Dunkin and recently re-opened Portobello Restaurant , 2,100 linear feet of sidewalk which will also extend the Still River Greenway Trail to Laurel Hill Road, 13 sidewalk lights and significant landscaping and other pedestrian-friendly enhancements. The Ground Breaking Ceremony was held on April 25th.
Across from the Food Emporium they started construction of 12 market rate duplexes named Greenway Crossing. The address is 37 Old Route 7 and there will be 6 buildings with 2 units in each building. They will also be building a Medical Center which will house various offices and possibly a pharmacy. The address will be 730 Federal Rd. There is no schedule to start construction of The Enclave. Located north of Four Corners, at 854 and 874 Federal Rd, its permit is for 181 apartments but that plan may be modified to a smaller scope project. 80% will be market rate and 20% will be incentive housing. Unlike affordable housing, incentive housing cannot override zoning regulations. Streetscape Phase 4, which puts sidewalks from Agora Restaurant to Newbury Village, is on hold until The Enclave commits to construction schedule. There is a significant amount of utility relocation and rocky ledge excavation that must be done since the sidewalk will run along the west side of Federal Rd. Coordination between the streetscape and Enclave projects will important to avoid any rework.
There is no schedule to start construction of The Enclave. Located north of Four Corners, at 854 and 874 Federal Rd, its permit is for 181 apartments but that plan may be modified to a smaller scope project. 80% will be market rate and 20% will be incentive housing. Unlike affordable housing, incentive housing cannot override zoning regulations. Streetscape Phase 4, which puts sidewalks from Agora Restaurant to Newbury Village, is on hold until The Enclave commits to construction schedule. There is a significant amount of utility relocation and rocky ledge excavation that must be done since the sidewalk will run along the west side of Federal Rd. Coordination between the streetscape and Enclave projects will important to avoid any rework.
Streetscape Phase 5 which extends sidewalks from Brookfield Cleaners & Tailors to Food Emporium will soon start final engineering design now that CT DOT has approved the traffic control plan at the intersection to the new grocery store.The long- awaited work on the Lower Federal Rd Project has begun! This project is fully funded by the CT DOT and includes 5,300 feet of roadway improvements on Federal Rd from BJs’s to the shopping plaza at 317 Federal Road and 800 feet on Old New Milford Road. Improvements include sidewalks, additional turning lanes (including one for Chick Fil A !), new traffic signals and 7 bus shelters. This project will turn Old New Milford Rd into a cul-de-sac named Wagon Wheel Way. Greg asks that “the public follow detours and Police directions and practice patience.” Construction is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2023.
A Latin cuisine restaurant will occupy the former Panchos and Gringos Restaurant. No update as to when they will open.
No update on if/when Amazon Fresh will open in Candlewood Lake Plaza. Sorry folks, we will post an update when there’s more news on this.
We asked Greg to respond to many resident complaints that we have too many nail salons and furniture stores. Greg emphasized “it’s not the town’s decision on what private property owners open as long as they abide by all building, zoning and other land use regulations.”
Brookfield Town officials are awaiting approval of their application for an affordable housing moratorium by the state’s Department of Housing. The previous granted moratorium went from 2017 until 2021. According to Greg, the town’s pursuit of the application is not meant to block affordable housing. “Our concern is losing control of our zoning regulations,”
In cities and towns in Connecticut where affordable housing units do not account for at least 10 percent of the municipality’s entire housing stock, an element of the state’s housing law, known as 8-30g, allows developers to bypass local zoning laws, with certain exceptions for health and safety, if their proposals include a percentage of affordable housing.
“I believe that a moratorium is important because it allows the town to control this and until we can work through the current sewer moratorium” explained Greg.
As Brookfield town officials await a decision on their latest application, they are also considering a draft version of an “Affordable Housing Plan” required by state law to be approved by the town and filed with state housing officials every five years. The primary goal of the plan is to encourage “development of housing that is affordable to young families and professional just beginning their careers,” along with “a wide array of housing, in particular housing designed for older, less mobile residents with associated amenities by seniors.” The Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on the proposed plan at their meeting in May 19. Residents are encouraged to participate.
Bids are due on April 29th for the engineering services RFP that will evaluate options to extend the Still River Greenway north to the New Milford border. Based on the pre-bid meeting the town is expecting to receive multiple bids.