Clock ticks for Greenwich P&Z decision on Sheephill apts
- East Putnam Avenue in Riverside. Photo: Ridberg And Associates / Contributed" class="landscape" />
Artist rendering of the proposal for J and J Greenwich’s mixed-use building, planned for the corner of Sheephill Road and East Putnam Avenue in Riverside.
Artist rendering of the proposal for J and J Greenwich’s mixed-use building, planned for the corner of Sheephill Road and East Putnam Avenue in Riverside.
Photo: Ridberg And Associates / ContributedGREENWICH — Although there is still time to tweak the controversial apartment complex plan on Sound Beach Avenue before Planning and Zoning votes yea or nay, J and J Greenwich’s application for a mixed-use building at the corner of Sheephill Road and East Putnam Avenue has been closed and awaits a decision.
Both critics of the mixed-use building and J and J’s attorney, Tom Heagney, say they are playing a waiting game since the commissioners must decide on the project by Sept. 7.
“We are just waiting for the vote next month,” Heagney said Monday.
J and J Greenwich owns the property at 1137 E. Putnam Ave. and 5 Sheephill Road, and plans to combine them to build a 40,931 square-foot mixed-use building in place of the current stores and residences there.
The developers plan to replace the structures with a new complex with retail space on the first floor and 17 residential units — 30 percent of which would qualify for moderate-income housing based on town municipal employee and teacher salaries — on the other floors.
“There were a number of suggestions that the commission and neighbors had in terms of truck access, and the type of trucks and the hours where trucks could make deliveries, and we were agreeable with those conditions,” said Heagney earlier this month.
But Heagney said the developers would not make what they consider unreasonable restrictions, like limiting hours of operation on the Post Road.
“We are also agreeable with no fast food business in the building,” he said. “But to have just the blanket closing time for a building that we don't yet have tenants for didn’t seem to make any sense to me.
“As I did say at the hearing,” Heagney said, “the only businesses that I can recall on the Post Road that have any limitation in terms of when they can be open were gas stations, and that was under (the Zoning Board of Appeals) under a special exception.”
But neighbors, represented by the Riverside Association, still are not satisfied that the plan is a good one.
Last week, Riverside Association Co-President Liz Peldunas said questions still linger about results of an environmental study, and about whether or not building an underground garage will pose problems for future improvements to the busy crossroads.
“This intersection should be improved by the Town of Greenwich before a building with 120 or more parking spaces is built on the corner,” Peldunas said.
“The Riverside Association would like to know the town has looked far enough ahead to ensure the possibility of a real fix to the operation of this intersection,” she said. “All of us will see in short order that an advance green light for Sheephill and concurrent pedestrian crossing are Band-aid solutions, at best.”
E: JTuriano@greenwichtime.com; T: @jturianoGT; IG: @greenwichgreen
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