New London residents oppose new apartment complex

NEW LONDON, Conn. (WTNH) — Residents in one New London neighborhood are sharing concerns about a proposal to construct an apartment building.

“The birds, the deer come at night, the raccoons, fox,” New London resident Cindy Hollis said.

She has enjoyed the wildlife and her quiet backyard for 13 years. She said doesn’t want to see anything disturb that.

“I just think it would be a shame to get rid of that land,” Hollis said.

Her concerns come with the possible sale and development of the 23-acre parcel which is now owned by the Shiloh Baptist church in New London. It sits at the corner of Williams and Briggs Street and abuts the Connecticut College Arboretum at the northern end of it.

It is now an R-2 Zone which means two and three-family homes can be built on it.

But the developer, Vessel, which is already building an apartment complex on Bank Street, would like it changed to R-3 — which means multi-family homes and bigger buildings.

“My biggest concern is the change in density,” New London resident Susan Weintraub said.

She passed out flyers to neighbors on Williams Street once she heard that the proposed change would be be introduced at Thursday’s planning and zoning commission meeting.

“The way I have to look at it, and everybody needs to look at it, is what’s the most they can develop,” Weintraub said.

Felix Reyes, the city’s director of economic development and planning, said it’s state policy to build the region.

He said because of the topography of the land — with lots of ledge, wetlands and power lines — only about 10%of the 23-acre site can be developed. Right now, the plan is to do so in the southernmost section of the property away from most homes.

“Maybe the expansion of the arboretum is a possibility,” Reyes said. “So, that’s what we’re hoping for as well.”

What worries neighbors the most, they said, is that they haven’t seen the plans yet.

“People have lots of plans,” Weintraub said. “They don’t always come true.”

There was supposed to be a public comment segment at Thursday’s planning and zoning meeting, but instead the applicant has asked to postpone that so it can reach out to neighbors first to educate them on the plans.

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