The proposal to build affordable housing as part of a 25-unit apartment complex is a bit out of the ordinary: It would be made up of two-bedroom units in two-story townhouses.
Rocamora Acquisitions is proposing The Residences at 1093 in Rocky Hill under the state’s 8-30g law, which tightly limits the reasons communities can invoke to reject such plans.
Most apartments proposed under 8-30g in the last few years have been traditional one-story apartments, and many have just one bedroom. But Rocamora is putting forward something a bit different for the property at 1093 New Britain Ave.
“Rocamora is proposing the construction of a new multifamily residential community consisting of 25 two-bedroom townhouse-style apartments in three buildings,” attorney Andrea Gomes of the Hartford office of the Hinckley Allen law firm said in a letter to town planners.
“Two of the three buildings will be located along New Britain Avenue and will contain six and eight units, respectively,” she wrote. “The third building, located at the back (north) of the site will include 11 units.”
The plan is to charge market rates for 17 of the apartments, but to impose long-term rent restrictions on the other eight so the project qualifies under the requirements of the 8-30g law.
Rocamora’s proposal would cap rents on four apartments so they’d be considered affordable to families earning no more than 80% of the median family income in Greater Hartford. Based on current data, that means a family of three would earn a maximum of $87,696, and rent would be capped this year at $1,835 monthly.
Caps on another four apartments would be indexed to just 60% of the median family income, or $65,772 with a top monthly rent of $1,494.
The 8-30g provisions allow landlords to raise rents, but ensure that for the next 40 years they’d top out at a level set by the median family income formula.
Rocamora’s proposal says the other 17 apartments will be leased at rates “within the reach of moderate income households.”
Gomes said its two-bedroom apartments would help Rocky Hill meet its goal of increasing affordable housing and offering housing for households of various ages and sizes.
The project would go up on the corner of New Britain Avenue and Cobey Road, not far from the Berlin town line. The nearly 4-acre site currently has a house and barn, which would be razed.
Gaetan “Guy” Rocamora, principal of Rocamora Acquisitions, has built and managed multifamily housing complexes for more than 35 years, Gomes said.
“He currently owns and manages approximately 80 units, including a diverse mix of affordable apartments, single-family homes, and commercial spaces. Consistent with past practices, Rocamora will be responsible for designing, building, managing, and maintaining the proposed community here,” Gomes said in a letter to the planning and zoning commission.
Commissioners are scheduled to formally accept the company’s application at a meeting Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at town hall, then schedule a public hearing for a later date.
Rocamora wants to put in 40 parking spaces and a driveway to Cobey Road; the parking lot would not have direct access to New Britain Avenue. Three spaces would be designated for handicapped parking. The company also plans a single space for deliveries or tenant pickups and drop-offs.
The town’s long-term development plan acknowledges that many of Rocky Hill’s current apartment complexes were designed and built in the ’70s, and may not be suited for the housing needs of 2024 and beyond.
Currently, about 4.6% of the town’s housing is classified as affordable. The state has set a 10% minimum guideline, and the terms of the 8-30g law apply in communities that fall below that figure.
Under 8-30g, local zoning authorities may reject affordable housing proposals only if they generate a public health or safety threat that can’t be overcome by revisions to the plan — and only when that threat outweighs the benefit of additional affordable housing.
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