1:20 p.m., June 5: We just received word from the Zoning Commission Chairman Jane Cable that, “Because of large expected attendance, the presentation section of the affordable housing application will take place at the [Lyme-Old Lyme] middle school auditorium, so that all present can see the details of the proposal. The school is available until 9:15 p.m., so the remainder of the meeting and public comments will be held at the town hall meeting room.”
The Old Lyme Zoning Commission holds a Special Meeting this evening, which includes a Public Hearing in Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall starting at 7:30 p.m. The Affordable Housing Application for 18-1 Neck Road (formerly 16 Neck Road) for a total of 37 dwelling units will be discussed: the applicant is Neck Road HOPE Housing, LLC. The property, which will be known as River Oak Commons, falls under Connecticut General Statutes 8-30g and is currently owned by Graybill Properties, LLC.
The proposal has aroused considerable debate in town, even to the extent of it being mentioned from the pulpit in a local church service on Sunday!
We have published two op-ed’s on the topic and by way of what we hope will serve as a helpful reminder to our readers of some of the issues raised and the process followed, we are providing links to both articles here:
Op-Ed: SECoast Questions Proposed HOPE Development in Old Lyme by Greg Stroud, Executive Director of SECoast.org, published May 11, 2018.
Op-Ed: HOPE Explains Background, Process to Their Affordable Housing Proposal in Old Lyme by Lauren Ashe, Executive Director of HOPE Partnership, published May 24, 2018.
Staff at town hall are now re-revising this to say that the auditorium is reserved until 10.
We’re not sure what is accurate, but we’ll try our best to figure this out. The public has the
right to participate in a public hearing, and the town has a legal obligation to provide for this right.