OLD LYME — Old Lyme Land Use Coordinator Dan Bourret confirmed to LymeLine.com by phone Thursday that he has had a, “Very preliminary discussion,” with Mark C. Diebolt about the proposal Diebolt is planning to submit for a development of apartments on a substantial piece of land off Hatchetts Hill Rd. towards the eastern perimeter of the Town of Old Lyme.
Asked how many units were being proposed, Bourret said he believed it was, “A low 200’s number of apartments.”
Bourret stressed, “I don’t know much. I only have a little bit of an overview. There are no plans submitted at this point.” He emphasized he would know much more about the project, ” … when we get an application.”
Responding to a question regarding whether Zoning would be the first Commission to receive the application if it is ultimately submitted, Bourret explained it would have to be reviewed by the Old Lyme Wetlands Commission initially if the proposed development were within 100 ft. of an Upland Review Area. Without an application, Bourret said he did not know at this point whether that would be the case, though he was aware, “There is a stream to the west of the property.”
Bourret noted that Diebolt had indicated the proposal would be submitted under Connecticut’s 830-g Affordable Housing Statute, which can, “circumvent the zoning process” and therefore how the application would move forward is “a little bit of an unknown.”
Stating that Diebolt is the contact for the proposal, Bourret said he did not know the names of any other investors in the project. Asked when he anticipated receiving the application, Bourret replied that he had, “No indication of when plans are coming.”
The next meeting of the Old Lyme Affordable Housing Committee is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21, at 5:30 p.m. in Old Lyme Town Hall. The agenda for that meeting has not yet been published, but a member of the committee has confirmed to LymeLine.com that Diebolt plans to discuss his proposal at that meeting.
Editor’s Note: Mark C. Diebolt is the President/CEO of Diebolt & Company, manufacturers and designers of Specialty Hose Products since 1991. The Connecticut Corporate Headquarters are located at 18 Riverview Drive, Old Lyme, CT 06371. For more information, visit this link.
The number of units proposed seems way beyond any residential building considerations in the history of the town of Old Lyme. Why grow the town by a possible five hundred individuals in one large project ? It appears the developer is adding affordable housing into the mix to aid in circumventing established zoning norms. How is it that many of the established rules and regulations to guide and control growth are sidelined to allow 224 housing units to be built on twenty acres ?
Down the road, less than one mile, behind the wine emporium, another developer is ready to break ground for sixty units and close by on North Bride Brook Road another one hundred units will soon be constructed.
During the 1960s & 70s Old Lyme made key zoning decisions that have served the town well. We only have to look to our neighboring towns both east and west to see the results of out of control growth. Hopefully our town commissions can modify this over ambitious project.
I absolutely agree.
This proposed housing project like any that come after will be denied because of the sewer policy put forward by Old Lyme’s Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA). The current policy supports a regional sewer plan that relies on the town’s of East Lyme, Waterford and New London to grant additional sewer capacity into their system leaving Old Lyme out of the approval process. It was an error by members of Old Lyme’s WPCA and our previous first selectman to favor this approach over a community based system that would have put the decision making proceed in local hands.
Members of Old Lyme’s WPCA who support the current plan must be replaced by Old Lyme’s Board of Selectmen and appoint members who favor the community based system, no dollars have been spent to install it. The time is now for Old Lyme officials to stop the current project, replace WPCA members and develop a community based sewer plant that will allow this and future projects both residential and commercial to proceed.
The number of units proposed seems way beyond any residential building considerations in the history of the town of Old Lyme. Why grow the town by a possible five hundred individuals in one large project ? It appears the developer is adding affordable housing into the mix to aid in circumventing established zoning norms. How is it that many of the established rules and regulations to guide and control growth are sidelined to allow 224 housing units to be built on twenty acres ?
Down the road, less than one mile, behind the wine emporium, another developer is ready to break ground for sixty units and close by on North Bride Brook Road another one hundred units will soon be constructed.
During the 1960s & 70s Old Lyme made key zoning decisions that have served the town well. We only have to look to our neighboring towns both east and west to see the results of out of control growth. Hopefully our town commissions can modify this over ambitious project.
The key zoning decisions that Old Lyme made in the 60’s and 70’s resulted in a successful lawsuit against the town involving a seasonal use, more will follow. Affordable housing projects will be forced in the town by state and federal law. The town has a history of trying to exclude certain groups equal access.