- R
- Z
- R
PLEASE SUPPORT THE MEDIATION FOR 441 POST ROAD (CIRCLE INN) DEVELOPMENT
We are Fairfield residents coming together to appeal the decisions of Town Plan & Zoning (TPZ) to two applications for 441 Post Road --- the site of the Circle Inn. They are the 441 Post Road Mixed-use and the 441 Post Road 8-30g developments.
In early May, the first application --- 441 Post Road Mixed-use --- was approved by TPZ despite serious concerns raised by neighbors about the impact on tidal wetlands, the traffic safety issues at the Circle intersection, and the impact on the surrounding homes. The proposed development has 250 apartments, a 110-room hotel, and the existing diner remains.
A second application --- 441 Post Road 8-30g --- was soon submitted by the same developers, and was also approved by TPZ, again despite rigorous opposition by neighbors. It is even larger than the first proposal, with six stories, 478 apartments and 687 parking spaces. This plan does not include a hotel and a diner. The proposal qualifies for Section 8-30g, a long-standing Connecticut law that severely limits local zoning regulations when at least 30% of the units are designated as affordable.
We don't know which proposal the developers will want to build. But either one will be terrible and would bring:
- Increased traffic hazards at the congested Post Road and Circle intersection
- Threats to the health of Turney Creek and Ash Creek and their surrounding tidal wetlands, which are vital to our local ecosystem
- Increased safety concerns for pedestrians, drivers, bicyclists, and especially school children in our community
- Increase possibility of flooding
The two appeals were filed in the state Superior Court, one for each proposal, to challenge the decisions made by the TPZ.
Neighbors, who live within 200 feet, have stepped up and put their names on the appeals. Our attorney, Joel Green, is working on the briefs. On September 10th, all parties agreed to start a non-binding mediation process in order to reach a mutually acceptable resolution. It may be late October or November before that mediation negotiation occurs.
We need your support to help cover the legal costs we are incurring. While our first choice is to resolve this by mediation, we believe that the Superior Court will find that the decisions made by TPZ were defective after it reviews all of the documentation submitted for these cases. Please help us fight these developers by making a generous donation today. Thank you.