Despite their grievances over the state’s controversial 8-30g law, Avon planners unanimously approved Vessel Technologies’ plan for a four-story, high-tech affordable housing complex near Route 10.
The decision means that 64 “affordable” apartments could come onto the market in the affluent suburb as early as next summer.
The unanimous vote by Avon planners Tuesday night was the second major victory in a week for Vessel: a judge on Friday rejected Glastonbury’s reason for not giving the company permission to build a similar building in that city.
The vote in Avon “marks another step forward in addressing the urgent need for more affordable, quality housing in Avon and across Connecticut,” Vessel Executive Vice President Josh Levy said in a text message Tuesday night.
Unlike the vociferous public opposition to similar plans in Granby and Simsbury, Vessel’s Avon proposal drew mostly support at hearings in the spring. And on Tuesday night, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission had nothing but praise for the company, which last month agreed to add 10 parking spaces to ease neighbors’ concerns about overcrowded cars parked on their streets.
Commissioners said the 61 one-bedroom apartments and three two-bedroom units will help Avon move toward more housing for middle-income earners. The state has set a guideline that at least 10 percent of housing in each community be considered affordable; Avon hovers around 4 percent.
Vessel reserves 30 percent of the apartments as affordable rental housing, with rent restrictions that will remain in place for at least 40 years.
But the company has also stressed that the remaining 70 percent will still be within reach of teachers, public works workers and others who struggle to afford rent in modern luxury complexes. The units are smaller than average — 800 square feet for a two-bedroom, 650 for a one-bedroom — and the company claims that the prefabricated assembly system allows for significantly lower construction costs.
“I think it’s in an appropriate location, it meets the need in an appropriate location,” Commissioner Robin Baran said Tuesday night. “And I want to thank the developer for including the additional 10 parking spaces.”
Baran acknowledged that the architectural style is different from what you normally see in Avon, but noted that the location — on Avonwood Road — is not near the historic district.
“To the extent that this is a good development for the city, it is also consistent with our preservation plan, which identified this parcel as suitable for affordable housing,” said Chair Lisa Levin.
The company’s proposal for a largely prefabricated, 35-foot, four-story building is unusual in Avon, where the vast majority of residents own single-family homes and most apartment complexes are two-story, conventionally built. Vessel’s business model involves using an identical architectural design that could be described as modern/minimalist.
Vessel’s application was filed under the terms of 8-30g, a state law that largely limits local zoning authority over affordable housing proposals. Most communities in Connecticut can reject such plans only if they can demonstrate a threat to public safety or health that outweighs the need for affordable housing.
Commissioner Joseph Gentile said he did not want Avon to be “strapped into 8-30g,” adding, “I don’t want to be in that situation.” But he said he saw no reason to reject Vessel’s proposal, adding that he did not want taxpayers to spend money defending a rejection in court.
“I hate to see us lose in a lawsuit,” Commissioner Jamie DiPace said, adding that he has concerns about the impact of 8-30g. But he said there’s no doubt that Avon needs more affordable housing, adding that he’s eager to see the project completed.
“I’m going to ignore 8-30g. This was a very good application, the applicant did a great job of addressing our concerns,” Commissioner Christine Graesser said. “This will be good for the city.”
Levin cited several reasons for voting yes.
“This is very eco-friendly, it allows for off-site prefabrication, so there are no trucks sitting idle,” she said. “It’s meeting a vital need.”
The prefabrication system also allows for a shorter construction time than usual, allowing Avon to have more homes available relatively quickly, she said.
Levy said the company plans to obtain permits in the coming months, begin construction in the fall and open sometime in the summer of 2025.
Vessel is completing its first building in Connecticut in New London, building more in Cheshire and Rocky Hill, planning construction in Simsbury, and preparing for a project in Manchester.
In Glastonbury, the company was blocked by a 2023 zoning decision that prevented it from building 48 apartments on Krieger Lane because the property is in an industrial zone. The company appealed to the court and on Friday Judge Edward O’Hanlan gave it a partial victory, ruling that the city had failed to prove that the “planned commercial zone” was actually an industrial zone.
He ordered Glastonbury’s committee to reconsider the application. O’Hanlan’s decision noted that in a 1996 case the court found “hostile emotional undertones” suggesting that Glastonbury council at the time had a bias against affordable housing.
“The Court trusts that the Commission … will not repeat the error of previous city governments, or allow hostility to affordable housing — which has been repeatedly shown across the state to have no factual basis — to obstruct its deliberative process,” he wrote.
Levy said Vessel is committed to ensuring the Glastonbury project benefits the city.
“We look forward to working with the city to approve our plan to provide hardworking residents with quality housing,” he said.
