Despite it being 98% developed, Darien would be able to meet its 10% affordable housing mandate if the town was “creative” according to former first selectman Evonne Klein.
Klein was recently appointed as head of Gov. Dan Malloy’s newly formed Department of Housing.
Before she was confirmed, Klein was asked about state statute 8-30g, which allows developers to overstep local zoning laws if the town does not have 10% of its housing stock classified as affordable, by legislators, including Connecticut State Minority Leader Sen. John McKinney.
McKinney pointed out that town officials from several towns in Fairfield County, both Republican and Democrat, agreeing that state statute 8-30g needs to change, and asked her if she supported the law as is.
Klein said she’s reviewed the law a number of times.
“And I do support the law as is. I do think that municipalities can work to get to their 10%. And I think we need to work together and have some creative solutions,” Klein said.
She added that from her vantage point as the former first selectman of Darien, “there are a number of different opportunities in that town which is 98 percent developed, much like Fairfield County, to get to the 10%.”
“I think we just need to get creative and make sure that we’re developing plans and thinking holistically about our individual municipalities and then as regions,” she said.
McKinney gave Westport as an example, which is 97% developed, and said Westport’s First Selectman Gordon Joseloff would say that Westport could never reach 10%, even with inclusionary zoning, which Darien also has.
He also pointed out that Darien’s affordable housing stock has only increased from 1.5% to 3.5%.
“How would — how would a Darien — how would a Westport get to actually 10%?” McKinney asked.
Klein pointed out that there are “more and more cluster developments coming forward.”
“So, that’s what I see more and more applications coming forward, not for single family, but for multiple family developments,” she said.
Following her testimony, Klein did not respond to The Darien Times’ requests for comment on her stance regarding 8-30g.
Read more in Klein’s testimony here and more this week online at darientimes.com and in next week’s print issue of The Darien Times.
jsinijr
March 21, 2013
I’m not sure Mrs. Klein has checked her math lately, but in order to reach the 10 percent threshold, Darien would have to build over 500 additional units of affordable housing in town. Just imagine the pressure that kind of “clustered development” would put on our infrastructure, our schools, our services, our community.
When Mrs. Klein was Darien’s First Selectman, she adopted an Affordable Housing plan. In that Plan, the following recommendation was included:
“Strategy #18: Use the legal authorities available to the municipality creatively and prudently in order to further affordable housing development.
Objective: Lobby for changes to CGS 8-30g and get further clarification from DECD on existing affordable housing. Some ideas for modifications to existing CGS 8-30 could include: 1)Have Area Median Income restricted units count towards a moratorium; 2)Allow caretakers quarters and other housing for on-site workers (such as the country clubs) to count towards 8-30g and/or a moratorium; and 3) Allow regional consideration to be taken regarding 8-30g, which may allow entire regions to qualify for a moratorium.”
My question is, was her “support” for change to 8-30g all a con during her time as Darien’s First Selectman?