Application seeks approval for 54 apartment units at 38-42 Dowd Ave. in Canton

An option for commercial space along road frontage now included in application

Dec. 20

The public hearing for this application is now set to take place at a special meeting on Jan. 10, 2024. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. in Room F of the Canton Community Center, 40 Dyer Ave.

Dec. 19 update.

It has come to our attention that this hearing will be postponed, likely to a date of January. More details to come.

Dec. 15 update

The public hearing for a proposed 54 apartment project at 38-42 Dowd Ave. is set to open on Dec. 20. Additionally, the plan was recently updated and now contains an option for 6,000 feet of commercial space as part of the project.

"The initial application includes a text change request seeking to construct a development of apartments, with residential on the first floor of the Dowd Avenue frontage buildings," the revised document narrative states. "The amendment of this application proposes, per the existing zoning, to create a mixed use development of 54 apartments, with commercial uses on the first floor of the Dowd Avenue frontage buildings. The area surrounding the site is residential, the application is providing the P&Z the option of approving a mixed-use development, within the residential portion of Dowd Avenue, or approving a pure residential development within the primary residential area."

The application also contends that the parking plan supports 2,400 square feet of retail space and 3,600 feet of office space.

The hearing will take place Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. See more detail here.

Click on 2023 and then 12/20/23. From there, find public hearing folder and then select the 38-42 Dowd Avenue.

Original Oct. 10 story (Please note some aspects of the plan have been updated)

By John Fitts

Staff Writer

This rendering from the application shows the project site.

CANTON – An owner of property on Dowd Avenue is seeking approval for three apartment buildings adjacent to the Canton Village Condominium Complex.

An application filed at Canton Town Hall seeks site plan and a special permit related to a plan for 54 multi-family units over 3 buildings at 38-42 Dowd Avenue.

The application was filed by Philip Doyle of Simsbury based Landscape Architectural Design Associates on behalf of owner Frank Zacchera.

As proposed in the application, the project would include 30 one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units with sizes ranging from 858 square feet to 1,300 square feet.

Rutgers University data suggests that the project would generate 3 school children, according to the application.

The plan calls for 84 total parking spaces, 54 of which would be exterior. However, those would not be visible from the roadway, according to the application.

Also proposed are 4 bike parking spots, as required by regulations, as well as three benches along interior sidewalks. The sidewalks would tie into the existing sidewalks along Dowd Avenue.

“The site abuts the west side of the Canton Village Condominium Development,” the application states, going on to say, in part, “The site is part of the area studied by the Town during a charette process which led to the creation of the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), and eventually the Form Based Code and the Canton Village Design Village District (CVDVD). The goal of the Town for the entire area has been to create a village with higher density housing intended to support the redevelopment of the existing retail center into a vibrant mixed-use retail, service and housing complex, with interconnected driveways and Sidewalks.”

The application notes that the east side of the development will be more developed with the large buildings while the open space and smaller building would be on the west side of the site.

“Open areas” to the northeast and west areas would provide buffer to adjacent single-family homes, according to the application.

Currently the 3.1-acre site is primary second growth woodland, except for a half-acre of lawn area, the application states.

Filed on Oct. 3, the application would not be subject to the recent 15 percent affordability requirement since that was set to take effect Oct. 10.

“The applicant believes this proposal meets all the requirements of the Zoning Regulations and is consistent with the site Zoning and the POCD, believing the proposed use is superior to a permitted commercial or mixed use because the multi-family housing use will act as a transition to single family homes further west. The application respectfully requests the Planning and Zoning Commission approve the Type II Site Plan, approve the Earthwork Special Permit, Certify the Erosion Control Plan. Also note, the applicant and design team have been developing plans for this site for over a year, with the intent of filing a conforming land use application. The application submittal date was selected well before the Commission moved to approve a modification to the Canton Zoning Regulations, requiring a portion of any residential development include affordable units. Financing, for this conforming development, would not be possible with the inclusion of affordable units, and the application is submitted before the effective date of the recent regulation modification.”

The Canton Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing has been postponed to Dec. 20.

The proposal shows two buildings along Dowd Avenue and one to the rear of the property.

This map shows the site - marked in red.

This rendering shows how one frontage building could look with a retail option.

This rendering shows some possible looks for the rear building from different viewpoints.