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11/12/2018 11:00 PMClinton, say hello to your potential newest resident: Indian River Landing. The Board of Selectmen (BOS) last week unanimously voted to approve the sale of the old Morgan School property to developer Greylock Property Group for $2.2 million, moving the proposal on to a public vote.
Property will be redeveloped into Indian River Landing, a mixed-use development consisting of retail, restaurants, a large-scale grocery or retail store, and townhomes. The project is estimated to take about five years to complete. The developer will also pay costs associated with the demolition of the building and any road improvements related to the property.
The proposed development will have to undergo several approval stages. A public hearing on the proposal will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall. The hearing will be followed by a vote at a town meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall. The project must also be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Finance.
According to a press release from First Selectman Christine Goupil, the portion of the development fronting Route 81 will host retail stores and restaurants, while the back of the property will host larger retail or grocery stores and residential townhomes. A public park on the Indian River and a recreational walking path will also be included in the project. The currently proposed development consists of 24 townhomes and 127,000 square footage of retail.
In the press release, Goupil said in part, “The retail envisioned at Indian River Landing will complement the outlets by providing restaurant and retail brands not currently in Clinton, along with other village-type services.”
The sale of the property was announced at the Nov. 11 BOS meeting. Goupil noted that the BOS had met with four other potential developers, as well.
Selectman Carol Walter complimented Goupil and the board as a whole for the months of work that was put into finding a developer for the space.
“This BOS did its due diligence. We spent months looking at every viable group,” said Walter.
“We worked very well together because we focused on what Clinton wanted. We felt this was the best fit,” Selectman Phil Sengle said.
Goupil told the Harbor News that in particular, the board considered developers with proposals that met the zoning regulations for the property, and ones they felt had solid financial backing. The board also looked into the waste water plans of each proposal, something Goupil said stymied the previous developer’s plans for the property.
John Allen, the chairman of the EDC, called the proposal “a transformative moment for the town.” Allen said he believes that the planned development will complement the Clinton Crossings outlets, and energize the town. Allen also complimented the architect of the project, Matt Williams of Williams Architects, and noted that Williams has experience with other projects in the shoreline area.
“I think it’s great,” Allen said. “I think everyone in town should be happy.”
Williams named several other developments in Clinton of which he has been a part, such as Liberty Square and the Hammocks.
“This is the kind of project we’re well-suited for with our local knowledge,” Williams said.
Williams said a key part of his concept was to incorporate existing local architecture into designs.
“We’re excited to see this move forward and I think it’ll be a huge benefit to the town of Clinton,” Williams said.
The announcement of a development on the Old Morgan School property is a long time coming in Clinton. In February 2015, voter approved the $2.8 million sale of the property to Mill Pond, LLC, with the expectation the developer would replace the old school with apartments, offices, and retail, service, and restaurant uses. It was initially expected that the Mill Pond proposal would break ground in late 2016, however it never happened.
Mill Pond developer Henry Resnikoff terminated the agreement with the town in August 2017 citing issues with financing and difficulty getting approval for a waste water permit from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection.
Since the collapse of the Mill Pond project, the town has retained control of the property, which has led to unexpected costs for maintenance and security against vandalism.