Town leaders in West Hartford are deciding if a development project for new apartments should move forward, but some neighbors are worried about plants and wildlife in the area.
Those apartments would be built at the site of the former UConn campus on Asylum Avenue. Developers say they’re doing their part to protect the wetlands next door, but some neighbors are asking if more can be done.
“I don’t see them as worthless or in need of rescue, but rather as an ecosystem protected under law regardless of its quality,” Jessica Rubin, of West Hartford, said.
Developers of the Oakwood Park development spoke at a Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency meeting Tuesday evening. They say after a number of public hearings, they’ve taken steps to reduce the impact on the wetlands like shortening driveways.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
“We still believe the 22-foot drive aisles are adequate for residential development for maneuvering our cars,” Matthew Bruton with BL Companies said.
On one plot, developers say they’re keeping a champion oak tree and reducing the area of artificial surfaces like asphalt, making it smaller than the existing parking lot.
“This has created an additional five-to-seven-foot additional buffer to the wetlands and St. Joseph’s Brook,” Bruton said.
Local
Some neighbors are still questioning the plans, asking whether a smaller development could be possible in order to better protect the wetlands.
“They should be developed in a smart, forward looking, careful way,” Rubin said.
Developers also withdrew their application for apartments and shops across the street to allow for more public discussion.
The wetlands agency decided to push a decision on whether development can go forward to their next meeting on Jan. 3.
