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GLASTONBURY – Relying on Connecticut’s affordable housing law, a New York-based development company is preparing to propose construction of a four-story building containing 44 one-bedroom apartments on a lot of less than an acre in a commercial section of town.

Although the company, Vessel Technologies Inc., hasn’t yet formally applied for construction of the building, it has submitted a “conceptual site plan” to town officials, which the Plans Review Subcommittee of the Town Plan and Zoning Commission is to consider Thursday morning.

In a two-sentence “statement of intent” in its one-page proposal to the subcommittee, the developer says the building would consist of “44, 1-bedroom apartment units within a single four-story building in the Planned Commerce Zone.” It adds that there would be 53 parking spaces, considerably more than the 44 required spaces, according to the separate site plan.

PROPOSED SITE: 51 Kreiger Lane, Glastonbury

PLANNED: Four-story apartment building containing 44 one-bedroom units

SITE SIZE: 40,381 square feet, or about 0.93 acre

The proposed site is at 51 Kreiger Lane, in a mostly developed commercial area. It is across the street from the building that houses Cofeill’s Sport and Power Equipment and New England Kitchen & Bath.

Immediately to the rear of the proposed apartment property is land used for storage of several old trailers, including a full-size shipping container, and at least two junk trucks. There are, however, two houses that appear to be within sight of the property.

The application materials submitted by Vessel Technologies don’t address how many of the apartments would be reserved for affordable housing. But the provision of Connecticut law the developer is relying on requires “not less than 30%” of the units to have deed restrictions requiring them to meet affordable housing criteria for at least 40 years.

That works out to at least 14 of the 44 apartments.

For half those units, affordability is defined as a rent at which a family making up to 80% of the area’s median income could pay no more than 30% of its income for the apartment. The other half of the affordable units would go to families making up to 60% of the area’s median income.

The site plan contains a table comparing the proposed development to zoning requirements for the area. It indicates that the proposal exceeds most of the requirements.

But it falls short of the open-space requirement, at 27.5% of the lot area, compared to the required 30%. One side-yard setback is also a little less than required.

But affordable housing developments that meet the requirements of state law are exempt from most local zoning requirements.

The TPZ last month approved another apartment building proposed under the affordable housing law. That plan, which has generated much public controversy, calls for construction of a five-story, 74-unit apartment building on 2.4 acres at Hebron Avenue and Manchester Road.

For updates on Glastonbury, and recent crime and courts coverage in North-Central Connecticut, follow Alex Wood on Twitter: @AlexWoodJI1, Facebook: Alex Wood, and Instagram: @AlexWoodJI.

Alex covers Glastonbury, as well as Hartford Superior Court, the federal courts, and the appellate courts, and handles freedom-of-information cases. Alex joined the JI in September 1985. He graduated from Brown University, and enjoys bicycle riding.

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