In face of opposition, application withdrawn for affordable housing plan

The nonprofit organization Homes with Hope (previously known as the Interfaith Housing Association) has withdrawn controversial zoning applications that could have paved the way for 12 units of affordable supportive housing at the Linxweiler property at 655 Post Road E.

"We realize that, because our application has been caught up in what appears to be politically sensitive issues that are not of our making, Homes with Hope runs the risk at this time of jeopardizing the goodwill of an enormously generous community that we are proud to call home," said John Walsh, chairman of the Homes with Hope board of directors, and Jeffrey Wieser, president-elect of the nonprofit organization, in a co-written letter to First Selectman Gordon Joseloff.

Since the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) opened up discussion on the proposed text amendment that would permit supportive housing on commercially zoned land and a potential 75-year lease that Homes with Hope sought for the town-owned property, the plan has been mired with opposition by neighbors.

The house, which Homes with Hope has operated since 1985, has served as a sober house for men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction and, more recently, as transitional housing for a needy family. The current lease, for $1 per year, expires in 2019.

The house, along with the 1.3 acres of land it was built on, was donated to the town in 1981 by lifelong Westport resident Joanna Linxweiler. In her will, she documented her wishes that the land would be kept as a green space amidst the heavily developed Post Road, but it placed no legal restrictions.

"We suppose the neighbors will see this as a victory and we regret this," Walsh and Weiser wrote in their letter.

They added, "There are, however, no winners in this process. There are only losers and those are the 12 individuals and families that would have gained a home on the Linxweiler property through this project."

Some residents on Crescent Road, which runs adjacent to the house, are satisfied that the applications will be withdrawn, but they expect that the text amendment that would permit supportive housing on the commercially zoned property will be back in the future.

"We're not confident that this is over. We are totally expecting [the applications] to be resubmitted," said Debra Levin, a Crescent Road resident who stated her opposition to the plans during a telephone interview. "We believe that [Homes with Hope] does very good work. We just did not believe it was an appropriate place for 12 units."

Jeffrey Staw, another Crescent Road resident, echoed her sentiments.

"I'm not sure what to think about this," he said. "I'm somewhat gratified that somebody figured out that there is something wrong here. However, I get the distinct feeling that this could be a tactic, that they may be withdrawing the application so they can resubmit it on a later date in a way that's not quite so offensive."

He added, "This would be like an army going into battle and cutting their losses so they can fight another day."

According to Wieser, pursuing the supportive housing would be a decision that the board of directors would make, and there are no such plans for now, but that's not to say they will never try again.

"It was withdrawn and we don't anticipate it rearing up again anytime in the near future. We've been at the Linxweiler property for 25 years and we love the property," he said. "We think it has potential for other things, so I can't speak for the future. It could happen again at some point in the future as we think where we are and where the town is."

During the public hearings, which began in Feburary, numerous residents spoke out against the applications, including a relative of Linxweiler. At the most recent hearing on Thursday, an opponent of the plan who was holding a small sign with the word "no" on it caused the proceedings to be temporarily stopped by P&Z Chairman Ron Corwin, who said the sign was disruptive. In a 4-3 vote, commission members voted in favor of prohibiting the person from displaying the sign or risk being removed from the meeting.

"It is apparent there are still many unanswered questions about the application and that it needs modification if there is going to be any neighborhood buy-in," Joseloff said in a statement. "We are deeply grateful for the work Homes with Hope does for those in need in Westport and hope that it will find a way acceptable to the community to continue to expand its services."