Shelton proposal will bring growth

5/11/07
Recognizing the potential gold mine running right past the town, Shelton planners are taking a big step toward increasing development. By opening up a stretch of the Housatonic riverfront to commercial and residential development, the town could clear the way for millions of dollars in future growth.
The Planning and Zoning Commission is moving on a proposal to create a River Front District on about 3.3 acres extending from 113-131 Canal St. The new designation would change the zoning from industrial to commercial and residential.
It’s a smart move. Industry, for better or for worse, is not coming back, at least not enough to base an economy around. This land will join another tract farther north — where developer John Guedes is eyeing a $250 million downtown project with thousands of square feet of commercial, retail and residential space — in setting new standards for Shelton.
Town officials want strict standards on this latest plan, with height limits for buildings and parking requirements. A recent study shows the "direction in the city’s downtown had changed to higher density housing and retail, and that was the way to go," said James Ryan, president of the Shelton Economic Development Corp.
It’s the pattern communities around the area are following as brownfields and rivers are cleaned. Sites that sat vacant and fallow for decades are being reborn as retail and residential destinations.
Shelton would do well, though, to make sure its current residents aren’t priced out of the new projects. There’s a clear regional need for housing that working families can afford, and the Route 8 corridor could go a long way toward filling that need. Market-rate housing brings in the big money, but the town should make room for all kinds of people to live there.
The rediscovery of the river has gone a long way toward making possible the region’s rebirth. Instead of dumping untreated industrial waste or sewage overflow, communities are treating the waterways with the care they deserve, and reaping the rewards from a populace looking to connect with nature. There’s no better way than a walk along the riverfront.
It could be in 10 years that the Naugatuck and Housatonic rivers are clean enough to take a swim, with paths and greenways from Milford to all points north; that abandoned former factory sites along them are replaced by parks and housing and ball fields and stores; and that the Valley is the place to be for young families taking a first look at Connecticut. If that goal is to be reached, moves like Shelton’s are important steps along that journey.