Quantcast
Government Letters to the Editor Reader Contributed

Letter: Overdevelopment of West Hartford Center

Rendering of the aerial view of proposed Arapahoe Group LLC development. Bohler Engineering / Beinfield Architecture (Town of West Hartford website)

We-Ha.com welcomes Letters to the Editor from the public, including endorsements. Letters submitted by political candidates will be considered for publication up to 14 days prior to an election and most will be published within 48 hours of receipt. Letters that contain personal attacks or include profanity of any type will not be published. Rebuttals to letters should be submitted as a separate document, and commenting on letters will no longer be permitted. Please provide your full name and town, as well as your phone number at the end of the letter. Phone numbers will not be published but are required in case verification is needed. Please submit letters to [email protected].

To the Editor:

I have just learned that the town council is considering approving a six story residential block to be built between Farmington Avenue and Arapaho Road.  I cannot stress enough how much I oppose this plan.

I have been a resident of West Hartford for 36 years. What drew me to the town were the good schools, the excellent town amenities and the ease of accessing goods and services.  Additionally, I appreciated that West Hartford is a “suburb with sidewalks” and from my home I can walk easily to the Center.

While change is difficult, I have lived through and appreciated the development of Blue Back Square, the creation of one way streets in the area surrounding the Center, and the initiation of outdoor dining, which makes our town the restaurant draw that it is.

However traffic anywhere near Farmington and Main has become so congested that I avoid that part of town whenever I can.    I can’t imagine what it would be like with the residents of a six story building driving to and through the area.

I worry about the additional strain on utilities, particularly water and sewage, which will result from adding this much density to the already crowded Center.

How does the Council see a six story building fitting in with the existing one and two story buildings throughout the downtown area? This structure will tower over existing apartments, offices, and shops, not to mention the homes on nearby streets. Why would anyone want to buy property in that neighborhood with such a monstrosity nearby?

If the town really feels that increasing residential housing in the downtown by 10 or 20 or 40 units is necessary, why not locate to a more out-of-the-way space such as behind Blue Back Square? I suppose the old UConn property has been rejected as too far from the hub, but that would make  much more sense, and kill two birds with one stone.

I hate to see West Hartford’s charm ruined by such unfortunate lack of consideration.

Leora Berns
West Hartford

Editor’s Note: The West Hartford Town Council has a public hearing scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022 for the Arapahoe Group LLC’s proposed zone change and Special Development District for Arapahoe and LaSalle roads. Details about the proposal can be found here.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

About the author

We-Ha

We-Ha.com is the place to go for the latest information about West Hartford – a town that "has it all"! We-Ha.com is part of and proud of our community, and we bring a hyperlocal focus to news and features about the people, schools, businesses, real estate, sports, restaurants, charitable events, arts, and more. Contact us at: [email protected] or [email protected].

3 Comments

  • All the problems the greater Hartford area has. The area needs jobs, well-paying jobs. It seems we have things backwards get those jobs in Hartford, then build these developments. I want traffic. When I walk around Hartford at lunchtime, it is depressing to see no people or cars. This is better than that alternative Grow up

  • I agree. Don’t be hoodwinked by the beautiful and alluring sun dappled renderings. Having been on various councils in New York and successfully fighting a Stop & Shop, and winning, you are fighting a tough fight. You need to organize, form coalitions of people because one squeaky wheel won’t slow this train down. The level of traffic the larger building’s residence will bring is going to push out all the outsiders who drive into West Hartford on the weekends. It’s already a nightmare to eat there on weekends and unsustainable for the small streets around it. You might want to keep the smaller building at the bank, and fight the larger one as a compromise.

Leave a Comment

Translate »