The Town of West Hartford, pending a review by the Town Plan & Zoning Commission, will look to accept the donation of the property at 1700 Asylum Avenue that includes a playground, the Miracle League Field, and several other fields.

The sports complex at 1700 Asylum includes Little League fields. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

The Town of West Hartford has been given the opportunity to become the owner of land at 1700 Asylum Avenue that currently includes the Miracle League Field as well as several other ballfields, a playground, and basketball court, ensuring continued use of those facilities for the public.

The Town Council on Tuesday night officially received a resolution authorizing the town manager to accept the donation of 1700 Asylum Avenue, which has been referred to the Town Plan & Zoning Commission (TPZ). The referral is a required procedure to ensure that taking possession of the property is consistent with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD).

TPZ will consider the referral at its Dec. 2, 2024 meeting, and the Town Council will then vote on the resolution on Dec. 10.

WeHa Development Group East LLC has indicated plans to file a quitclaim deed, and with the expected recommendation of TPZ, and approval by the Town Council, will grant the 8.921 acres known as 1700 Asylum Avenue to the Town of West Hartford.

Both 1700 and 1800 Asylum Avenue were originally part of the 57-plus-acre former UConn West Hartford campus. The parcel of land at 1700 Asylum, on the northeast side of Trout Brook Drive, was until recently owned in its entirety by WeHa Development Group East LLC. In April 2024, the West Hartford Town Council approved, 8-1, an application to establish a Special Development District for the the entire 23.787-acre property at 1700 Asylum Avenue. At the same time, 14.866 acres of the northern portion, most of which is currently an 1,100-space parking lot, was rezoned as RMMS (residential multifamily, multistory) while the southern portion of that property, which is 8.921 acres, remains a residential zone R-10, with approved use as ballfields, playground, and associated parking.

Ballfield and playground complex at 1700 Asylum Avenue. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

In August, what had been 1700 Asylum Avenue was split into two parcels, and 14.866 acres were sold for $22.7 million to a newly-created entity, West Hartford Developers LLC, which is managed by Eli Pechthold of Garden Homes. That newly-created entity will be developing the 322-unit multifamily residential development The Residences at Heritage Park – which now has the address of 1360 Trout Brook Drive – that will include four buildings as well as a community green and a variety of amenities for residents and the public.

When the lot was split, WeHa Development Group East LLC retained ownership of the portion of the property that includes the ballfields and playground that they plan to turn over to the town.

It’s been nearly three years since West Hartford 1 LLC finalized the purchase of the former UConn campus property, on an “as is” basis, from then-owner Ideanomics, for $2.75 million, on Dec. 29, 2021. Dominic Carpionato is the principal of West Hartford 1 LLC, and WeHa Development Group East LLC and WeHa Development Group LLC were established for the purpose of developing the separate portions of the overall property.

1800 Asylum

Screenshot of Heritage Park presentation to DRAC. Town of West Hartford website

Also on Tuesday, the Town Council received an application for the other portion of Heritage Park, “filed on behalf of WeHa Development Group, LLC owner of 1800 Asylum Avenue, for change of zone of approximately 33.5 acres of the site from a R-10 single-family zone to a BS shopping center zone with Special Development District Designation (SDD) overlay for the redevelopment of the site into a new mixed-use development of commercial and residential uses along with associated parking and site amenities.”

The Council referred the application to TPZ and the Design Review Advisory Committee (DRAC), and set a public hearing for Thursday, Dec. 19, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at Town Hall.

DRAC has already conducted multiple informal study sessions of the 1800 Asylum proposal, and will conduct a formal review on Nov. 14 that will include the developer’s response to comments made at its last study session, held on Oct. 24. Town Planner Todd Dumais told We-Ha.com following that final informal session that “overall DRAC was pleased with the materials and overall response to their requests.”

In August, the Town Plan and Zoning Commission (TPZ), in its capacity as West Hartford’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency (IWWA), approved the wetlands application for 1800 Asylum, the western portion of the former UConn campus. On Dec. 2, TPZ will determine whether or not the proposal for Heritage Park is consistent with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD).

The ultimate authority to determine the future of the proposal rests with the Town Council, which following its public hearing on Dec. 19 will vote to approve or deny the application.

Plans for 1800 Asylum call for demolition of the remaining buildings from the UConn campus, and construction of 11 buildings of one to four stories. Included in the plan are 93 residential apartments, one- and two-bedroom units, with 5% proposed as deed-restricted to be affordable for family incomes at or below the 80% area median income. The plans also include townhomes available for purchase, 90 units of assisted living, a 26,488-square-foot organic grocery store, roughly 42,800 square feet of restaurant and retail space,and a 42,600 square foot spa.

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