Spring Break
New Apartment Complex Proposal Met With Disapproval
Kim Romanello
Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: News
Mansfield residents expressed concern over proposed plans for a new off-campus apartment complex Tuesday night. The application for the approval of the proposed complex, Ponde Place, to be built on Hunting Lodge Road, has been withdrawn temporarily so the plans can be debated.
The general consensus of the Mansfield community was less than supportive. Keystone Companies, LLC., the tentative builders of the complex and Mansfield community members met at the Mansfield Public Library last night to discuss their concerns about the building of such a complex.
Many towns' citizens have issues with the plan, including the location of the new facility, which would be adjacent to the Carriage House Apartments. Security, zoning and traffic are also concerns, according to P. Anthony Giorgio, one of the founders of The Keystone Company.
Another major concern with the project is the amount of water that the facility would require. UConn acts as the utility for the water supply in the region, Giorgio said. The complex would require 45,000 gallons of water a day, which according to Giorgio, UConn says it can handle.
The plans were withdrawn from the Planning and Zoning Board so that the townspeople could voice their opinions, Giorgio said.
"It was always our intention to meet with you," Giorgio said. "We found out in Mansfield that it's difficult - if not impossible - to change plans once they are being reviewed by the [Planning and Zoning] commission."
The complex would be used to house approximately 600 undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty members, Giorgio said. He hopes that this complex could be more like an off-campus dormitory, which he hopes could include Community Assistants as well as security guards at entrances and exits. These measures would help ensure the security of the neighborhood and put more accountability on students living within the complex, Giorgio said.
UConn has one of the highest percentages of students living on campus out of any university in the country, Giorgio said, adding that former UConn President Philip Austin contacted the company in March 2004 and advised him that off-campus housing was the "preferred option" once they had already purchased the land.
The general consensus of the Mansfield community was less than supportive. Keystone Companies, LLC., the tentative builders of the complex and Mansfield community members met at the Mansfield Public Library last night to discuss their concerns about the building of such a complex.
Many towns' citizens have issues with the plan, including the location of the new facility, which would be adjacent to the Carriage House Apartments. Security, zoning and traffic are also concerns, according to P. Anthony Giorgio, one of the founders of The Keystone Company.
Another major concern with the project is the amount of water that the facility would require. UConn acts as the utility for the water supply in the region, Giorgio said. The complex would require 45,000 gallons of water a day, which according to Giorgio, UConn says it can handle.
The plans were withdrawn from the Planning and Zoning Board so that the townspeople could voice their opinions, Giorgio said.
"It was always our intention to meet with you," Giorgio said. "We found out in Mansfield that it's difficult - if not impossible - to change plans once they are being reviewed by the [Planning and Zoning] commission."
The complex would be used to house approximately 600 undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty members, Giorgio said. He hopes that this complex could be more like an off-campus dormitory, which he hopes could include Community Assistants as well as security guards at entrances and exits. These measures would help ensure the security of the neighborhood and put more accountability on students living within the complex, Giorgio said.
UConn has one of the highest percentages of students living on campus out of any university in the country, Giorgio said, adding that former UConn President Philip Austin contacted the company in March 2004 and advised him that off-campus housing was the "preferred option" once they had already purchased the land.
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