Developer hopes to have prefab apartments in seven CT towns – Hartford Courant

A New York-based developer came into Connecticut in late 2021 and is trying to stake out a fresh segment of the affordable housing market with three projects.

As it begins constructing what it calls an attainably priced 70-unit apartment building in Cheshire, Vessel Technologies is exploring chances for a 42-unit version in Manchester and working to revive its plan for another 42-unit one in Granby.

Vessel assembles prefabricated buildings of virtually identical architecture to sharply reduce construction costs, aiming its apartments toward what it calls a badly underserved market: The missing middle. That covers municipal workers, health care employees, moderate-income seniors and others who earn too much to get subsidized housing but still fall far short of affording the new high-end apartments appearing across Connecticut.

But there has been serious pushback in several communities where Vessel is trying to build, with homeowners complaining that the company would bring unwanted density, create traffic on congested roads and force modernistic multifamily buildings into historic neighborhoods.

Vessel is suing Simsbury and Glastonbury after they rejected its proposals, and its lawyers are invoking the states 8-30g law. For most middle-of-the-road and affluent suburbs, 8-30g sharply restricts the grounds that zoning boards can cite for rejecting affordable housing proposals.

Some affordable housing advocates contend that local opposition has really represented just a not-in-my-backyard attitude, but homeowners say theyre trying to protect the character of their community.

Currently, Vessels Connecticut plans cover seven communities and total just under 400 apartments ranging from conceptual to already built and leased.

The newest would put up 42 units along Tolland Turnpike in Manchester. The three-story building would have a footprint of just 10,300 square feet, and would offer 40 one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units.

It would be located on the corner of Jefferson Street, with driveways into a 55-car parking lot from both Jefferson and Tolland Turnpike.

Vessel would need to combine two parcels, one vacant with scrub and trees and the other with a house fronting the intersection. Vessel would demolish the house, build the apartment complex set back from Tolland Turnpike by more than 75 feet, and create small recreation and passive recreation areas with some of the remaining land.

Vessel has not yet sought zoning permits for the work, but instead presented the conceptual idea informally to the Planning and Zoning Commission in early December to gauge reactions.

In New London, Vessel already has leased its new Bank Street building, which has 30 one-bedrooms.

Planners in Rocky Hill rejected Vessels first application, but a negotiation produced an alternate site where Vessel is now approved to build 96 units. The construction timetable has not been made public so far.

In November, Vessel broke ground on a five-story building for 70 apartments along Realty Drive near Route 10 in Cheshire. There will be 66 one-bedrooms and four two-bedrooms.

Granby residents came out in force last summer to oppose Vessels original proposal, which it later withdrew. In December the company came back with a downsized plan that would create 42 apartments on Route 189 about a half-mile from Route 10. It is likely to present that proposal to the wetlands board in January.

The company also wants to put up 64 apartments in Simsbury and 48 in Glastonbury, but both of those proposals are on hold pending the outcome of its lawsuits appealing rejections by local land use planners.

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Developer hopes to have prefab apartments in seven CT towns - Hartford Courant