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Demolition of the former Kmart property in Milford, Conn. Sept. 29, 2022.
Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media
MILFORD — Four months after Milford's Planning and Zoning board denied the site plan and special permit for apartments at the former Kmart location, Casey Associated LTD Partnerships is back with a new plan for the site.
The board will hear the new proposal for the plaza at 589 Bridgeport Ave. at its March 7 meeting.
"Our intent was to dramatically improve this site with a $55 million private investment, which would eliminate a long-standing eyesore for our neighborhoods and the entire city," attorney John Knuff said after the board had rejected a regulation change that would have allowed the development in November.
The change, officially dubbed Regulation 22-8 would have raised the building height limit from 40 feet to 50 feet, changed the size of the building from 12 acres to 10 acres and changed the maximum housing density from 17 units per acre to 19.
During the November public hearing on the proposed changes, residents mainly took issue with the proposed building height.
The new proposed regulation change, known as Regulation 23-1, proposes to change the maximum units per acre from 17 to 18 and reduce the amount of land required for multifamily residential buildings from 12 acres to 10 acres. In addition, residential building heights are proposed to be less than 40 feet, where 40 feet is the maximum allowable.
The development would include a new facade for portions of the retail plaza and a multifamily complex consisting of 192 units spread among six buildings, compared to the previously proposed 202 units in seven buildings.
The updated plan still includes a clubhouse, pool, trash and maintenance facility and a dog park.
Other changes include 503 parking spaces for retail with 51 having electric vehicle charging stations, and 357 parking spaces for the apartment complex. The previous plans had called for 357 residential and 385 retail spaces and 36 EV spots.
The multifamily housing project at the plaza was first approved in February 2022 by the P&Z. The lot includes several buildings housing Ocean State Job Lot, Dollar Tree, Walgreens, Taco Bell and a strip mall adjacent to Bridgeport Avenue with a Subway, a liquor store and other vacant space.