--NOTE-- Be sure to attend the "Special Zoning Meeting for the continued public hearing of the halls road overlaid district" on APRIL 9 at 6:30pm at Old Lyme HIGH SCHOOL. This will be your ONLY chance to be heard.  That's it.  Then it's done.

EDIT - please do not donate through this page. That goes directly to Change.org which uses donations to promote to other Old Lyme Residents.  But, we are not looking for any donations whatsoever. 

We, the undersigned residents, business owners, and stakeholders of Old Lyme, Connecticut, strongly oppose the development on Halls Road proposed by the Halls Road Committee. While we understand the need for thoughtful progress and economic growth, we believe this specific project will negatively impact the character, environment, and quality of life in our cherished community. The proposal as currently drafted could add 1,600 residential units and upwards of 3,200 new residents to our small town - potentially stressing our schools, public safety and, ultimately, our taxes.

This proposal has egregiously expanded in one year alone. For example, the proposal presented for approval just last year requested a maximum lot frontage for each building of 125ft, which has since nearly doubled to 200ft of frontage; and the last proposal specifically prohibited parking garages, while this version now allows for concrete parking garages up to three stories tall. All the while, the proposal continues to leave numerous major issues unexplored. 

 

The following are, in our opinion, the most critical issues with the most recent proposal.

 

Scope. The scope of the most recent proposed Halls Road Overlay District is staggering. This overlay would allow a multitude of 200ft long, 40ft deep retail and high-density housing buildings along Halls Road, all three stories tall and set back from zero to 15ft from the street, alongside similarly sized three-story parking garages – with no size limitations whatsoever on all non-frontage buildings. If fully developed to maximum capacity – which everybody considering this proposal should assume out of precaution – this would create a veritable urban wall of large, high-density housing buildings and parking garages along Halls Road, changing the tenor of Old Lyme forever. 

 

There is a reason the HRIC has only provided pretty images showing minimal usage and has not shown the public any professional renderings of the proposed overlay district developed at maximum capacity, to scale: if everyone could see what will be built, they would be appalled and would stop this proposal in its tracks.

 

Density. Allowing for 40 residential units per acre plus retail along Halls Road would create an enormous, localized increase in residential population, traffic and use of local resources. In fact, at maximum development, this overlay would increase the population of the town by up to a stunning 42%: at 40 units per acre, with 40 acres of buildable land falling under the proposed overlay district, this would allow 1,600 units, and at an assumed two to three-person occupancy rate per unit, this overlay would allow up to an additional 4,800 residents – all on Halls Road alone. For reference, the entire population of Old Lyme, based on 2023 numbers, is 7,696. This presents, yet again, a drastic impact on the entire town, in every aspect, from congestion to our schools to our ecosystem and our property taxes. This astonishing allowable increase in density should be addressed long before any consideration of approvals.

 

 Environmental threats. Given the dramatic buildable scope and density that this proposed district allows, the environmental impacts that this would create are nearly unimaginable. This overlay district sits directly adjacent to the delicate ecosystem of the Lieutenant River and its important wetlands and will undoubtedly affect critical wildlife and its habitat. The stormwater runoff, septic leeching, light pollution and aquifer use resulting from this new district will be monumental – and yet these issues have not been formally addressed. The potential large scale environmental damage that this district would cause is of great consequence and should be evaluated and resolved prior to this proposal moving forward in any capacity. 

We understand that the HRIC has spent years trying to make something work. However, when polled years ago, the residents of Old Lyme overwhelmingly and simply asked for better sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting and some beautification along Halls Road.  

Instead, we are now facing a proposal that is being presented as creating a “village feel,” resembling historic Lyme Street, but its allowable scope tells a very different story – one of large scale, high-density housing development and irreversible urban sprawl that looks absolutely nothing like historic Lyme Street and would alter the character and natural resources of Old Lyme irrevocably.

We are not opposed to change – but we must find a better solution than this developer-driven urbanization of our charming, rural town. We urge everyone who loves Old Lyme to please review what is being proposed and write letters or ideally attend the next meeting on February 27th. Your voice matters, and this is our last chance. We also urge the Zoning Commission to consider the priorities and inherent flaws in this application – and deny this in its current form.

Signatures:

We, the undersigned, call upon our local leaders to prioritize the well-being of Old Lyme and its residents over short-term economic interests. Let us work together to ensure that any development enhances, rather than detracts from, the town we all love.

Please add your name to this petition and share it with others who care about the future of Old Lyme. Together, we can make our voices heard and protect what makes our town so special.