We are West Hartford residents who are concerned about the proposal submitted to develop the former  UConn property located at the intersection of Trout Brook Drive and Asylum Avenue. The current proposal  includes 620 residential units, 927,156 square feet of building area, 1387 asphalt-paved parking spots, 4 and 5 story buildings, a spa, a steakhouse restaurant and a supermarket. We disagree with and oppose the current  development plan for the following reasons: 

1. The proposal includes too many parking areas and too few areas with decarbonizing large trees and  grasses. It replaces permeable surfaces with impermeable ones, exacerbates drainage and flooding  problems for surrounding neighbors and threatens natural wetlands habitat. The property currently  drains water from adjacent higher elevation properties and will be unable to continue to handle the water run-off with extensively paved surfaces. The proposal declined to include long-term solutions to  this problem. The proposal also does not account for the increasing frequency of extreme weather  events that may affect Connecticut in the future, especially in light of the fact that the east parcel and  some of the west parcel are in a floodplain. 

2. The proposal increases (by more than 200%) the carbon footprint of the property. 

3. The proposal does not follow West Hartford’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD),  including its Clean Energy Plan. Following are a few of the ways the proposal violates the POCD:  

a. Ignores residents’ concerns about “commercial creep” (POCD, page 28) particularly on the  west area, which has a large incursion of commercial interests into a residential area.  b. Lack of emphasis on green infrastructure ("measures that use plant or soil systems …  permeable surfaces … or landscaping to store, infiltrate or evapotranspirate storm water and reduce flows to sewer systems or to surface waters" U.S. EPA) (POCD, page 65).  

c. Ignores data (POCD, page 34) showing a surplus of health/personal care businesses and a  surplus of grocery stores. The proposal adds businesses (a supermarket, spa and restaurant)  that are already in surplus and will divert customers from existing businesses. 

4. The proposal violates the Town’s commitment to sustainability and commitment to park access. 

5. The proposal will increase traffic on already crowded Trout Brook Drive, recently narrowed North Main  Street and already busy Asylum Avenue. West Hartford had five traffic related deaths last year and  enacted a Vision Zero initiative to make streets safer.  

6. The proposal contravenes the stated preferences of West Hartford residents. In 2018, the Town  surveyed residents who, by large majority, requested passive recreation facilities (walking paths, bike  trails) or cultural amenities such as art galleries, theaters and museums. 

7. The scale of the proposal is too large for the site and for the residential neighborhood. 

8. While the proposal claims that it will generate revenue, it neglects the additional services and  expenses (e.g., schools, public safety, sanitation) associated with additional residents. 

If you agree with these concerns and want the Town to insist that the property be developed in responsive and  responsible ways, please add your name and address below.