Kent housing proposal draws support, concerns at first hearing

Kent housing proposal draws support, concerns at first hearing

Rendering of the proposed Kent Green Commons development, showing a village-style layout of residential buildings clustered near Town Hall with open space preserved to the south.

Rendering provided

KENT – A public hearing for a proposed 80-unit housing development in downtown Kent remains open after a largely positive but cautious response from residents during the first round of public vetting of the substantial proposal.

More than 75 residents, town officials and developers logged into the commission’s Zoom meeting Monday night, March 30, to discuss the installation of a neighborhood-style development on a 12.5-acre parcel beside the village center. At least 20%, or 16 units, of the complex, currently operating under the name Kent Green Commons, are planned to be designated as affordable housing. Five acres are designated to be preserved as public open space.

The hearing itself examined the adoption of a Planned Development District on the Town Hall-adjacent property, a zoning tool used to address unique projects that would be complicated to deal with under standard zoning procedure but are in alignment with the town’s overall development goals. If P&Z decides to approve the PDD, as it is commonly known, the developers will still have to finalize a site plan, which will also need zoning approval.

James Millstein, the development manager for the project and owner of the property, introduced the project on Monday evening as “a village-scale residential neighborhood that fits naturally in Kent while addressing the town’s documented housing needs.”

“This isn’t a speculative development,” he continued, but a “direct response” to Kent’s Housing Plan, a document adopted by the town in 2022 that calls for expanded dedicated affordable homeownership and rental opportunities and a diversified housing landscape.

Millstein handed the presentation over to Jeremy Lake, an architect and community designer with Rhode Island-based firm Union Studios, who outlined the layout of the “campus”-like proposal. The 14 buildings, ranging from smaller townhouses to 12-unit walk-up style structures, are set to be arranged around a central thoroughfare that connects Kent Green Boulevard to Maple Street Extension.

He said the aim is to construct “simple, handsome, vernacular-feeling buildings” that align with the architectural character of Kent’s village center. The housing itself will be concentrated in the northern part of the parcel, near Town Hall, while the southern meadows will be preserved against development.

Engineer Dainius Virbickas, of Artel Engineering Group, went through the stormwater management plans and affirmed that the Kent Sewer Commission had determined that the town’s system had sufficient capacity for the development.

P&Z Chair Karen Casey then handed the floor over to members of the public, many of whom spoke out in support of the proposal and its mission.
“I know there are many of us that would like to have such a unit,” said PJ Magik, noting that she has been on waitlists for affordable housing in the region. She added that many who have been priced out of town may come back if the opportunity arose. “Kent’s a special place,” she said.

Andrea Schoeny, a mother of young children, said she welcomes the idea of bringing more families to the village center. “As someone who lives downtown,” she said, “we’re looking forward to new neighbors.”

John McPhee, co-owner of the Kent Collection inns, lauded Millstein’s commitment to the project. “He’s doing it because he loves Kent,” McPhee said, noting that the town needs an injection of working families to thrive. “If we want to support our institutions like the Kent Center School over the long term, we need families with kids,” he said, referencing the declining enrollment at the elementary school.

Some residents, though generally stating support for the mission of the proposal, balked at its size.

Bonnie Bevans said she agrees with the need for expanded housing opportunities and more affordable options, but that she’s “very concerned the project is too big.”

“Where is everybody going to park?” she asked, also raising concerns about traffic, construction noise and impacts to wildlife. Millstein and his development team assured that the plan currently calls for 162 parking spaces, well above the minimum requirement for the capacity, and can add more if needed. He noted that the property could handle a bigger development, too.

“Frankly, we haven’t maxed out what the zoning would permit” on the site, he said.

Chris Garrity and P&Z Commissioner Lawrence Dumoff both said a more diverse construction plan would ease the minds of residents who feel the development to be too much of a condominium complex. Lake, the project designer, said that simulating neighborhoods that have grown organically over many years is extremely difficult, not to mention cost-prohibitive, which is a big concern when developing affordable housing. He said the team would be glad to work with the Commission for solutions to that concern as the project moves forward, though.

The public hearing will resume at P&Z’s next regular meeting on April 9.

Latest News

Sharon voters reject controversial school budget, 114-99

The May 8 town meeting and budget vote were moved from Sharon Town Hall to Sharon Center School to accommodate what officials said was the largest turnout for a Sharon budget meeting in recent years.

Alec Linden

SHARON – More than 200 residents packed the Sharon Center School gymnasium Friday, May 8, where voters narrowly rejected the Sharon Board of Education's proposed 2026-2027 spending plan by a vote of 114-99, sending the budget back to the Board of Finance after weeks of heated debate over school funding.

The rejected proposal – the ninth version of the budget since deliberations began months ago – carried a bottom line of $4,165,513 for the elementary school, unchanged from last year. The flat budget came after the BOF ordered the BOE in early April to remove nearly $70,000 from its spending plan.

Keep ReadingShow less

Liane McGhee

Liane McGhee
Liane McGhee
Liane McGhee

Liane McGhee, a woman defined by her strength of will, generosity, and unwavering devotion to her family, passed away leaving a legacy of love and cherished memories.

Born Liane Victoria Conklin on May 27, 1957, in Sharon, CT, she grew up on Fish Street in Millerton, a place that remained close to her heart throughout her life. A proud graduate of the Webutuck High School Class of 1975, Liane soon began the most significant chapter of her life when she married Bill McGhee on August 7, 1976. Together, they built a life centered on family and shared values.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Women Laughing’ celebrates New Yorker cartoonists

Ten New Yorker cartoonists gather around a table in a scene from “Women Laughing.”

Eric Korenman

There is something deceptively simple about a New Yorker cartoon. A few lines, a handful of words — usually fewer than a dozen — and suddenly an entire worldview has been distilled into a single panel.

There is also something delightfully subversive about watching a room full of women sit around a table drawing them. Not necessarily because it seems unusual now — thankfully — but because “Women Laughing,” screening May 9 at The Moviehouse in Millerton, reminds us that for much of The New Yorker’s history, such a gathering would have been nearly impossible to imagine.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

By any other name: becoming Lena Hall

By any other name: becoming Lena Hall

In “Your Friends and Neighbors,” Lena Hall’s character is also a musician.

Courtesy Apple TV
At a certain point you stop asking who people want you to be and start figuring out who you already are.
Lena Hall

There is a moment in conversation with actress and musician Lena Hall when the question of identity lands with unusual force.

“Well,” she said, pausing to consider it, “who am I really?”

Keep ReadingShow less
Remembering Todd Snider at The Colonial Theatre

“A Love Letter to Handsome John” screens at The Colonial Theatre on May 8.

Provided

Fans of the late singer-songwriter Todd Snider will have a rare opportunity to gather in celebration of his life and music when “A Love Letter to Handsome John,” a documentary by Otis Gibbs, screens for one night only at The Colonial Theatre in North Canaan on Friday, May 8.

Presented by Wilder House Berkshires and The Colonial Theatre, the 54-minute film began as a tribute to Snider’s friend and mentor, folk legend John Prine. Instead, following Snider’s death last November at age 59, it became something more intimate: a portrait of the alt-country pioneer during the final year of his life.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sharon Playhouse debuts new logoahead of 2026 season

New Sharon Playhouse logo designed by Christina D’Angelo.

Provided

The Sharon Playhouse has unveiled a new brand identity for its 2026 season, reimagining its logo around the silhouette of the historic barn that has long defined the theater.

Sharon Playhouse leadership — Carl Andress, Megan Flanagan and Michael Baldwin — revealed the new logo and website ahead of the 2026 season. The change reflects leadership’s desire to embrace both the Playhouse’s history and future, capturing its nostalgia while reinventing its image.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.