The preliminary plans for the development, showing the Kent Green Boulevard extension as a central, tree-lined corridor for the neighborhood. The plans show three 12-unit walkup buildings and 10 four-unit stacked flats for a total of 76 units.
KENT — A pre-application presentation for a new high-density housing development in downtown Kent was well-received by the Planning and Zoning Commission at its July 10 meeting, which considered it to be potentially a major step forward in diversifying the town’s housing options.
The plans as they currently stand call for 76 total units spread over three 12-unit walkup buildings and 10 four-unit stacked flats.
The property is owned by Kent Development Housing Associates. James Millstein, head of the group, offered an overview of the proposal to P&Z, explaining that the development is intended to address a multitude of shortages in the town’s housing stock. “The town is desperately in need of more housing. Affordable housing, workforce housing and housing for people who want to downsize and stay in town,” he said.
The Commission responded positively to the proposal. Chair Wes Wyrick said that this type of density development was what P&Z had in mind when establishing the downtown housing incentive overlay zone. “With this I feel we have something we can work with.”
Commissioner Shelby Green said, “it’s something sorely needed in Kent,” and described the project as “well-conceived.”
P&Z member Sarah Chase commended the proposal’s “alliance with the aesthetic of the town.”
The pre-application meeting was intended to garner preliminary feedback from P&Z and gauge its willingness to amend the housing incentive overlay zone.
The current zoning allows for single and dual-family buildings to be built within its boundaries. Millstein said that in order to maintain the green and rural village aesthetic of the neighborhood, the project would have to mitigate its construction footprint by including up to 12 units per building.
Of the 76 proposed units, 20% are planned to be designated affordable housing available exclusively for those earning less than 80% of the Area Median Income. Another 20% of the units will be held as rentals, while the rest will be homeownership opportunities.
Millstein estimated the development could house approximately 120-150 residents.
Commissioner Darryl Cherniske said that he felt 76 units strikes a fair balance between accommodating for density housing and maintaining open space.
Jeremy Lake of Union Studio Architects and Design, the Providence-based firm handling the configuration of the proposed development, presented the specs to P&Z. He described a “walkable mixed-income neighborhood that integrates naturally into the broader village fabric of Kent.” He noted the elongation of Kent Green Boulevard so it connects to Maple Street Extension will further a sense of a unified downtown.
Lake said he’s particularly excited about designing “the spaces between the buildings – that’s where the community design aspect comes into play.”
First Selectman Marty Lindenmayer, who was also present at the meeting, lauded the preliminary designs and said the project has the capacity to “achieve something really spectacular for our town and for the region.”
Lindenmayer stated his desire to see the unoccupied building currently on the property converted to a recreational center for both residents of the new neighborhood and the broader town. This has been a point of mild contention with Millstein and the development team who say the facility would take away some of the greens space they’ve fought to preserve.
Still, Lindenmayer pushed that a recreation center, with a gym, year-round pool and other amenities, fulfills a parallel task to housing development in fortifying the town’s public offerings to support its current and future residents. “They need somewhere to live but they also need somewhere to recreate” and stay healthy, he argued.
Lindenmayer was highly supportive of the plan as a whole though, describing it as a prudent use of a unique development opportunity in Kent that “most of the towns in this area will not be able to replicate,” lacking 12 acres of developable and open land adjacent to downtown.
Having received the Commission’s input, the team behind the development will develop a petition for a further alteration to the housing incentive zone, and eventually return before P&Z with a complete application.
Club basketball at the Northstar Sportsplex Fall League in Canton concluded for The Housy Seven on Sunday, Nov. 16. On the team were Housatonic Valley Regional High School players Owen Riemer (above), Anthony Labbadia, Anthony Foley, Simon Markow (below), Henry Berry, Ryan Segalla and Jaxon Visockis. Also on the team were Northwestern Regional High School players Ty Devita and Patrick Rouleau. Coach Dino Labbadia praised the effort of his team and framed the experience as valuable preparation for the upcoming varsity season.
Riley Klein
KENT — With a new Board of Selectmen now in office, members are taking up several ordinance proposals left unresolved by the previous administration.
On Monday, Nov. 10, just days before officially taking office, incoming First Selectman Eric Epstein and incoming Selectman Lynn Harrington met with outgoing officials Marty Lindenmayer and Glenn Sanchez, along with returning Selectman Lynn Mellis Worthington, for a transition meeting.
The group reviewed three proposed ordinances that the previous board had intended to bring to a town meeting before the election but could not schedule due to holiday conflicts.
The first, the “Restriction of Commercial Bus Travel” ordinance, calls for banning tour buses from using Bulls Bridge Road and Spooner Hill Road. The measure stems from resident complaints about large commercial vehicles navigating the narrow, winding South Kent Road.
After a New Milford resident raised the issue, New Milford, Kent and state transportation officials have vowed to keep the vehicles — most bound for Club Getaway — off the dangerous stretch of roadway.
The second proposal, the “Placement of Material in the Public Right of Way” ordinance — which Lindenmayer jokingly referred to as the “stuff in the road” ordinance at an earlier meeting — would ban residents and business operators from placing debris or other materials, including leaves and trash, in the roadway unless they are removed immediately.
The third proposal, the “Purchasing Ordinance,” would grant the town sole authority over soliciting bids and contracting for services related to municipal projects.
All three ordinances were the subject of a joint public hearing in September. Since the required two-week period between a hearing and a town meeting vote has lapsed, the new board will need to schedule fresh public hearings if it chooses to advance the proposals.
The officials also discussed the expected passage of a revised statewide housing bill. The original legislation, House Bill 5002, was vetoed by Gov. Ned Lamont in June after sparking sharp debate: affordable housing advocates supported it, while opponents argued it stripped planning and zoning authority from local officials. The revised bill, renumbered 8002, passed the state Senate on Friday, Nov. 14, several days after the transition meeting
Lindenmayer described 8002 as a compromise, though some housing advocates say it lacks the urgency needed to address what the governor has called a “housing crisis.”
With several significant housing proposals before the Planning and Zoning Commission, affordable housing is expected to remain a central issue as the new Board of Selectmen assumes office.
FALLS VILLAGE — At the regular monthly meeting on Nov. 10, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to approve approximately $3,500 for new signs that will mark the Historic District. The vendor is Giordano Signs of Torrington, with installation tentatively set for spring 2026.
The board also discussed new wiring on the town Green and in the downtown area for Christmas lights but ultimately tabled the matter. The lighting will remain the same as last year.
In other business, the selectmen voted unanimously to reappoint Tax Collector Rebecca Juchert-Derungs to a new four-year term.
Selectman Judy Jacobs reported that the Falls Village–Canaan Historical Society is planning events for next year’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, including a “scaled reenactment” as part of the celebration.
The antique colonial home at 310 South Kent Road — 2,596 square feet with hand-hewn beams and a three-car garage — sold for $540,000. Photo by Christine Bates.
In October, single-family home sales in Kent reached a median price of $565,000 — the highest so far this year, though still below the 2024 summer peak of $753,000
Over September and October, the town clerk recorded 10 property transfers: one vacant lot, two condominiums and seven single-family homes. Three of those homes sold for more than $1 million, while four closed below $500,000.
The volume of closed sales has slowed notably compared to the pandemic boom, when Kent saw 11 to 12 home sales per month.
In 2025, monthly sales have generally fallen to four or fewer. Inventory also remains tight, particularly in the more affordable range. Of the 11 homes currently on the market, eight are listed above $1 million and just one is priced below $500,000.
Transactions
South Kent Road – 2.71 acres of vacant land sold by Leslie S Fink to Charles W and Charlene A Weigel for $148,000
12 Spectacle Ridge Road – 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home on 8.33 acres sold by Avi Rosenbluth and Ilana Grossman to Philip Degisi and Alanna Hynes for $1,124,000
15 Woodin Road – 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home on 9.71 acres sold by Jana Kolpen to A Room of Ones Own LLC for $1,335,000
80 North Main Street, Unit 5B5 – 2 bedroom/1.5 bath condo sold by Kelli J Baldrick to Kevin R Alger for $439,000
28 Davis Road – 3 bedroom/2 bath home on 1 acres sold by Cheryl M and Edward Burke Jr. to Santiago Martinez Govela Trustee, David Road Trust and JeanetteOsterhout Trustee for $450,000
73 Kent Cornwall Road – 2 bedroom/1 bath cottage on 1.8 acres sold by Colleen McGrath to Jason Drozd for $381,000
310 South Kent Road – 5 bedroom/3 bath home on .42 acres sold by Hosanna A Fox and David P Markowski to Virginia A and Pierfilippo De Santis for $540,000
7 Pheasant Run, Unit 1 – 3 bedroom/1.5 bath condo sold by Christina Marie Woodard to Ashley Joanne Obrien for $315,000
128 South Kent Road – 2 bedroom/2 bath home on 1.39 acres sold by John J and Jenifer S Kelly to Daniel D Palumbo for $410,000
15 Stonewall Road – Newly constructed 4 bedroom/3.5 bath homes on 12.93 acres sold by Whitehall Construction LLC to Daniel and Melissa Fuschillo for $1,350,000 – the highest sale in September and October.
* Town of Kent real estate transfers recorded as sold between September 1, 2025, and October 31, 2025, provided by Kent Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Property details from CT Vision tax cards. Current market listings and market data from Smart MLS. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in CT and NY.
