How this headline may connect to industries in Connecticut. Technical scores are below — click any ? for what a metric means.
Glastonbury to revisit Vessel's affordable housing plan after legal defeat.GLASTONBURY — Town officials will discuss an affordable apartment proposal they rejected in 2023 after years of legal action, ultimately resolved in the developer's favor.New York-based Vessel Technologies is seeking approval to build a 48-unit apartment building on a 0.93-acre lot at 51 Kreiger Lane, along with parking and other site improvements.Initially filed with the Plan and Zoning Commission in November 2022, the proposal called for an 8,592-square-foot, four-story apartment building with 48 one-bedroom units, 15 of which would be classified as affordable units.Advertisement Article continues below this ad Those 15 units would carry 40-year deed restrictions limiting rents to no more than 30% of a qualifying household's income.Roughly half would be reserved for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, with the remainder designated for households earning up to 60% of the area median income.The TPZ rejected Vessel's application in March 2023, citing a provision of Connecticut's affordable housing statute, commonly known as 8-30g, that exempts industrial zoned areas where residential uses are not permitted.Vessel successfully appealed the decision in Superior Court, and Judge Edward V.O'Hanlan overturned the denial in July 2024.In his ruling, O'Hanlan wrote that Glastonbury's Planned Commerce Zone permits houses and several other uses that are "not 'industrial,'" and directed the commission to reopen deliberations "with an open mind." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Want more Norwalk Hour?Glastonbury sought to appeal O'Hanlan's decision, but a panel of Appellate Court judges dismissed the case in February 2026 "for lack of subject matter jurisdiction." Glastonbury then petitioned the state Supreme Court to review the case, but the court denied certification on May 7, effectively ending the town's legal challenge.At its meeting Tuesday night, the TPZ voted unanimously to place Vessel's application on the agenda for discussion at its June 16 regular meeting.Commissioners did not otherwise discuss the Kreiger Lane proposal at Tuesday's meeting.Although scheduling is typically done outside of meetings, Director of Community Development Shelley Caltagirone said the application was an unusual case and that staff wanted to ensure that commission members and residents were aware it would be returning to the commission.Advertisement Article continues below this ad She noted that the June 16 meeting will not be a public hearing and therefore does not require the same legal notice that a public hearing typically does."But it is a significant application," Caltagirone said.Vessel Technologies is not the only developer that has sought approval for affordable housing in Glastonbury.In April, the TPZ approved a controversial 266-unit project proposed for 2938 Main St.and 95 and 131 Griswold St.Residents raised concerns about the development's potential impact on nearby Naubuc Elementary School.The TPZ also approved a 44-unit complex at 36 Hopewell Road in December 2024.Advertisement Article continues below this ad Vessel Technologies is also advancing several projects outside of Glastonbury.The company expects to complete a 70-unit apartment complex in Cheshire this year, reached an agreement in May for a previously litigated 120-unit apartment in Newtown, and proposed a 150-unit project in Trumbull in February.All three were filed as 8-30g affordable housing applications.