Community Corner

Developer: Heroes Village Denied to Keep Minorities Out

But Planning & Zoning Commission Chair Gene Ruocco says that site plans for the 24-unit affordable housing complex for returning veterans was rejected "strictly" for not being a suitable project for that particular site along Route 80 in East Haven.

Update on Friday at 11:15 a.m.

Anthony St. Lorenzo, a co-founder of Heroes Village, told East Haven Patch that although he did shout during an altercation with some residents following the Nov. 2 Planning and Zoning meeting, he did not raise his voice until after racial slurs were allegedly addressed to his business partner Sean Richardson, who is black.

The article below has been updated to reflect his comments.

Find out what's happening in East Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Update on Thursday at 10:45 a.m.

The application for , a 24-unit affordable housing project along Route 80 in East Haven, was unanimously rejected last night by the Planning & Zoning Commission as not being a suitable project for the site. (See part one of the East Haven Politics's video of last night's meeting above. The rest of the meeting can be viewed on the blog here.)

The project's developer, however, alleges the site plans weren't rejected because it didn't meet the town's regulations or code — but because of the fear of some in the community that the condominium homes there, if built, would occupied by non-white minorities.

Find out what's happening in East Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And that the town could now well face lengthy legal action due to their decision, as well.

"We've done everything for the town but lift up our skirt," Sean Richardson, Heroes Villages's Chief Business & Legal Affairs Officer, told East Haven Patch this morning. "It's clearly obvious that they don't want this project in the town."

However, East Haven Planning and Zoning Chairman strongly denies that charge.

Ruocco told East Haven Patch that the site plan was rejected last night by the commission because the 24-unit project is "too large" for that site, which currently zoned for only single-family homes to be on the parcel.

"It's zoned for two homes, and he wants to put 24 families there," Ruocco said, adding that safety was also a concern for a development like this along the busy Route 80 corridor.

Heroes Village
had also applied for text change to the town's zoning regulations for the parcel to allow the project to be built at that location, if approved.

'Ill-prepared' Presentation

In addition, Ruocco said Richardson's presentation last night did not adequately answer the questions commissioners, other town officials and neighboring residents who spoke during last night's public hearing had regarding the project.

"His presentation was the weakest, most ill-prepared presentation we've ever had before the the P&Z… he tried to skirt every issue," Ruocco said.

"It was strictly denied upon our regulations and our plan of conservation and development," he said.

But Richardson maintains that zoning regulations and the town's development plans have nothing to do with the rejection.

"Their minds were already made up to before last night," he said.

Racial Slurs

Richardson points to the commission's Nov. 2 meeting (minutes are posted in the gallery), which he and his Heroes Village business partner, Antonio St Lorenzo, attended. It was the first time the project appeared on the commission's agenda.

According to Richardson, following the meeting he was accosted by a group of agitated residents who called the African-American man a n-word and other racial and sexual slurs. Richardson added that his business partner, Antoinio St. Lorenzo, a Vietnam veteran, was also the target of racial attacks.

"It was one of the last things you'd expect in a blue state like Connecticut," he said.

"It was made very clear to us last time that they didn't want this project here," Richardson said.

Ruocco does acknowledge there was an incident following the meeting in the parking lot of the Senior Center that night. And that an East Haven Police Officer was called to the scene due to the disturbance.

But Ruocco said the altercation began when St. Lorenzo began shouting and became unruly, upsetting the residents.

St. Lorenzo, however, told East Haven Patch that he did not begin to raise his voice until after racial slurs were allegedly tossed at Richardson.

"As a sargent in the military I protect my people," he said.

Ruocco also said that he had told Richardson that he would be unable to speak at that November meeting, because it was not the public hearing, but the developer tried to speak anyhow.

"He just shows up and tries to speak. And that's not how it works," he said.

'Silent Majority'

While Richardson maintains he feels it is issues of racism and intolerance that lead to the project's rejection. He clarified that does not believe that most East Haven residents are bigoted or intolerant against minorities.

"Most people in East Haven are good people," Richardson said.

Instead, he said, he feels there is a small group of residents in the town that negatively influence and pressure the decisions of many town officials.

"It's a vocal minority undermining the silent majority of people who support this project," Richardson said.

"And they don't want anything in this town to change," he said.

Ruocco, however, said again, that the site plans for the project were rejected soley on the town's regulations and codes.

And that Richardson appears to be trying to compensate for his poor planning and incomplete presentation by bringing up the issue of race and intolerance knowing the situation the .

"And he's playing upon that," Ruocco said.

But Richardson said Heroes Villages' site plans were properly drawn and met the all appropriate codes and regulations.

Legal Action?

And, he added, that the issues is not over.

In addition to considering taking legal action against the commission's decision to deny the application himself, Richardson told East Haven Patch that a group of Latino investors with "very deep pockets" have approached him about putting up a development at the site.

Heroes Village bought the parcel last October.

And if that project comes to fruition, and the development group feels they are unfairly and illegally denied approval for the project, they are prepared to take a legal case all the way through the state and federal court system.

"They may very well find themselves embroiled in a legal case that will cost them millions of dollars in legal fees for years…and they brought it upon themselves," Richardson said.

In the end, however, Richardson said, the biggest losers in the project's rejection by the town are the men and woman who the condominiums would have been built.

"It is a huge tragedy for the veterans who would have lived there," he said.

East Haven Patch will continue to provide updates on this story as it develops.

(Editor's note: The update originaly reported that Mr Ruocco said the project was "too small," for the parcel. The chairman actually said it was "too large." And the text of the article was corrected at 12:45 p.m.)

Original Story (Wednesday at 5 a.m.)

Residents will haven an opportunity tonight to voice their opinion on Heroes Villiage, a proposed a for returning veterans along Route 80 in East Haven.

The Planning & Zoning Commission is holding a public hearing on the proposed project at 7 p.m., prior to its regularly scheduled meeting at the East Haven Senior Center this evening.

Hereos Village, a socially conscious for-profit company, currently is looking to build a series of "affordable, state of the art, 'green,' customizable homes" throughout the region, according to the organization's website.

Among those locations are 142 and 150 Foxon Road (Route 80) here in East Haven. Company officials recently told East Haven Patch they purchased the two parcels this past October from previous owner Mark Dilungo.

If the project is approved by Planning & Zoning Commissioners, the group hopes to break ground soon on the 150 Foxon Road site.

Once the hearing is completed, the commission will move into the regular portion of its meeting.

Planning & Zoning Chairman told East Haven Patch the commission is expected to discuss and then vote to either approve or deny Heroes Village's application at tonight's meeting.


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