A developer on Tuesday will present a Connecticut town with proposed zoning changes to allow more than 200 age-restricted carriage houses, and is putting forward a consultant’s report suggesting the project could generate more than $3 million a year in new tax revenue.
Ohio-based Downeast LLC over the past two years has been examining various development ideas for its 57-acre property at Wheeler Road and Pleasant Valley Drive, just north of The Plaza at Buckland Hills across the Manchester line in South Windsor.
Two years ago it informally spoke of building 684 apartments that would house about 2,000 residents, an option that got a cold reception from town planners and neighbors. South Windsor’s 2024 long-term town plan discouraged large-scale residential development on the property, and town officials kept alive their hope that the property could be used for a major commercial expansion.
Earlier this year, the Planning and Zoning Commission turned down the company’s bid for 210 rental apartments for seniors in a pair of three-story buildings.
Downeast has said market conditions just don’t support a big investment in bricks-and-mortar retail development now. Instead, it is now suggesting 210 age-restricted carriage homes on part of the site. It hired Goman + York consulting firm to study market conditions, and the company has endorsed the idea.
“Adapting to change is crucial for resilient communities. Embracing shifts in housing preferences fosters diversity and economic growth. The proposed 210-unit age-restricted development in South Windsor aims to meet evolving housing needs, benefiting local businesses and stimulating consumer spending,” Goman + York said in an extensive report on marketability of condos for seniors.
Between property tax and residents’ vehicle taxes along with sewer use fees, the proposed development would generate nearly $3.3 million in net new tax revenue, it said. Real estate taxes would average about $19,000 a unit, vehicle taxes would be about $585 per car, and new sewer fees would be nearly $500 a year, the report said.
That would generate about $4.2 million in new revenue, but nearly $1 million would have to be deducted to balance off new municipal expenses, the report said. But addressing the widespread concern about new residential development putting extra burden on the school system, Goman + York emphasized that there would be no new educational expense because age-restricted housing doesn’t accommodate school-age children.
“The 210 carriage housing units will create and/or sustain an estimated 152 temporary construction jobs and 134 permanent jobs and generate an estimated $10,103,688 in new consumer spending at local businesses,” it continued.
The north central Connecticut region has seen little new inventory of condos since the 1980s, and the current average sale is in the low $320,000s, the consultant reported.
“Rising prices and strong demand (are) reflected in consistently low days on market,” the company reported. “Gap in new inventory creates opportunity for development.”
In 2025, condos in South Windsor have averaged nine days on the market before a sale, compared to 10 in the region and 17 across the state.
Goman + York noted that most of those condos were built in the 1970s and ’80s. When only the market for age-restricted and modern condos is examined, the average price is far higher, it reported.