Two large apartment projects planned for Route 32 in Montville

Nov. 12—MONTVILLE — The town has received applications for two projects that would construct a total of 257 apartments on Route 32.

When the Planning and Zoning Commission meets on Dec. 10, it is expected to set a public hearing date for the two projects.

The first project calls for a four-story mixed-income apartment building on Route 32 across from Fort Shantok Road. West Hartford-based developer Honeycomb Real Estate Partners, LLC, has submitted an application for the project, along with site plans a traffic study and drainage report.

According to the plans, Horizon View would contain 57 apartments, including 25 one-bedroom units and 32 two-bedroom units. Twenty percent would be rented at market rate, while the other 80 percent would be reserved for people making up to 80% of the area median income.

The apartment building would be constructed on 3.4 acres of vacant land.

According to a letter from project attorney William Sweeney to Planning and Zoning Chairperson Sara Lundy, Honeycomb has an agreement to buy the land.

An entrance would be built directly across from Fort Shantok Road, creating a four-way intersection. The traffic report states 259 vehicles would leave and enter the property each day.

The developer's traffic engineer, Roy Smith, wrote in the report that the project would not have a significant impact on traffic. The project would have 132 parking spots.

A sidewalk would be built along the southbound side of Route 32, which would be connected by an existing crosswalk to a sidewalk on the northbound side.

The second project calls for five four-story apartment buildings on 12.9 acres of vacant land on Norwich-New London Turnpike across the street from the Tantaquidgeon Museum. It would contain 200 units.

East Hartford-based Four Seasons Construction has submitted plans for the project known as Shantok Village, along with reports on traffic impact and drainage and a letter from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection stating there are no endangered species on the site.

Plans also call for a 3,500-square-foot community center and 408 parking spots. A traffic report prepared for the developer states the impact of the project on Route 32 "will be limited." Between 74 and 78 vehicles will leave or enter the project during peak hours, according to the report.