Dear Neighbors,

 

I wanted to share an update on the proposed development at 804 Fountain Street, which envisions a 96-unit four-story market-rate apartment building on Fountain Street in Woodbridge. The proposed building site is between Bishop’s Pond and the Wilbur Cross Parkway, within Woodbridge’s least dense residential district. This building is as long as a football field. It is so large that it would not be allowed just across the parkway in New Haven.

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A public hearing was held on September 2 at the Center Gym. Attendance was strong, with many Woodbridge residents turning out to voice opposition. The meeting itself was delayed for 45 minutes while residents pressed for the opportunity to provide public comment. The developer’s attorney and the Chairman of the Town Plan and Zoning Commission wanted to cancel the meeting and deny the public the opportunity to speak. The attorney for the Woodbridge Park Association and the Woodbridge Land Trust successfully argued that the meeting should continue. Ultimately, the TPZ allowed comment from the public.

 

Dozens of residents spoke—many with prepared statements. The tone was one of frustration and concern. Comments touched on a range of issues, including:

 

• The Environmental impact of significant blasting and possible resultant worsening flooding downstream in Westville

• The increased traffic congestion caused by such a large building

• The safety concerns caused by the fire department’s limitations in responding to four-story buildings

• The precedent set by allowing a four-story structure in Woodbridge

• The impact of additional school-aged children on already tight school capacity

• The unattractiveness of the building

• The lack of transparency with which the process had been conducted.

 

Notably, the developer’s attorney left the gym once public comment began, and the First Selectman shortly thereafter, which only deepened the sense that residents’ concerns were not being taken seriously, or even acknowledged.

 

The next meeting on the 804 Fountain Street proposal is scheduled for Monday, October 6, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.

 

You can view a recording of the meeting here.