What did Farmington actually decide on the night of July 13? The Town Plan and Zoning Commission voted on four motions tied to the Enclave at the Farmington River, and every one failed 0–6. The vote ended a nearly four-year effort by National Land Holdings LLC to build 237 homes on roughly 80 acres between Farmington Avenue and the river, on the stretch between Farmington center and Unionville. The Farmington Mercury reported that the overflow crowd cheered.
The commission rejected one plan for the land. The land itself is still waiting. Anyone shopping along the Route 4 corridor should understand that difference, because the parcel's future now depends on two things that weren't on the agenda that night. One is a state affordable housing percentage. The other is a town planning document that opens to public comment this week.
The vote denied four approvals and left the old zoning in place
The Enclave needed four separate approvals. The first was an amendment to Section 9 of Farmington's 2018 Plan of Conservation and Development. The second was a text amendment to the zoning regulations. The third was a zone change that would have replaced the property's existing business, residential, senior housing, and earth excavation designations with the Midpoint Development District overlay. The fourth was the master plan.
All four failed, so none of those changes took effect. The Mercury summed up the result plainly. For now the 80 acres by the river remain zoned for gravel, and the developer told the commission the operation still has about a decade of material left. The parcel includes a 14-acre pond and a sand and gravel operation at 1179 Farmington Avenue owned by Plant 17 LLC. The Bridgewater Road frontage belongs to Waterside 10 LLC. National Land Holdings, a subsidiary of the Minnesota housing company Crown Equities, was under contract to buy both if the approvals came through.
That puts the plan the town rejected next to the zoning the town kept. The rejected plan would have retired the gravel operation for good and kept a river buffer of at least 100 feet. Under the current zoning, a working excavation site stays next to the river.
The commissioners made clear that the land wasn't the problem. "I am not opposed to a residential development on some parts of these parcels. I am opposed to this development," Commissioner Josh Davidson said. Chair Liz Sanford called it "a great piece of property" before adding that she didn't think the Enclave was the right approach. Several members also pointed out that the Midpoint Development District was designed for mixed use, and a plan made up of houses, townhomes, and a walking trail didn't include the commercial component the district was meant to encourage.
What the Enclave would have priced into the corridor
The applicant's own figures give the clearest picture of what new construction on this land was expected to sell for. These were the developer's projections as presented at the hearing, not completed sales.
| Home type in the Enclave plan | Applicant's stated price point |
|---|---|
| Rental townhomes | $475,000 |
| For-sale townhomes | about $650,000 |
| Single-family homes along the river | $800,000 to $950,000 |
The plan called for 79 single-family houses and 158 attached townhomes in three neighborhoods. It also included a new public road connecting Bridgewater Road to Melrose Drive behind the LDS temple and the River Bend assisted living community. Town minutes describe the road connecting to the existing traffic signals on Farmington Avenue at Bridgewater Road and Melrose Drive, with a multi-use trail extended from The Launch along the peninsula.
The denial took that price ladder and that road off the table. Whatever comes back could look very different, and that depends on which rules any next proposal is filed under.
Farmington is about 38 units below the 10% line
Throughout the hearing, the applicant's attorney stressed that the Enclave was a market-rate proposal. It wasn't filed under Connecticut's 8-30g affordable housing statute, which the Mercury notes sharply limits a town's discretion to say no. One resident spoke in favor for exactly that reason, warning that a denial could invite a much denser 8-30g project on the same land later. Davidson acknowledged that the risk was real. He also noted that the town is close to the 10 percent affordable housing threshold that would ease it.
The state's 2025 Affordable Housing Appeals List shows how close. Farmington counts 1,129 affordable units against a housing stock of 11,667, or 9.68%, and is listed among the non-exempt municipalities. Ten percent of that housing stock is 1,167 units, which leaves a gap of 38.
No other Farmington Valley town on the list is as close to the line:
| Town | 2025 affordable share | Status on the 2025 list |
|---|---|---|
| Farmington | 9.68% | Non-exempt |
| Canton | 8.72% | Non-exempt |
| Avon | 4.17% | Non-exempt |
| Burlington | 2.40% | Non-exempt |
In Avon, the 8-30g question is already playing out on a specific site, as we covered in the Nod Road vote. In Avon the town is far below the threshold. In Farmington the gap is small enough that a few dozen qualifying units would change how much discretion the commission has the next time a large application arrives. Farmington also has no moratorium to fall back on. A legislative research report using state housing data as of March 31, 2025 lists Farmington's earlier moratorium as expired on June 20, 2020.
The pipeline that could move the percentage
Several projects along Farmington's main corridors are in the record, though public sources don't yet show whether any of them will count toward the state tally or by how much.
- The Launch. In March 2022, Hartford Business Journal reported the approval of 199 apartments and more than 54,000 square feet of commercial space at 1349, 1371, 8218 and 8237 Farmington Avenue by JRF Management LLC and Kaoud Real Estate Development LLC. The plan included converting the McCallum industrial building. The Enclave team used it as a comparison, arguing their plan was less than half as dense.
- 1600 New Britain Avenue. In April 2025, Favarh and Metro Realty were building a supportive housing complex of 90 apartments, 20 of them set aside for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, funded by CHFA and the state Department of Housing.
- 402 Farmington Avenue. In December 2025, the Hartford Courant reported a 130-apartment complex under construction and expected to open in 2026.
Farmington's Affordable Housing Plan was adopted on July 12, 2021, and frames its work as a five-year effort to grow the number of affordable units. That five-year window closes this year.
The plan rewrite opens to residents this week
The commission set aside one more question in July. Several members asked why the town would amend its Plan of Conservation and Development for a single applicant while it is already rewriting that plan. Town Planner Shannon Rutherford told the commission the rewrite is being folded into the town's strategic plan.
That process has now started. A September 22, 2026 meeting summary reports that a contractor has been selected and that a community survey will be followed by public meetings, workshops, and focus groups. The town's POCD survey page lists housing among the plan's topics and gives a target survey launch of October 9, 2026.
Meanwhile, the Enclave's own project page says only that the team is "now analyzing options." It doesn't announce an appeal, a smaller plan, or an affordable housing filing. Town commission records through October 5 show no new Enclave application or hearing. Those records can't show whether anything was filed in Superior Court, so the parcel's status is still unsettled.
What to check before buying near the corridor
For buyers comparing homes along Farmington Avenue, Bridgewater Road, Melrose Drive, or the stretch toward Unionville, the July vote is the starting point. These public records show where things stand:
- The town's commission agendas. Farmington posts Town Plan and Zoning Commission minutes and agendas, and any new filing on 1179 Farmington Avenue or the Bridgewater Road parcels would show up there.
- The current zoning on the parcel. Earth excavation remains one of the land's designations, and the operator has described roughly a decade of remaining material.
- The next state Affordable Housing Appeals List. At 9.68% in 2025, Farmington's percentage is worth watching from year to year, because it determines how much discretion the town has over future large applications.
- The POCD drafts. Whatever the new plan says about the riverfront and the Midpoint Development District will frame the next proposal for this land.
Our Farmington neighborhood guide covers the town's broader housing mix. The questions above apply specifically to this corridor.
FAQ
Is the Enclave dead? All four approvals were denied on July 13, 2026. The project team says it is analyzing options, and town records through October 5 show no new application. An appeal, a revised plan, or a withdrawal all remain possible.
Was the Enclave an affordable housing application? No. It was presented as a market-rate proposal, which is why the commission kept its full discretion to deny it.
How does the 10% figure work? Connecticut's annual Affordable Housing Appeals List calculates each town's share of qualifying units. Towns at or above 10% are exempt from 8-30g appeals. Farmington was at 9.68% on the 2025 list. A real estate attorney can explain how the statute applies to a specific property.
When can residents weigh in on the plan rewrite? The town's survey was targeted to launch on October 9, 2026, with public meetings, workshops, and focus groups to follow.
If you own near the Farmington Avenue corridor and want to understand how the riverfront's open questions could affect how buyers see your home, Laurie Kane Real Estate can help. Request your complimentary CMA and staging consultation, and we'll go through the parcel records and your home's position with you before you set a price.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
