Planner envisions new mixed-use building on Elm Street By Greg Reilly, New Canaan Advertiser

This parking area adjacent to the Unimin office building and across the street from Karl Chevrolet is targeted by the Town planner for new mixed-use commercial building. — Greg Reilly photo

Town Planner Steve Kleppin has a vision of a new, mixed-use commercial building in part of the commuter parking parking lot on Elm Street, across from Karl Chevrolet.

The lot, known as the Lumberyard Lot, provides parking primarily for commuters, and it is next to the Unimin office building, which is on the corner of Elm and Grove streets.

Kleppin, an employee of the Town of New Canaan, told the Advertiser that he is requesting funds to do a preliminary study with drawings of what the area could look like with a structure for retail / office space possibly with residences. He imagines it would be built similar in style to the nearby office building at 220 Elm Street, which is on the same side of the street closer to the train station.

Kleppin’s vision includes building a two-level parking facility behind the would-be new building, closer to the train tracks. The parking facility, he believes, could add “a minimum” of 100 new parking spaces for commuters and others.

In Kleppin’s plan the land parcel needed for the commercial building would first be sold by the Town to a developer.

A likely hurdle to the the plan, he anticipates, will be designing satisfactory traffic flow.

Tags: new canaan, steve kleppin