John Mack - Newtown Supervisor
Proposed "Goodnoe Homestead" Development

Proposed "Goodnoe Homestead" Development

 

On August 7, 2025, Jim Worthington (aka Goodnoe Homestead, LLC) submitted a “Sketch Plan” for a 4-story residential "garden apartment building" on North Sycamore Street in Newtown. A rendering showing the view looking south on North Sycamore Street is shown above. Below is a view of the main building entry at the back of the building:

I used ChatGPT to prepare a summary of the plan:

  • Total Building Area: 111,509 sq. ft.
  • Total Residential Area: 88,074 sq. ft.
  • Total Units: 73 total units; 28 one-bedroom + 45 two-bedroom
  • Lower Level: 4,579 sq. ft. residential + 3,700 sq. ft. retail + 530 sq. ft. mechanical/support
  • Ground Floor: 28,630 sq. ft., includes lobby/amenity space (7,015 sq. ft.), retail (3,735 sq. ft.), and mechanical/support (1,100 sq. ft.)
  • Upper Floors:
    • 2nd: 33,245 sq. ft., 28 units (10 1-BR, 18 2-BR)
    • 3rd: 25,545 sq. ft., 21 units (approx. 9 1-BR, 12 2-BR)
    • 4th: 18,980 sq. ft., 10 units (mix of 1-BR & 2-BR)
  • Parking: 45 garage spaces & 84 surface spaces included

Here’s the plan for the first floor (floors 2, 3, and 4 are apartments only):

There are 3 floors of apartments ABOVE the garage.

Summary of Variances Requested

According to submission form, “The plan seeks to establish uses that are allowed by-right in the TC, Town Commercial District, maintain or reduce the extent of existing non-conformities, and seek limited zoning variances.

Regarding those “limited zoning variances,” according to a ChatGPT analysis of the plan documents, the applicant is seeking multiple zoning variances for Building 2. The requests include relief from the following regulations:

  1. Front Yard Setback
  • Ordinance: Max 15 feet
  • Variance requested: Greater setback than allowed
  1. Building Height
  • Ordinance: Max 40 feet
  • Variance requested: Proposed Building 2 height exceeds 40 feet
  1. Dwelling Units per Garden Apartment Building
  • Ordinance: 6–16 units
  • Variance requested: Building 2 exceeds this limit
  1. Maximum Building Length
  • Ordinance: Max 120 feet
  • Variance requested: Proposed length is 359.17 feet
  1. Setback Variation for Architectural Interest
  • Ordinance: 6-foot variation every 40 feet
  • Variance requested: Use of vertical offsets and elevation changes instead
  1. Parking Requirements
  • Ordinance: 3 off-street spaces per dwelling unit
  • Variance requested: Only 1.58 spaces per unit proposed
  1. Parking in Side Buffer Yard
  • Ordinance: No parking within side buffer yard
  • Variance requested: Parking is proposed within that restricted area
  1. Mixed-Use Floor Area Ratio
  • Ordinance: 40–50% of total floor area must be used for each category (residential vs. commercial)
  • Variance requested: Only 3.21% of Building 2 is designated for non-residential use

Posted on 09 Aug 2025, 12:39 - Category: Development