Image courtesy of Crown Equities

A Minnesota developer is seeking a zone change clearing the way for construction of 158 townhouses and 79 single-family homes on an 80-acre site.

The $225 million Enclave at Farmington River would be built on a former gravel mine currently used for construction storage. It includes three parcels at 1179 Farmington Ave. and 2 and 3 Bridgewater Road.

Developer Crown Equities is seeking approval under a master plan for the project, which addresses “strong demand in Farmington and throughout Connecticut for more diverse housing types to meet shifts in demographic trends,” attorney Robert J. Reeve  of Unionville-based Scully, Nicksa & Reeve LLP wrote in a submission to the Farmington Town Plan and Zoning Commission.

The townhomes would be offered for either rent or home ownership, according to the notification letter. New interior roads would connect to Central Way and Melrose Drive as alternate access to Farmington Avenue.

Crown Equities is seeking approval by the Plan and Zoning Commission for a zoning change to the Mid-Point Development District. Following a special permit approval for the master plan, the company would submit a site plan review at a later date, Reeve wrote in the submission.

Community amenities would include a clubhouse and riverside gazebos.

Farmington’s 2021 Affordable Housing Plan report recommended expanding zoning for multifamily development, noting that most multifamily projects require zoning changes and special permit approval.

After a preliminary presentation on the project last year, however, some members of the Plan and Zoning Commission raised concerns about the scale of the project and its potential effects on traffic and the school system, CT Insider reported.

A fiscal impact analysis submitted by developers estimated that the project would deliver $1.65 million in net fiscal benefits, and $2.3 million in annual property taxes.

Developers have requested that a public hearing on the proposed zoning change open on July 13.