Connecticut Suburb Gets 8-30g Proposal for 669 Homes and Apartments

This post takes a close look at The Silverman Group’s renewed push to build a large housing development on the former Hartford campus in Simsbury. The proposal would add hundreds of homes, including a significant affordable component under state law.

There are wetlands issues in play, and years of neighborhood debate have shaped the conversation. Here’s what’s on the table: the plan, the regulatory hurdles, community reactions, and a bit about what it might mean for nearby Connecticut towns.

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Expanded plan for Simsbury’s former Hartford campus

The Silverman Group is back in Simsbury with a bigger proposal—669 housing units on the southern part of the former Hartford corporate campus. The plan features 596 apartments, 19 single-family homes, and 54 duplexes spread across a 125-acre tract that includes wetlands and some land that’s tough to use.

The project sets aside 30% of the units — 201 homes — as affordable under Connecticut’s 8-30g statute. That law puts most of the review burden on the town, which must show a real public health or safety risk to reject the project.

The Ridge at Talcott Mountain South would echo the design and quality of the northern development next door. It would add affordable rentals, shake up the housing mix, bring more customers to local businesses, and, of course, bump up the town’s tax base.

What the plan includes

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s in the proposal:

669 total housing units (596 apartments, 19 single-family homes, 54 duplexes)
125-acre site with wetlands and some less usable areas
30% affordable units under Connecticut’s 8-30g law (201 homes)
Design intended to match the quality of the nearby northern development
Developer says benefits include more business for locals and a stronger tax base

Regulatory milestones and public reaction

Simsbury’s wetlands commission found that the project would have a significant impact on wetlands and set a hearing for April 21. If the wetlands permit goes through, the project heads to the zoning commission for deeper dives into unit sizes and layouts.

The 8-30g set-aside changes how the town reviews the plan, making it harder to reject unless there’s a clear health or safety risk. Residents pushed back hard against a 2023 plan for 580 units, mostly worried about Route 10 traffic, possible tax hikes, and school crowding.

Silverman had cut an earlier proposal to 432 apartments, but Simsbury turned it down in 2025. A lawsuit followed, and the town won last month. The developer bought and cleared The Hartford campus in 2015, finished the northern phase, and is now aiming to build out the larger southern parcel.

What the plan could mean for Simsbury and beyond

The developer says the project would bring a mix of housing, including affordable units, and help diversify what’s available in Simsbury. They also claim it’d mean more customers for local businesses and a bigger tax base.

But, honestly, this all circles back to the usual debates—traffic, school capacity, and town services. These are issues Simsbury’s wrestled with before, and they’re not unique to just this town.

Economic and community considerations

Supporters point to a handful of possible benefits, such as:

Growing the tax base by bringing in new residents
Offering affordable housing that might help keep the local workforce stable
Making the town’s housing mix more appealing for families, professionals, and retirees
Giving local shops, restaurants, and service providers a boost
Potentially setting a model for similar developments elsewhere in the region

Regional context: eight Connecticut towns to watch

Across Connecticut, housing debates like this one pop up in plenty of communities—not just Simsbury. Officials, residents, and developers all watch closely as 8-30g projects wind their way through reviews and approvals.

Locally, towns such as Simsbury and Hartford tend to set the pace. Meanwhile, their neighbors keep wondering how these plans might reshape growth patterns down the line.

The conversation spills into nearby places like West Hartford, Avon, Farmington, Canton, Granby, and Bloomfield. These communities share worries about traffic, schools, and how local budgets will handle the changes.

As Simsbury pushes ahead, residents might want to keep an eye on upcoming wetlands hearings and zoning sessions. That’s where you’ll find the latest updates on site plans and unit layouts, plus the shifting role of affordable housing under state law.

Note: This coverage reflects the latest public records and developer statements related to The Silverman Group’s plan for the southern parcel of the Hartford campus in Simsbury.

Here is the source article for this story: After battling developer, CT suburb gets 8-30g proposal for 669 houses and apartments

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