Housatonic Woods - Sinsabaugh Expansion
Teresa Gallagher
FYI – If I read this correctly, it looks like Sinsabaugh Heights would be expanded down the hill where the Paugussett Trail and Woodsend Trail are (map attached).
Shelton eyes Sinsabaugh Heights senior housing expansion
ctpost.com/news/article/shelton-senior-housing-ct-apartments-21143367.php
Brian Gioiele
November 10, 2025
SHELTON — Senior housing remains in high demand — and the city is moving to meet that need.
Mayor Mark Lauretti said plans are in place to expand Sinsabaugh Heights, an 80-unit elderly housing complex on 20 acres managed by the Shelton Housing Authority. The expansion calls for the construction of a multi-level structure with 25 one-bedroom units. Last year, Sinsabaugh Heights received $1.5 million in state grants through the Community Development Block Grant Small Cities Program for renovations.
The Shelton Housing Authority manages Sinsabaugh Heights located on 187 Meadow St. and Helen DeVaux, located on 91 Howe Ave., which provide affordable, low-income housing for seniors ages 62 and older and young disabled adults. The very low rental rates are set by Connecticut statutes.
“We have talked about this for a while,” said Lauretti, referring to expansion plans approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2014 but later shelved.
“The demand is high ... the waiting list there is significant,” Lauretti added. “Our next step is reaching out to the state for funding. The state always makes funds available for projects like this ... we just have to follow the process.”
Lauretti could not offer details on cost, saying numbers discussed in 2014 are nowhere near what construction rates are with today’s inflation.
Once complete, plans must again go before the Planning and Zoning Commission for approval, as was done in 2014.
Along with Sinsabaugh Heights, the city also owns the Helen DeVaux senior housing complex with 40 units. All existing buildings in both complexes were constructed in the 1970s or 1980s.
The demand far exceeds supply, and Property Manager Harriet Polansky, adding veterans receive priority for efficiency units.
“We have daily requests from individuals desiring housing in Shelton, yet the list is currently closed as we have no vacancies” said John Simonetti, chairman of the Shelton Housing Authority. "The ever increasing demand for low income housing in Shelton make expansion the necessary choice for our community.
“We have a parcel of land at Sinsabaugh Heights that is ideal for expansion,” said Polansky. “We are hoping to build more units to grow the Housing Authority and continue to provide safe, sanitary and affordable housing.”
Adding more senior housing is not just about buildings, according to Polansky, it is about preserving community.
"Aging in place allows older adults to stay connected to their neighbors, maintain social ties, and avoid the emotional and financial strain of displacement," Polansky said. "Affordable senior housing also supports public health, by reducing homelessness and isolation; financial stability, by keeping rent within reach of fixed incomes; and community vitality, by ensuring that older residents can continue contributing their time, wisdom, and volunteerism locally."
In a broader sense, she says, affordable senior housing strengthens Connecticut’s social fabric.
"Without it, older adults’ risk being forced into inappropriate or costly living situations — while communities lose valued members and face rising demands on healthcare and social services. Investing in senior housing is an investment in dignity, stability, and community for all generations," Polansky added.
Sinsabaugh Heights recently renovated with $1.5 million in state grant funds.
Upgrades included a newly renovated community room, new PTAC heating and cooling systems, flooring, kitchen windows, storm and entry doors, additional ADA-compliant bathrooms, water heaters and a modern monitored alarm system. Many of these enhancements have already been completed.
By the end of 2025, generators will be installed at Sinsabaugh Heights to ensure every unit remains powered during outages. In addition, solar panels will be installed at both Sinsabaugh Heights and Helen DeVaux, helping to reduce residents’ electric bills and promote sustainability. Polansky said more improvements are being planned.
With its low mill rate, the city remains an option for seniors seeking more affordable housing. There are numerous apartment developments in the city offering affordable units as well as five assisted living facilities.
Plans for a 24-unit expansion were approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2014. Those plans called for a new building with a central lobby, fire sprinklers, and outdoor balconies in every unit. There were also to be common-area laundry facilities.
At least 36 new parking spaces were also to be built as required by regulations, providing one per unit plus community spaces.
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Brian Gioiele is the editor of the Shelton Herald and Milford Mirror. He has been working with weekly newspapers, including stints as editor in Weston, Monroe and now Shelton, since 1993. He is an award-winning news and sports writer.
Teresa Gallagher
Natural Resources Manager
City of Shelton
54 Hill Street, Shelton, CT 06484
Bill Dyer
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thomas harbinson
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Teresa Gallagher
There’s a quote that the land is “ideal for expanding.” Assuming this is the remainder of the Sinsabaugh parcel, it has several difficulties. It would need to be below the existing detention ponds, and some of that land is wet. Unless they plan to completely rebuild those. There’s a substantial slope. There’s the existing trail system. And there is only one way out of Sinsabaugh in the event of an emergency unless they were to build an accessway to Mayflower.
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Bill Dyer
On Nov 13, 2025, at 7:11 AM, 'Teresa Gallagher' via Shelton Conservation Commission <shel...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
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Teresa Gallagher
I hope that’s true, although I don’t see how they could fit 25 more units in that space. I’ll try to find a copy of the 2014 plans.
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thomas harbinson
I don't recall any mention of this prior. The long lot with un-developed area to the north is not protected. While the City could develop that area, a "multi-level structure" as described in the article would be obtrusive to the ridge line as viewed from the river corridor. That is why the Overlook, Above the Overlook, Beside the Overlook, Beyond the Overlook, etc was all acquired or set-aside to protect that viewshed of the Housatonic River.
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Bill Dyer
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thomas harbinson
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Teresa Gallagher
A coworker who lives there said she had always been told that more units were planned in that cleared hillside. We call it the tomato hill because a resident grows a bunch of tomatoes in pots there. At least some of the units are two levels. There’s the main level on the uphill side and then a garage/basement on the downhill side. No elevator. My coworker sometimes uses her car if she needs to carry things down the steps.
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Bill Dyer
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thomas harbinson
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Teresa Gallagher
Here we go (2014 site plan attached). Looks like a single 3-story building, completely different from the existing units, located in that cleared hillside. No impact to the trails.
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