FLB Law Represents Property Owner in Landmark Historic Preservation Agreement
FLB Law is pleased to announce that Real Estate & Land Use Partner Eric Bernheim represented the property owner in securing approval of an agreement that preserves one of Westport's oldest historic homes while allowing for thoughtful future development of the property.
The Westport Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved the proposal for 125 Riverside Avenue, utilizing the Town's recently adopted historic preservation incentive. The agreement protects the property's 1810 saltbox home through a permanent preservation easement, ensuring the long-term preservation of an important piece of Westport's architectural history.
At the same time, the approved plan creates a path for the subdivision of the property and the construction of a new single-family residence on the newly created lot. The project demonstrates how historic preservation and responsible development can work together through creative land use planning and collaboration among property owners, municipal officials, and community stakeholders.
Commenting on the approval, Bernheim said: "It's obviously a key historic residence in Westport, which is why we believe the commission is justified in granting these incentives, allowing some setback and lot area relief in order to preserve that house and allow my clients to be able to build a new home on there."
Bernheim also noted that the agreement places a preservation easement on the home that the Town can enforce, "ensuring that it is preserved in perpetuity."
The approval represents an innovative application of Westport's historic preservation incentive and serves as a model for balancing the protection of significant historic resources with the evolving needs of property owners and the community.
FLB Law congratulates everyone involved in reaching this important milestone and is proud to have represented the property owner in helping bring this project to a successful outcome.
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A rendering of 125 Riverside Ave., from a 2024 meeting of the P&Z Commission