Residents Reject Changes to Eno Farms Lease

Simsbury residents voted to reject the proposed amendment to the Eno Farms ground lease during a special meeting at town hall Monday night.

The proposed changes to the Eno Farms ground lease come as the town's  affordable housing complex awaits a new owner. CHFA- Small Properties acquired the property from its previous owner, Corporation for Independent Living, following a foreclosure. The town of Simsbury owns the ground lease on the property.

The Eno Farms property was entrusted to the town by Amos Eno in 1888 for the purpose of providing affordable housing for the town's poor. Twenty-two of the 50 units at the Eno Farms housing complex are reserved for low income residents.

The town set out to amend the residential lease to protect current residents after a new owner is found.

"These amendments will make sure that the intent of the affordable housing for low and moderate [income residents] is fully realized; to ensure that the property is properly maintained moving forward; and lastly we need to clarify the financial terms of the lease so that prospective lessees have a clear understanding of their financial committments," Deputy First Selectman John Hampton said.

The proposed amendment to the ground lease includes a requirement that tenants of the property provide proof that they fall within the income requirments on an annual basis. Any tenant who does not meet the income threshold would not receive a lease renewal.

Town officials feel that the requirement will ensure that both the property owner and residents follow the affordable housing guidelines.

Income thresholds for low to moderate income earners are determined by the state annually. The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority determines the rental thresholds for low and moderate income housing based on the income guidelines. The town of Simsbury automatically sets the rent for the Eno Farms apartments at the maximum amount allowed under the CHFA guidelines, according to Town Attorney Robert DeCrescenzo.

The current mortgage on the property has requirements in place that are in alignment with the Eno Trust, according to DeCrescenzo.

"When CHFA sells the property to a third party, those requirements will no longer be in place,"  DeCrescenzo said.

If the rental requirements are not laid out in the ground lease, DeCrescenzo said there would be room for a future lessee to not adhere to the low-income rent requirements. The Board of Selectmen requested DeCrescenzo make the changes to the lease before a new owner is found.

The rent limits for the low and moderate income units will not be included in the amendment to the ground lease because those limits change annually, DeCrescenzo said.

Several residents spoke against the proposed amendments, including current residents of Eno Farms and local advocates.

"I see this as an opportunity for us to do it right," Huguet Pameijer, a former member of the Simsbury Housing Partnership.

Pameijer said the residents of Eno Farms have suffered hardships over the years as a result of excessive rent and a lack of adherance to the Eno trust.

Eno Farms resident Melissa Torriero voiced concern over the proposed amendment because she didn't feel the changes would provide adequate protection for residents. The proposed changes to the ground lease can be found on the town's website.

"If that amendment is to go forward, then the citizens will no longer have a voice whatsoever because the board would be able to simply make a resolution and decide on any changes to the lease whatsoever, behind closed doors," Torriero said.

The proposed amendment would have also required any future lessee of the property to maintain a seperate reserve replacement escrow account in the amount of $1,500 for each unit to ensure that the property is properly maintained.

Residents voted 19-7 against the proposed amendment to the Eno Farms Ground Lease.