Waterbury to Seek Input on Woody Avenue Housing

The town is gathering public feedback on a 3.5-acre town-owned site behind Brookside Primary School that could be developed for residential use.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Real Estate — General

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a plain gravel lot beside a low pitched-roof building and bare trees under warm autumn light. — Waterbury officials will hold a public meeting November 5 at Brookside Primary School to gather input on housing options for a 3.5-acre town-owned site on Woody Avenue. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you support building new housing on the town-owned Woody Avenue site?

Waterbury officials will hold a public meeting on November 5, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Brookside Primary School to present a concept for developing the town-owned Woody Avenue site. The effort is funded by a $299,985 state planning grant, and no decisions on housing type, count, or affordability have been made.

Why it matters

The town says it wants to keep encouraging new housing, and this planning stage will shape what kinds of homes could eventually be built near residents of the Brookside area. Input gathered at the meeting will guide the concept before any final decisions are reached.

The town-owned Woody Avenue site covers 3.5 acres and is currently used for storage and overflow parking for the school. It is outside mapped flood hazard areas in the downtown, but the number and type of housing units remain undecided.

The players

Wiemann Lamphere Architects

An architecture firm leading the consulting team hired by Waterbury to evaluate the Woody Avenue site for possible residential development.

The details

The site includes a town garage or former armory structure and a gravel parking lot used for overflow parking for Brookside Primary School. Attendees are asked to share suggestions on housing types, building sizes, density, affordability, parking, open space, and neighborhood connections. A consulting team led by Wiemann Lamphere Architects was hired this summer to evaluate the site.

2025: The town was awarded the $299,985 state planning grant.
Summer 2026: The town hired the Wiemann Lamphere Architects consulting team.
November 5, 2026, 5 to 7 p.m.: Public meeting at Brookside Primary School.

Housing Context

The effort is funded through a state Community Development Block Grant planning award, a program the town is using to evaluate publicly owned land before any housing is built. Waterbury's approach mirrors how towns use such planning grants to study sites and gather public input ahead of financing and developer involvement.

Residents who want to influence the plan can attend the November 5 meeting at Brookside Primary School from 5 to 7 p.m. and share suggestions on housing type, density, affordability, parking, and open space. Anyone unable to attend should watch for follow-up community meetings before a final concept is chosen.

The takeaway

Residents who want a say in how the Woody Avenue land is used should plan to attend the November 5 public meeting or follow the town's later community sessions. Early input will shape the housing types, density, and parking considered before any decisions are made.

What happens next

Project leaders are expected to hold additional community meetings before a final concept is decided, and any move toward building housing would require financing and a real estate developer.