Ed. Note: The original announcement was issued by Michael P. Walsh, Director of Communications for the city. The remainder of the following is from Voice staff.
The owners of a seafood restaurant on the West Haven shoreline have filed an appeal against the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and Rock Street Brewery LLC, the developer of a taproom proposed by New England Brewing Co. at the city-owned site of the former Savin Rock Conference Center at 6 Rock St.
The appeal, filed recently by Jimmies Inc. at Superior Court in Milford, claims that despite developer Doug Gray’s modification of the original plan to scale back the brewery project, the new plan will encroach on an existing easement.
“It is very disappointing that after the groundwork, accommodations and public feedback, Jimmies decided to move forward with an appeal of the most recent zoning decision,” Mayor Dorinda Borer said. “It was particularly surprising as they had recently issued a public statement indicating their willingness to work with the city.”
Borer said upon receiving the appeal, she subsequently met with Jimmies of Savin Rock owners James and Paul Gagliardi to determine the prospect of a collaborative path forward for the project, which would include a taproom for Woodbridge craft brewery NEBCO in the 22,000-square-foot conference center building.
“Unfortunately, their appeal remains in effect, and the city will put its best foot forward in defending the Planning and Zoning Commission’s decision that allowed the latest brewery plan to go forward,” Borer said. “We continue to be committed to bringing NEBCO to West Haven.”
The appeal is the latest in a series of setbacks for the project, which was approved in August of 2022. The City Council approved a 60-year agreement. The agreement as first approved, was a ground lease allowing for the city to maintain ownership of the 4-acre property while allowing Gray, the principal of the Delaware-based limited liability company, to demolish the existing conference center and construct a 46,165-square-foot building that would include a brewery, a taproom and event space.
Almost immediately, the plan came under scrutiny, and a lawsuit was filed by Jimmies, opposing it. That lawsuit, plus what was seen as some opposition within the council as the time moved forward saw Gray decide to pull the project in September of last year.
Gray had made alterations to the specifications in order to accommodate the listed complaints, including revising the building’s footprint so that it would accommodate that of the existing structure, but eventually gave up on it, and announced pulling the project late last summer.
Gray then proposed amending the original lease agreement with the city to reflect the modified plans, which included renovating the existing building instead of demolishing it. The modified plans also included the elimination of the production facility of the project, essentially making it a tasting venue without the original “Brewed in West Haven” concept.
Within weeks, however, the plan was back on the table, and it was thought the litigation would be withdrawn.
Meanwhile, Jimmies was taking heated criticism from city residents, and took out an ad in the West Haven Voice attempting to defend its reputation.
What this latest appeal does to the future of the plan is unknown. In the weeks leading up to Gray withdrawing the plan last fall, he had mentioned the possibility of other locations wanting to poach the project.
The project was hoped to be a much-needed boost to the city’s commercial use of the shoreline as well as a remedy for rehabbing or demolishing the Savin Rock Conference Center. Built originally in the early 1970s as a replacement for Phyllis’ Restaurant, a longtime Savin Rock icon on its “Restaurant Row,” the conversion from a take-out/sit-down eatery to a more upscale sit-down facility never took off with the public.
Eventually, the business moved to Milford and sold the building. It soon became the Casino and was a hot spot for a time before it too lost favor with the public. It was closed, and the agreement that ended 20-years of rancor over the future of the shoreline.
Under Mayor Azelio “Sal” Guerra, the city came to terms with the Land Trust of West Haven, Inc. and the former restaurant location became the Savin Rock Conference Center.
Originally a favored spot for rentals and city gatherings, the maintenance of the building became too costly, and was closed in hopes of finding a new operator. Conversion to a wedding venue, and other such plans were floated. However, the cost of bringing the building up to code, including replacing its original roof was a hurdle to high for most developers.