Waterbury Weighs Housing on Woody Avenue Land

Residents near Brookside Primary School can share input at a November 5 meeting before any housing plan is set.

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

Wide view of a grassy vacant urban lot beside a brick school wall and a row of amber maple trees in warm autumn light. — Waterbury officials are asking residents to weigh in on possible housing on a 3.5-acre town-owned site on Woody Avenue at a November 5 public meeting. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

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

Waterbury officials are asking residents to weigh in on possible housing on a 3.5-acre town-owned site on Woody Avenue, behind Brookside Primary School, at a public meeting on November 5, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m. No decisions on the number or type of units have been made.

Why it matters

A state planning grant of $299,985 is funding the evaluation of the site for residential construction, and the town says it wants to keep encouraging more housing in Waterbury. Residents near the school and the parking that the site currently supports will have a direct stake in how the project takes shape.

The town-owned site on Woody Avenue covers 3.5 acres and includes a town garage or former armory structure used for storage plus a gravel lot that serves as overflow parking for the school. The state award of $299,985 funds evaluation of the site, and the consulting team is led by Wiemann Lamphere Architects.

The players

Wiemann Lamphere Architects

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

Brookside Primary School

The Waterbury school adjacent to the town-owned Woody Avenue site, where the public meeting is being held.

The details

Town officials are gathering public input on housing types, building sizes, density, affordability, parking, open space, and neighborhood connections before any concept is finalized. Project leaders are expected to hold additional community meetings before deciding on a final concept. Any actual construction would require financing and the involvement of a real estate developer, and the site sits outside mapped flood hazard areas in the downtown.

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

The Home Front

The project fits the state's use of Community Development Block Grant planning funds to test whether town-owned parcels can support new housing before any building commitment is made. Waterbury's effort is at the evaluation stage, with construction still dependent on financing and developer involvement.

If you live near Brookside Primary School or use the gravel overflow lot, attend the November 5 meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. to share input on parking, density, and open space. Watch for further community meetings, since the final concept has not yet been set.

The takeaway

Residents who want a say in how public land near their neighborhood is used should plan to attend the November 5 meeting at Brookside Primary School. Keep an eye on the town's announcements for the later community sessions that will come before any final decision.