A Letter to Easton

An opportunity for a few more families to call Easton their home.

EG Home / Saddle Ridge is a proposal to build a small neighborhood of 26 homes on a 110-acre property in Easton — designed in accordance with the State of Connecticut guidelines to protect open space, character, and the rural beauty that makes this town what it is. It is a unique opportunity for the Town of Easton to preserve 65 acres of open space at no cost to taxpayers.

Property
110acres
Proposed Homes
26single-family
Framework
Conservation Cluster
The Plan Today

The smallest proposal
in nearly twenty years.

Over nearly two decades, plans for this property have been studied, debated, and refined. The proposal on the table today is fundamentally different from what came before — and it deserves to be understood on its own terms.

The current plan, filed under Easton's own Conservation Cluster Housing regulation, is the most modest in scale and the most aligned with the town's vision for thoughtful, character-preserving growth.

56%
Fewer bedrooms in the current proposal than in the plan previously approved by the Town's own Planning & Zoning Commission in 2017. 104 bedrooms today  ·  240 bedrooms in the 2017 approved plan
— Saddle Ridge proposals through the years
2008
10,000-square-foot homes, 10 bedrooms each
21
homes
Bedrooms210
Open space18.9 ac
FrameworkBy-right
2017
48 single-family + duplexes, §8-30g
48
homes
Bedrooms240
Open space38.4 ac
FrameworkAffordable
2019
66-unit affordable housing, §8-30g
66
units
Bedrooms192
Open space38.4 ac
FrameworkAffordable
Current
2025
Single-family homes, conservation cluster
26
homes
Bedrooms104
Open space64.0 ac
Framework§5900 Cluster

The current proposal is filed under Easton's Conservation Cluster Housing Regulation (§5900) — a framework adopted by the Town itself to encourage thoughtful, lower-impact development. It is not an affordable housing application under state statute §8-30g. Only five more homes than what was already approved on the property in 2008 — and over three times the open space of what 2008 would have preserved.

The Vision

A neighborhood worthy of the town it joins.

Easton is a welcoming place to raise a family, send kids to good schools, and live alongside neighbors who care about the same things you do. EG Home / Saddle Ridge exists for one reason: to share that gift with a few more families who would call this town home with the same gratitude.

This proposal isn't about changing Easton. It's about extending what already makes Easton wonderful — the rural character, the quiet roads, the sense of belonging — to twenty-six families who, like the families already here, want to put down roots.

Conservation cluster zoning lets us do exactly that: thoughtfully site homes on a portion of the property so that the rest can remain open, wooded, and protected. Less pavement. More trees. Smaller lawns — all favorable to the environment. More room for the land to keep doing what land in Easton has always done.

Three commitments,
made plainly.

This project is a long-term contribution to Easton. Every design choice and every conversation with the town is anchored in these three commitments. They are how we measure ourselves.

— 01

Protect the watershed.

Easton's reservoirs serve hundreds of thousands of people across Fairfield County. The development plan will go through full review by the Conservation Commission, subject to local and State Health Department guidelines designed to protect groundwater, surface flow, and the long-term health of the land.

— 02

Preserve open space.

By clustering homes thoughtfully on a portion of the 110 acres, the majority of the property remains as it is today — open, wooded, undeveloped. That is the whole point of Section 5900's conservation cluster framework, and it is the heart of this design.

— 03

Honor what's here.

Sport Hill, Silver Hill, Cedar Hill, Westport Road — these aren't just road names, they are the lines of a community. The site plan respects scenic road character, stone walls, mature trees, and the rhythm of how Easton actually feels when you drive through it.

The Land

One hundred and ten acres at the corner of four roads.

The property sits at the intersection of Sport Hill, Silver Hill, Cedar Hill, and Westport Roads — a quiet pocket of Easton that has been a working horse farm for decades. It is one of the largest contiguous parcels remaining in town.

Under the current proposal, twenty-six single-family homes would be built on portions of the property under Easton's Conservation Cluster Housing Regulation (Section 5900), which allows lots smaller than the traditional three acres specifically in exchange for setting aside open space and reducing the overall footprint. A traditional 3-acre zone analysis would yield 26 homes with at least 3-acre lots — but much less open space.

The result, by design, is a neighborhood that fits — not one that overwhelms.

110
Acres total
26
Homes proposed
§5900
Conservation cluster
4
Bordering roads
The proposed 26-home neighborhood, clustered thoughtfully — leaving roughly 64 acres of the 110-acre property as protected open space.
The Record

What's already been determined.

The questions most often raised about this property — watershed protection, density, neighborhood compatibility — are not new. They have been studied carefully over many years by Easton's own commissions, independent engineering consultants, and the courts.

The public record contains findings, votes, and binding commitments that speak directly to the most important concerns. They are summarized here.

— Finding 01

The watershed has been independently studied.

The Town's Planning & Zoning Commission retained LandTech Consultants as its independent engineering expert. After detailed review, LandTech concluded that — with the recommended conditions, maintenance, and oversight in place — protection of the public water supply watershed and other natural resources would be secured.

LandTech further concluded that the development does not present a greater threat to the Public Water Supply Watershed area than the previously-approved 2009 subdivision plan. These conclusions were consistent with those of GHD, the Commission's earlier independent consultant.

Source
Easton P&Z Resolution
March 13, 2017
Findings ¶6, ¶7, ¶8
LandTech & GHD reports of record
— Finding 02

66 units under §8-30g were unanimously approved by the Town's own commission.

After multiple public hearings, expert testimony from both proponents and opponents, and full review by the Town's independent consultant, the Planning & Zoning Commission of the Town of Easton voted to approve the development.

50
In favor
Opposed: zero

The Conservation Commission, acting as the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency, separately approved the 48 lots that the 66 units occupy and their regulated activities, finding that the proposed work would not have an unduly adverse impact on the wetlands.

Source
Easton P&Z Commission
March 13, 2017
Unanimous vote of record
Conservation approval Dec. 17, 2014
— Finding 03

The current plan fits Easton's own conservation code.

The 2025 proposal is filed under Section 5900 — Conservation Development, Easton's own regulation, adopted by the Town to "encourage preservation of open space, farmland and farmland soils, and community character."

The current proposal of 26 lots is permitted under the regulation's soil-testing approach, with all on-site septic testing already complete.

Source
Easton Zoning Regulations
§5900, effective July 27, 2019
Purpose & Intent §5910
Determination of Lots §5920
A Path Forward April 4, 2025 · Superior Court of Connecticut

After a decade of disagreement, a shared step forward.

In April 2025, something significant happened in the Superior Court of Connecticut. All three parties to the long-running litigation over this property — the developer, the Town's Planning & Zoning Commission, and the resident group that has historically opposed the project — together asked the Court to pause the appeals.

The reason: to allow the Contract Purchaser, EG Home LLC, time to pursue municipal approvals for a meaningfully different proposal — a 26-lot residential development, consistent with the concept plan prepared in November 2024.

The joint request is not an endorsement of the new plan, and it does not resolve every difference of view. It is, however, a notable moment of common ground: a shared recognition that this proposal deserves to be heard on its own terms, through the proper municipal process, before any party returns to court.

After more than ten years of litigation, that is a meaningful place to begin.

For the Developer
Saddle Ridge Developers, LLC
Silver Sport Associates LP
Matthew Ranelli, Esq.
Shipman & Goodwin LLP
Signed · April 4, 2025
For the Town
Easton Planning &
Zoning Commission
Ira W. Bloom, Esq.
Berchem Moses P.C.
Signed · April 4, 2025
For the Intervenors
The Coalition
to Save Easton
Janet P. Brooks, Esq.
Attorney at Law LLC
Signed · April 4, 2025

The Joint Request to Stay Proceedings is a public filing in the consolidated land use appeals at the Judicial District of Hartford (Dockets HHD LND CV 17 6078536S and HHD LND CV 17 6078400S). Under its terms, EG Home is to file applications with the Town's land use authorities within 120 days, seeking approval of a 26-lot residential subdivision substantially consistent with the November 25, 2024 SLR concept plan.

The facts of the matter, plainly stated.

What is being proposed
A subdivision of 26 single-family homes on the 110-acre property, filed under Easton's Conservation Cluster Housing Regulation. The application is reviewed by both the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Conservation Commission.
What is presently approved
The Town has already approved 66 units across 48 lots on this property under the state's 8-30g Affordable Housing Act. That approval has been stayed by the court while the 26-lot conservation cluster proposal is decided. If the 26-lot plan is approved, it would take the place of the existing 66-unit approval.
Why cluster zoning
Section 5900 was adopted by Easton specifically to encourage open space preservation. By allowing smaller lots, more of the overall parcel can remain undeveloped — protecting forests, wetlands, and the rural views the town values. This application also allows the town to maintain local authority over zoning, rather than being subject to the state's affordable housing statute (§8-30g).
About the watershed
Protecting Easton's watershed is non-negotiable — and the regulatory framework agrees. Every aspect of stormwater, septic, well siting, and wetland impact is reviewed by the Conservation Commission and is subject to local and State Health Department guidelines and regulations. The design has been engineered to meet and exceed those standards.
About wells & water
Concerns from neighbors about private wells are taken seriously and addressed directly through hydrogeological study as part of the application process. The goal is a design where existing neighbors and future residents draw from a healthy, sustainable groundwater system together.
Easton's finances
26 new homes are projected to generate approximately $500,000 in new annual tax revenue for the Town of Easton, with no public infrastructure cost to the taxpayer. Based on Easton's 2024 Grand List mill rate of 31.00 mills (source: Town of Easton Tax Collector) and estimated home values for new construction in the area.
Who is building it
EG Home, led by Matt Gilchrist, is the developer pursuing the current proposal. The team has held neighborhood meetings, including a May 2025 information session at the Easton Public Library, to introduce the project to residents directly.
What comes next
The proposal will move through public hearings before the Conservation Commission and Planning & Zoning Commission. Residents are encouraged to attend, submit written testimony, and engage with the full body of materials posted by the Town of Easton.
Documents

Key filings and decisions.

The following public record documents are central to understanding the full history and legal context of the Saddle Ridge proposal.

The complete official archive — including every public letter, memorandum, and submission from all parties — is maintained by the Town of Easton Conservation Commission & Inland Wetlands Agency. We encourage residents to read the record in full.
Saddle Ridge History

Twenty years of proposals, plainly compared.

Every plan filed for this property, side by side. Read the record yourself.

   200810,000 SF Mega Homes
10 Bedrooms Each
201648 Single-Family Homes 201966 Units · §8-30g 202526 Single-Family Homes
Units 21 48 66 26
Bedrooms 210 240 192 104
Open space
provided
18.9 ac 38.4 ac 38.4 ac 64.0 ac
Conservation
approval
Yes Yes N/A — P&Z relied on the 48-lot prior approval (same footprint, less wetland disturbance) Application in process — all septic testing complete
P&Z approval Yes No Yes Application in process