Modular Apartment Developments

The client, a mission-driven housing innovator, focuses on expanding access to thoughtfully planned, environmentally responsible residential communities. By integrating advanced prefabricated construction methods with human-centered principles, the developer is reshaping expectations for attainable housing across the state. Their standardized, modular approach enables the efficient delivery of high-quality multi-family housing that serves the “missing middle, ”including local workforce populations, young professionals, and downsizing seniors. As site/civil engineer, the Solli team has partnered frequently with the developer, including the assessment and planning of 22 sites statewide, providing due diligence, feasibility analysis, and coordinated land development services.

In Newtown, the approved housing project presents a fully coordinated outcome shaped through engineering analysis, municipal coordination, and the 8-30gapproval process. The project includes approximately 120 units across a refined multi-building layout intended to respond to site constraints and surrounding land uses. Scope encompassed comprehensive site/civil services, including conceptual planning, detailed engineering, stormwater management, traffic engineering, and permitting support. An important aspect of the work included preliminary utility engineering and coordination with the Town of Newtown Water Pollution Control Authority and Department of Public Works to evaluate system capacity, estimate water and sewer demands, and develop a conceptual utility framework. These efforts, combined with broader due diligence and agency coordination, supported an informed and efficient path toward project approval.

In Bethel, the approved housing project represents a similarly rigorous and collaborative planning effort grounded in detailed site assessment and engineering analysis. The project consists of 73 units in a four-story configuration on approximately 4.37 acres. Work began with full due diligence services, including boundary and topographic surveying, drone-assisted mapping, and geotechnical investigation to evaluate subsurface conditions and support foundation engineering. Solli advanced multiple conceptual site layouts to address grading, circulation, and constructability constraints, followed by fully responsive grading and drainage plans, utility layout, soil erosion and sediment control, and landscape and lighting plans. Stormwater management analysis and reporting were performed in accordance with state and local requirements, supported by field testing and infiltration evaluation. In parallel, Solli conducted traffic data collection and prepared a traffic impact study consistent with CTDOT standards, evaluating site operations, performance, and safety considerations. Solli’s services also included coordination with local utility departments, preparation of permitting materials, and support through the Planning & Zoning Commission approval process.

Across both Newtown and Bethel, these projects demonstrate the value of compact, high-density infill supported by coordinated engineering. By concentrating construction within a smaller footprint, they efficiently leverage existing municipal utilities while minimizing land disturbance and infrastructure demands. Sustainable features—including optimized stormwater management systems, low-impact development strategies, and native, non-irrigated landscaping—further support long-term environmental performance. Together, these efforts highlight how integrated engineering, proactive agency coordination, and thoughtful planning can successfully deliver attainable housing while providing meaningful and lasting infrastructure benefits to local communities.