April 30, 2008 | 01:31 AM
April 23, 2008 | 09:31 AM
April 20, 2008 | 04:03 PM
GREENWICH, Conn. - Opposition is building against a proposed mansion that could be among the biggest homes in a wealthy town known for opulent estates.
"It's far out beyond anything that exists on any property in Greenwich," said Louisa Stone, a former Planning and Zoning Commission chairman who recently asked land-use officials to deny the project.
The mansion proposed for 18 Simmons Lane, a private road, would feature eight bedrooms, a number of baths, and amenities including a gym, a theater, lockers, a wine cellar, staff quarters and game rooms.
The proposed mansion would exceed 30,000 square feet, comparable to some of the largest mansions in town, but the inside would have about 43 percent more cubic feet of space than the next largest home built here in recent years, according to town records.
John Tesei, a lawyer representing owner Olga Kogan, downplays the project's size, saying the proposed mansion meets most of the town's regulations.
"It's not that big," Tesei said Tuesday. "This is a town of mansions."
But some neighbors say the mansion is too large for the 7-acre property and neighborhood.
"It is three times the size of the house they are replacing, which is the largest house on the road," said Charles Lee, a Simmons Lane resident opposed to the project. "This thing is far bigger than anything around."
Some residents have also raised concerns that the mansion has far more floor space devoted to Turkish baths, Finnish baths and other amenities than living space normally found in single-family homes, Lee said.
"A single-family doesn't need 26 toilets," Lee said. "Why are there 26 toilets there?"
Tesei said the amenities are there because that is what the owner wants.
"It's the way people who can afford it like to live," Tesei said.
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