Small-footprint living in the Borough

By Gretchen A. PeckBuyers in search of a near-water property with a low-maintenance value proposition may find 1 Front Street in Stonington Borough an intriguing option. This is a small, contemporary-inspired house, built in 1953. It has two bedrooms, one full bath, and a manageable 832 square feet of living space. Besides the small square footage and the proximity to Stonington Harbor—the property has one other important distinction. The zoning allows for it to continue to be a residential dwelling or operate as a small business."Except for the property located directly to this home's south—which is a small honor-system seafood store—all of the properties on Front Street are residential in use, but zoned 'Planned Waterfront,' with versatile, mixed-used zoning," Jeff Valentine explained. Valentine is an associate broker who leads the Valentine Team at William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty's Mystic brokerage, and he's the listing agent for 1 Front Street."The reason for the PW zoning is because it was thought that the fishing docks could expand at some point and the zoning would allow for it. Instead, the area stayed largely residential, but someone could operate a business out of the property if they desire."The house has a simple two-level floor plan. The front door opens to a 15-by-16-foot living room. It's open to the kitchen, which has bar seating. One of the two bedrooms—and the full bath—are on this main level, as well."There are not too many contemporary homes in the Borough, but this home is one of the few," Valentine noted. He cited the open-plan living and sun-filled interior spaces as emblematic of the contemporary design."The kitchen has vintage cottage cabinets, with a funky blue facelift, clean appliance, bamboo flooring and white oak butcher-block countertops," Valentine said.A spiral staircase, tucked into a living room corner, leads upstairs to the second bedroom, which is complemented by a private balcony deck with water views.A number of improvements have been made to the property over the past decade. Valentine said that the siding, exterior trim, windows and roof have all been replaced in the past six years, and that the heating and cooling systems are less than 10 years old.There is a crawl space under the house, with a gravel floor and plastic vapor barrier."The property backs up to a lightly used dog park," the listing Realtor said. "It's a stone's throw from a great playground and some of the best views of all the Borough." The location also puts the owner within 10 minutes of Mystic's and Westerly's downtown districts.Valentine described how the Borough location influences lifestyle—in a walkable community, with restaurants, shopping, green spaces and spectacular water views right outside the front door."It's cozy enough to spend lots of time inside, but the house would also make a great landing pad to drop your luggage and go and explore," he concluded.Property: 1 Front St., StoningtonBedrooms: 2Baths: 1Square Footage: 832Acreage: 0.06Asking Price: $579,900Listing Agent: Jeff Valentine, broker associate, The Valentine Team, William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty; Mobile: (860) 912-7223; jvalentine@wpsir.com