St. Paul's Episcopal Church at 200 Riverside Avenue wants to carve two buildable lots from its 8.65-acre campus and sell them to the Greenwich Land Trust and Riverside Association, which are jointly raising $5.2 million to permanently protect the land as open space.

The church filed a subdivision application with the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission, reported Aug. 8 by Greenwich Free Press, to split the R-20-zoned property into two residential lots and a 1.3-acre conservation parcel. According to the application, the lots are both accessed from Indian Head Road: Lot A would measure 20,020 square feet and Lot B, a flag lot, would total 39,012 square feet. Both sit outside the 100-foot wetlands upland review area.

The church originally proposed a four-lot subdivision but scaled back to two lots after discussions with the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency to avoid wetland impacts.

The three organizations signed a non-binding letter of intent in July 2025, and the church has since entered a memorandum of understanding with the two nonprofits. The final purchase price will be set by an independent appraisal after the town approves the subdivision.

The sale hinges on two conditions: P&Z approval and successful completion of the fundraising campaign.

Why the church is selling

Marking its 150th anniversary, St. Paul's runs a Day School enrolling roughly 100 students that has served Riverside families for more than six decades, according to the Greenwich Sentinel. The campus also hosts the Greenwich Choral Society, Girl Scout troops, two afterschool programs and multiple Alcoholics Anonymous meetings each week.

The Rev. Stephanie M. Johnson, rector of St. Paul's, said in July 2025 when the partnership was announced that the decision to sell was "bittersweet" but necessary to ensure the church remains financially strong. "I can see a future where we are able to maintain both the open space and St. Paul's for future generations," she said at the time.

The application states the subdivision would not eliminate any parking spaces or disrupt current church programs. The Memorial Garden columbarium will remain on the property with an access easement.

What would be conserved

The open space parcel in the southwest corner of the site covers nearly 1.3 acres, about 15% of the total property, and contains three of the four wetland pockets on the campus. The partnership's organizers have described the land as some of the last remaining undeveloped acreage in this part of Greenwich.

Greenwich Land Trust executive director Will Kies said in July 2025 that the campus is "a rare and irreplaceable green space in the heart of Riverside." The trust currently manages more than 1,014 acres across 82 preserves in Greenwich, according to its website.

The Riverside Association said in its summer newsletter that its focus remains on preserving the land for the benefit of the Riverside community.

A P&Z hearing date for the subdivision has not been publicly scheduled. Residents can follow the application through the town's Planning and Zoning Commission.