Just days after Westport rejected a luxury hotel and marina project along the Saugatuck River, the developers are back with a new plan: affordable housing.

And this time, there’s little the town can do to stop it.

At Romanacci Craft Bar and Kitchen, paninis may be on the menu. But the talk of the town is what could go up just down the street.

“My biggest concern is, what it’s going to do to traffic here, because it’s already very congested,” said longtime Westport resident Nanette Buziak.

Developers wanted to build The Hamlet at Saugatuck, a sprawling, 7-acre project, including a marina, restaurants, shops, a boutique hotel and luxury condos.

The proposal divided the town. Earlier this week, Westport's Planning and Zoning Commission rejected it.

The developer, ROAN Development Ventures, negotiated for years to accommodate town planners’ wishes.

But after the rejection, the company announced Friday that it’s converting the project into 300-500 units of apartments. Nearly a third of them will be classified as affordable housing.

“It’s unfortunate, but a lot of the trust is gone with the Planning and Zoning [Commission],” said ROAN’s Martin Purcell.

Purcell said exact design renderings are still being developed. While it won’t be a high-rise, he said the new version will lack the luxury elements that marked The Hamlet proposal.

“It doesn’t create that really walkable district that we had envisioned with stores and amenities for all Westporters. It’s more of an insular type development,” Purcell said. “There’s cost considerations, unfortunately, with providing multifamily, you know, you can't really build to the quality that you could build for, let's call it, a hotel and condominium.”

There is little Westport planners can do to stop the new version of the project. Under the state’s affordable housing law – called “8-30g” – developers can by-pass most zoning rules in towns without enough affordable housing.

The new development proposal must go back before the Westport Planning and Zoning Commission. But under 8-30g, the panel can only reject the project for public health or safety reasons. If the project is denied, developers can challenge the decision in court.

Connecticut has a severe shortage of affordable housing, especially in Fairfield County. But back at Romanacci, the idea of a big, boxy development down the street gave some diners indigestion.

“I think elected officials need to go to the governor and figure out ways to repeal the [8-30g] law,” said Victor Torchia, of Ridgefield.