P&Z Tracks Town’s Size And Character

By Andrew Gorosko

In their continuing update to the 2004 Town Plan of Conservation and Development, Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members are focusing on sections of the document concerning population trends, as well as the community’s character.

P&Z members plan to conduct public hearings on both town plan topics at their March 1 meeting.

Panel members discussed those subjects at a February 2 session.

According to a draft P&Z document on population trends, Newtown has experienced population growth in every decade since 1940.

Based on the results of the 2010 census, the town’s population was 27,560, with the population growth between 2000 and 2010 as recorded by the census at 2,529 people, reflecting an about 10 percent growth rate during that decade.

“Newtown’s population growth between 2000 and 2010 slowed to about 10.1 percent, [which] is about half of the 20.5 percent growth rate experienced between 1990 and 2000,” the document states. The census indicates that the population had risen from 20,779 in 1990 to 25,031 in 2000.

During the decade from 2000 to 2010, Newtown’s population aged. If that trend continues, the overall local population would be expected to start decreasing during the next few decades, according to the P&Z draft document.

Residents’ civic-mindedness has resulted in there being volunteers who serve as firefighters, ambulance personnel, and town government members.

However, as the population ages, volunteers would be expected to dwindle and the town may be forced to hire staff to provide some services, according to the draft.

Between 2000 and 2010, the number of Newtown’s owner-occupied households rose from 8,325 to 9,459, reflecting a 13.6 percent growth rate in such households. In the decade from 1990 to 2000, the number of households rose from 6,798 to 8,325, representing a 22.5 percent growth rate.

In 2010, the average size of an owner-occupied household in Newtown was 2.83 persons. By comparison, back in 1960, the average Newtown household size was 4.51 persons.

Reasons for decreases in household size include: an increase in single-person households, increases in divorces and marital separations, young professionals’ tendency to delay marriage and the formation of families, an increase in the number of elderly who remain in their own homes, and an aging of the population.

Although the general public perception that the number of housing units which were added locally from 2000 to 2010 was fewer than were added from 1990 to 2000, there actually were 1,460 dwellings added from 2000 to 2010, compared to 1,407 dwellings added from 1990 to 2000, according to the draft document.

The 2010 census showed 90.8 percent of the local housing stock consists of single-family dwellings,  compared to 92.8 percent of local housing being in the single-family category in 2000.

Also, the 2010 census indicates that 94 percent of local dwellings are owner-occupied, compared to 91.9 percent of local dwellings being owner-occupied in 2000.

At the March1 P&Z hearing, the topic of community character also is slated for discussion.

Community Character

“Community character” as described in the town plan includes the local natural environment and built environment, as well as local activities.

Components of community character include the rural landscape, natural features, open space, the Borough of Newtown, design districts, hamlets, Fairfield Hills, public buildings, public streets, public parks, residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, business centers, and community gathering places, among others.

“The formation of community character is a process characterized by incremental change. Change is a constant in every community and the character of Newtown will continue to evolve as the community evolves,” according to the 2004 town plan.

P&Z members plan to largely use the format of the 2004 town plan in formulating the town plan’s revision for the coming decade.

Although the updated town plan is not due until the end of 2014, P&Z members have said they intend to complete the update by the end of 2012.

When the town updated its 1993 town plan to formulate the 2004 town plan, it hired a planning consultant for the project, spending approximately $100,000 for that work. Citing budgetary constraints, the town has not hired a consultant to help update the 2004 plan, instead opting to have town officials make the revisions.

The town plan is a decennial advisory document that provides the P&Z with general guidance in its decisionmaking. P&Z approvals or rejections of land use applications typically state whether a given application respectively adheres to or diverges from the tenets of the town plan when P&Z members state their reasons for a decision.

The current town plan addresses a broad range of issues facing the town, including: community character, conservation, natural resources, open space, housing, economic development, community facilities, and transportation. The document lists a multitude of planning goals for the town.

The 2004 Town Plan of Conservation and Development is available for review at the town’s website, www.newtown-ct.gov.