To better control the size of residential garages, the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) is proposing some modifications to the zoning regulations on that topic.

The P&Z has scheduled a public hearing on the matter for 7:30 pm on Thursday, May 2, at Newtown Municipal Center, 3 Primrose Street.

To the section of the zoning regulations that allows the construction of one single-family house on one building lot, the P&Z proposes adding wording to allow the construction of an accessory garage, either attached or detached, which has a maximum “footprint” of 1,600 square feet. Any larger garage than that would require the applicant to obtain a special zoning permit from the P&Z. Such permits require detailed applications and public hearings before the P&Z.

Town Director of Planning George Benson said April 15 the proposed regulations are intended to put a clear limit on the size of residential garages that do not have special zoning permits.

Garages that are accessory uses to single-family houses typically have two bays or three bays, with some large residential garages containing even more bays. Most local residential garages are attached to a house, but some are freestanding structures.

Mr Benson said that placing a size limit on garages without special zoning permits would potentially limit such structures from being put to use as something other than garages. In the past, a resident had used a very large residential garage for an auto repair business without authorization, Mr Benson noted. The proposed new rules seek to discourage such situations.

The 1,600-square-foot maximum “footprint” included in the proposed regulations reflects the amount of ground area that would be covered by a garage. Such a footprint limit would not prevent a garage from being two stories tall and thus potentially enclosing more than 1,600 square feet of space.

Mr Benson said a 1,600-square-foot residential garage footprint would allow construction of a garage measuring 40 feet long by 40 feet wide, which would hold three spacious bays.

Mr Benson said the proposed rules are not intended to limit the number of vehicles that could be parked within a garage, but to better control the size of the garage itself.

Also, single-family houses which have overly large attached garages appear disproportionate, when compared to typical residential construction, he said.