Planning & Zoning Outlines Elements Of Revised Town Plan

By Andrew Gorosko

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has listed the 12 elements it will address in its decennial revision of the Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

To aid it in developing that plan, the P&Z is distributing a “request for proposals” to planning firms in seeking a firm to help it revise the town plan, said Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker. Ms Stocker also is the P&Z’s land use planner.

A town plan is an advisory document that provides a conceptual framework which P&Z members use for general guidance in decision making on development applications. The town plan is a public policy guide that helps set the public agenda for future action. P&Z members often cite whether a particular development application adheres to the concepts of the town plan, or violates those concepts, in approving or rejecting the application.

At a planning session last spring, residents told P&Z members the revised town plan should seek to balance local growth against the conservation of natural resources. The revised town plan, which will be published in 2003, will address town conservation and development issues for the years 2003 through 2013. The state requires towns to update their town plans every 10 years.

For help in developing the town plan, the P&Z is seeking a firm with a background in land use planning, development, transportation planning, economic development, the management and conservation of natural resources, housing, and open space planning.

P&Z members discussed the planning project at a July 19 session.

The 12 elements to be addressed in the revised town plan are community character; development patterns and trends; conservation and natural resources; open space; community facilities; parks and recreation; transportation system analysis and circulation; planning for people; housing opportunities and population density; economic development policy; special planning projects; and town plan implementation. The plan’s scope is in the formative stages and may be expanded as the project proceeds.

The town has budgeted $60,000 this fiscal year to develop the revised town plan, with an additional $40,000 to be sought for next fiscal year to complete the document, Ms Stocker said.

Plan Elements

These are the 12 topics to be addressed in the revised town plan:

Community Character – Community character is a broad topic which includes historic and cultural resources, agriculture, village centers, neighborhoods, and open space. Existing reports and plans will be reviewed to detect patterns of change in the community’s character, and the effect which rapid local growth has had on municipal resources. Recommendations will be made on maintaining the community’s character. Particular attention will be given to the preservation of open space, agriculture, scenic views, and historic resources.

Development Patterns and Trends – Past growth patterns will be reviewed and the capacity for future growth will be analyzed. The need for housing and economic development will be addressed. Single-family, multi-family, and cluster housing will be reviewed. Agricultural, industrial, and commercial uses will be studied. The potential to redevelop contaminated industrial sites will be explored.

Conservation and Natural Resources – The planning firm to be hired by the P&Z will review trends and conditions concerning the protection, conservation, and enhancement of local natural resources. Aquifers, historic resources, cultural resources, and waterways are included in this category.

Open Space – Public and private open space areas will be inventoried, with their management and preservation in mind. Potential new open space areas will be investigated. The town’s open space policies and acquisition guidelines will be reviewed. The transfer of development rights, the acquisition of conservation easements, and the preservation of agricultural uses will be studied.

Community Facilities – The municipal capital improvement plan for public facilities will be reviewed. Recommendations will be made for additional public facilities and for changes to the current municipal capital improvement plan. The facilities category includes schools, municipal offices, recreational facilities, solid waste disposal, road maintenance, public utilities, stormwater management, and police, fire, and ambulance facilities.

 Parks and Recreation – The plan will review current facilities and how they are used, as well as considering desired new facilities and their potential locations. Multi-purpose trails, plus passive and active recreation facilities, will be considered.

Transportation – Existing traffic volumes and capacities will be reviewed, with an eye on identifying deficiencies. The need for future thoroughfares, bridges, and streets to accommodate future growth will be identified. Areas where growth should be limited will be identified. Public transit, greenways, and trail networks will be studied.

Planning For People – Local demographics will be studied. The implications of population growth will be explored. Projections of future development will be provided.

Housing/Population Density – The planning firm will review past housing trends, the need for housing diversity, and data from the 2000 census. Sewer avoidance policies will be considered in light of recommended population densities.

Economic Development – Future economic growth projections will be made. A policy for sustaining economic development will be formulated. Redevelopment will be studied.

Special Planning Projects – Areas of town requiring special planning attention will be addressed. These include places such as Sandy Hook Center, the Borough of Newtown, Hawleyville, Fairfield Hills, the Route 25 Corridor, and others.

Town Plan Implementation – The planning firm will prepare strategies on how to implement the town plan, providing time frames for capital improvement projects and the budgeting which would be needed to implement the plan.

The P&Z plans to conduct a mail survey to gauge residents’ sentiments about conservation and development issues.

Work on revising the town plan follows a period of rapid local growth.

 The town’s population grew by 20.5 percent from 1990 to 2000, rising from 20,779 to 25,031 residents.

 Between 1991 and 2000, the P&Z approved 164 subdivision applications for a total of 1,326 new building lots and 46 new roads. The town approved approximately 1,828 permits for new housing during that period. For a time, Newtown had the highest rate of residential development among the 169 municipalities in the state.