P&Z Approves Revised Zoning Regulations

By Andrew Gorosko

After nearly three years of review, the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has approved revisions to the town zoning regulations, which are intended to make the voluminous rules more understandable and easier to use.

P&Z members approved the rule revisions at the close of a March 20 session. The new regulations take effect April 1.

Before the vote to approve the rule changes was taken, each P&Z member received a thick copy of the new regulations, which form the basis for P&Z decisions on development applications.

Rather than approving the new zoning regulations on a section-by-section basis following the P&Z’s review of their content, the land use agency opted to hold open until March 6 the many public hearings on the rule changes which have been held.

Having concluded all those hearings on March 6, the P&Z then acted on the revisions on March 20. The P&Z had held more than 20 public hearings on the rule changes.

The P&Z terms the zoning rule revisions a “comprehensive update and reorganization.”

Following the rules’ passage, members gave themselves a round of applause, signaling the conclusion of their efforts.

The zoning regulation revision project stemmed from the P&Z’s adoption of the 2004 Town Plan of Conservation and Development. The original town zoning regulations were adopted in August 1958, and then thoroughly revised in April 1987.

The numerous amendments that had been made to the zoning rules over the years had made the regulations difficult to understand, resulting in P&Z members opting to make many revisions.

P&Z Chairman Lilla Dean said this week the new regulations will soon be posted on the town’s website on the Internet, providing the public with electronic access to the document.

“We sincerely hope that people will find it easier to use,” she said, noting that the new regulations are better organized than the previous set of land use rules.

The new regulations have a more logical structure than the previous rules, she said, adding that the revised regulations seek to consolidate and thus clarify the rules’ content.

“Jane [Brymer] did an awful lot of the work,” said Ms Dean of the P&Z member’s efforts to fashion a more usable set of land use rules.

The definitions used in the new regulations have been expanded and brought up to date with current state law. The technical standards covering a variety of land use zones have been consolidated within the regulations to make the rules easier to understand. Such standards cover topics including traffic, site access management, landscaping, parking, signage, and exterior lighting.

Also, the number of land use zone designations in the rules affecting business, commercial, and professional land uses has been reduced in an effort to simplify the zoning rules.

The zoning requirements concerning lot areas, building heights and yards have been brought up to date to conform to recent state Supreme Court rulings.

The administration and enforcement section of the regulations has been revised to better describe the actual duties performed by zoning enforcement staffers. The fees and fines pertaining to zoning matters are consolidated into one schedule for ease of use.

Also, the regulations concerning site development plans and special permits are revised to make those rules easier to understand.

In approving the revised regulations, P&Z members decided that the new rules are consistent with state law and also are designed to protect the public health, safety and welfare. The revised rules are consistent with the 2004 Town Plan of Conservation and Development, P&Z members decided.