Proposed Rules Would Promote

More Open Space Preservation

By Andrew Gorosko

In the face of continuing rapid residential growth, town land use officials are crafting a set of proposed development rules intended to maximize the amount of undeveloped open space land that would remain undisturbed within some future residential subdivisions.

Called the “open space conservation subdivision” (OSCS) by the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), the developmental approach also is known as “cluster housing.” The underlying goal of the OSCS approach is to preserve and enhance the local rural character.

The P&Z’s push for land use regulations keyed to maximizing open space preservation comes amid a period of continuing residential growth, during which much rural land has been consumed by development.

A P&Z subcommittee has been studying the OSCS approach during the past year, with the aid of Harrall-Michalowski Associates, Inc, (HMA) of Hamden, the town’s planning consultant. HMA also has been managing the ongoing decennial update of the Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

During the past several months, P&Z subcommittee members have been fashioning a set of proposed land use rules that the town would use to maximize local open space. The full P&Z is expected to discuss the subcommittee’s proposal in late January.

Objectives

According to preliminary documents prepared for the study committee, the OSCS rules would:

Enable the permanent preservation of open space, agricultural land, forestry land, wildlife habitat, aquifers, bodies of water, wetlands, scenic vistas, and historical and archaeological resources.

Ensure that the overall development density of a given parcel of land is not greater than is allowed by conventional residential subdivision development.

Encourage efficient development that consumes less open land and also conforms to a site’s existing topography and natural features.

Minimize the total development disturbance of a site.

Allow for greater flexibility and creativity in the design of residential development.

Provide for the economical construction and maintenance of streets and utilities.

Provide open space land for active or passive recreational uses.

Development Approach

Under the OSCS approach, land would be subdivided to create relatively smaller building lots than required in conventional subdivisions. The benefit gained would be relatively larger amounts of open space remaining in subdivisions.

In a preliminary proposal, the P&Z subcommittee suggests that a land developer be required to submit an OSCS application for any parcel involving 20 or more acres, or eight or more building lots, for property in an R-1, R-2, or R-3 residential zone for P&Z consideration.

In some cases, less intensive development proposals may be eligible for P&Z review under the OSCS subdivision rules.

Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker stressed that the OSCS regulations that are being formulated are “preliminary” and are subject to possible change by the full membership of the P&Z. Any P&Z rule change proposals would be the subject of a public hearing.

During the past 20 years, approximately 14,000 acres of vacant land, representing 36 percent of the town’s total land area, were developed as residential subdivisions. The community character of areas developed changed from “rural” to “suburban,” and the natural landscape and ecosystems of those areas significantly changed due to the grading of 2,700 house lots and the construction of miles of subdivision roads and stormwater drainage facilities.

While the town’s current subdivision process preserves at least ten percent of the land in subdivisions as open space, the proposed new land use rules would provide a mechanism to preserve 50 percent or more of the land in subdivisions as open space, according to HMA.

The OSCS approach would allow large amounts of open space to be preserved at no cost to the town, according to HMA. The amount of land preserved would represent far more acreage than the town likely would have the financial means to acquire, HMA adds.

The approach would allow a site to be developed for single-family detached housing at the same gross development density as is allowed under current zoning regulations. Houses would be clustered on a site, on smaller building lots than are currently common, in order to preserve large amounts of open space. A key aspect of such development involves designing suitable wastewater disposal systems.

HMA has used the Cider Mill Farm residential subdivision, which is now nearing completion near Lower Paugussett State Forest in Sandy Hook, as a model to compare conventional subdivisions to OSCS projects.

During the past several years, the P&Z approved Cider Mill Farm in three construction phases as a conventional residential subdivision. The plans call for 52 house lots on 137 acres, including 21 acres of open space, representing the preservation of approximately 15 percent of the site.

Under the OSCS approach, there would be 52 house lots on 137 acres, with the open space area ranging from 80 to 110 acres, representing the preservation of 60 percent to 80 percent of the site, according to HMA.

The proportion of open space saved on a site would vary depending on whether a “suburban” style lot layout is chosen, or a “hamlet” style lot layout is used. The hamlet design would provide a greater amount of open space.