The current faces at NEMO-CLEAR (left to right--John, Chet and Jim); Zoning Regs to be ready for September Public Hearing: read here the Weston Zoning Regs.

THE WESTON PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION: 
TOWN PLAN UPDATE BEGINS SOON;  COMMISSION INTERVIEWING CONSULTANTS, EDUCATING THEMSELVES...CLICK HERE.

ZONING REGULATIONS CHANGES WORKSHOPS

2007 INTERESTS:  ZONING REGULATIONS TOPIC OF WORKSESSION AUGUST 14, 2007


PROPER NOTICE POSTED
Five members of the Planning and Zoning Commission attended the Special Worksession.

PUBLIC HEARING ON SPECIAL NIGHT (COMING UP EARLY IN SEPTEMBER 2007)
"About Town" and in the morning, the Weston FORUM P&Z reporter attended the Special Worksession August 14, 2007.  The full Session ran from 10am to 2pm.  The Zoning Enforcement Officer attended, too, as did the Town Attorney.  The Land Use Coordinator attended the afternoon portion only.  A recording of this meeting was made.

Wording was agreed upon to send regulation changes to Public Hearing shortly after Labor Day on the topics of coverage percentages for lots of 2 acres or more.  Discussion ranged during the morning from the philosophy of zoning to a particular and detailed wording for other aspects of the Zoning Regulations. Definitions and date for Public Hearing on the particular sections is to be placed in the newspaper Public Notices section two times prior (please remember that this report is not official).

We believe there will be a separate evening for Public Hearings sections of the Zoning Regulations being considered for changes in early September (not at Regular Meeting).

Previously, as posted in the Town Clerk's Office:
"NOTICE:  Planning and Zoning Commission Special Worksession, August 14, 2007 (10am to 2pm) in the Commission Room at Town Hall" on the board since August 9 - we just picked it up, and will attend.  "Discussion and decision of Zoning Regulation changes" is what the notice says will take place. 
THIRD DISCUSSION (Oct. 18, 2004 at end of Regular Meeting):  Loopholes.
P&Z finishes a last step in "loopholes" revisions; discussion with P&Z SWRPA representative regarding Council of Governments (COG) and how it relates to voluntary regional planning as we know it now.  The symposium below is a good place to start understanding this issue.
SECOND WORKSHOP (6pm August 31, 2004) IN COMMISSION ROOM:
With Town Attorney present, a quorum of the Planning and Zoning Commission got through much of the Zoning Regulations in 3 hours (we left at 9pm) -- less than dramatic proposals.  It would appear that before the year is out some changes will come forth, but it is anyone's guess right now what they will be.  There is no document of record to obtain--the "draft" is not available for perusal because...there is no draft!  As soon as we find out that there is something official, we will post the proposals here.

Commissioners "parking" other discussions (their choice of words) of more major matters.  We will try to keep up with this thread--certainly Planning and Zoning changes might make big difference in how the Town of Weston is able to handle future municipal expansion projects.

FIRST WORKSHOP (6pm August 3, 2004) IN WESTON LIBRARY:

CLUSTER ZONING NOT MENTIONED IN SPECIAL MEETING ON CHANGES - BUT IDEA FOR THIS "WORKSHOP" IS APPARENTLY NOT FOR PEOPLE TO SUGGEST IDEAS - Do you suppose Channel 79 will televise this event?  P&Z kept "workshop" open because they did not get finished the first night.

WHAT'S PROPOSED AS NEW IN THE "WORKING DOCUMENT" AS OF 8-3:
These are some of the ideas and sections proposed for change that we noticed in a quick perusal...copies of Zoning Regulations and proposed additions and deletions available for inspection in CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICE at Town Hall.
 

ZONING REGS:


Weston Conservation Commission (our Inland Wetlands Commission) take note!
Judge Upholds Old Saybrook's Refusal of Housing Development
DAY
By Eileen McNamara       
Published on 2/21/2008

Old Saybrook – A Middletown Superior Court judge has upheld the town’s refusal to allow a large housing development on a swath of coastal forest known as The Preserve.

In ruling she issued earlier this week Judge Julia L. Aurigemma determined that the town’s Inland Wetlands Commission properly determined that the 221-unit housing complex, which would have included an 18-hold golf course, would negatively impact wetlands on and near the site.

The decision is a major latest setback to plans by River Sound Development for the nearly 1,000-acre site that lies mostly in Old Saybrook but also straddles Westbrook and Essex.
From Open Farmland To 1,500 Units?
By EDWARD J. JACOVINO | Courant Staff Writer
August 13, 2007

FARMINGTON - The woman selling her family farm to a developer planning a 1,500-unit housing complex for older people says she wanted to sell to the town, but she turned elsewhere when it never pursued the chance to buy last year.

Patti Krell, a 45-year-old hairdresser who said she needs money to pay estate taxes owed since she inherited her mother's 100-acre farm in 2003, said the town's silence puzzled her. For years, she said, town officials sent notes to the family that indicated they would consider buying some of the property for open space if it went up for sale.

"It's something that I have to do, not necessarily what I want to do," Krell said of her tentative agreement to sell 80 acres to Erickson Retirement Communities, a Baltimore-based developer.

Town Manager Kathy Eagen said she did not know Krell was eager to sell because the town council was never asked to have the land appraised, a sign of a possible sale. Eagen said the parcel was last appraised in 2001 at the request of Mary Krell, Patti's mother, who had otherwise seemed unreceptive to the town's interest.

"My understanding to this day is that we'd still love to have that land," Eagen said.

Bill Wadsworth, a council member who heads the town land acquisition committee, said Saturday that the town still would be interested in buying the property but can't get involved while Erickson has a proposal before the planning and zoning commission.

That commission is considering a zoning amendment proposed by Erickson to allow for buildings 55 feet tall and densities of 20 units an acre. If the amendment is approved, Erickson says it will apply the new zone to the Krell farm.

It's too soon to tell whether the planning and zoning commission will accept or reject Erickson's proposal, Town Planner Jeff Ollendorf said last week.

Until the Erickson deal goes through, Krell said she is open to other offers.

The agreement with Erickson hangs on the plan and zoning commission's decision, which Krell doesn't seem entirely confident will pass. Neither party would release the details of their deal, including how much the developer is willing to pay or at what point the land would actually change hands.

"The town [residents] want Krell Farms to stay the way it is, but they're not in my position. I want to keep it the way it is too, but that's not something I can do," Krell said. "If I didn't need to do this, I wouldn't be changing a thing right now."

Krell said she and her attorney met with Wadsworth in May 2006 to explore a sale.

Krell wanted to have a small portion of the property rezoned for residential use, Wadsworth said recently, recalling that meeting. Any offer the town could make about a larger purchase of Krell property would have to wait until after the subdivision matter was settled because it would be a conflict for the town to be involved in both a review of her subdivision application and a separate negotiation to buy some of the farmland, he said.

In November 2006, Krell applied for the residential subdivision, but the application stalled because of wetlands issues before the town's conservation commission, Wadsworth said.

Krell withdrew the subdivision application in January 2007 and waited for Wadsworth to return with an offer for a larger piece of the parcel.

"He told me that my property was No. 1 on the acquisition list," Krell said. "They seemed quite excited about at least buying some of it, and then we never heard from them."

Wadsworth said Saturday that the town could not go back to Krell about its interest in her land soon after she had withdrawn the residential subdivision application from the town's conservation commission.

"We're not going to go to them the next day," he said.

By the time the town was ready to reopen the discussion of land acquisition with Krell, Erickson was in the picture, Wadsworth said.

Because of this, the town never sent a formal offer or did a new appraisal to determine a fair price - which Krell said would have at least forced her to make a decision.

The May 2006 meeting with Wadsworth wasn't the first time the town showed interest in the land, nor should it be the last, Wadsworth said. A copy of the town's land acquisition list shows that the Krell farm has been on it since at least 2000.

Eagen said Mary Krell showed little desire to sell her land to the town but said she didn't know that Patti Krell had expressed interest. Wadsworth said both Krells had at least kept an open dialogue.

Arline Whitaker, the former council chairwoman and a member on the acquisition committee, said the town has been interested in the parcel for at least 20 years.

"The Krell farm has always been a topic of discussion," said Whitaker, who is known for her tenacity on acquiring open space for the town. "We tried very hard to put something together when the older Mrs. Krell was alive."
Plan For Self-contained Community 'Bigger Than Anything This Town's Seen'
DAY
By Jenna Cho
Published on 1/7/2007
 
North Stonington — Were 116A Wintechog Hill Road to be developed the way Rick Contino sees it, the town's housing units would increase by about half its current total of 3,000.  Contino, a developer, had a workshop session Thursday with the Planning and Zoning Commission, where he discussed informal plans to subdivide the 162-acre property into 1,620 mixed-use residential units. No application has been filed — the workshop was one requested by Rick Contino/Ririto LLC for informational purposes only.

“It's just an extraordinary project,” said Craig Grimord, zoning enforcement officer. “Bigger than anything this town's seen before.”

Residential units would range from assisted living, condominiums and apartments to single-family homes and clusters.  Grimord noted that the town's 3,000 or so housing units are spread out over 54 square miles, while this particular project would be concentrated on 162 acres of land situated between Lantern Hill Road and Route 2.

Grimord said Contino mentioned the possibility of including a small retail component to the project because the development would yield a self-contained community.  If the developers follow through with the project proposal, Grimord said they told the commission it could take some 10 years to complete the project. Grimord said this was the first proposal he has seen on that parcel of land in his five years as the town's zoning officer, and the first of its size.

He said the developers would need to first apply for a zoning text change to allow for the type of mixed residential units they are seeking in that one location.

First Selectman Nicholas Mullane II said Friday that while the town has encouraged cluster-type residential developments, preliminary plans for the Wintechog Hill Road project show that the number of residential units may be too dense for that plot of land.  Mullane said he was concerned that the high density of the suggested development might strain the town's ability to service roads and emergencies there.

It may also raise issues of whether there is adequate water supply and sewage package plant capacity to handle 1,620 new residences concentrated in one area.
 
North Stonington
City responds to invalidation of part of zoning law
BY MARCEL PRZYMUSINSKI
Staff Reporter, New Haven REGISTER
November 9, 2004

Reacting to a recent Connecticut Appellate Court ruling that invalidated part of New Haven's zoning law, city leaders are preparing to either formulate new legislation or appeal the court's decision.

On Wednesday, the court ruled in Campion v. Board of Aldermen that planned development districts, special zones used for large building projects, are illegal. The city's leaders must now decide whether to modify New Haven's zoning legislation or appeal the ruling to the Connecticut Supreme Court.

The result may affect Yale directly, particularly since the University is seeking to zone the planned parking structure for Ingalls Rink as a planned development unit, which is similar to a PDD.

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr. said his administration's initial reaction is not to appeal the ruling, though the possibility is still being considered. DeStefano also said he does not think the ruling will have a significant impact on what projects are actually constructed in the city.

"The court ruling doesn't apply to the merits of the project itself," DeStefano said. "It applies to the process by which we zone them. That distinction is important."

Ward 1 Alderman Ben Healey '04, who is chairman of the Board of Aldermen's Legislation Committee -- the committee that will have to approve any proposed changes to the city's zoning regulations -- said he believes the administration and the board should cooperate quickly to formulate new legislation.

"I would recommend we get together and write the new law rather than use up valuable time and money in what I think will be probably a losing case," Healey said. "The main thing that makes me nervous is trying to figure out what happens in the interim, either while the court case is being appealed or while the new law is being written. I think if we don't have a law we're operating in a vacuum."

This uncertainty about ongoing and upcoming projects may affect Yale's parking garage project, though the structure actually may not require special zoning.

"The claim has been made that [the parking structure] didn't actually require a PDU, in which case even if the current PDU plan falls apart under the court ruling, there's an opportunity to move it under regular rules of the zoning code," Healey said.

PDDs and PDUs are used to provide some flexibility with zoning regulations for construction developments with special requirements.

In the decision, the court offered a potential solution by affirming the legality of floating zones, an alternative to PDDs that imposes more stringent limitations on builders. In floating zones, only specific, legislatively preapproved uses are permitted.

Rob Smuts '01, the mayor's deputy chief of staff, said he thought the court's suggestion of floating zones demonstrated an understanding of the need for some flexibility in city planning.

"If the decision stands, I think that the use of floating zones would give us the flexibility that is needed," Smuts said.

Healey said he thinks there are some advantages to implementing a floating zone policy.

"The main complaint about the PDD is that there's a vagueness about where and how it could be applied," Healey said. "A floating zone would provide some more standardized guidelines."  


NEMO guy John Rozum at left - "About Town" maps of land use at right.
Monday, Jan. 24, 2005 event:  No "Snow Job"!!!  The real deal!
Planning & Zoning hears from NEMO re: keeping Weston's water pure and accomodating the growth and expansion time brings--without extra runoff or erosion...Weston regs will change (our guess) to respond to this information.  Below is the FORUM's read on the meeting!

Click here for rest of this long story!

REGIONAL PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS:  Better Use of a Hidden Asset
A half-day symposium for Municipal, Regional and State Government stakeholders on issues related to enhancing the roles and functions of Connecticut's Regional Planning Organizations.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004, 8:00-12:45
Holiday Inn
North Haven, CT
Exit 12 - off I-91

Symposium sponsored by the CT Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations:



WESTON'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING CHALLENGE

OPEN SPACE-CONSERVATION SUBDIVISION:  "Parish Ridge" is located in the upper left of the map to the right;  above left is a blow-up of the site of this Affordable Housing Application (note the Town line running through this property--Wilton is to the left).  ROBINSON & COLE gives P&Z seminar on newest version of Affordable Housing Appeals process (effective October 1, 2000)...TOWN OF WESTON PURCHASED THIS PROPERTY 
PROPOSED LANDBANKING BY TOWN OF WESTON:
Special Town Meeting, January 9, 2003:  Town Meeting voters approved this action. Fromson-Strassler   gets a "yes" from both P&Z and Board of Finance (Special Town Meeting January 9, 2003);  P&Z says "yes" to both but Board of Finance says "no" to part of former Maurice Moore estate--then reverses itself and says "yes" after Town staff does more research and legal wording is changed by prospective seller...and Town Meeting agreed after discussion of both - standing count needed for Fromson-Strassler (not close when the votes were tallied);  voice vote all that was needed for Moore OK!
For backround...from December 18, 2000:
Breaking News!!!
Long vacant parcel, owned by former Democratic First Selectman and Selectman, to be Weston's first Affordable Housing challenge...preliminary submission, dated 12-18-00, by attorney for Mr. Fromson and Mr. Strassler showed:  of the five units of affordable housing, three (3) would be for those with 80% of median state-wide income, and two (2) would be at 60% of the state-wide median income.  Total number of units of all housing=18.  Previous appearances for this property (once as a farm, another as a combination of Belknap and Fromson-Strassler, etc.) in Town had Conservation approve 8 units non-cluster approach.  If we heard them correctly, representatives of the developers Fromson and Strassler pretty clearly stated that the rest of the land in Weston would by given to Aspetuck Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy--but maybe we did not hear it exactly right!  Later in the Public Hearing (Dec. 18), a property owner with access to the "old wood road" represented that he and several others would claim use of access--thereby, perhaps, making even more properties need the 3200' long deadend proposed for Upper Parish Drive (extension).  To be continued January 8, 2001...link to meeting notes.
Arriving just in time to beat the deadline for stricter regulation is the "Parish Ridge" self-styled "Open Space-Conservation Development."  On October 1, 2000 the latest redraft of State of Connecticut Affordable Housing Law revisions goes into effect.  Please click here for review of the Affordable Housing Appeals  legislation.  A Former First Selectman and a former member of the Board of Selectman of the Town of Weston are combining to bring to the Planning and Zoning Commission Monday, September 11 for receipt, the very first subdivision application that calls itself "affordable housing."  Whether this application is truly "affordable housing" in the full sense of the definition is a matter to be considerd by the Weston Planning and Zoning Commission."

The scene...
It is a very creative way around the environmental difficulties plaguing that site (very wet, extremely rocky and barely accessible) that encompasses approximately 129 acres in the towns of Weston (83 acres) and Wilton (46 acres).  All development shown is planned in Weston, with access shown only from Weston.  In an extremely confusing table in the application it appears that the Weston-only access will have to take any other future traffic generated from Wilton lots if and when these are developed (if a grand scheme to preserve the land in both Towns is not effected).  Or is there more to all this than we know?

SEEING CLEARLY...What is the definition of a "Cluster Subdivision" - see "Illustrated Book of Development Definitions" below.  Or, check out a bill that did not pass in 2008...HB5641.

Now also "C.L.E.A.R." at UConn, NEMO Co-founders in CT:  Above left is Chet Arnold (when he spoke to the League of Women Voters of Weston in the early 1990's);  at right is a photograph of Jim Gibbons, noted Connecticut Planner and staff at the University of Connecticut, who has been making the rounds of local Planning and Zoning Commissions describing how Conservation Zoning (a close relative of "cluster zoning") can help maintain groundwater supply.  Mr. Gibbons works with NEMO("Non-Point Source Education for Municipal Officials"). 


From "The Illustrated Book of Development Definitions" by Harvey Moskowitz and Carl Lindbloom (Center for Urban Policy Research),  Rutgers University, 1981, "cluster subdivisions" are defined on page 52 in the above noted book as (and we quote):

"...A form of development for single family residential subdivisions that permits a reduction in lot area and bulk requirements, provided there is no increase in the number of lots permitted under a conventional subdivision and the resultant land area is devoted to open space."

Further commentary from the authors of the above noted book:

"The cluster subdivision is an excellent planning concept that has been used successfully in many communities.  Using this concept the number of lots (density) remains the same as in a conventional development but the community gains in the retention of open space and reduced maintenance costs by having shorter streets and utility lines.  The developer also gains in reduced development costs, which may result in less costly housing.  Many communities require the developer to submit two (2) sketch plans before approving a cluster subdivision;  a conventional subdivision plat to establish the number of developable lots possible and a cluster subdivision plat to determine the appropriateness of cluster design for the site."