Resources

Town Land Use Regulations

Canaan (Falls Village) Zoning Regulations
Cornwall Zoning Regulations
Goshen Zoning Regulations
Kent Zoning Regulations
North Canaan Zoning Regulations
North Canaan Ordinances and Resolutions
Salisbury Conservation Commission Regulations
Salisbury Zoning regulations
Salisbury Subdivision regulations

*Due to the fact that land use regulations are frequently updated we cannot guarantee that the versions here are the most current. To assure you have the most current version, please visit the town website from our LINKS page or contact us and we can assist you.*

Affordable Housing

Wastewater Treatment Options for Rural Towns
Achieving Smaller Lot Sizes for Affordable Housing & Preserving Open Space

The challenge faced by rural towns trying to promote affordable housing and preserve open space is to figure out ways to encourage residential development at higher densities than typical for areas without public sewage treatment systems. This report summarizes the following: 1) Wastewater treatment options, 2) Regulatory & Permitting requirements for these options and 3) Relative costs of these options.

For an executive summary of this report click here. For a copy of the full 20 page report by Concord Square Planning & Development click here.

Checklist of Planning & Zoning Tools for Encouraging Affordable Housing

Town zoning regulations can inadvertently create barriers to the creation of affordable types of housing. We have created a list of planning and zoning tools that can be used to encourage affordable housing with photos and brief descriptions of how they work. For a copy of this new tool click here.

For facts & figures on how housing affects municipal budgets click here.

For a definition and overview of affordable housing in our region: An Introduction to Affordable Housing In Our Region.

For a description of accessory apartments and their benefits as well as a checklist you can use to see if your zoning regulations encourage accessory apartments: Accessory Dwelling Units.

Open Space and Resource Protection

Conservation Subdivision Regulations- Many small towns in Connecticut, seek to minimize the environmental and neighborhood impacts of residential development. Communities are also interested in preserving open spaces that help define the community character. This Case Study reviews the options provided in Connecticut General Statutes and the approaches that many Connecticut towns have taken to what is called open space, cluster, or conservation subdivision regulations.

Stormwater Management  & Low Impact Development Standards Case Study : Many rural communities like ours are concerned about protecting the water they drink and the lakes and rivers where they fish and swim.  New techniques for stormwater management, called Low Impact Development (LID), can help, as described in this case study.  Also included are many valuable resources on this issue.

There is a tool which many towns in northwest Connecticut are not using, or are notusing properly, which would help them to preserve open space. Click on this link to see how you can use your subdivision regulations to preserve this important resource.

The DEP has prepared The Green Plan, a comprehensive guide to land acquisition and protection techniques. In addition to providing guidance on identifying open space priorities and goals, The Green Plan offers useful summaries and descriptions of programs and tools available to assist with open space protection.

The Non-Point Education for Municipal Officials web site has a valuable tool for viewingand analyzing community resources. The Community Resources Online resource will provide maps based on the State’s Conservation and Development Policies Plan Locational Guide Map. This is an easy to navigate tool that any interested person can use to learn more about resource inventories, which are the first step in any comprehensive planning process.

Example Regulations:

Cornwall Open Space Amendment

Farmland Protection

New Municipal Guide to Planning for Agriculture in Connecticut

Farms and farmland remain cornerstones of many Connecticut communities. To help towns proactively plan for the future of agriculture, American Farmland Trust and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities have completed a joint publication: Planning for Agriculture: A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities [PDF] . The guide covers a broad range of tools available to help local governments address the economic and land use needs of farmers and help create a supportive atmosphere for agriculture.

The guide covers topics including: the benefits of farms; involving farmers in town decision-making; planning and zoning tools; right-to-farm ordinances; subdivision regulations; financing local farmland protection; addressing common issues; and promoting local farm viability.

Conservation Options for Connecticut Farmland, A Guide for Land Owners, Land Trusts, and Municipalities describes farmland protection options and programs available in Connecticut, and answers some frequently asked questions about agricultural conservation easements. This guide also identifies state and federal agricultural and land conservation programs that provide technical and financial assistance to farmers and landowners for a variety of concerns and objectives.

This guide was created by the American Farmland Trust, click here to view the guide.

Protecting Ridgelines and Scenic Vistas

Planning & Siting Your House A Guidebook

By the Dutchess Land Conservancy. This guide is meant to assist property owners and developers site their homes in a way that respects the homes rural setting. It shows graphically, what to avoid and what is the preferred siting. It also provides suggestions on design, landscaping, driveways, and outbuildings. If you are concerned with scenic and ridgeline protection, consider making this guide available to home builders in your town.

What Makes a Ridge Scenic? describes three types of viewpoints towns can consider to map scenic resources.

Using GIS to Determine Horizon Belts describes how Housatonic Valley Association GIS Manager, Kirk Sinclair, helped the town of Kent to establish an empirical, defensible method for targeting the ridgeline zones where development should be restricted.

Example Regulations:

Kent Horizon Conservation District
Falls Village Steep Slope Overlay Zone
Sample Ridgeline and Hillside Protection Zone Zoning Regulations

New Zoning Techniques from the Green Valley Institute

Fact Sheet #3 Win-Win of Subdivision Design
This two page fact sheet describes the seven steps used to subdivide land and site new homes in a way that conserves valuable open space.

Fact Sheet #6 Innovative Zoning Techniques - Overlay Districts
Overlay districts can be used for natural resource protection, such as rivers, floodplains and habitat corridors or can be used to promote certain types of development such as a town center where residential and retail uses are both allowed (also called “mixed use”). Overlay districts offer additional restrictions or incentives without changing the underlying zone designation. Read 5 examples of how these districts are being used.

Fact Sheet #7 Innovative Zoning Techniques - Transfer of Development Rights
Transfer of development rights can be used to direct new development to areas identified by the town as most appropriate for development and away from those most appropriate for conservation while preserving landowners’ development rights. This fact sheet describes this tool in more detail and gives examples of how this is used in Connecticut and other states.

Wind Energy Regulations

How & Why to Permit Small Wind Systems: A Guide for Local Governments: This very useful guide was produced in 2008 by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).  It explains the key issues including setbacks & aesthetics as well as the non-issues such as bird kills and flicker effects in an illustrated and highly readable fashion.

Local Wind Energy Regulations Compared: This new resource supplements our Case Study and compares wind energy regulation standards such as height, setbacks, lot size, and other requirements in four Connecticut towns.  

Wind Energy Regulations Case Study: This 2-page case study provides information and resources for communities interested in carefully crafting a zoning regulation that will allow the use of wind turbines in a way that protects scenic views and respects property values. It includes lessons learned by the Town of Goshen in drafting their wind energy regulation.

For a helpful general overview of wind energy regulation options click here - produced by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

For a model zoning ordinance from the American Wind Energy Association click here.

Example regulations:

Goshen, CT
Salem, CT

Regional Planning Documents

Litchfield Hills Regional Plan of Conservation & Development- (October 2009) This Plan is an attempt to integrate local land use planning into a regional perspective and define how infrastructure investments, housing opportunities, economic development, and environmental concerns can be best coordinated for the public good.

NWCOGG Plan of Conservation and Development - In January of 2009, the NWCCOG adopted a new plan of conservation and development for the nine towns Region. The Plan is intended to guide the actions of the NWCCOG and offer recommendations for the actions of the member towns.

Housatonic River Management Plan- The Housatonic River Commission (HRC) was created by the Towns of Canaan, Cornwall, Kent, New Milford, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon and held its first meeting in July 1979. This 2006 Plan discusses current conditions within the River Valley and addresses changes in land use trends and regulatory practices that affect the Region. It also includes recommendations for zoning regulations to protect the River.

Northwest CT Parking Study Phase 1- The Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials (LHCEO) and the Northwestern Ct. Council of Governments (NWCCOG) sponsored this study to examine current parking usage in the two regions, evaluate the amount of parking that is actually necessary for different land uses, and define strategies that might decrease impervious parking area. Two main tasks were completed as part of this study. A parking survey was conducted to obtain information about the usage of parking lots in the two regions. In addition, research into parking standards and strategies to reduce impervious parking area was performed.

Model Zoning Regulations for Parking for Northwest Ct. Phase 2- This study presents the findings of Phase II of the Northwestern Connecticut Parking Study which was jointly sponsored by the Northwestern Connecticut Council of Governments (NWCCOG) and the Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials (LHCEO). It translates the findings from Phase I into practical model zoning regulations for parking lot size and parking lot design for water quality management. The model addresses surface area (number of parking spaces), location, and the physical design/landscaping of parking lots.

Village Districts

Village District Case Study: Are you interested in ensuring that new development and major renovations that happen in your village center are compatible with existing village character? This 2-page case study provides information and resources for communities interested in considering a village district regulation to help towns deal with this issue.

Ledyard Village Design Manual