Planning and Zoning commissions hires BFJ Planning for comprehensive zoning update

The Board of Selectmen on June 17 approved the Planning and Zoning Commission’s request to enter into a $100,000 contract with BFJ Planning to conduct a comprehensive update of New Canaan’s zoning regulations.

Planning staff said the project is scoped to take about 15 months, with kickoff targeted for July 1 and the bulk of public engagement beginning after the summer. Deliverables include an annotated copy of the current zoning regulations, an analysis of alignment with the 2025 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), stakeholder interviews with architects, engineers and attorneys, visual-preference surveys and multiple rounds of public workshops. The commission and staff made clear adoption of any final regulations is the Planning and Zoning Commission’s decision and would occur after public hearings.

Commission staff told the board that BFJ was selected after a competitive process (seven responses, three interviews) and that the consultant’s principal will oversee the project. The contract as awarded covers the items in the proposal, but staff said an additional scope request from the commission could add as much as $15,000; if needed, that supplemental cost would likely be sought in fiscal year 2027.

Board members and staff emphasized the importance of public engagement and urged the commission and planning staff to use July and August to prepare outreach materials so a September informational session and later workshops are well advertised. Planning staff also noted the town’s public-engagement work on the recent POCD drew unusually high participation and that the zoning update will be more technical in nature.

The board approved the contract unanimously.