Simsbury zoning commission adopts inclusionary housing text amendment with 10% minimum affordable units

The Simsbury Zoning Commission voted unanimously at its March 3, 2025 meeting to adopt a text amendment creating inclusionary housing requirements that set a minimum 10% affordability requirement for qualifying developments and use 20‑year deed restrictions for credit toward the town’s affordable‑housing totals.

The amendment creates a new inclusionary housing section in the town zoning regulations and related form‑based codes and is intended to add one tool to Simsbury’s housing strategy, commission members said. The commission adopted the amendment as application ZC‑24‑06; the motion sets the adopted language to be effective March 3, 2025, pending the statutory appeal period.

Why it matters: the change directs future large residential developments to include a baseline share of affordable units, shifting Simsbury from relying solely on negotiated agreements to a standing regulatory requirement. Supporters told the commission the amendment is intended to increase the town’s supply of housing affordable to lower‑income households while avoiding thresholds that could deter development.

Discussion and key provisions

Commission members and staff described the adopted draft as a compromise reached after public hearings and consultation with developers and local housing advisers. The amendment, as adopted, contains several key elements discussed during the meeting and in materials provided to…