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Commission adds rule allowing limited site‑plan conversions of vacant nursing homes to multifamily housing
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to add a new Section 6.5.4 to allow site‑plan approval — rather than special exception — for conversions of nursing homes or congregate care facilities vacant at least 90 days, provided the building is not expanded or modified by more than 10% of its footprint and multifamily uses are allowed in the zone.
The Torrington Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 26 approved a zoning regulation amendment creating limited authorization for conversions of former nursing homes and congregate‑care facilities to multifamily housing.
City planner Jeremy Leifert said the change is intended to implement statutory revisions in Public Act 24‑143. “This modification would provide for a narrow allowance for a site plan approval for use conversions for nursing homes or congregate care facilities that have been vacant for a minimum of 90 days to change the use to multifamily residential,” Leifert said during the hearing.
The draft language requires that the resulting multifamily dwellings be an allowed use in the applicable zone and comply with existing regulations for setbacks and unit density. The draft also caps building expansion and modification: “The building may not be expanded or modified by more than 10% of the current footprint,” Leifert told the commission when asked by a commissioner whether “modified” included changes beyond expansion.
Leifert and staff said no members of the public spoke for or against the proposed amendment. The commission approved the change; the motion as adopted sets the effective date as the day after publication of the legal notice of decision in the local newspaper.
Leifert included the statutory language from Public Act 24‑143 and a review letter from the Northwest Hills Council of Governments in the record; NHCOG staff reported no apparent regional conflicts.
