Lawmakers, local leaders urge narrower handling of 8-30g for aquifer and watershed towns

Supporters of HB 5365 told the Connecticut House and Senate Housing Committee that communities whose land is identified for watershed or aquifer protection should be able to opt out of the state's affordable-housing appeals process, commonly called 8-30g. Minority House Leader Vinny Candelora told the committee he was "testifying in favor of proposed bill 5 3 6 5, which is an act establishing an exemption for affordable housing appeal procedures for a municipality that contains an aquifer protection area." He and other municipal officials said the proposal seeks to preserve drinking-water supplies and avoid the downstream impacts of development.

Supporters framed their testimony as a public-health and public-safety concern rather than a general opposition to affordable housing. Senator Tony Hwang, who said he was "testifying in support of house bill 5 3 6 5," asked the committee to recognize that the state still has a serious housing shortage while also protecting aquifers that supply water across municipal boundaries. Hwang told members that watershed areas can be "a regional issue" because aquifers and reservoirs supply multiple towns and cities.

Speakers from smaller, more-rural communities described local maps and planning designations that already limit development in protected zones. Vinny Candelora and municipal witnesses pointed to specific reservoirs and river systems in their districts that are managed by regional water authorities and are subject to local conservation holdings. A Northwest…