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Torrington ordinance committee advances sign policy, farm‑building exemption and building‑permit rewrite to public hearings
Summary
The Torrington Ordinance Subcommittee voted Sept. 15 to forward draft policies and ordinance rewrites for public hearing, including a policy option on signage in construction contracts, revised farm‑building exemption language to reflect state changes, and a comprehensive rewrite of Chapter 85 to modernize permit fees.
The Torrington Ordinance Subcommittee met Sept. 15 and moved several draft ordinance changes to public hearing at the council level.
On signage during construction, engineering staff summarized recent problems on Midgen Avenue and recommended adding specific sign and access requirements to future project bid specifications rather than pursuing an immediate ordinance. A staff representative said contractors already must submit detour plans and that the city’s standard contract language guarantees business access “99% of the time.” He offered to draft a policy and circulate it for committee comment.
The committee discussed a state change that allows municipalities to raise the per‑building farm‑exemption assessed‑value cap from $50,000 to as much as $500,000. The assessor explained the local ordinance currently reads “not more than $50,000” and noted that municipalities may choose any value up to $500,000; members asked corporate counsel and the assessor to draft language that gives the council flexibility while preserving annual application requirements and eligibility checks.
On Chapter 85, the building‑official presented a complete rewrite to modernize the code and simplify fee calculations for online permitting. Kevin Gillette said the draft replaces itemized fee tables with a value‑based schedule (e.g., a fee for the first $1,000 and a per‑$1,000 add‑on) that aligns Torrington with neighboring municipalities. Staff characterized the dollar changes as modest but the structural rewrite significant; the committee voted to send the draft to a public hearing.
Finally, the committee approved moving revisions to chapter 114‑2 (zoning violation fines) and inland‑wetlands fine language to public hearing. The proposed edits add “per day” language to fines (statute allows $150 per day up to statutory caps) and clarify procedural terms.
Next steps: staff will circulate draft language (signage policy, farmland exemption language, and the Chapter 85 rewrite) and corporate counsel will prepare ordinance text for the council’s public hearings scheduled in October.
