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Consultants outline zoning overhaul, prioritize downtown rules and HB 8002 compliance
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Summary
Town consultants BFJ presented a zoning regulation update focused on downtown business zones, public engagement and timelines; commissioners asked the team to prioritize commercial regulations to comply with state House Bill 8002 by July 1 and defer residential changes to a second phase.
Frank Fish, principal with BFJ Planning, told the New Canaan Planning and Zoning Commission on Dec. 16 that the consulting team is using the town’s 2024 Plan of Conservation and Development as the foundation for an update to the zoning regulations and will run a multi‑step public engagement process including an online survey and follow‑up workshop.
The presentation explained the project timeline and engagement plan, recapped feedback from an October public workshop and a November practitioner focus group, and laid out preliminary options for downtown and business zones. Fish said the team will consider consolidating multiple business zones, adding a retail zone to protect Elm and Main streets, and moving area and bulk standards from an appendix into the main code to make rules easier to use.
Emily Tolbert, BFJ senior planner, described outreach tools: “This is where we’ll be posting any draft documents. It has contact information for Sarah Carey, the town planner,” and said the consultants expect to post a survey between February and March ahead of a second public workshop in late March or April.
Commissioners pressed the consultants on near‑term state requirements. One commissioner asked directly if the team was “working on how to address the rather dramatic changes that came across in House Bill 8002,” including allowances for 16‑unit developments and altered parking rules. Town staff and BFJ responded that the commission will prioritize commercial and business zone amendments so that those elements can be adopted ahead of the July 1 statutory deadline, with residential zoning to follow.
BFJ outlined several draft technical ideas the commission asked the subcommittee to study further: modest increases in allowable floor area ratio for downtown business zones (initially suggested at 0.6 FAR for combined business zones), a maximum front‑yard build‑to range (proposed 5–10 feet in parts of the business zone), and a change to side‑yard minimums (from 6 to 10 feet) intended to preserve access for emergency vehicles. Commissioners also discussed inclusionary zoning, parking near the train station, and incentives to pair density increases with affordable housing.
The commission scheduled additional subcommittee work, with a February 4 subcommittee meeting set to continue the conversation on inclusionary zoning. BFJ said the team will return with more detailed draft text and graphics for the full commission to review before public hearings.
The commission did not vote on any regulatory text at the meeting; BFJ’s presentation closed with a call for further questions and a request that all commissioners participate in upcoming workshops.
