Stamford planning board reviews revised comprehensive plan; focus on residential categories, ADU study and downtown parking policy

STAMFORD, Conn. — The Stamford City Planning Board met in a special session on Jan. 21 to page through a revised draft of the city’s comprehensive plan with consultants from Sasaki and Land Use Bureau staff, concentrating on changes to the future land‑use map, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) recommendations and downtown parking policy.

Consultant Eliza Decker said the “most substantive changes” center on the land‑use section and updates to the future land‑use map, and that the revised draft will make it easier to see where the plan’s intent differs from the 2015 plan. Decker said many parcels previously shown in a higher‑intensity residential category were reclassified to better reflect existing neighborhood character and proximity to transit, and that the plan now ties future‑land‑use categories more explicitly to expected population growth over the next 10 years.

The consultants changed the plan’s internal labels (from designations previously written as R1/R2 to new codes labeled “res1” and “res2”) to avoid confusing future‑land‑use descriptions with zoning code categories. Decker described the res1 category as reflecting low‑density neighborhood character with single‑family and 2‑to‑4 unit residences, small…