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RiverCOG hires IMEC to help towns meet PA 25-1 zoning changes; 13 of 17 towns opted in

Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments Regional Planning Committee · March 24, 2026

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Summary

RiverCOG briefed members that it contracted IMEC to help towns update zoning for PA 25-1 (middle housing, transit communities). Draft model regulations are scheduled to arrive by May 31 so towns can adopt by the statutory July 1 deadline; members raised concerns about tight turnaround for public hearings.

RiverCOG told its regional planning committee it has retained IMEC (formerly FHI) to assist municipalities in updating zoning regulations to comply with PA 25-1 requirements.

Megan, RiverCOG staff overseeing the project, said the consultant work is funded through RiverCOG’s PA 25-1 allocation and is free to participating towns. "This is free for the towns. We are paying for it through the additional funding that we got from PA 25-1," Megan said, adding that the consultant will focus on transit-community middle housing (two- to nine-unit buildings), mixed-use development, and can help create conservation and traffic-mitigation districts on request.

Megan reported 13 of the 17 RiverCOG towns have opted into the assistance. She said consultants plan to provide draft regulations to participating towns by May 31 so municipalities can run the required public process and, if they choose, adopt ordinances by the July 1 statutory deadline.

Multiple members, including Mary Stone, asked whether the May 31-to-July 1 window leaves enough time for meaningful local review and public comment. Megan and Sam Gold said the consultant will meet with towns during drafting, and recommended that towns put at least a baseline regulation "on the books" by July 1 and then amend it later if needed to reflect local concerns. "If there's not something in place... you might not have any grounds to turn them down," Sam said, urging prudence given potential developer interest.

What’s next: Consultants will meet individually with towns in the coming weeks. RiverCOG staff said they may expand consultant scope to help identify parcels for summary review as funding and timelines allow.