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Planning commission sends McLean text‑amendment referral to zoning commission, urges limited affordable set‑aside
Summary
The Planning Commission voted 5–1 to refer three McLean text amendments to the Zoning Commission — removing a 300‑foot arterial siting rule for health‑care facilities, exempting life‑plan communities from inclusionary-housing requirements, and adjusting golf-course setback rules for commonly owned properties — and recommended McLean consider two affordable units among the proposed 40.
The Simsbury Planning Commission voted 5–1 to forward a referral to the Zoning Commission on a package of three zoning-text amendments proposed by McLean (ZC 26‑06), while asking the applicant and zoning regulators to consider a small affordable component for the project.
McLean representatives said the amendments would modernize the town's regulations and support expansion of McLean's campus. Attorney Joe Williams (speaker 4) told the commission the proposal would delete a requirement that a health-care facility be located within 300 feet of an arterial road, arguing the rule is archaic and that traffic impacts are addressed through the special-exception and site-plan review process. "We submit to you that that requirement is antiquated and unnecessary," Williams said.
The second amendment would clarify that inclusionary-housing requirements should not apply to life-plan communities or continuing-care retirement communities because the financial model relies on entrance fees and bundled care contracts rather than traditional sale or rental models. Lisa Clark (speaker 8), McLean's president and CEO, described McLean as a charitable, nonprofit life-plan community that serves "over 300 people" and noted the organization provides community programs and sliding-scale services.
Commissioners pressed on affordability and on whether independent-living units would be counted as housing for town reporting. Clark said McLean's new component comprises 40 duplex-style units (20 duplexes), with an expected resident age minimum of 62; she estimated entry-fee contracts range from about $300,000 to $800,000 depending on contract level and unit size.
The third amendment would adjust setback rules related to golf fairways when a golf club and adjoining residential property are in common or affiliated ownership; McLean representatives said their design would provide more than the 50‑foot/100‑foot separations required by different regulations and that the golf course lease runs for roughly 38 more years.
Commissioner (speaker 6) moved a positive referral that found the arterial‑siting and golf‑setback amendments consistent with the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) but said exempting life‑plan communities from inclusionary rules "is not strictly in the spirit" of the POCD and recommended the Zoning Commission and applicant consider two affordable units among the 40. The motion passed 5–1.
The Planning Commission's action is advisory; the Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing and make any final regulatory changes.
