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Residents and council press for ad hoc to address illegal apartments
Summary
Residents described safety and quality-of-life impacts of illegal, unpermitted apartments; council received a communication and approved an ad hoc committee including corporation counsel, fire marshal and zoning enforcement to review ordinances and enforcement.
Residents at the Dec. 3 Danbury City Council meeting urged action on illegal and unpermitted apartments, and the council voted to send a communication on the issue to an ad hoc committee that will include multiple city departments.
Dan Azure told the council many single-family neighborhoods, including Hillandale Road, have been affected by overcrowding and illegal room rentals. "An extensive amount of these family single-family homes are now a health and or fire hazard," he said, and he urged changes to laws and ordinances and the formation of an ad hoc to address enforcement.
Ken Gucker also urged the council to tighten zoning language and give enforcement officers clearer authority, citing past incidents where first responders discovered higher-than-expected occupancy after responding to fires. The communication before the council requested an ad hoc with participation from the fire marshal, building inspector, zoning enforcement, the health department’s housing division, corporation counsel, the mayor’s office and planning and zoning.
Councilman Hawley moved to send the communication to an ad hoc that includes the stated departments and offices. The mayor named council leadership to chair the ad hoc. The motion was approved and the ad hoc will begin the work of reviewing relevant ordinances, codes and potential statutory remedies and penalties.
No ordinance changes were adopted at the meeting; the ad hoc will research options and report back to the full council.
