Bethel schedules April 8 special meeting to vet zoning changes required by SSPA 25‑1

Interim Town Planner Jeremy DeCarly briefed the commission on regulatory changes the town must address by July 1 under SSPA 25‑1, then commissioners agreed to a special information session to review draft language.

DeCarly said three items are the immediate priorities: (1) amend definitions so manufactured homes built to HUD code are treated as single‑family residential uses (removing them from a special‑permit‑only category); (2) create a definition for "middle housing" (two to nine units) and allow these and certain mixed‑use developments through summary/site‑plan review rather than special permit; and (3) address parking for developments under 16 units — the statute limits denial based solely on failure to meet parking minima and allows towns to create limited conservation/traffic mitigation zones where tailored parking standards apply.

"There's really, there's sort of 3 main pieces that we need to deal with by July 1," DeCarly said, and recommended the commission consider treating the downtown TOD area as a candidate for a mitigation zone where different parking standards could be retained.

Commissioners asked about drafting options and whether the office could share model language used by other towns. DeCarly said his team would develop plug‑and‑play regulatory language and hoped to circulate drafts within one to two weeks.

By motion, the commission set a special meeting for April 8 at 7:00 p.m. to hold an information session and review draft zoning amendments related to SSPA 25‑1. The meeting will follow normal public‑notice procedures for a special meeting and allow staff to gather public input before any text amendment public hearing.