Granby advisory committee sends center plan revisions to consultant, schedules Nov. 19 presentation

The Town of Granby’s Center Advisory Committee voted Oct. 29 to send the draft center-plan revisions discussed at the meeting to consulting firm BFJ to prepare a final plan. The committee set a public presentation by BFJ for Nov. 19 and plans to finalize its recommendations on Dec. 17 before forwarding them to the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Board of Selectmen.

The committee reviewed a revised draft prepared by member Abby Kenyon and agreed the final BFJ presentation should be concise and focused on Granby-specific recommendations. Committee members asked BFJ to highlight Chapter 4 recommendations, provide a clear map of proposed final boundaries, and present a use chart that plainly compares recommended changes to the existing zoning code. Eric Myers asked the consultant to avoid discussing unrelated projects and requested a tight agenda for the presentation. Meg Jabaily requested that the public be given an opportunity for comment at the end of BFJ’s presentation.

Committee members also identified background documents to be appended to the final plan for additional context: the 2016 Plan of Conservation & Development summary, a 2022 strategic-plan memo, the 2024 Planning & Zoning zoning regulations/notes, parks and recreation planning materials, and a library study. Members volunteered to supply the specific materials for those appendices.

During public comment, Ellen Thompson said both the POCD and Granby’s Affordable Housing plan call for more housing but cautioned that additional regulatory hurdles make development more difficult; she asked whether mixed-use buildings would require special permits or could be allowed by right. John Oates replied that “mixed use can take on a lot of different meanings,” and said requiring a special permit provides a way to ensure new development is appropriate for its location. Abby Kenyon added that the use chart will be updated to reflect that existing single-family homes will be grandfathered, so any special-permit allowances tied to those properties will continue to apply.

Peggy Lareau asked the committee to include plain-language explanations of what a special permit is compared with a by-right use, and she suggested adding hyperlinks in the report to referenced documents so the public can access them easily. David Desiderato asked whether the use chart itself will remain the same; Kenyon said it will be updated to show grandfathering and other changes discussed.

On the formal motion, John Oates moved and Eric Myers seconded a motion to send the revisions discussed that night to BFJ; the motion passed unanimously. The committee recorded two calendar checkpoints: BFJ’s public presentation on Nov. 19 and a final-approval meeting for the committee on Dec. 17. Committee chair Mark Fiorentino said he will provide a brief background at the BFJ presentation and will display the boundary chart during the meeting.

The committee also discussed the possibility of a joint meeting with the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Board of Selectmen to review the recommendations. The meeting adjourned at 9:27 p.m.

Next steps: BFJ will prepare the final plan incorporating the committee’s edits and present on Nov. 19; the committee will convene Dec. 17 to finalize and adopt recommendations for referral to Planning & Zoning and the Board of Selectmen.