Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Housing Law topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Granby staff outline how new Connecticut housing law will change local zoning
Summary
Town staff told the Board of Selectmen HB 8002 requires Granby to consider allowing 2–9 unit 'middle housing' or mixed‑use on commercial/mixed‑use lots by July 1, 2026, revise parking rules with different standards for 16+ units, and submit a Municipal or Regional Growth Plan by June 1, 2028.
Abby Kenyon, Granby’s director of community development, briefed the Board of Selectmen on HB 8002, a recently enacted Connecticut law that will require several changes to local zoning and planning.
Kenyon told the board the law requires towns to adopt regulations by July 1, 2026 that would allow two‑ to nine‑unit residential buildings (so‑called transit‑community middle housing) or mixed‑use development on any lot zoned for commercial or mixed use, subject only to site plan review and approval; the law forbids requiring a special permit or public hearing for those developments. She said the change could affect zones such as C2, ED and COCE and possibly CC, CE and T1 where commercial uses are currently allowed only by special permit.
The department director also summarized new parking rules: for proposals of more than 16 residential units, a municipality may require one space per studio/one‑bedroom unit and two spaces for units with two or more bedrooms but must allow a developer to submit a parking needs assessment; the town may then condition approval on the option that results in the fewest required spaces. For developments of fewer than 16 units, Kenyon said regulations may not mandate minimum parking unless the property lies within a town‑adopted conservation or traffic mitigation district; the town may adopt up to two such districts totaling not more than 8% of land area and must submit them to the Office of Policy and Management.
Kenyon told the board the new law replaced the old affordable housing plan framework with a requirement that towns submit by June 1, 2028 either a Municipal Growth Plan or participate in a Regional Growth Plan administered by CRCOG. Under the municipal option, a town would set a local target for affordable units and outline steps to achieve it; under the regional option CRCOG would assign targets to member municipalities.
Kenyon said the Planning & Zoning Commission will need to review zoning changes and options, and that staff will bring recommendations back to the commission and the Board of Selectmen for further action.
The briefing concluded with board members and Planning & Zoning commissioners discussing timelines and responsibilities; no regulatory changes were adopted at the meeting.
