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Bloomfield aims to finish Plan of Conservation and Development; town submitted $11.8M DECD application and reports strong permit activity
Summary
John Coleman told the subcommittee the town expects to finish the POCD introductory chapter and deliver a full draft by early August, with a public hearing and state filing targeted in September. He also said the town applied to DECD for about $11.8 million for the town center plan and reported higher-than-budget permit revenues for FY26.
John Coleman, the town planning director, told the governance policy and economic development subcommittee that staff have one final chapter to complete on the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) and that staff will finish rewrites and forward materials to consultants Goldman & York within 10 days.
"We should have the book by early August," Coleman said, and he said the commission could tentatively adopt the plan and set a public hearing in August with formal adoption and state submission expected in September "as required by the statutes."
Coleman also reported the town submitted a round-9 application to the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) on June 6 seeking roughly $11.8 million for the town center plan and expects a decision in September. He said a revised developer RFQ/RFP will go out in July to seek a development partner.
On regulatory work, Coleman said the TPZ has lifted a moratorium on cannabis and adopted new location restrictions and regulations; the town is drafting middle housing regulations to comply with state law and is advancing new solar regulations and a pilot payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) ordinance in anticipation of developer interest.
He listed multiple developments in various stages: completed projects (Bridal Hollow, Tellus 2, 85 Granby Street), several under construction (Seabury, Edith Lane, Abbey Court, 57 Jolly Drive, Arbella), and others in preconstruction or negotiation (270 Woodland, 1151 Blue House Avenue cathedral project, 800 Cottage Grove Road). Coleman said one developer had delayed an application pending POCD adoption and that the town is pursuing compliance issues with Arbella under its tax agreement.
Coleman closed with permit and construction totals for FY26: he reported 215 building permits issued in June, 584 permits in the April'June quarter, and 2,247 permits for the year with a reported construction value of about $126,408,000 and permit value of about $1,747,000, which he said exceeded the budget estimate by roughly $547,000.
The committee had follow-ups about whether lacking a current POCD would halt development; Coleman said most projects can proceed under the existing POCD and identified only one developer deferring action until the plan is adopted. The chair and Coleman agreed staff will investigate a question about why Bloomfield was not part of a regional cannabis-related funding allocation and report back.
Next steps: staff will finish the POCD draft and send it to Goldman & York, distribute drafts to the council in early August, pursue the DECD funding decision in September and circulate the revised RFQ/RFP in July.
