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Planning commissioners discuss POCD, mixed‑use along Route 156 and possible transit‑oriented district ahead of July 29 housing workshop
Summary
Commissioners debated mixed‑use zoning in commercial areas along Route 156, raised concerns that requiring ground‑floor retail could block residential development, and agreed to prepare a transit‑oriented district memo to present after the July 29 housing workshop; staff also flagged an 8‑24 referral gap on Flat Rock Hill housing lots that will require a special meeting.
Commissioners spent the largest portion of the meeting discussing the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), recent zoning changes that allow mixed‑use in certain commercial zones along Route 156, and how the town should respond to state guidance on transit‑oriented and middle‑housing development.
One commissioner warned that a requirement to provide retail on the first floor of new mixed‑use buildings could make residential development infeasible. The commissioner noted the POCD and a pending state statute (discussed in the meeting as "statute 8.2 as amended by Public Act 25‑21") had prompted quick zoning changes and said the commission should consider drafting a transit‑oriented district proposal to align local plans with potential state funding.
Speakers noted sewer extensions in nearby beach communities and an existing or proposed bus line along Route 156 that could make multifamily development more feasible if sewers and transit were in place. The commission asked members to attend a July 29 housing/zoning workshop, to draft a short memo describing what a transit‑oriented district would mean for Old Lyme, and to review materials with designated commission designees after the workshop so recommendations can be channeled into the zoning regulation updates.
Staff also reported that two affordable‑housing lots on Flat Rock Hill require an 8‑24 referral for consistency with the POCD; the Board of Selectmen will vote Monday and staff said the commission will schedule a special meeting after that vote to complete the referral process. RiverCOG’s inventory and whether RiverCOG or the town should lead the housing plan were also discussed; staff said the town will not need to finalize a housing plan until 2027.
No formal zoning changes were adopted at this meeting; commissioners agreed to draft materials for the August meeting and to engage with the July 29 workshop.
