Planning and Zoning Commission reviews state housing bill 8002 and village zoning updates

At its June 23 meeting the East Haddam Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed draft zoning changes prompted by state-level housing guidance and a working draft of the Mudus (village) and East Haddam Village districts. Staff said the draft integrates definitions from what they described as Public Act 25-1 and a local interpretation of bill 8002 and would add middle-housing types such as townhouses and cottage clusters.

Staff member said the state measure "also defined what a transit orientated community was, which was within a half mile of a spot that provided regular service five days a week." The commission noted East Haddam presently lacks fixed-route transit and that on-demand dial‑a‑ride service does not meet the statute's "regular schedule" requirement, so the transit-oriented exemptions would not apply locally.

The draft reduces some bulk requirements in the village district: staff described a proposal to change minimum lot size in the village district from a half acre to one-third acre. Staff member said the change follows a master-plan recommendation intended to allow greater density where feasible but emphasized developers would still have to "come in and demonstrate you can do it," citing state cluster-housing rules that require a minimum of four units per acre.

The draft would also add a site-plan review requirement for new housing in the East Haddam Village District (single-family and two-family), and provide clarifications and new definitions carried forward from the statutes. Staff said the package includes a parking-needs-assessment procedure (to be used if the commission determines a developer's parking provision is inadequate) and boilerplate language from the regional planning consultant.

Committee members pressed staff on practical effects: commissioners asked whether changing minimum lot size would meaningfully increase buildout given existing lot widths, septic limitations and the town's limited vacant land. Staff urged the commission to request feasibility demonstrations from applicants (septic capacity and design) before approving denser proposals.

Chair and commissioners also discussed design guidance for the village, including landscaping, sidewalks, lighting and architecture. Staff said some commercial uses were separated out from restaurant uses and that they had created clearer map PDFs for review.

Next steps: staff said it will forward the draft to the regional planning consultant for review and then to town attorney Matt Willis for final legal review. The commission agreed to digest the materials, solicit consultant feedback and then decide whether to schedule a public hearing.