Northwestern Connecticut Planning Collaborative

Collaborative awarded new $13K grant to support local economic development groups

In November, the Collaborative applied for a $10,000 Preservation of Place grant and was
thrilled to be awarded even more than we had asked for, a grant of $13,237 ! This funding will be used to support each of our towns' economic development committees or
business associations to take the critical next steps needed to keep our village center businesses vital.

This funding will allow us to meet with existing economic development entities groups in our member towns to identify organizational and resource needs (technical assistance, grants and other funding, partnerships, etc.), near and long term goals, and local business
development priorities. In member towns which do not currently have a local economic development group, we will assist in getting one started. We can then help to coordinate the efforts of these local organizations for the economic benefit of the whole region.

This grant is from Connecticut Main Street Center and the 'Preservation of Place' program in cooperation with the State Historic Preservation Office with funds from Community Investment Act of the State of Connecticut.

$250,000 Village Center Vitality Grant Submitted
1st multi-town STEAP application in the State!

On June 23rd the Collaborative submitted a Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) application for economic development on behalf of seven of its member towns. According to OPM this is the first time that seven towns have jointly applied for a STEAP grant. The application received bi-partisan and bi-cameral support from our state legislators who stated in their support letter for our joint application:

"We wholeheartedly support this application...This vital work will help to insure that employment opportunities and economic activity will grow in the years ahead." -Senator Roraback, Senator Witkos, Representative Willis, Representative Smith, and Representative Rigby

We want to thank our state legislators for their support, especially Senator Roraback who wrote and pushed through legislation to allow us to submit this joint application. We are very optimistic that this first ever joint STEAP application will be successful, we expect to be notified this October, and we look forward to working with our towns to carry out this work.

First Village Center Signage Installed in Salisbury
Part of our NWCT Village Center Signage & Wayfinding Initiative
New Salisbury sign being installed

You may have noticed some new signage in Salisbury directing passers-by to all the offerings on Library & Academy Streets. This signage was designed and approved through our NWCT Village Center Vitality Signage & Wayfinding workshops, funded by the Connecticut Main Street Center and was installed earlier this month.

The signs & wayfinding systems designed through these workshops will direct residents and visitors to our local businesses and add to our village center's historic character and sense of place.

This report includes regional and town specific recommendations to encourage the vitality of our village centers for each of our 8 pilot project towns and are presented in a graphic, outline format. The Strategy Report was first introduced to the eight selectmen of our participating towns on September 20. The selectmen had an opportunity to ask questions of the Collaborative’s planners, as well as Dennis Mincieli a senior consultant from AKRF, the economic development firm the Collaborative worked with to produce the Strategy Report. In the coming weeks we will be meeting with local officials and potential public and private funding sources to begin taking action on the revitalization strategies presented in this document. For a copy of the report click here.

We have released a “Current Conditions” report as part of our Village Center Vitality initiative. This report summarizes our online survey that was conducted (May-July 2010), focus group sessions for business and town leaders (April 19th & 20th, 2010), demographics and retail mix in our village centers, and perceived "Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats" in each of the eight village centers. This report will be used as a basis for the next step in the study – developing Action Strategies to preserve our village centers.

A town-specific summary of the economic strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of each of our 8 pilot project towns’ village centers is also included here. To see a copy of this report, click here.

The Northwestern CT Regional Planning Collaborative was awarded a $12,000 grant for our Village Center Vitality project. We are grateful to The Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut for their generosity and look forward to beginning this work.

This grant allows us to begin Phase I of an ambitious, urgent project to reinvigorate the region’s village centers. During this first phase we will design a tool box of marketing, regulatory, and infrastructure steps our towns can take, including opportunities for regional themes and collaboration.

Encouraging the creation of accessory apartments is an easy and cost effective way to facilitate the creation of affordable housing in our NW corner towns. We are happy to announce that we will be working with the Tri-Corner Alliance, an initiative of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, to promote and support the creation of accessory apartments. This work will include the creation of a guide for homeowners on how to create an accessory apartment from initial design through permitting and tenant selection. We will be working with local residents to determine the most effective incentives for creating these apartments and address any impediments.

Can We Help You? We are currently looking for residents of Kent, Norfolk, Salisbury, or Sharon who are interested in considering creating an apartment in their home or on their property (above a garage or barn). We would like to help you through the process in any way we can. If you would like more information or have any interest in exploring the idea of an apartment in your home, please contact us.

Town zoning regulations can inadvertently create barriers to the creation of affordable types of housing. We have created a list of planning and zoning tools that can be used to encourage affordable housing with photos and brief descriptions of how they work. For a copy of this new tool click here

We have completed the first in a series of three tools to help you update your zoning regulations. This first one deals with Statutory Changes to Zoning Administration and Procedures Since 2002. The checklist provides information on which updates are mandatory and which are optional. This is followed by model language you can incorporate into your regulations to deal with each statutory change and a brief explanation of why and how you can make the update. For a copy of this tool click here.

For our eight towns currently in the Collaborative’s service area, we can perform these reviews for you. Please contact us if you are interested. For towns outside of our current service area, we hope this provides you with the tools to cost effectively perform this review yourselves.

Conservation Subdivision Regulations- Many small towns in Connecticut, seek to minimize the environmental and neighborhood impacts of residential development. Communities are also interested in preserving open spaces that help define the community character. This Case Study reviews the options provided in Connecticut General Statutes and the approaches that many Connecticut towns have taken to what is called open space, cluster, or conservation subdivision regulations.

Stormwater Management & Low Impact Development Standards Case Study: Many rural communities like ours are concerned about protecting the water they drink and the lakes and rivers where they fish and swim. New techniques for stormwater management, called Low Impact Development (LID), can help, as described in this case study. Also included are many valuable resources on this issue.

Village District Case Study: Are you interested in ensuring that new development and major renovations that happen in your village center are compatible with existing village character? This 2-page case study provides information and resources for communities interested in considering a village district regulation to help towns deal with this issue.

Wind Energy Case Study: This 2-page case study provides information and resources for communities interested in carefully crafting a zoning regulation that will allow the use of wind turbines in a way that protects scenic views and respects property values. It includes lessons learned by the Town of Goshen in drafting their wind energy regulation.

SALISBURY- “Housing for Tomorrow” Report Contains Valuable Lessons for AllSalisbury has the 8th least affordable housing prices in the state, school enrollments are declining, young families and young adults are leaving, and emergency service volunteers are aging. Sound familiar? This report, developed by a committee of 16 Salisbury residents, documents the need for affordable housing and outlines strategies to get there. It contains valuable information for all of our towns that are dealing with this challenging issue. For a copy of this report click here.

By the Dutchess Land Conservancy. This guide is meant to assist property owners and developers site their homes in a way that respects the homes rural setting. It shows graphically, what to avoid and what is the preferred siting. It also provides suggestions on design, landscaping, driveways, and outbuildings. If you are concerned with scenic and ridgeline protection, consider making this guide available to home builders in your town.

Pizza, Planning, & Workforce Housing. On the evening of March 16th, over forty selectmen, planning & zoning commissioners, legislators, and local Incentive Housing Zone (IHZ) advisors gathered to eat pizza and talk planning. While they were eating, we described our workforce housing initiative, the key requirements of the IHZ program, and what those mean in the context of our rural communities. This included some aerial and street level photographs of our existing village centers to show how any new housing built in an IHZ could reflect the character of existing neighborhoods (for these photos, click here).

Town residents and workers who would qualify for the incentive housing units built in an IHZ based on their family income* include Housatonic Valley Regional High School teachers, Salisbury Central School teachers, Salisbury Bank and Noble Horizons Employees. (*Based on a survey of major employers done by the Salisbury Informal Task Force on Affordable Housing.)

We also introduced our IHZ consultant team, Concord Square Development and heard about their first-hand experience working with communities to create these zones. In Massachusetts, 26 communities have adopted these zones and 2,235 housing units have been built or are under construction.

Thanks to all who attended this event. We are proud of our towns for taking on this important work and look forward to continuing with it.

The Department of Environmental Protection has just released a Municipal Primer: Guide to Creating a “Green and Growing” Community. “The Municipal Primer provides basic information and guidance on a wide variety of topics related to environmental protection. Its purpose is to inform municipal decisionmakers about environmental issues, the potential impacts of their decisions, environmentally preferred alternatives, and potential permit or license requirements. The intent is to give municipal officials a tool that allows them to quickly determine which CT DEP programs relate to any given situation, and provide additional information sources including Web page links and staff contacts.”

A section of this Primer was written specifically for Land Use Boards, Commissions, Agencies and Committees and includes information on topics such as Watershed Management, Aquifer Protection, Streets and Roads Planning, and Low Impact Development.

For recent news articles on Windmill and Wind turbine Regulations click here.

The Real Estate section of the New York Times last Sunday included an article describing the need for and response to affordable housing in Salisbury, CT bringing attention to this critical issue for all our towns. To view the article, click here.

SHARON — In a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 29, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to create the proposed Incentive Housing Zones.

The zones will give the town control of affordable housing developments planned in the town, rather than letting them be in the control of private development companies. The meeting consisted of two parts: a public hearing in which Sharon residents could ask questions, express their concerns, or speak in favor of the zoning change; and the regular meeting, in which the commission voted on whether or not to adopt the zones.

Jocelyn Ayer of the Northwestern Connecticut Planning Collaborative spoke to approximately a dozen attendees at the start of the meeting and explained the specifics of the proposal. (To read the full article, click here).

Planning Collaborative makes recommendations Village

FALLS VILLAGE — The following are recommendations from the Northwest Connecticut Planning Collaborative’s Revitalization Strategies for Falls Village. These are from a draft of the document discussed at a September meeting with the first selectmen of the eight towns in the collaborative (all six Region One towns, plus Norfolk and Goshen). The recommendations are a follow-up to a study done by planning and environmental consulting firm AKRF over the summer.

The study identified strengths and weaknesses in Falls Village’s small downtown area. (To
read the full article, click here)

One of the ways a town can change overnight

Salisbury has had to come to the realization that things can change very quickly for a town center, with the Nov. 2 closing of The White Hart Inn on its Green. The inn has been operating at the center of town, with few interruptions, not just for decades, but for centuries, giving the town a direct connection to its history. The abrupt closing of the inn by its owners, Scott and Roxanne Bok, took the town center in the opposite direction of that recommended by the Village Vitality report recently released by the Northwestern Connecticut Planning Collaborative, but there is no way to control such an action. (To read the full article, click here)

Town leaders meet to share planning strategies

FALLS VILLAGE — A large group of town officials and interested parties met at the Senior Center in Falls Village Monday, Oct. 25, under the aegis of the Northwestern Connecticut Planning Collaborative to discuss what different towns are doing to revitalize their village centers. Representatives from the towns spoke about the current state of play in their jurisdictions. (To read the full article, click here)

Survey: Residents want more choices in villages’ stores

CORNWALL- The Northwester Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative will meet with local and state officals next month to develop an economic development plan based on its study of village vitality in eight area towns.

The report covers conditions in Canaan, Cornwall, Falls Village, Goshen, Kent, Norfolk, Salisbury and Sharon as well as the region as a whole. First selectmen and local legislators will meet at 9 a.m. Sept. 20 at the Wandering Moose restaurant in West Cornwall to discuss the findings. Also present will be Dennis Mincieli, vice president of AKRF, the consulting firm hired to conduct the research, and collaborative planners Jocelyn Ayer and Chris Wood.

The report, which sought comments through a focus group and online survey, looks at demographic characteristics, retail and commercial conditions and needs.

The affordable housing report, in sum
By PATRICK L. SULLIVAN
July, 08, 2010

SALISBURY — “Preserving Salisbury’s Vitality: Housing for Tomorrow,” a report by the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, is a lengthy document with numerous appendices and all sorts of information. It includes specific recommendations and general suggestions, and urges that a permanent, institutional response to the affordable housing question be created by the town. (link)

Looking forward
Editorial
January, 07, 2010

(Excerpt) What other specific reasons are there for hope for the future of the Tri-state region? One is a $12,000 grant given by the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut to the Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative to begin the first phase of a village center revitalization project, as described in Patrick Sullivan’s article in the Dec. 24 Lakeville Journal (link).

Grant will enhance study of village centers
By Patrick L. Sullivan
December, 24, 2009

FALLS VILLAGE — The Northwestern Regional Planning Collaborative has received a grant to begin a study of the village centers in the eight towns served by the organization.
The towns are Goshen, Norfolk, Salisbury, Sharon, Cornwall, Kent, Falls Village and North Canaan. The $12,000 grant is from the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut, and will get the first phase of the collaborative’s Village Center Vitality project under way. The project is described in the organization’s newsletter as “an ambitious, urgent project to reinvigorate the region’s village centers.”(LINK)

Overlay zone will allow for smaller lots, more houses
By PATRICK L. SULLIVAN
September, 24, 2009

SALISBURY — The Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative has issued a preliminary report on creating an Incentive Housing Zone for affordable housing in Salisbury.

An Incentive Housing Zone is an overlay zone that does not change existing regulations, but allows property owners additional options. The zones allow smaller lots (or higher density); state law requires a minimum density of six units per acre for single-family detached housing; 10 units per acre for townhouses or duplexes; and 20 units per acre for multi-family dwellings. (LINK)

Apartments made easier: Planners hear idea
By PATRICK L. SULLIVAN
July, 16, 2009

SALISBURY — Byron Stookey of Brattleboro (Vt.) Area Affordable Housing spoke to interested parties as the Northwestern Connecticut Planning Collaborative kicked off its accessory apartment initiative at a breakfast session Tuesday, June 30, at Town Hall in Salisbury. (Link)

New guide explains how-tos of accessory homes
By Patrick L. Sullivan
June, 11, 2009

SALISBURY — Residents of Salisbury and two other towns will soon have published guidelines on how to create accessory apartments, thanks to a grant from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. The Tri-Corner Alliance, an initiative of the foundation, announced last month a program to promote the creation of accessory apartments in Salisbury, Sharon and Norfolk, to be administered by the Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative’s Jocelyn Ayer. (Link)

Planners explain benefits of ‘overlay zones’ for affordable housing
By Patrick L. Sullivan
March, 26, 2009

FALLS VILLAGE — The Northwestern Connecticut Planning Collaborative sponsored a pizza party for town officials and other interested parties Monday, March 16. In between slices, representatives from Salisbury, Sharon, Falls Village, Cornwall, North Canaan, Kent, Norfolk and Goshen, plus a few from farther-flung towns such as Barkhamsted, listened while planners Jocelyn Ayer and Chris Wood explained what the collaborative has been doing. (Link)

Grants will help towns realize affordable housing plans
By PATRICK L. SULLIVAN
December, 18, 2008

FALLS VILLAGE — The cause of affordable housing in the region took a significant step forward earlier this month as the Northwestern Regional Planning Collaborative announced state grants have been obtained to study affordable housing for five towns, including three in the Region One school district. Salisbury, Sharon and Falls Village (along with Goshen and Norfolk) will receive grants in amounts ranging from $32,000 to $43,000 to conduct technical studies, prepare new regulations and guidelines, and apply for state approval of housing incentive zones. (Cornwall has an application pending.)(Link)

Regional group will help town in affordable housing quest
By PATRICK L. SULLIVAN
November, 27, 2008

SALISBURY — Towns in the Northwest Corner continue to struggle with the challenges of creating new affordable housing while also respecting the desire of Corner residents to protect open space — and their own property values. (Link)

Marvelwood School considers wind energy
By SHAW ISRAEL IZIKSON
October, 02, 2008

KENT — Plans are in the works for construction of a wind turbine farm on the campus of Marvelwood School in Kent. (Link)

Selectmen ready to appoint affordable housing committee
By TERRY COWGILL
October, 02, 2008

SALISBURY —The town is on the verge of appointing a committee charged with coming up with a plan to add perhaps hundreds of units of affordable housing.(Link)

Sharon Ridge housing improvements completed
By SHAW ISRAEL IZIKSON
October, 02, 2008

SHARON — Renovations have been completed at Sharon Ridge, the affordable housing complex located on Sharon Station Road.(Link)

CANAAN-Longtime Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) Chairman Martin McKay has stepped down as a regular member. He will instead fill the remainder of an alternate seat. That term expires with the 2009 elections. (link)

Regional planning group hires staff to promote ‘smart growth’
By TERRY COWGILL
September, 18, 2008

FALLS VILLAGE — The Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative, a pilot program originally spearheaded by two Falls Village officials, has taken the project to the next level. (Link)

Towns wary of state Web site directive
By KAREN BARTOMIOLI
September, 18, 2008

NORTH CANAAN — It’s another state law that doesn’t work in small towns. Public Act No. 08-3, an Act Concerning Comprehensive Ethics Reforms, which impacts what towns include on their Web sites, has sparked reaction from town officials across the region. (Link)

Historic reversal keeps couple out of their lakeside home
By TERRY COWGILL
September, 11, 2008

SALISBURY — In a stunning reversal, a local zoning board has revoked the certificate of occupancy given to a lakeside property owner who constructed a large home that exceeded the parameters of its zoning permit. (Link)

Bypassing zoning logjam — owner initiatives
Patrick H. Hare
September, 11, 2008

Private landowners are taking land planning into their own green hands. In places like the Florida Panhandle, Chatahochee County outside Atlanta, and San Luis Obispo County, California, landowners are creating concentrated communities and, in the process, large areas of preservation. Why? And how? (Link)

Conservation Commission discusses Noble lawsuit behind closed doors
By TERRY COWGILL
August, 21, 2008

SALISBURY — The town’s Conservation Commission met last Tuesday, Aug. 12, and among the agenda items was a lawsuit filed against the town and Noble Horizons, challenging the commission’s decision to grant a permit to Noble to drill a sewer line under the wetlands to service a proposed new cluster of cottages for the elderly off Undermountain Road (Route 41). (Link)

SHARON-When the town outlined its 10-year plan for growth, affordable housing was among residents' most pressing concerns. Resident Ben Heller, a noted figure in the art world, is taking the town at its word by proposing to build 23 three-bedroom and four two-bedroom units of affordable housing. (Link)

The Deck Is Stacked Against Farmland Fate Of Cromwell Parcel Highlights Preservation Challenges
Tom Condon
August 31, 2008

The management guru Peter Drucker once observed that all organizations are perfectly designed to get their current results. That would include the state of Connecticut and its towns. We are perfectly designed to produce sprawl, and we're getting it (Link)

What's New

Planning Collaborative makes recommendations Village

One of the ways a town can change overnight

Town leaders meet to share planning strategies

Survey: Residents want more choices in villages’ stores