Town Plan and affordable housing votes will be on Jan. 28

CORNWALL — A revised Town Plan of Conservation and Development may be approved next week.

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) plans to meet Jan. 28, prior to a 7 p.m. informational meeting on a potential Incentive Housing Zone.

The commission members discussed the draft plan at their regular meeting  Jan. 12.

More than two years and countless volunteer hours have been invested in the revision. State statute requires towns update their plans every 10 years. The plan is supposed to present a vision for future growth, and it forms the basis of the planning and zoning regulations.

In Cornwall, an approach that involved dozens of residents was aimed at making a plan that will do more than just meet legal requirements. The aim was for a working document, created by consensus, that will give real direction for the town’s future.

Four committees met for about a year, addressing cultural and community resources, housing, economic development and natural resources and conservation.

The commission and consultant Tom McGowan collected input from residents during two public hearing sessions in November. Refinements were made to the draft plan based on those comments. There were no major changes.

Since all adjustments were the result of comments made publicly, it was determined another public hearing is not needed.

Copies of the draft plan are available at Town Hall and at various businesses around town.

As to the Incentive Housing Zone (IHZ), a piece of property off  Route 7, near the south end of town, has been identified as a good candidate by the Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Cooperative.

Establishing an IHZ as part of zoning regulations allows a piece of property to be individually regulated.

The 18-acre property, owned by John Bates, has four developable acres with good soils that would support dense development. In an IHZ, 20 percent of housing would be deed-restricted as affordable. The site would support 16 units and up to 33 bedrooms, the latter determined by septic guidelines. It factors out to three affordable homes.

The 4 acres are set back from the road and buffered from the road by trees, making it a good spot for children. The remainder of the property is undevelopable, either because of slope or proximity to the river, and would remain open space.

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