Hearing Jan. 6 On P&Z Upzoning Proposal
Hearing Jan. 6 On P&Z Upzoning Proposal
By Andrew Gorosko
The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) is scheduled to resume a public hearing Thursday, January 6 on its controversial proposal to upzone large areas of town to protect water quality in the Pootatuck Aquifer and to preserve local groundwater quality in general.
The hearing is scheduled for 8 pm at the town land use office at Canaan House at Fairfield Hills.
The comprehensive upzoning covers an aggregate area of more than four square miles, or an area greater than 2,500 acres. The sweeping proposal affects approximately 2,315 residential properties in south-central Newtown and the several lakeside communities situated along Lake Zoar. Almost 2,000 of the affected properties have dwellings on them.
Property owners who would be affected by the proposal to upzone many densely-built residential sections of town told P&Z members at a December public hearing they fear that increasing minimum zoning standards will damage their propertiesâ development potential, and thus reduce the value of their land.
The proposed changes are intended to bring the townâs zoning map into conformance with the tougher set of development regulations for the Aquifer Protection District (APD) which the P&Z approved last June. Upzoning would decrease potential residential construction densities.
Under the proposal, some areas with one-half acre residential zoning would be upgraded to either one-acre or two-acre zoning. Also, some areas with one-acre residential zoning would be upzoned to two-acre zoning.
The underlying issue behind upgrading land to one-acre zoning is ensuring that building lots are large enough to safely provide adequate space for both a septic system and a domestic water well.
The P&Z recommends upgrading land to two-acre minimum zoning as a groundwater quality protection measure in the APD.
The upzoning proposal is intended to prevent future groundwater contamination and to avoid the need to extend the municipal sewer system and the public water supply system.
The proposed upzoning is intended to place stricter zoning requirements and tighter construction density limits on the lakeside communities, which have a history of groundwater contamination problems due to failing septic systems.