Date: Fri 04-Oct-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

P&Z-moratorium-coalition

Full Text:

P&Z Weighs Recommendations By Petitioners

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) Chairman John DeFilippe informed P&Z

members September 26 that he had received a petition signed by 1,427 people

calling for the town to place a six-month moratorium on the acceptance of

residential subdivision applications.

Members of the Newtown Neighborhoods Coalition, a citizens group concerned

about the rapid pace of residential development, presented the petition

signatures to Me DeFilippe on September 24.

Also, the coalition has presented the P&Z with some recommendations on how the

town's land use rules can be strengthened to make it more difficult to build

new homes. The coalition is seeking new restrictions to reduce the town's

potential housing density.

Mr DeFilippe told P&Z members that he and former P&Z member Stephen Adams

agreed to work with coalition members in refining several regulations proposed

by the citizens' group.

Other proposed regulations are either low priorities or were rather drastic in

nature, Mr DeFilippe said.

Coalition members want to meet with the full P&Z to discuss coalition

concerns, Mr DeFilippe reported.

P&Z members last April rejected calls for a moratorium on accepting

residential development applications.

The P&Z and coalition members were expected to discuss the proposed moratorium

and possibly the coalition's ideas on slowing residential growth on the night

of October 3, after the deadline for this edition of The Bee.