Welcome to the Connecticut Zoning Initiative. The purpose of this collaborative effort between the Connecticut Fair Housing Center and the Cities Suburbs & Schools Project at Trinity College is to promote smart, fair and effective land use policy by collecting and presenting accurate town-by-town zoning data. This page includes a scrollable “card view” listing data for each town, a link to a full spreadsheet with data for all towns in Connecticut, a link to the definitions used for this project, a place to provide comments, and several maps intended to illustrate the potential power of the data.
We invite visitors to review our beta version of this data for their town in the “card view” below the first map and let us know of any clarifications, additions, corrections or suggestions. Commenting on this page closed on January 31, 2013, but you still may send an email with your feedback or questions to rslate@ctfairhousing.org. Please note the definitions we have developed to allow for a uniform review of zoning ordinances may not directly correspond with the definitions used in any given town’s zoning ordinance, so be sure to review the definitions via the link provided before leaving your comment. Data below are current as of July 2012, unless otherwise stated.
Map 1: Percent of Total Zones Per Town Allowing Multifamily Housing
Click on any town for zoning summary & link to regulations
Card view: Scroll through more detailed zoning data below, or search by town name (use ctrl-F or command-F), or open the full spreadsheet in a new tab/window.
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Definitions: Scroll through definitions below, or open in a new tab/window.
Map 2: Percent of Housing Stock Considered Affordable, 8-30g (2011) shows the percentage of housing stock in each town meeting Connecticut’s statutory definition of affordable housing, according to General Statute 8-30g, which includes government assisted units, tenant rental assistance, CHFA/USDA mortgages, and deed restricted units. (Click on any town for more details.)
Map 3: Multifamily Housing Permitted shows whether a town’s zoning regulations allow multifamily housing of three or more units, and if so, whether the zoning regulations require a special permit or if they allow multifamily housing by right. (Click on any town for more details.)
I have no idea where you got some of those numbers from! We do not allow multi-family housing in any of or regular established (physically existing) Zones. We have 2 Special Zones – one of which is a Floating Zone which has not “landed” anywhere – so it really doesn’t exist. We do allow mulit-family housing there by right. That district is very different and any development will be governed by a Master Plan that has a lot of flexibility with respect to Dimensional standards or density. We also have an Affordable Housing Overlay Zone that is specific to one project currently in the works… so maybe you got some of your numbers from that section, but your overall analysis is VERY misleading. Not sure where you got .918acres as a minimum lot size for single family as it is different per each of the 3 residential zones.
As for Elderly Housing…? We have regulations to permit a Senior Continuing Care Facility in certain Zones. This is different than elderly housing. We hope to have “Senior Housing” Regulations soon.
The Affordable Housing Overlay Zone is specific to one location only – but your data makes it seem like it is allowed anywhere with a 5 acre minimum. That minimum is for that project ONLY. Affordable housing is allowed in any zone that allows residential uses… via 8-30g.
The last figure I saw for our percent affordable was .89%.
I don’t know… I think someone might want to call me or meet with me before you publish this.
thanks.
Juliet:
Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed comment. We will be responding to this and other comments after the holidays.
Take care,
Bob Slate
Moderator
Juliet:
Again, thank you for your thoughtful feedback on the North Stonington information in this “beta” release of zoning data. We hope that our responses below (in bold) are helpful to you:
“We do not allow multi-family housing in any of or regular established (physically existing) Zones. We have 2 Special Zones – one of which is a Floating Zone which has not “landed” anywhere – so it really doesn’t exist. We do allow mulit-family housing there by right. That district is very different and any development will be governed by a Master Plan that has a lot of flexibility with respect to Dimensional standards or density. We also have an Affordable Housing Overlay Zone that is specific to one project currently in the works… so maybe you got some of your numbers from that section, but your overall analysis is VERY misleading.”
Our data counts floating zones and overlay zones as ‘1’ each. We understand the issues you raised about such zones. However, we wanted to give credit to towns that have enacted floating and overlay zones.
“Not sure where you got .918acres as a minimum lot size for single family as it is different per each of the 3 residential zones.”
Zone R-40 – section 1301 of the regulations states that the minimum lot size for single family is .918 acres. This is the smallest lot size in the town for single family.
“As for Elderly Housing…? We have regulations to permit a Senior Continuing Care Facility in certain Zones. This is different than elderly housing. We hope to have “Senior Housing” Regulations soon.”
Section 1201.7 of the regulations outlines “Elderly Housing” for the town, and the language suggests it includes independent living facilities for the elderly. Independent living is counted in our data as housing for the elderly.
“The Affordable Housing Overlay Zone is specific to one location only – but your data makes it seem like it is allowed anywhere with a 5 acre minimum. That minimum is for that project ONLY. Affordable housing is allowed in any zone that allows residential uses… via 8-30g.”
Section 1106.4 of the regulations shows a 5 acre minimum (Section 11-9) for affordable housing. “8-30g” is an appeal process and does not automatically make affordable housing development available.
“The last figure I saw for our percent affordable was .89%.”
We obtained a .79% figure (for 2011)
“I don’t know… I think someone might want to call me or meet with me before you publish this.”
We would be happy to speak with you in early January if you still have questions.
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Sincerely,
The Zoning Data Initiative
Multi-family buildings are allowed in the R12 and R7 zones, where the maximum density is 5.45 dwelling units per acre. Multi-family buildings at that same density are also allowed as part of a residential development in the R-D zone, but only when the overall density does not exceed 3.5 du/ac. Multi-family buildings are allowed in the PD zone at 9.68 du/ac., but the maximum building coverage is 25% of the lot.
Craig:
Thank you for your corrections. We will be responding to this and other comments after the holidays.
Take care,
Bob Slate
Moderator
Please note the following corrections as it applies to the Town of Wilton:
Number of Zones that Allow
- Any Residence: 11
- Affordable Housing: 6
Percentage of Total Number of Zones Allowing for:
- Affordable Housing for Families: 46%
Minimum Lot Size in Acres:
- Multi-Family: 3
Maximum Density (units per acre):
- Affordable Housing: 10
Percent of Affordable Housing 3.01%
Robert:
Thank you for your corrections. We will be responding to this and other comments after the holidays.
Take care,
Bob Slate
Moderator
Map #1 is not well-thought out. It’s meaningless to talk about “percentage of zones” that allow multifamily; you should be talking about the percentage of land that allows multifamily. A town may have only one zone out of 20 that allows multifamily development, which would be only 5%, but if half that town is zoned that way, its score would be 50%. You should rethink this map.
Craig:
Again, thank you for your feedback.
As noted, we will be responding to this and other comments after the holidays.
Take care,
Bob Slate
Moderator
Craig:
We appreciate the close examination you have given our data and map construction.
We agree that the “percentage of zones” is not a perfect measurement. However, we are bound by the information that is available, and GIS zoning maps are not consistently provided. Our measurement was crafted to be able to assess town housing accessibility across the entire state.
An additional issue with measuring “land that allows” is that this measurement would not account for floating or overlay zones. Our data purposefully includes these types of zones because our goal was to give as much credit to municipalities as possible concerning all housing accessibility. A potentially important policy recommendation that could come out of this project is that all zoning maps should be in GIS format, where calculating the percentage of land available would be possible.
Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful commentary.
Sincerely,
The Zoning Data Initiative
Just one change: Our minimum Lot Size in Acres (Single Family) is currently 4 acres for a new subdivision.
Michele:
Thank you for your correction. We will be responding to this and other comments after the holidays.
Take care,
Bob Slate
Moderato
1. Three family homes are permitted in the R9 zone on a lot having a minimum of 18,000 sq. ft or .41 acres.
2. In the SA zoning district there is no minimum lot size for elderly housing (age 62 and over). There is a minimum lot size of ten acres for active adult housing for persons 55 and over.
3. Since 2 family homes are permitted within the R9 zone on lots having a minimum of 12,000 square feet, the unit per acre density would be approximately 7 units per acre. 43,560/12,000=3.63 x 2 units= 7.26 units per acre
Jeff:
Thank you for your corrections. We will be responding to this and other comments after the holidays.
Take care,
Bob Slate
Moderator
The City of New Britain allows higher densities in its mixed use zones. There is no density or lot area per dwelling unit restriction in the CBD zone (Central Business District). (Effectively, based on height and floor area restrictions I think it may calculate out to a max potential over 60 units per acre.) In the B-3 (secondary business) zone multi-family residnetial is permitted up to 34 units per acre (though new residential units are not allowed at first floor level). In both cases this is permitted by right, so no special exception or special permit process, jsut administative site plan review by staff, no planning meetings or anything.
I have no idea who did your research for you, or what they were looking at. Your site says the review was done in 2012. Your data is so far off, it is not even remotely accurate. My suggestion to anybody using this site…………..don’t rely on anything presented.
Thank you for your comments. The discrepancies you are seeing may be the result of the definitions we had to adopt to create a uniform review. This project has involved careful analysis of zoning ordinances in excruciating detail; however, it will not be put into final form until we have feedback from towns willing to offer it. We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this effort with you.
Sincerely,
The Zoning Data Initiative
I would have to change about 70% of your figures. That’s a substantial amount of my additional time.
Curt:
Thanks for your response about our zoning statistics for Mansfield. Many of the discrepancies you see are likely due to the unified definitions we had to develop to ensure that we were comparing “apples to apples.” This was necessary because of the wide variations in zoning ordinance definitions in Connecticut. If you are willing to spare the time, perhaps you could provide us with some examples of your concerns so that we can determine the reasons for the discrepancies. We would be happy to take this exchange off-line. You could send any examples to rslate@ctfairhousing.org. Alternatively, we would be happy to discuss this by phone.
The Connecticut Zoning Initiative
My “quick and dirty” review of your figures for Bristol vs. our current Zoning Regulations indicates the following inconsistencies:
- Bristol allows residences in 12 of its 16 zones (7 residential zones and 5 business zones)
- Bristol allows multi-family housing in 7 zones (2 residential zones and – as part of a mixed-use development – 5 business zones)
- Bristol allows housing specifically identified in the Regulations as “affordable housing” in 1 residential zone (of course, nothing prohibits a builder/developer from developing “affordable housing” in any zone where residences are allowed)
- Bristol allows elderly housing in 5 residential zones
- The minimum lot size for single-family dwellings ranges from .115 acres (5,000 sq. ft. lots) to .918 acres (40,000 sq. ft. lots), depending upon the zone.
- The minimum lot size for multi-family dwellings ranges from .161 acres (7,000 sq. ft. lots in a single-family zone) to 2-to-4 acres (in a multi-family zone).
Zoning regulations vary so greatly from community to community that trying to develop the kinds of meaningful comparisons that this study seeks to create is daunting at best and impossible (and perhaps misleading) at worst. While this initiative is certainly laudable, it reminds me of the oft-made observation about the difficulty of trying to herd cats.
Corrections for the Town of Killingworth
Two-family housing is allowed in the Residential District.
Multi-family housing is allowed in the Commercial District Large Business Zone.
Minimum lot size for two-family housing is 2 acres.
Minimum lot size for affordable housing is 1 acre.
Minimum lot size for elderly housing is 1 acre.
Thomas Lentz, Chair P & Z
Please contact me regarding your interpretation of the Colebrook Zoning regulations regarding zones allowing multi-family and affordable housing. I frankly do not understand your interpretation of your regulations and disagree with your findings.
Karen Griswold Nelson, ZEO and Land Use administrator
Town of Colebrook
Monday and Fridays, 9 to 2PM 860-379-3359 extension 209
The maximum density (units per acre) for Two-Family 2.9 per acre in Clinton.
Other than the above the data as you have defined fits in with the Town’s current zoning.
Canterbury allows multi-family via Special Exception in our Rural District via section 5.3.9 of our regs. We are also working to add it to our other zone, Village Commercial, but it is still currently not allowed.
Deep River corrections;
Any housing – 7 districts
Multifamily housing – 1 district
Elderly housing – 4 districts
Percentage of Multifamily – .07%
The minimum lot size in Pomfret is 2 acres. The PSR district requires a minimum of 4 acres.
Your info is a little off for Plainfield. Our RA-19 Zone has a minimum lot size of 19,000 sf (.44 ac) and allows for multi family up to 4 families in a building, provided that the lot contains 21,780 sf (.5 ac) per family (dwelling unit).
The same goes for our RA-30 Zone, except the minimum lot size is 30,000 sf and the lot is required to have 30,000 sf per family (dwelling unit).
Special permits are not required for multi family houses unless garden apartments are to be constructed.
Our RA-40 Zone has a minimum lot size of 40,000 sf, single family homes only.
Our RA-60 Zone has a minimum lot size of 60,000 sf, single family homes only.
There are more than the 13 zones that allow residences in Torrington. There are 6 RRC Zones which were basically PUD’s, that are mapped. Also we have 4 approved Incentive Housing Overlay Zones.
There are 10 zones that allow concregate care.
Thare are 2 zones, I and IP that do not allow single family homes so that the 100% figure is not accurate.
6 zones allow two family uses but 10 zones allow a single family dwelling and an accessory apartment.
The affordable housing special exception would allow a maximum density of 18 units per acre.
The IHZ Overlay Zone does not require special exception approval for multifamily housing, site plan approval only.
Woodbridge Corrections:
# of Zones that Allow:
Any residences ~ 6 (not 7)
Affordable Houswing ~ 5 (not 1)
Minimum Lot Size in Acres:
Elderly Housing ~ 10 (not 1)
Please note as staff we heartly concur with Alan Weiner of Bristol’s comments:
Zoning regulations vary so greatly from community to community that trying to develop the kinds of meaningful comparisons that this study seeks to create is daunting at best and impossible (and perhaps misleading) at worst. While this initiative is certainly laudable, it reminds me of the oft-made observation about the difficulty of trying to herd cats.
The direct link to the current town zoning regulations is provided below.
http://www.woodbridgect.org/filestorage/6585/7513/Woodbridge_Zoning_Regulations_Amended_to_November_25_2011_Public~Semi_Public_Golf_Courses_DOC.pdf