CT mayor urges a ‘cool down’ of incendiary remarks on zoning
New Haven mayor and New Canaan native urges addressing of inequities
NEW CANAAN — New Haven Mayor and New Canaan native Justin Elicker, a Democrat, said he wants to “cool down” inflammatory rhetoric regarding proposed zoning laws.
The state’s Planning and Development Committee introduced Senate Bill 1024 in early March, which includes numerous changes — one of the most contentious clauses being the need to “establish requirements for zoning regulations concerning accessory apartments, mixed-use developments and multifamily housing.”
Elicker qualified his support, saying on March 29 that the “result of current zoning
practices is perpetuating segregation.” He also offered his observation that Connecticut remains one of the most segregated states in the country.
The former New Canaan resident mentioned results of historic “redlining,” leaving communities in the state still in need for integration.
Desegregate Connecticut, a group founded by Sarah Bronin of Hartford and one set in its support for S.B. 1024, agrees with that sentiment.
“Such practices fortified the development of segregated housing,” the group’s website reads. “Redlining provided an incentive for racially restrictive covenants.”
Elicker pointed to the percentage share of affordable housing units across the town’s housing portfolio to be at 2.9 percent.
“I think that merits state intervention,” Elicker said. “My sense is that more density wouldn’t have a negative impact on the town.”
While calling for more density in housing around transit areas and near the town’s main hub, Elicker admitted that building around these areas could come to fruition quicker in cities like New Haven before New Canaan.
Many municipal leaders in New Canaan, such as members of the Board of Selectmen and Planning and Zoning Commission, oppose S.B. 1024. P&Z Commissioner John Goodwin said at a public meeting earlier this year that he “feels the way we get these things solved is we get help from Hartford,” but not to have the state create zoning laws that would affect New Canaan.
“Most towns in the state of Connecticut are putting in some sort of effort to fight the zoning regulations that exist now,” Elicker said. “I’ve been surprised by the level of pushback. I feel the proposal is quite moderate.” State Sen. Will Haskell, a Democrat who represents New Canaan, does not support S.B. 2014 in its current iteration.
“I think S.B. 1024 needs to be amended to reflect some of the feedback that was received during the Planning and Development Meeting,” Haskell said this week. “In general, I believe our community should promote housing diversity. We need housing that is affordable so that recent graduates, seniors and working families have an opportunity to live here.”
He added that while he doesn’t serve on the Planning and Development Committee, he will be carefully reviewing any legislation that is to be passed out of it.
Falling in line with his notion to halt the hurling of inflammatory remarks back and forth, Elicker wished to separate himself from any argument that opposing state-mandated changes to zoning practices would be considered “racist.”
“I know many people of New Canaan are good people and want to do the right thing,” he said. “I think that cooling down some of the rhetoric is important and talking about specifically how this proposal may or may not impact each town in Connecticut is a good next step. I am hoping people are spending time looking at what the proposal is, and don’t make it seem more than it is.”
Like Haskell, Rep. Tom O’Dea, a Republican who represents New Canaan, has also come out in opposition to S.B. 1024.
The former New Canaan resident and current mayor of New Haven said the main issue at heart is understanding inequities. “We want to be a state that does our part to address this,” Elicker said.