In support of zoning legislation

I firmly believe that the zoning member’s training requirements, as proposed by SB 1026, would help educate volunteer commissioners, who make our zoning decisions, to make better informed decisions that can help our towns move into the future.

One of the reasons I ran for my seat on the New Milford Zoning Commission was to help those in search of housing which they could afford in our community (I speak here as a private citizen, not as a representative of the NMZC). I believe our community is ready to be a leader in local and statewide conversations about updating our zoning codes to accomplish that goal. I believe that my fellow New Milfordites understand that something must be done to ensure our community provides more housing options — including options for our workforce to afford to live in town, young people to return to New Milford, and for our elderly population to age in place. But how? Looking at some of the statewide zoning reform proposals is a good start.

One of the current proposals on the table is in SB 1024: legalizing accessory dwelling units so that they are allowed in accordance with town regulations without a public hearing (that is what “as of right” means). In New Milford, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are allowed only with a Special Permit and public hearing, not as of right. These burdensome requirements make it more difficult to create ADUs, which, because of their size, are a type of naturally occurring affordable housing. The current requirements make it more onerous to create affordable housing of this type which, among other things, may prevent our seniors from being able to age in place. Making ADUs as of right would create affordable living units that are housed within an existing single-family property, therefore making our towns more inclusive while preserving that traditional New England look and feel. Under the proposal, our commission would have full authority over architectural design and could still require owner occupancy.

I will also note that a mere fraction of New Milford’s land is zoned for 2-plus unit housing. Surrounding towns register as having similar numbers. This also makes it more difficult for developers to create more housing that is affordable, which our communities need.

I firmly believe that the zoning member’s training requirements, as proposed by SB 1026, would help educate volunteer commissioners, who make our zoning decisions, to make better informed decisions that can help our towns move into the future. I know it would help me in my duties on the commission. This is something that many local land-use commissioners are supportive of.

Our zoning regulations are a good base to start with, but they can also be modified to guide future growth in ways that can benefit our town. Statewide zoning reform acknowledges this — by making the kind of zoning changes that municipalities cannot easily do on their own. These bills can ensure our town flourishes by ensuring that all towns in our area are rowing in the same, more inclusive, direction.