Zone change may aid state grant approval
BROOKFIELD — Town officials hope to secure a state grant for the third phase of its downtown streetscape project by tweaking its zoning regulations.
The town said it was at risk of losing about $250,000 of a more than $1 million state grant because the state claimed “amenity” items, such as granite curbing, were not eligible for funding.
But First Selectman Steve Dunn said if these amenities are required in the downtown as part of the zoning regulations, then the state might have to cover them. “We believe we found a workaround,” he said.
The Western Connecticut Council of Governments suggested the town include the so-called “amenities” in its zoning laws.
Judd Everhart, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said Brookfield’s request for funds from the Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program is still being re
viewed.
“If the town changes their downtown regulations/standards, the department would evaluate their changes and determine how it would apply to the specific (LOTCIP) proposal,” he said.
Everhart said the department “reserves the right to limit the state’s financial participation in the level of amenities that are considered participating in a LOTCIP project for consistent treatment of all municipalities, and to maximize the available state funds for capital infrastructure improvements.”
The Zoning Commission, which late last year approved a major overhaul of its zoning regulations, on Thursday set the public hearing on the possible changes for 7 p.m. June 13 in Room 133 at Town Hall.
Under the proposed amendment, streetscape design in the town center would need to have granite curbing, bus shelters, bike racks and more.
This aesthetic is already part of the first phase of streetscape that was installed at the Federal and Station roads intersection nearly two years ago and will be included in the second phase this summer.
“It’s important for us as town, given the amount we’re spending, that we do have the continuity of style,” Dunn said.
With the regulation update, the town would also ensure future developers stick to the aesthetic, rather than opting for cheaper styles, he said.
“They’ll know exactly what’s required and they can include that in the cost of their development because (otherwise) we could get 20 different styles,” Dunn said.
Brookfield Village, a mixed-use development that offers housing on upper levels and retail space on the first floor, follows the town’s preferred aesthetic. The town hopes to attract similar mixed-use buildings.
So far, officials and residents have considered the downtown revitalization efforts a success.
“We’re very happy with the design,” said Greg Dembowski, who manages the project. “We know the residents are happy with the design ... and we want to continue that momentum and plan throughout all future phases.”
Construction is expected to start in June on the second phase of the streetscape project, which will extend improvements further down Federal Road to the Still River Greenway. Work likely will be completely in September or shortly afterward, Dembowski said.
But the confusion over the grant for the $1.3 million third phase, which would bring streetscape down Old Route 7 and Laurel Hill Road, means construction on that part likely will not start until spring 2021.
“This whole process has slowed us down by about three to four months,” Dembowski said. “Even though I would love to see phase three completed in 2020, it’s probably not going to happen.”