The Devil is in the Details Site plans and site walks are important things to planning and zoning commissions. Knowing the facts and the details of proposed land use activities, taking the proper time to review through it all, and asking questions and getting answers are good means for a planning and zoning commission to …
As you drive about northeastern Connecticut, you cannot help but to notice the beauty that is around you: the rural charm of towns and villages; scenic roads and vistas; forests and open spaces; farms and orchards; stone walls; peaceful neighborhoods; and small shops. For many of us, it is the allure of these things that …
At the end of my last article (On The Spot With Zoning; February 11th, 2011) about spot zoning, which is an illegal granting of a land use activity, I mentioned about special permits. The use of special permits is a legal, time-tested and common method of land use zoning. At the recent CT Land Use …
At a Woodstock Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, there was discussion about open space that had been set-aside when a residential neighborhood was built and plans for it to be transferred to the town for the public to enjoy. This ~39 acres wraps around the back of the housing lots and contains a walking trail …
If you make a contract with someone do work on your house, then you expect that person will complete the job in a full, timely and satisfactory manner. Having a contract binds them legally to either finish the work or to repay you for what they did not do. If you had not paid them …
How often do you think about the water you drink and use each day? We all take it for granted because we are accustomed to having it always available whenever we want it. Yet, when it is not present, we readily notice its absence. We cannot live without it. Two experiences changed my perspective about …
I have written in a series of articles about land use zoning regulations. They may seem an abstract entity, but in fact, they are very much a real thing. Your town uses these hands-on tools every day to achieve the goals of your community’s master plan (usually a Plan of Conservation and Development) for guiding …
What Does Planning and Zoning Look Like in Your Town? Part 2 Read More »
When you drive in your car or walk around, what your town looks like is seen from a street level view. We are familiar with residential neighborhoods of houses, commercial areas of stores and offices, and industrial parks of manufacturing buildings. However, have you taken a good look at all that is actually around you? …
What Does Planning and Zoning Look Like in Your Town? Part 1 Read More »
We think each day about parking our cars. We assume there will be ample parking where we are going, but how often have you worried about actually finding parking? There is the frustration of driving up and down streets or around parking lots to find a spot. There may be the cost of paying at …
Woodstock’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved comprehensive changes to the town’s zoning regulations, as well as approving an updated zoning district map, at a special meeting on July 25th. The Commission had met the week prior to hold public hearings and decided to hold the special meeting in order to take extra …
New Zoning Regulations and Zoning District Map Approved for Woodstock Read More »