Town land use officials adopt new tools to enable private investment in targeted neighborhoodA New Vision for Downtown Pawcatuck
Stonington, CT – On Tuesday, September 19, the Stonington Planning and Zoning Commission adopted a new zoning regulation “PV-5” that covers much of Downtown Pawcatuck. The town’s strategic planning tool, the Plan of Conservation and Development, recommends that the town review its 30 to 40-year-old zoning regulations and contemporize them for what residents, business owners, and investors want and need. To help facilitate this process, the Economic Development Commission has been hosting community meetings to gather community input that result in updated regulations. The contemporized PV-5 regulation is designed to incentivize rehabilitation and investment that creates a vibrant, walkable neighborhood. The new regulation takes effect October 9, 2017.
“I congratulate Planning & Zoning Chairman David Rathbun and his commission for approving the Pawcatuck Village 5 Zoning changes, “said First Selectman Rob Simmons, “because these changes promise to bring much needed economic development to Pawcatuck Village. As well, I thank the Economic Development Committee for their leadership and support of this important initiative.”
In March 2017, a community meeting was held at the Pawcatuck Fire House to discuss various options to help rejuvenate Downtown Pawcatuck. The majority of attendees felt that Downtown Pawcatuck has lagged its peers in Westerly, Downtown Mystic and Stonington Borough and that land use regulations were often limiting redevelopment opportunities.
The community vision is to create a more livable and business-friendly Downtown Pawcatuck with higher-density, mixed-use buildings housing commercial businesses on the ground floor and apartments or other uses above. Many studies across the country show that people, especially Millennials want to live, work and play in the same neighborhood. By allowing larger buildings it could be economically viable for developers to expand existing buildings or build new ones that are closer to the curb, and have the parking at the back of the building. This planning approach is more conducive to a vibrant, walkable neighborhood.
In response to comments received at the March meeting, the new zone includes 156 properties and is focused on the area of West Broad, Liberty and Mechanic Streets (areas formerly zoned DB-5 and LS-5). Updates made to the zoning regulations include adding permitted uses, loosening the bulk requirements, significantly increasing allowed density for mixed use development and streamlining the permitting process.
Downtown Pawcatuck business owner, Jim Lathrop said “PV-5 is by far the largest comprehensive zoning change in Stonington since the 1970's. It cleverly incentivizes responsible development in the downtown Pawcatuck area."
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The Stonington Department of Planning is a Town Charter-established agency that works under the direction of the First Selectman of the Town of Stonington. The team is comprised of land use and community development professionals, that work to implement recommendations in the Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, review land use applications, and enforce land use regulations. The Department provided technical assistance to the Planning and Zoning Commission as part of this amendment process.