RECEIVED OCTOBER 17, 2008 @ 8:30 A.M.
Michele R. Grande, Redding Town Clerk
REDDING BOARD OF SELECTMEN
PUBLIC HEARING
October 14, 2008
Filed subject to approval
Present: Miller, Takacs
Members of the Planning Commission: Dean, King, Bakanas, Sarnelli, Welles, Flagg
Staff of Planning Commission: Brooks, Hayes
Members of the Conservation Commission: Pattee, Ross, Schroeder
Also present: two members of the public and a representative of the Redding Pilot.
Mrs. Miller called the Public Hearing to order for the review and discussion of Draft 2008 Town Plan of Conservation and Development and the Open Space Plan.
Mr. Dean of the Planning Commission provided an explanation on how the process for approval of the Town Plan changed from 1998. He outlined the various steps and dates to be met for the process of approving the plan. The Town Plan must be approved at a Town Meeting and finalized by the end of 2008.
Mr. Dean spoke of the area of Affordable Housing and the plan’s recommendations. Currently the Town of Redding does not have any affordable housing units under the guidelines of the State Statute. New legislation provides for opportunities for alternate solutions for affordable units. Home Connecticut initiatives allows towns like Redding to establish a more creative set of rules for affordable housing, to use targeted zoning, targeting sites with access to public transportation, water & sewer, and encourage the affordable units to be built on a non-profit basis. Home Connecticut allows the town to set the design standards, qualifying standards, to select the site, select the developer, and requires Smart Growth standards.
The goal of 10% of the town’s housing units as officially designated affordable units with 40-year deeds is a difficult one for a town the size and landscape of Redding. If the town has an affordable housing project completed and occupied, a three-year moratorium is granted. The GLDC project in Georgetown will contain 55 units of affordable units, but that construction is not yet underway.
Accessory apartments are not recognized as units toward the goal for affordable units, primarily due to the lack of 20-year deed restriction requirement.
Toby Welles: stated that if the Town does not take action on affordable action, developers will take action, with little control by the Town. Technologies for alternate sewage treatment systems are available for use by developers. The Town needs to protect the watershed.
Mike D’Agostino: asked if a moratorium would take effect is affordable housing units are completed. Mr. Dean responded that a 3-year moratorium is possible when the affordable housing units are completed and occupied.
Tom Flagg: stated that the Town instigation of affordable housing is the big solution. Accessory apartments are not in a concentrated area making accessibility to transportation difficult. He suggested tax abatements, and concentration of affordable housing units. He stated that the Town needs to take control of the plan, especially the site location.
Rob Dean: the affordable units could be built on town land on a non-profit basis. If the Town controls the land, there are non-profit developers who would build the units that would be sold, with or without the sale of the land.
Toby Welles: comments on the alternative sewage treatment systems, that the Nature Conservancy issued a white paper that showed a concern about their use, maintenance of the systems, and potential discharge of effluent. The maintenance issue, particularly cost, is of primary concern for use of these systems for small housing developments.
Jo-An Brooks: stated that the primary problem is the amount of land that is needed. Suitable land is scarce, and if suitable land is found, it should be deeded 100% affordable in perpetuity.
Larry Ford: addressed issues related to the fire departments. He stated that the Town must coordinate the planning with the three independent fire departments. He described the issues of lack of water, response time to fires/emergencies, lack of volunteers, etc. He further talked of the need to require fire sprinkler systems for the large homes that are being built and encourage retro-fitting existing homes with sprinklers, and suggested tax abatements to offset some of the cost of the sprinklers.
Rob Dean: noted that the Town Plan includes a request that the Zoning Commission consider revisiting the zoning regulations regarding sprinkler systems in houses with a high risk of fire.
Tom Flagg: offered his support for Mr. Ford’s recommendation regarding fire sprinklers; stated that a fire sprinkler system can control a fire.
ADJOURNMENT
The Public Hearing was adjourned at 9:40 pm.
Respectively submitted,
Mary Maday, Recording Secretary
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