House Republican Press Release

 

 

 

April 9, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

 

REP. FREY DEFEATS MANDATED ZONING BILL

 

HARTFORD – State Rep. John Frey, (R-111th District) today defeated a Democratic proposal in the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee to mandate zoning requirements on municipalities.

 

HB-5714, An Act Concerning Zoning For Starter Homes, sets conditions under which proposed residential developments must include relatively small building lots. Towns would be required to impose this requirement whenever they rezone land for residential use. They must also do so when the owners of farms, forests, and open space no longer qualify for the property tax benefit under the 490 land preservation program and the town subsequently rezones the land for residential development.


Towns would have been required to impose the mandate through their zoning regulations on any proposed residential development over five acres. The regulations must require the developer to set aside 20% of the land for maximum one-half acre lots for one- or two-family homes if the soil can support them. The regulations may allow dwellings with three or more units on these lots if the soil can support them. But they may not impose minimum square footage requirements on any of the structures to be built on the set-aside lots. 


The Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee voted down the bill by a vote of 23-25.


Rep. Frey said, “The bill's “one-size-fits-all” nature assumes all municipalities have the same soil, septic and other issues. Ridgefield shouldn’t be lumped in with every other town when it comes to zoning. The bill tries to fix a problem that doesn’t exist in Ridgefield.”

"This is another example of state government trying to dictate to towns instead of letting local government decide what is best," Rep. Frey said.  "One of the most harmful laws passed in the last twenty years is the affordable housing laws (8-30g) which has given us very high density developments at sights such as the former Red Lion.   Eureka has also used this against the town with their plans to develop their property on Bennetts Farm Road.  Bottom-line -- the legislature needs to stick to the pressing issues facing the state and leave local zoning issues to local elected planning and zoning commissions."


Rep. Frey, House Minority Whip, serves the 111th Assembly District of Ridgefield in the state House of Representatives.