2020-2030 Regional Plan of Conservation and Development
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2020-2030 REGIONAL PLAN OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT WESTERN CONNECTICUT COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS 2020-2030 Regional Plan of Conservation and Development Western Connecticut Council of Governments January 2020 The Plan was created under the leadership of: WestCOG Staff: Jayme Stevenson, Chairman, First Selectman, Town of Darien Francis Pickering, Executive Director Rudolph Marconi, Vice Chairman, First Selectman, Town of Michael Towle, Deputy Director Ridgefield Patricia Payne, Finance Director Lynne Vanderslice, Treasurer, First Selectman, Town of Wilton Victoria Ricks, Office Manager Julia Pemberton, Secretary, First Selectman, Town of Redding Kevin Mahoney, Senior Project Manager Matt Knickerbocker, First Selectman, Town of Bethel Kristin Hadjstylianos, Senior Planner Curtis Read, First Selectman, Town of Bridgewater Kristin Floberg, Planner Stephen Dunn, First Selectman, Town of Brookfield Nicole Sullivan, Associate Planner Mark Boughton, Mayor, City of Danbury Ariana Vera, Associate Planner Fred Camillo, First Selectman, Town of Greenwich Charles Vidich, Senior Project Manager Kevin Moynihan, First Selectman, Town of New Canaan Paula Burton, Project Manager Pat Del Monaco, First Selectman, Town of New Fairfield Nicholas Trabka, GIS Analyst Peter Bass, Mayor, Town of New Milford Special thanks to Jamie Bastian, Kendra Daniel Rosenthal, First Selectman, Town of Newtown Beaver, Sam Goater, William Kenny, Holly Parker, and Chadwick Schroeder. Harry Rilling, Mayor, City of Norwalk Don Lowe, First Selectman, Town of Sherman Western Connecticut Council of Governments David Martin, Mayor, City of Stamford 1 Riverside Road Christopher Spaulding, First Selectman, Town of Weston Sandy Hook, CT 06482 Jim Marpe, First Selectman, Town of Westport Phone: (475) 323‐2060 ENGLISH: For language assistance or other accommodations, contact Western Connecticut Council of Governments at [email protected]. ESPAÑOL: Para asistencia con el idioma y otras adaptaciones, por favor póngase en contacto con WestCOG al [email protected]. PORTUGUÊS: Para obter assistência língua ou outras acomodações, entre em contato com WestCOG em [email protected]. FRANÇAIS: Pour obtenir de l'aide linguistique ou d'autres mesures d'adaptation, contactez WestCOG à [email protected]. POLSKI: Aby uzyskać pomoc językową lub inne zakwaterowanie, skontaktuj się z firmą WestCOG pod adresem [email protected]. Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 TABLES 4 FIGURES 5 MAPS 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 8 AN INTRODUCTION TO REGIONALISM 14 DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS 21 INFRASTRUCTURE 26 HOUSING 60 ECONOMY 70 COMMUNITY CHARACTER 79 WATER SUPPLIES AND NATURAL RESOURCES 84 AIR QUALITY 101 AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES 104 APPENDIX A: CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION 110 APPENDIX B: REFERENCE LIST 117 APPENDIX C: LIST OF ACRONYMS 124 APPENDIX D: GOALS AND POLICIES 125 APPENDIX E: RECOMMENDED CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATING PROTECTED OPEN SPACE 131 APPENDIX F: MUNICIPAL CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES 134 APPENDIX G: GLOSSARY OF TERMS 137 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 139 Tables TABLE 1: REGIONAL SERVICES ESTABLISHED BY CONNECTICUT LAW: 1947 TO 2013 ...................................................................... 17 TABLE 2: PER PUPIL COST FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN MUNICIPALITIES IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT: 2017 TO 2018 ..................... 24 TABLE 3: TREE CANOPY COVERAGE ON 50-FOOT BUFFER ZONES ALONG WATERCOURSES IN MUNICIPALITIES OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT: 2019 ........................................................................................................................................................... 30 TABLE 4: NUMBER OF FLOODING EPISODES IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT: 1996 TO 2016 .............................................................. 31 TABLE 5: COMPARISON OF ZONING STANDARDS FOR THE CONTROL OF LAND COVER IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT ....................... 33 TABLE 6: DISTRIBUTION OF WATERSHED LANDS BY PERCENT IMPERMEABLE COVER (ACRES): 2019 .............................................. 35 TABLE 7: HIGHWAY SYSTEM ASSET MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS .......................................................................................... 40 TABLE 8: ESTIMATED REPLACEMENT VALUE OF THE REGION’S LOCALLY OWNED ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE: 2019 ........................... 41 TABLE 9: SUMMARY OF CRITERIA USED TO DEFINE BUILDABLE LOTS IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT 2019 ........................................ 42 TABLE 10: WASTE WATER DESIGN FLOWS AND AVAILABLE CAPACITY FOR WATER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITIES IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT ..................................................................................................................................................................... 44 TABLE 11: AREAS SERVED BY PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEMS IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT: 2019 .............................................................. 45 TABLE 12: RENEWABLE ENERGY RATED CAPACITY IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT BY SOURCE: 2019 (MEGAWATTS) .......................... 48 TABLE 13: ELECTRICITY DEMAND IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT IN 2018 (MEGAWATT HOURS) ....................................................... 50 TABLE 14: ENERGY BENEFITS OF BUILDING ORIENTATION AND SOUTH FACING WINDOWS IN SANDY HOOK, CONNECTICUT, 41.41 DEGREES NORTH LATITUDE .................................................................................................................................................. 53 TABLE 15: AFFORDABLE HOUSING: A STATUS REPORT FOR WESTERN CONNECTICUT .................................................................... 61 TABLE 16: AQUIFER PROTECTION AREAS IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT: 2019 ................................................................................. 85 TABLE 17: MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL POINT SOURCES IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT DISCHARGING INTO LONG ISLAND SOUND . 94 TABLE 18: PROTECTED OPEN SPACE IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT: 2019 ........................................................................................ 96 TABLE 19: TRENDS IN FARMS AND SPECIALTY DAIRY FARMS IN FAIRFIELD AND LITCHFIELD COUNTIES: 1959 TO 2017 ................ 104 TABLE 20: LAND PRESERVED BY THE CONNECTICUT FARMLAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM ......................................................... 106 Tables 4 Figures FIGURE 1: POPULATION TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS FOR WESTERN CONNECTICUT: 1800 TO 2050 ............................................... 21 FIGURE 2: TRENDS IN AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT MUNICIPALITIES: 1990 TO 2017 ........................... 22 FIGURE 3: CHANGE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT FROM SY 2009/2010 - SY 2017/2018 ..................................................... 23 FIGURE 4: POPULATION BREAKDOWN IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT IN 2017 .................................................................................. 25 FIGURE 5: RIPARIAN CORRIDOR, HOUSATONIC RIVER .................................................................................................................. 29 FIGURE 6: EXAMPLE AREA OF RIPARIAN CORRIDOR STUDY ........................................................................................................... 30 FIGURE 7: 2-DAY PRECIPITATION EVENTS EXCEEDING ................................................................................................................... 32 FIGURE 8: RANGE AND AVERAGE OF LOT COVERAGE STANDARDS ................................................................................................ 33 FIGURE 9: REGION'S LAND AREA COMPARED TO IMPERVIOUS AND DIRECTLY CONNECTED IMPERVIOUS LAND AREAS ................... 34 FIGURE 10: BULLS BRIDGE HYDRO-ELECTRIC FACILITY, NEW MILFORD, CT ................................................................................... 47 FIGURE 11: HYDRO-ELECTRIC FACILITY, NEWTOWN AND SOUTHBURY, CT ..................................................................................... 49 FIGURE 12: AZIMUTH VARIATION AND PERCENT SOLAR EFFECTIVENESS AT WINTER SOLSTICE FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS ........ 52 FIGURE 13: SOLAR PANELS ON ACCESSORY STRUCTURE, RIDGEFIELD, CT ...................................................................................... 54 FIGURE 14: BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE; SOURCE: CITY OF CALGARY, CANADA ........................................................................ 57 FIGURE 15: AVERAGE NEW SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE SIZE AND SALES PRICE IN THE UNITED STATES ................................................ 62 FIGURE 16: AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE IN THE UNITED STATES: 1940-2018 ................................................................................ 63 FIGURE 17: TWO FAMILY RESIDENCE, GREENWICH, CT ................................................................................................................. 66 FIGURE 18: UNEMPLOYMENT TRENDS IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT: 2008-2018 ........................................................................... 70 FIGURE 19: PERCENT OF RESIDENTS WORKING AND LIVING IN THE SAME COMMUNITY ................................................................ 75 FIGURE 20: LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION ................................................................................................................................... 75 FIGURE 21: SCENIC ROAD NEAR A BURIAL GROUND IN GREENWICH, CT ....................................................................................... 80 FIGURE 22: UNCLE SAM STILL LIVES IN DANBURY, CT .................................................................................................................. 81 FIGURE 23: WINTER MAINTENANCE TRAINING ON 11/1/2017 ..................................................................................................... 89 FIGURE 24: