Town of Cromwell Plan of Conservation and Development Acknowledgements Paul C. Beaulieu, First Selectman Plan of Conservation and Development Committee Thomas Madden, Chair Jonathan Beatty Karen Beaulieu Michael Cannata Dick Coughlin Nick Demetriades Robert Jahn Lu Landis Laurene McEntire Julius Neto Eric Rennie Stan Stachura Craig Stevenson Administration Craig Minor, Town Planner Prepared by peter j. smith & company, inc. Buffalo, NY and Fort Erie, Ontario Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview and Purpose ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Authority for a Plan of Conservation and Development .................................. 2 1.3 Why Do a Plan of Conservation and Development? .......................................... 3 1.4 Adopting and Implementing the Plan ..................................................................... 4 2 OUR STRATEGY ..................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Goals, Objectives and Policies .................................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Land Use ......................................................................................................................... 8 2.1.2 Open Space .................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.3 Nature ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.1.4 Circulation .................................................................................................................... 10 2.1.5 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................... 11 2.1.6 Economy ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.1.7 Population ................................................................................................................... 13 2.1.8 Housing ........................................................................................................................ 13 2.1.9 Community Facilities .................................................................................................. 14 2.2 Recommendations for the Plan of Conservation & Development ............... 15 2.2.1 General Recommendations ....................................................................................... 15 2.2.2 Planning Recommendations ...................................................................................... 19 2.2.3 Development Projects ................................................................................................ 22 2.3 Development Potentials Plan .................................................................................. 25 2.4 Future Land Use Plan .................................................................................................. 27 2.5 Community Build-Out Analysis ............................................................................... 33 2.6 Town Growth Management Techniques .............................................................. 41 3 OUR PEOPLE ........................................................................................................ 47 3.1 Population Inventory ................................................................................................. 47 3.1.1 Changes in Population ............................................................................................... 47 3.1.2 Population Projections ............................................................................................... 49 i 3.1.3 Findings ........................................................................................................................ 49 3.2 Housing Inventory ...................................................................................................... 50 3.2.1 Total Housing Units and Occupancy ....................................................................... 50 3.2.2 Age of Housing ........................................................................................................... 51 3.2.3 Housing Trends ........................................................................................................... 51 3.2.4 Findings ........................................................................................................................ 54 3.3 Community Inventory ............................................................................................... 55 3.3.1 Government Structure ................................................................................................ 55 3.3.2 Historic and Cultural Resources ................................................................................ 56 3.3.3 Educational Resources ................................................................................................ 57 3.3.4 Library Resources ........................................................................................................ 59 3.3.5 Emergency Resources.................................................................................................. 59 3.3.6 Health Facilities ........................................................................................................... 62 3.3.7 Human Services ........................................................................................................... 63 3.3.8 Findings ........................................................................................................................ 65 4 OUR PLACE .......................................................................................................... 67 4.1 Land Use Inventory ..................................................................................................... 67 4.1.1 Existing Land Use ........................................................................................................ 68 4.1.2 Development Possibilities .......................................................................................... 77 4.2 Recreation Inventory ................................................................................................. 79 4.2.1 Recreation Facilities .................................................................................................... 79 4.2.2 Findings ........................................................................................................................ 89 4.3 Nature Inventory ......................................................................................................... 91 4.3.1 Geology and Topography ......................................................................................... 91 4.3.2 Findings ...................................................................................................................... 100 4.4 Circulation Inventory ............................................................................................... 102 4.4.1 Roads and Traffic ...................................................................................................... 102 4.4.2 Findings: ..................................................................................................................... 110 4.5 Infrastructure and Utilities Inventory ................................................................. 111 4.5.1 Water .......................................................................................................................... 111 4.5.2 Sanitary Sewer ........................................................................................................... 112 4.5.3 Storm Water Management ...................................................................................... 113 4.5.4 Utilities ....................................................................................................................... 114 4.5.5 Findings ...................................................................................................................... 115 5 OUR COMMERCE .............................................................................................. 117 5.1 Economic Inventory .................................................................................................. 117 5.1.1 Labor Force ................................................................................................................ 117 5.1.2 Employment .............................................................................................................. 119 5.1.3 Income ........................................................................................................................ 121 5.1.4 Poverty ....................................................................................................................... 122 5.1.5 Business Activity ........................................................................................................ 123 5.1.6 Town Budget ............................................................................................................. 128 5.1.7 Findings ...................................................................................................................... 131 6 OUR COMMENTS .............................................................................................