Newtown, Connecticut PLAN OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT 2014 Update ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS NEWTOWN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION Lilla Dean, Chairman B. Jane Brymer, Secretary Robert Mulholland, Vice-Chairman Michael Porco, Sr. Rudolph Pozek Alternate Members Frank Corigliano Peggy Fillion Benjamin Spragg James Swift Margaret Wilkin, Clerk NEWTOWN BOARD OF SELECTMEN NEWTOWN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TOWN STAFF George Benson, Director of Land Use and Planning Robert Sibley, Deputy Director of Land Use and Planning Ann Mazur, Land Use Agency Administrative Assistant Tammy Hazen, Land Use Agency Secretary TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... 1 II. VISION STATEMENT .................................................................................................................... 6 III. NEWTOWN IN PERSPECTIVE – Growth, Change and Trends ............................................... 7 A. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 7 B. Population Growth ................................................................................................................. 7 C. Population Changes ................................................................................................................ 7 D. Household Characteristics .................................................................................................... 10 E. .. Housing Growth ................................................................................................................... 11 F. .. Development Patterns and Trends ....................................................................................... 12 IV. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE.............................................................................................. 13 A. What is a Plan of Conservation and Development ............................................................... 13 B. The Process of Updating Newtown’s Plan of Conservation and Development ................... 13 C. Updating Newtown’s Plan of Conservation and Development: What is Legally Required ........................................................................................... 14 D. Geographical Information System (GIS) Mapping .............................................................. 15 V. ACHIEVING THE VISION ........................................................................................................... 17 A. Community Character .......................................................................................................... 17 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 17 2. Defining Newtown's Character .................................................................................. 17 3. Design Advisory Board .............................................................................................. 25 B. Conservation and Natural Resources ................................................................................... 26 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 26 2. Defining Newtown's Natural Resources ...................................................................... 26 3. Natural Resources Inventory........................................................................................ 27 4. Preservation ................................................................................................................. 47 5. Sustainable Energy ..................................................................................................... 48 C. Open Space .......................................................................................................................... 50 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 50 2. Present, History and Future.......................................................................................... 50 D. Housing ................................................................................................................................ 61 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 61 2. Existing Housing Conditions ....................................................................................... 61 3. Affordability of Housing.............................................................................................. 64 4. Incentive Housing Zones Considerations .................................................................... 66 5. Elderly Housing (EH-10) Zones .................................................................................. 70 E. Economic Development ....................................................................................................... 73 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 73 2. Existing Conditions ...................................................................................................... 73 3. Recent Economic Development Activity in Newtown ................................................ 75 4. Capacity for Future Growth ......................................................................................... 79 F. Community Facilities ........................................................................................................... 83 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 83 2. Existing Conditions and Future Needs ........................................................................ 83 G. Transportation .................................................................................................................... 110 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 110 2. Functional Classification of Newtown's Roadway .................................................... 110 3. Existing Conditions .................................................................................................... 111 4. Public Transportation Bus and Rail Service .............................................................. 127 5. Pedestrian Circulation and Bikeways ........................................................................ 128 6. Access Management .................................................................................................. 130 H. The Borough ...................................................................................................................... 132 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 132 2. Background ................................................................................................................ 132 3. Village Center Plan .................................................................................................... 134 4. Recommendation ....................................................................................................... 136 I. Special and Overlay Districts and Corridors ...................................................................... 137 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 137 2. Fairfield Hills Adaptive Reuse Zone ......................................................................... 137 3. Sandy Hook Center Design District ........................................................................... 142 4. Hawleyville Center Design District ........................................................................... 146 5. South Main Street Village Design ............................................................................. 147 J. Future Land Use Plan ......................................................................................................... 152 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 152 2. Newtown's Future Land Use Plan .............................................................................. 152 3. POCD Goals and Implementation Strategies ............................................................. 152 4. Residential Land Use Categories ............................................................................... 153 5. Non-Residential Land Use Categories ....................................................................... 155 VI. ISSUES, GOALS AND STRATEGIES THE PLAN A. Community Character - Issues, Goals and Strategies .................................................................. 158 B. Conservation and Natural Resources - Issues, Goals and Strategies ........................................... 160 C. Open Space initiatives - Issues, Goals and Strategies .................................................................. 164 D. Housing initiatives - Issues, Goals and Strategies ....................................................................... 166 E. Economic Development - Issues, Goals and Strategies ..............................................................