Table of Contents Maps.................................................................................................................................3 A. Purpose of the Plan......................................................................................................4 1. Statutory Requirements............................................................................................4 2. Implementation.........................................................................................................6 B. Process.........................................................................................................................7 C. Heritage of North Branford .........................................................................................8 D. North Branford Today.................................................................................................9 1. The Natural Environment of North Branford……………………………………..9 a. Farmland ........................................................................................................9 b. Open Space Resources.................................................................................10 c. Wetlands.......................................................................................................13 d. Floodplains...................................................................................................14 e. Plant and Animal Habitat .............................................................................15 f. Topography..................................................................................................16 g. Climate Change............................................................................................16 h. River Basins .................................................................................................17 i. Public Water Supply Watershed and Reservoir Land……………………..17 2. People of North Branford.......................................................................................18 3. Transportation........................................................................................................20 4. Infrastructure..........................................................................................................21 a. Sanitary Sewer .............................................................................................21 b. Water............................................................................................................22 c. Storm Drainage/Flooding.............................................................................22 d. East Shore Health District............................................................................23 5. Community Facilities.............................................................................................24 a. Fire Protection..............................................................................................24 b. Libraries .......................................................................................................24 c. Education .....................................................................................................25 6. Municipal Capital Improvements...........................................................................27 7. Cultural Resources .................................................................................................28 8. Patterns of Land Use..............................................................................................29 9. Housing..................................................................................................................32 10. Residential Development Potential......................................................................34 11.Economic Conditions............................................................................................35 Employment Growth........................................................................................35 Employment Sectors........................................................................................36 Manufacturing Employment ............................................................................37 Economic Growth............................................................................................37 12. Housing and Demographics.................................................................................41 1. Characteristics..............................................................................................41 2. Growth of Housing Stock ............................................................................46 1 Plan of Conservation and Development – Adopted November 19, 2009, Effective December 21, 2009 Town of North Branford, CT Turner Miller Group, LLC 3. Housing Affordability..................................................................................48 4. Age Restricted Housing ...............................................................................53 13. Summary of 1979 Environmental Impact Statement for Sewer Expansion ........54 14. Analysis of Open Space Resources......................................................................54 Greenways........................................................................................................54 Regional Water Authority................................................................................57 15. Proposed Transportation Improvements..............................................................58 1. Road Classification ......................................................................................58 16. Evaluation of Existing Commercial and Industrial Zoned Areas ........................60 1. North Branford Center.................................................................................60 2. Northford Center..........................................................................................61 3. Tilcon Quarry...............................................................................................62 4. Route 80 Commercial/Industrial – West Section.........................................62 5. Route 80 Commercial/Industrial – East Section ..........................................65 6. Route 17 Commercial/Industrial ..................................................................67 7. Route 22 Commercial/Industrial ..................................................................68 8. Branford Town Line Business Zones (southeast corner).............................68 E. The Plan for the Future – Overall Goals of the Plan..................................................70 1. Primary Recommendations and Strategies ............................................................72 i. Major Recommendation – Open Space Plan ...............................................72 ii. Major Recommendation – Route 80 Corridor .............................................78 iii.Major Recommendation – North Branford Center......................................84 iv.Major Recommendation – Economic Development Zoning.......................86 v. Major Recommendation – Northford Center...............................................87 vi.Major Recommendation – Sewer Capacity .................................................90 vii.Major Recommendation - Housing.............................................................91 2. Other Recommendations and Strategies…… .......……………………………….92 i.. Recommendation-Economic Development–Industrial Zoning Categories .92 ii. Recommendation - Open Space...................................................................93 iii.Recommendation – Transportation..............................................................95 iv.Recommendation – Age Restricted Housing...............................................97 v. Recommendation – Fire Protection..............................................................97 vi.Recommendation – The Use of “LEEDS” Building Standards...................97 F. Consistency with State and Regional Plan.................................................................98 1. State Plan of Conservation and Development........................................................98 2. Regional Plan .......................................................................................................101 G.Implementation ........................................................................................................102 2 Plan of Conservation and Development – Adopted November 19, 2009, Effective December 21, 2009 Town of North Branford, CT Turner Miller Group, LLC Maps Map 1: Existing Open Space Map Map 2: Utilities Map Map 3: Zoning Map (Current) Map 4: Vacant/Underutilized Properties – Commercial & Industrial Zoned Map 5: Proposed Land Use Map Map 6: Proposed Open Space Plan Map 7: Farm Inventory Map Map 8: Wetlands with FEMA Floodplains Map 9: Natural Diversity Database Zones Map 10: Wetlands Map with FEMA & Slope Data Map 11: North Branford Subdivision Map, PZC Approval Date 1991-2006 Composite Map 3 Plan of Conservation and Development – Adopted November 19, 2009, Effective December 21, 2009 Town of North Branford, CT Turner Miller Group, LLC A. Purpose of the Plan Chapter 126 Section 8-23 (a)(1) of the Connecticut General Statutes requires that at least once every ten years, a planning and zoning commission prepare or amend and adopt a Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). Although a State requirement, the most important function for a Plan is to help guide the future