PLAN OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT Town of Thomaston, Connecticut 2014 Table of Contents Tighe&Bond Section 1 Introduction 1.1 What is a Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD)? .................... 1-1 1.2 Why Prepare a POCD? ................................................................... 1-1 1.3 How Will the Plan be Used? ............................................................ 1-4 1.4 Relationship Among the Local, Regional and State Plans .................... 1-4 1.5 POCD Process .............................................................................. 1-4 1.5.1 POCD Steering Committee Meetings ...................................... 1-5 1.5.2 Public Forums .................................................................... 1-5 1.5.3 Community Survey ............................................................. 1-5 1.5.4 Required Reviews ............................................................... 1-5 Section 2 Thomaston History 2.1 History of Thomaston .................................................................... 2-1 Section 3 Demographic Trends 3.1 Population Trends ......................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Population Projections ................................................................... 3-1 3.3 Age ............................................................................................ 3-2 3.4 Ethnic and Racial Composition ........................................................ 3-3 3.5 Households ................................................................................. 3-3 3.6 Income ....................................................................................... 3-5 3.7 Poverty ....................................................................................... 3-6 3.8 Major Demographic Trends ............................................................ 3-6 Section 4 Land Use & Growth Patterns 4.1 Current Conditions........................................................................ 4-1 4.2 Location of Growth ....................................................................... 4-1 4.3 Build-Out .................................................................................... 4-4 4.4 State POCD ................................................................................. 4-5 4.5 Conclusions/Recommendations ....................................................... 4-8 Section 5 Natural Resource Conservation 5.1 Current Conditions........................................................................ 5-1 5.2 Land Use Intensity Guidelines ........................................................ 5-4 5.3 Pre-Disaster Mitigation .................................................................. 5-8 5.4 Impervious Surfaces ..................................................................... 5-9 5.5 Major Recommendations ............................................................. 5-10 5.5.1 Open Space and Low Impact Development ........................... 5-10 5.5.2 Energy Conservation ......................................................... 5-10 5.5.3 Wetlands and Watercourses ............................................... 5-10 5.5.4 Floodplain Protection ......................................................... 5-11 i Table of Contents Tighe&Bond 5.5.5 Public Drinking Water & Aquifer Protection ........................... 5-11 5.5.6 Health and Safety & Hazard Mitigation Plan .......................... 5-12 5.5.7 Cultural Resource Preservation ........................................... 5-13 5.5.8 Site Development & Regulation .......................................... 5-13 Section 6 Housing 6.1 Current Conditions........................................................................ 6-1 6.1.1 Housing Stock .................................................................... 6-1 6.1.2 Housing Costs & Value ........................................................ 6-2 6.1.3 Affordable Housing ............................................................. 6-4 6.2 Housing Policies ........................................................................... 6-5 6.3 Major Recommendations ............................................................... 6-6 6.3.1 Housing/Residential Development ......................................... 6-6 6.3.2 Affordable Housing ............................................................. 6-7 6.3.3 Institutional Housing/Group Quarters .................................... 6-7 6.3.4 Senior Housing ................................................................... 6-8 Section 7 Economic Development 7.1 Current Conditions........................................................................ 7-1 7.1.1 Employment ...................................................................... 7-1 7.1.2 Community Development .................................................... 7-3 7.1.3 Agriculture ........................................................................ 7-3 7.2 Economic and Community Development Goals .................................. 7-5 7.2.1 Economic Development ....................................................... 7-5 7.2.2 Community Development .................................................... 7-6 7.2.3 Brownfield Redevelopment ................................................... 7-7 7.2.4 Mixed-Use Development ...................................................... 7-8 7.2.5 Business Access ................................................................. 7-8 7.2.6 Agriculture ........................................................................ 7-8 7.3 Major Recommendations ............................................................... 7-8 Section 8 Transportation 8.1 Current Conditions........................................................................ 8-1 8.2 Travel Trends .............................................................................. 8-1 8.3 Streets and Highways ................................................................... 8-1 8.3.1 Traffic Volumes .................................................................. 8-2 8.3.2 Congestion ........................................................................ 8-4 8.3.3 Safety ............................................................................... 8-4 8.4 Public Transportation/Commuter Lots .............................................. 8-5 8.5 Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities ...................................................... 8-6 8.6 Conclusions/Recommendations ....................................................... 8-6 8.6.1 Transportation Goals & Objectives......................................... 8-7 ii Table of Contents Tighe&Bond Section 9 Open Space and Recreation 9.1 Current Conditions........................................................................ 9-1 9.1.1 Open Space Areas .............................................................. 9-1 9.1.2 Recreation Department Facilities and Programs ....................... 9-2 9.2 Major Recommendations ............................................................... 9-2 9.2.1 Open Space Preservation ..................................................... 9-2 9.2.2 Recreation ......................................................................... 9-4 Section 10 Infrastructure & Community Service 10.1 Overview .................................................................................. 10-1 10.2 Current Conditions...................................................................... 10-1 10.3 Regional Services ....................................................................... 10-1 10.4 Water Service ............................................................................ 10-2 10.5 Wastewater Service .................................................................... 10-5 10.6 Emergency Services ................................................................... 10-6 10.7 Public School System .................................................................. 10-7 10.8 Municipal Facilities & Services ...................................................... 10-8 10.8.1 Municipal Facilities ............................................................ 10-8 10.8.2 Municipal Health and Welfare Services ................................. 10-9 10.9 Major Recommendations ............................................................ 10-10 10.9.1 Public Assistance and Special Needs ................................... 10-10 10.9.2 Educational Services ........................................................ 10-10 10.9.3 Municipal Services ........................................................... 10-10 10.9.4 Public Safety - Police, Fire, and Ambulance ......................... 10-12 Section 11 Future Thomaston Form 11.1 Plan Consistency ........................................................................ 11-3 11.1.1 Consistency with Growth Management Principles of the State Conservation and Development Policies Plan, 2013-2018 ....... 11-3 11.1.2 Consistency with Central Naugatuck Valley Regional Plan of Conservation & Development, 2008 .................................... 11-4 Section 12 Implementation Plan 12.1 Natural Resource Conservation ..................................................... 12-2 12.2 Housing .................................................................................... 12-7 12.3 Economic Development ............................................................... 12-9 12.4 Transportation .......................................................................... 12-14 12.5 Open Space &