Mary Johnson Photo
Branford’s town center will become a “Village District” today as the revised zoning regulations take effect. Stony Creek has also taken an interest in the concept and is looking into the possibility of enacting a similar designation.
The new zoning classification is a way to help ensure that any new construction or renovations will retain the character of the area near the Green. The designation allows for more control over structures, facades, landscaping, lighting, sidewalks, signs and general aesthetics. It applies to commercial buildings and multi-family structures in the Town Center, but not to single-family homes.
Read the new regulations here.
“The Town Center is really unique, and this will help keep it that way,” said First Selectman Anthony “Unk” DaRos. “This is a great move for the town.”
The Village District designation was enacted by a state statute. The concept was adopted by Branford when the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development was approved in 2008. The town center is the first of Branford’s neighborhoods to take advantage of the designation.
The boundaries for the Town Center have also been expanded to include East Main over to the Branford Senior High School and Main Street over to the intersection where North Main Street, a street with historic houses, intersects with Route 1.
Town Planner Shirley Rasmussen said the Village District guidelines are more specific than the previous ones. She said the Town Center Revitalization Review Board will continue to work with new proposals as it did before, but now their job will be more clear-cut.
“The Review Board found it was very helpful to have more detailed guidelines,” Rasmussen said. “The guidelines for the process are now laid out in writing. It doesn’t increase their power; they are still advisory to the Planning and Zoning Commission.”
Rasmussen said if Stony Creek is interested in becoming a Village District, the Stony Creek Association would have to propose a regulation and have it approved by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Unlike the Short Beach and Pine Orchard neighborhoods, Stony Creek relies completely on the town’s P&Z Commission and does not have its own zoning board. Rasmussen said Short Beach and Pine Orchard enact their own zoning rulings because their zoning rulings predate the town’s. However, the P&Z still has jurisdiction for subdivisions and coastal site plan reviews in those areas.
Mary Johnson Photo.
Dan Bullard, president of the Stony Creek Association, said the Village District classification would give the neighborhood some measure of autonomy. “We don’t have very much power or control,” Bullard said. “Right now we have nothing.”
The association formed an exploratory committee to look into several options and concluded that the Village District was the most feasible. Bullard said the committee also considered pursuing an Historic District designation, but concluded that it would be more restrictive and would require a vote by two-thirds of the property owners.
Mary Johnson Photo.
The association recently applied for a $7,500 technical assistance grant from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation in order to hire a consultant to investigate the feasibility of a Village District. The consultant would conduct a survey of Stony Creek, compile draft guidelines and hold a town meeting to garner input. The association would be responsible for $7,500 in matching funds.
In the grant application, the Stony Creek Association stated that when Stony Creek was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, about 71 percent of its 487 buildings “contributed to historic or architectural significance. Recent new construction/renovation threaten to displace the harmony and character that has been relatively unchanged since post World War II.”
Bullard said residents are concerned about what is happening in some areas of the Creek. “The idea is to retain the character of Stony Creek, which is eclectic at best,” Bullard told the Eagle. “We want to maintain the character and rhythm and the feeling of Stony Creek. …We’re not against change as long as it’s in character.”
Mary Johnson Photo.
Ted Ells, a member of the exploratory committee, said they are interested in seeking the Village District designation for residential dwellings as well as commercial. There are very few commercial entities in Stony Creek, and the majority of homes are single-family dwellings.
“Stony Creek is very eclectic. There is no one particular style,” Ells said. “But if you build a house, it should be in keeping with the neighborhood.”
For example, he said it would not be appropriate to build a three story home if the rest of neighbors have single-story homes.
“There’s a lot of misinformation about what a Village District is,” Ells said, adding that it would not dictate what color you could paint your home.
If Stony Creek earns approval for a Village District classification, it would have to create a review board or appoint a professional planner to make recommendations to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
The Village District is only one of a multitude of changes in the town’s new zoning regulations, which become effective today.
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The Village District Act has certainly evolved in a positive way. Branford's new regulations are straight-forward and easy to follow. Developers should have no problem following its directives.
Branford's town center is a gem and this new regulation should keep it that way.