What is r80 zoning

Wooster Street was zoned for industrial use on both sides of the street so there would be no conflicting uses. Given the decline in freight service and the lack of good truck access, the I zone would now be an artifact but for the presence of a number of active industrial uses. The residential uses are non-conforming and their lot size is likely too small for them to be converted to industrial use unless they are assembled with larger, adjoining properties.

One might expect that over time these residences will be absorbed into industrial use, yielding a more uniform land use pattern. The plan recommends that the developed part of this I zone remain intact as it serves a current market function. However, the Future Land Use Plan shows the vacant land in this general area rezoned to R or large-lot residential use. This removes the hint that such an area could be used intensively and reduces the I zone to its actual size.

This area has steep slopes and is over or near the aquifer recharge area and so must have uses meeting high performance standards. The houses in the abutting RR zone on Wooster Street should, at all times, be well-buffered with landscaping and generous setbacks from neighboring industrial activities.

The text regarding site plan approval for non-residential applications Section is comprised of a list of items to be submitted for review by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The text does not describe the process and does not describe the factors which the Planning and Zoning Commission will take into consideration to make its decision.

A clearer and more comprehensive text is desirable, so that all parties to land use decisions - property owner, developer, Planning and Zoning Commission and other municipal and state agencies, and the public- know the route that will be taken to the ultimate decision and where along that journey the application stands.

Most of the items needed by a planning board or agency are present in the Bethel code. What is primarily needed is a reorganization of these items into a logical process where information builds upon itself and arrives at the Planning and Zoning Commission when needed, and language which explains how the approval decision will be made. At present, it simply states that a subdivision map needs to be on file in the Town Clerk's office.

Chapter 95 itself is as complete an explanation of the process as Section is not for the site plan process. Recommendations here focus on the conservation subdivision provision and are discussed in that section. Some hilltops, or ridgelines, have detached single family houses on them, while others have been developed with condominiums whose size and height are particularly apparent during the leafless winter months.

As the Danbury job market continues to strengthen, more and more families discover that Bethel is a convenient and attractive place to purchase a home. There has likewise been the discovery of the beautiful views from atop Bethel's hills and the pressure to build there.

For Bethel residents at large there are two reasons to restrict ridgeline development. The first is visual, as the presence of such structures is visible for miles and so harms the natural beauty of the local landscape. The second is environmental, as the potential for serious disturbance can be great when steep hills are intensively developed: slope erosion, contamination of water resources by surface runoff, and the disruption of wildlife habitats and corridors can result.

In overlaying the land use map and the steep slope map, it appears that a number of hilly properties in both residential and non-residential zones are vacant There are two major hilly areas located on preserved land and therefore not subject to development. The most significant of these properties is the rocky ridge that rises behind west of the Clarke Industrial Park between Trowbridge Drive and the Danbury line. Normally, such steeply sloped land would not be considered developable. But builders in Bethel have shown themselves to be resourceful, so it would appear that the town should take some measures to guide or restrict development in these areas.

Bethel is permitted under state statute to regulate development based on a list of factors, one of these is, obviously, district zoning, but another is erosion and sediment control, specifically relevant to controlling ridgeline development. The spectrum of options runs from setting up a local land trust to buy these properties for preservation in perpetuity to doing nothing.

We have chosen from this spectrum a land use management approach that relies on zoning; this is an action that can be taken directly by town government. Bethel can use one of two zoning techniques, described below.

However, the first step is undertaken in this Plan of Development process: the Future Land Use Plan shows all ridges as preserved land. This will enable the Planning and Zoning Commission to show potential developers what the expectation is for the site. Ridge Overlay District: With this technique, the existing zoning is not changed. The steep slopes are mapped and an overlay district is delineated on top of the base zoning to encompass ridgetop, ridgeline, and slopes.

This same technique can be used for floodplains, wetlands, streams, aquifers, and other important natural resources where the resource itself or life and property need to be protected, and for community resources such as scenic views and historic properties. An overlay district can be readily adopted by appending it to the existing zoning ordinance, so no substantial modification of existing local laws is necessary. These either go into effect upon special application or supplement base zoning in fixed locations.

For example, in Brookfield, Newtown, and Ridgefield, there are aquifer overlay zones to control new development over these sensitive resources.

The text of the ridge overlay district would discuss the siting of structures, tree cutting, landscape buffers, lighting, view corridors, open space, road and lot requirements. The uses allowed under the base zoning would remain in effect. For example, the ridge overlay district text would specify that houses and other structures are not allowed on the ridgetop but have to be sited lower on the hillside and close to existing roads.

Conservation of subdivided lots would be encouraged. The Planning and Zoning Commission should consider offering a density bonus to encourage clustering. Utilities would have to be placed underground. Conservation easements, access to hiking trails, and recreation open space could be required.

Supplemental regulations would control telecommunication towers, billboards and other signs. Ridge Zoning: Areas of steep slopes would be mapped and a new zoning district would be created around them using the ridgeline, slopes, and soil types to delineate the boundaries of the district. New zoning text would specify appropriate by-right and special exception uses and subdivision and site plan standards.

The preference is for overlay districts as opposed to changing the actual zoning. This is an easier tool to use, and one that can be used to protect other resources in Bethel as town government identifies these critical areas and becomes accustomed to administering overlay districts.

The purposes of conservation or conservation subdivisions are manifold. For Bethel's concern about community design, conservation subdivisions accommodate development while also creating a pool of preserved open space. This open space in turn preserves the fast-disappearing rural nature of the town in its earlier years of farming and hat-making.

The compact character of these subdivisions, especially when designed well within a traditional New England framework, also recalls an earlier day of dense settlements surrounded by farmed and fallow land. Encourage Conservation Development through Density Bonus: Given that Bethel cannot mandate that a land developer use a conservation subdivision design, the town can create an incentive for developers to make more use of this technique in order for the town to get what it wants.

The typical incentive is to allow increased density over what the base zoning would allow a standard subdivision. Once the level of incentive is decided upon, modifying the existing conservation subdivision language Section of the subdivision code could be readily accomplished. In order to qualify for the bonus, a developer would have to demonstrate that the proposed subdivision plan meets community objectives. The plan's presumption here is that Bethel wants something more than just another parcel of open space in return for allowing such a design.

These objectives are:. This would mean that for every ten lots that could be created using a conventional subdivision plat, one extra lot would be allowed. It is low enough to be a nearly invisible increase in density, but also sufficiently large to attract developers of sizable parcels. Conservation subdivisions would be allowed on R parcels not served by sewer and in all other R zones if the developer can make a connection to existing sewer service. Amend the Conservation Subdivision Text: In the view of a HVCEO study, Bethel's conservation subdivision regulations have resulted in successful projects where the units have obtained equal or higher purchase prices compared to neighboring conventional cookie-cutter projects.

There are however some weaknesses in the code. Table 1 Land Use Acreages All Rights Reserved. Powered by. Assessor's Office. Bethel Public Library. Board of Education. Building Department. Comptroller's Office. Economic Development. Health Department. Fire Marshal's Office. Office of the First Selectman. Land Use Department. Parks and Recreation. Probate Court. Public Works Department. Registrar of Voters. Senior Center. Social Services Department. Tax Collector's Office. Transfer Station.

Town Clerk. The Plan of Development calculated 10, For a more detailed overview of the R-Code site requirements, and for the minimum site area or maximum plot ratio requirements for multiple dwellings, see pages 58 to 61, of the State Planning Policy. This will reduce the minimum site area by up to a third — a massive 33 percent. For example, if you found an existing home on an m 2 block in an R30 area, with the minimum average lot size of m 2 , the R-Code requirement would limit you to subdividing and building two additional units.

Acquiring approval for this variance; however, is not exactly a simple process. These applications must be made directly with the WAPC at the state level. Your local council cannot approve a development application that proposes an undersized lot until the WAPC has issued their subdivision approval. Your local government controls which areas are zoned with each R-Code. The codes R25 and below are considered low-density, while the medium density codes are R30 through R The codes R80 and above are therefore high-density areas.

Areas near shopping centres and public transport may sometimes be deemed as justifying higher ratings like R You would generally find R80 and above within the CBD. Many council town planners will allow you to schedule pre-lodgement meetings to discuss a proposed development before submitting your subdivision and development application. This offers a great opportunity for you to ask questions and build a win-win relationship.

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