Land Use Planning & Conservation

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Land Use Referrals

The State of Connecticut mandates that municipalities refer specific proposals to amend and/or establish zoning maps and regulations, subdivision plans, and Plans of Conservation and Development to the regional council of governments in which the municipalities are located for advisory review.

The Connecticut General Assembly has designated all regional referral reports purely advisory. A local-level land use decision cannot be made based on a referral report.

Referrals can be submitted electronically to Robert Phillips, AICP at referrals@nhcogct.gov

-or-

Via certified mail to 355 Goshen Rd. PO Box 832, Litchfield, CT 06759

Zoning Referrals

Under CGS Sec. 8-3b, municipal Zoning Commissions are required to notify each regional council of governments for which the municipalities are located of a proposed zone change or regulation amendment that will affect the use of a zone within five hundred (500) feet of another municipality. The council of government that serves the abutting municipality shall be notified of the proposed zoning amendment.

This notice must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by electronic mail message to the regional council of government(s) in which the proposal is located in, no later than thirty (30) days prior to the public hearing.

POCD Referrals

Under CGS Sec. 8-23h(4), municipal Planning Commissions are required to submit a copy of the municipality’s updated Plan of Conservation and Development or proposed amendment(s) to the regional council of government for review and comment.

The regional council of government will submit an advisory report with a finding of consistency of the plan with the Regional Plan of Conservation and Development, the State Plan of Conservation and Development, and of surrounding municipalities’ Plan of Conservation and Development.

This notice must be sent by certified mail or by electronic mail message to the regional council of government in which the municipality is located in, at least sixty-five (65) days prior to the public hearing on adoption.

Addition/revision of coastal regulations in the Municipal Plan of Conservation and Development shall be submitted to NHCOG and to the Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Revisions may be adopted upon receipt of comments from both the COG and the Commissioner or ninety days after receipt by the Commissioner. (Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 22a-102d)

Subdivision Referrals

Under CGS Sec. 8-26b, municipal Planning Commissions are required to notify regional council of governments in which the municipalities are located of proposed subdivisions when a subdivision of land will abut or include two or more municipalities.

The regional council of governments will submit their findings on the intermunicipal aspects of the proposed subdivision, including street layout, storm drainage, sewer and water services, and other elements that are considered appropriate.

This notice must be sent by certified mail or by electronic mail message to the associated regional council of government(s) in which the proposal is located in, no later than thirty (30) days prior to the public hearing.

Proposals of regional significance may be submitted to NHCOG for referral on a voluntary basis. (Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 4-124u). Some examples of projects of regional significance include those that include at least:

Five hundred thousand square feet of indoor commercial or industrial space,
Two hundred fifty residential housing units in structures under four stories, or
One thousand parking spaces.

State law requires each referral to be sent to NHCOG.

If one or more municipalities outside of the region are implicated (under #1-2 above), referrals also need to be sent to the COGs representing those municipalities. No referrals are required to the states of NY or MA.