Tolland Planning & Zoning Commission Approves Revisions to the Tolland Village Area Zoning Regulations

The Tolland Planning & Zoning Commission, at their meeting on June 11, 2012, approved revisions to the Zoning Regulations for the Tolland Village Area, a proposed transit oriented development node on the northerly side of I-84 at exit 68. The Zoning Regulations were originally adopted July 1, 2011 and were subsequently appealed to Superior Court. The revised regulations address many of the items cited in the appeal by relaxing some of the requirements for vehicular and pedestrian interconnections between properties due to steep topography in areas, eliminating the Use Diagram that is also in the Plan of Conservation and Development and adding access management goals from other areas of the Zoning Regulations.

Steve Williams, a property owner in the zone, was in attendance at the Public Hearing and questioned a section in the regulations that requires commission approval if a lot size is reduced. The commission agreed this could be seen as inhibiting commercial development and voted to remove that section. The revised regulations will become effective on July 1, 2012.  

In other business, the commission approved three properties for designation as Public Act 490 Open Space. This designation is available to property owners with at least ten undeveloped acres in excess of the miniumum lot size. A tax incentive is given for keeping property so designated undeveloped for at least ten years.