To: Planning and Zoning Commission
From: William Warner, AICP, Director of Planning, Conservation and Development
Date: January 27, 2006
RE: Plan of Conservation and Development
The 1990 Plan of Development and the goals and objectives contained therein have served the City well and will continue to serve the City well.
The Commission has previously agreed that rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, we should keep the 1990 Plan in effect and develop an "Action Plan" which brings the 1990 Plan up-to-date and outlines very specific recommendations for the future. The [following] draft includes the following chapters:
- Chapter 1- Introduction
- Chapter 2- Population
- Chapter 3- Housing
- Chapter 4- Current Land Use
- Chapter 5- Section 1 Conclusions
- Chapter 6- Managing Future Residential Growth
- Chapter 7- Protecting Natural Resources and Preserving Rural Character
- Chapter 8- Addressing the Urban Dilemma
- Chapter 9- Promoting Commercial and Industrial Growth
- Chapter 10- Maromas, Middletown's last frontier
These chapters are my recommendations of the key issues that the city must address to prepare for the year 2010 and beyond. In order to move forward, these have to become the Commission's recommendations. The Commission must fully understand the land use issues facing the City and then devise their recommendations for what is the most desirable type of development for our remaining undeveloped land.
In order to help the Commission understand the wide variety of land use issues and divide this large and diverse city into manageable areas, I have broken the City into "planning regions". The attached map displays the following planning regions:
- Region 1- I-91 West
- Region 2- I-91 - Rt. 217
- Region 3- Rt. 217 - Rt. 3
- Region 4- Long Hill/Wesleyan Hills
- Region 5- Downtown Core/Waterfront
- Region 6- Wesleyan/Long Lane
- Region 7- South Farms North
- Region 8- South Farms South
- Region 9- Maromas
I propose a series of technical memorandums, which includes a full discussion about the region and the issue facing it. The technical memorandums will include maps, pictures and the following narrative.
- Description of Region
- Natural Resources
- Current Land Use and Zoning
- Transportation and Utilities
- Existing Open Space
- Undevelopable Land Analysis
- Developable Land
- Key Issues and recommendations
In order to complete this process in the most efficient and expeditious manner, I suggest we don't have any public hearing on the second meeting of the month and we devote that meeting to Old and New Business and Plan of Development Workshop.
Once all the regions have been discussed, we will be able to compile the key issues facing the entire town and move right into a formal document and recommendations for the future.
I look forward to discussing this proposal with the Commission at your next meeting.