Planning & Zoning Director Laurence Bradley has announced that the Planning & Zoning Commission has completed work on establishing its major planning and development priorities for 2009 and set up five subcommittees, one for each priority, to lead the effort. 

The priorities were agreed upon after reviewing a series of proposals made by commission members based on a blend of public input during the Town Plan of Conservation and Development, public comments and the commission’s and staff experience in the application review process. 

“Our objective this year is to continue with some of the work that we started in 2008 including residential structure regulations and affordable housing initiatives,” said Ron Corwin, Planning & Zoning Chairman.  “We are also taking some new challenges given these tough economic times that include new zoning regulation for downtown and proactive planning.”   

Each year as part of its annual meeting process, the commission establishes planning priorities that creates a planning and development agenda for that year.   

The priorities, listed below, were not ranked by the commission and each priority has a subcommittee of commission members and staff to work on the activities: 

1. Residential Structures - Complete review of the regulations relating to the relationship between house and lot size.
2. Affordable Housing - Work with both the commission and other Town of Westport agencies to increase the number and percentage of affordable housing units within Westport, and to increase efforts to achieve a moratorium on 8-30g applications.
3. Downtown Regulations - Building upon the 2007 Town Plan of Conservation and Development, the commission is seeking to implement some of the plan’s objectives.
4. Process - Review and recommend changes in commission procedures to increase commission efficiency and effectiveness.
5. Downturn Pluses/Proactive Planning – The Commission recognizes that significant changes in the economy may require that Planning & Zoning must also adapt.  The commission will be reviewing proposals to address this matter.