The Westport Planning & Zoning Commission has announced that it has completed work on establishing its major planning and development priorities for 2008 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 while considering the Town Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) and the commission’s and staff experience in the application review process. 

“Now that the 2007 Town Plan of Conservation and Development is completed; the commission looks forward to becoming even more active in a number of areas; including affordable housing, updating the zoning regulations and implementing the objectives in the 2007 POCD,”   said Ron Corwin, Planning & Zoning chairman.

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 are listed below were not rank-ordered by the commission, and each one 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. 

3.      Revise Regulations/Smart Growth and Greening - Review and revise selected current regulations to provide technical adjustments, modifications that the commission has been considering and to bring the regulations into greater conformance with the smart growth and greening principals of the 2007 Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

 4.      Process - Review and recommend changes in commission procedures to increase commission efficiency and effectiveness. 

5.      Plan of Conservation and Development Actions –  Coordinate the commission priorities and activities associated with the implementation of the Town Plan of Conservation and Development in general and the P&Z responsibilities in particular.