Town Of Westport: 12-06-2021 RELEASE Text Amendment To Expedite Review Process For Small Scale Projects In Village District

Westport CT

06 December, 2021

1:49 PM

Description

Press release from the Town of Westport: 12/06/2021 1:00 PM                                                                    Planning & Zoning Director Mary Young announced that on December 16, 2021 at 6:00 PM, the Planning and Zoning Commission is holding a public hearing on Text Amendment #807( here ) to modify the Zoning Regulations affecting activities in the Village District Zone (VDO)/Westport Center. The remote meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. Westport has a Village District comprising 30+/--acres of property containing 79-properties in Westport Center, see map and list. The Village District and related Zoning Regulations were adopted by the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2017 to protect the distinctive character, landscape, and historic structures and development pattern while encouraging a mixed use, walkable district that is attractive to residents, employees, and visitors. The Village District zoning regulations provide design principles and standards to give developers clear, definitive guidelines for exterior changes to existing buildings.   The 2017 Plan of Conservation and Development recommends, "Monitor the effectiveness of the new village district review process and design standards and modify as necessary." pg. 67 Mary Young said, "Upon review and evaluation, the Planning and Zoning Commission has become aware the regulations as written have caused unnecessary delays for small-scale projects that if located outside the Village District would be eligible for P&Z Staff review.  Text Amendment #807, if adopted will provide an expedited review process for small scale projects in the VDO." The December 16, 2021, public hearing will be live streamed at 6:00 PM on the Town's website at www.westportct.gov, and accessible on Optimum Government Access Channel 79 and Frontier Channel 6020.  Comments can be sent prior to the meeting at [email protected] and interested parties may join the meeting virtually to offer live testimony during the meeting. This press release was produced by the Town of Westport. The views expressed here are the author's own.