TPZ Continues Busway Area Talks
NEWINGTON - The Newington Town Planning and Zoning (TPZ) Commission is working to establish regulations for the areas near the town’s two CT FasTrak busway stations, and Town Planner Craig Minor is suggesting that members look to other towns for some insight.

       That was the recommendation he made at the TPZ’s July 8 meeting. He’s already been speaking informally with professionals involved with town planning and that was the advice that they have given him, he said. He referred specifically to a conversation he had with Glen Chalder of the firm Planimetrics.

       â€"His recommendation was that we take time to educate the community more about transit-oriented development and how it has worked in other towns,” Minor said. â€"Even towns that are different have some things in common, so I think it might be valuable to ask other towns how they did it.”

       Perhaps, but Newington is also facing a â€"unique situation,” according to Commissioner Frank Aieta: The town’s location along CT FasTrak’s route.

       â€"I hear what you’re saying, but the thing that comes to mind is that none of those other communities have a busway that runs right through their town,” Aieta said.

       Minor said that other towns have transportation routes, such as rail lines, running through them and could possibly relate on some level to Newington’s situation.

       â€"You’re talking a rail line that maybe has a train every two hours,” said Commissioner Stanley Sobieski. â€"A bus line has a bus every 15 minutes and feeder routes that a rail line doesn’t have.”

       Commissioner Carol Anest said that she would like to hold a public hearing-a sentiment that was echoed by other TPZ members.

       â€"There’s this big misconception that we don’t want any development at all,” Anest said. â€"I want to hear what the public is thinking.”

       If the TPZ looks to other towns for advice, the municipalities should be as similar to Newington as possible, Anest said.

       The public hearing is unlikely to take place at any point this summer because a lot of residents are away from town, Commissioners said. TPZ members said that they want to make sure that as many people as possible will be able to attend.

       This was the second meeting since the TPZ passed a high density housing development moratorium that applies to the half mile radius of both the Cedar Street/Fenn Road busway station and the Newington Junction stop. The year-long moratorium at either stop can end before 12 months expire if regulations are drafted before then.

       The moratorium applies more specifically to senior independent living, senior housing, the conversion of older homes, small family entry-level housing, and alternate residential building types, but is written to not limit its scope just to these areas.

       The Commission has also been discussing the enlistment of a consultant to aid them in drafting regulations for the areas. The town is in the early stages of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to hire the consultant, according to Minor.

       The TPZ began discussions regarding a high-density housing moratorium after residents expressed concerns regarding the areas around the FasTrak busway stations and the perceived potential for an influx of new residents and service demand-driven tax hikes.
MORE NEWINGTON NEWS  |  STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA  |  Jul 16 2015  |  COMMENTS?