Zoning board weighs large fee increases, asks staff for benchmarks and delay

The Norwalk City Zoning Board of Appeals heard a staff proposal April 16 to raise application fees and reserves for the ZBA and related planning reviews, and agreed to continue discussion so staff can provide historical context and comparisons.

Staff outlined proposed increases—including raising residential one‑ and two‑family appeals/variance fees from $260 to $560 and other categories from $560 to $810—saying many fee lines have not been updated in more than a decade. The memo from Planning & Zoning director Steve Kleppin accompanied the proposed schedule.

Board members said the percentage increases appeared large and asked staff to provide the last adjustment date and comparable fee tables from peer Connecticut municipalities. One member suggested using a cumulative COLA (cost‑of‑living adjustment) approach or placing a capped adjustment in place. "I think we need to increase the fees. We just need a better rationale," one board member said.

Public commenter Diane Cici said a more than 100% increase on a single‑family application could be a hardship for homeowners making minor changes and urged careful consideration of affordability for residents.

After discussion the board continued the fee schedule to the next meeting to allow staff to return with a clearer explanation of the rationale, the last date fees were changed, and comparative benchmarks; no fee schedule revisions were adopted at the meeting.