City planner tells subcommittee state housing law will force zoning changes, new summary review and parking rules

Jeff Cormier, New Britain’s city planner, told the zoning subcommittee on April 14 that a sweeping state housing bill (Public Act 25-1, formerly House Bill 805) will require multiple changes to the city’s zoning ordinances and procedures.

“This is a big bill. It’s about 100 pages,” Cormier said. He explained several provisions taking effect July 1 will require local implementation, including a new category called “transit community middle housing” (defined in the act as two‑to‑nine residential units) that must be permitted by right or through a statutory “summary review” process on lots zoned commercial or mixed‑use.

Cormier said the law also removes parking as a ground to deny residential developments with 16 or fewer units, meaning such proposals cannot be rejected solely for failing to meet local parking standards. He noted the statute allows municipalities to create up to two narrowly defined conservation or traffic‑mitigation districts where some parking requirements may be retained, but those districts have size limits and specific criteria.

The law will also require municipalities to prepare a housing growth plan every five years; Cormier said New Britain’s first plan under the statute must be adopted by June 1, 2028. Staff are evaluating the statute with the Capital Region Planning Agency and will return to the council with proposed zoning text and map amendments. “We’re going to be back before you to try and do that,” Cormier said.

Justin Dorsy, director of planning and development, told councilors that some incentives in the act could provide grants or infrastructure reimbursement if the city meets designation criteria such as being a transit‑oriented community; he cautioned that preparing the housing growth plan itself will be a local expense and estimated consultant costs “like 25,000–30,000” to budget for in the next fiscal year.

Cormier reminded new and returning members that the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) guides local zoning — the city’s most recent POCD was adopted in 2021 — and that zoning changes are the primary tool to implement the new statutory requirements. He also noted the state requires land‑use commissioners to complete four hours of training.

Staff emphasized the work will proceed in stages (text and map amendments, summary‑review procedures, and potential district designations) and that proposals will return to the zoning authority and the City Plan Commission as the statutory referral steps require.