North Branford P&Z adopts Schedule A zoning revisions, sets effective date for June 20

The North Branford Planning & Zoning Commission voted on June 4 to adopt amendments to Schedule A of the town zoning regulations, reorganizing use categories and adding subcategories for residential, community facilities and commercial uses.

Staff summarized the revisions: Parts A–D of Schedule A (residential, community facilities and services, commercial uses and accessory uses) were reorganized into subcategories to clarify permitted and conditional uses. The commercial-use tables were consolidated and reindexed; the staff presentation noted that some commercial-use counts decreased in the reorganization while definitions were clarified.

Commission discussion addressed several clarifications, including the definition of "truck gardening" (grocers/farmers producing produce for market), procedural language tied to the Plan of Conservation and Development, and the effective date. Commissioners agreed to make the amendments effective June 20, 2026, and to state that the changes are in accordance with the town's Plan of Conservation and Development.

Bruce Abson moved to approve application 2026-1 with the effective date of June 20; the motion carried as announced (vote recorded in the meeting as 4–0). Chair Robert Noak and staff encouraged the public to review the revised Schedule A documentation on the town website and at Town Hall.

Commissioners also discussed how the revisions relate to an in-progress form-based code for the town center and the recent state legislation (Public Act 25-1) that requires local zoning updates related to middle-housing and summary reviews in certain commercial zones. Staff recommended coordinating the Schedule A amendments with the form-based code work to avoid conflicts and to preserve local design standards where permitted by state law.