Cromwell planners debate renaming 'business park' zone and limits on middle housing
June 17, 2026 | Cromwell, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut
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The Town of Cromwell Planning & Zoning Commission spent substantial time on June 16 reviewing a draft zoning text amendment intended to implement middle‑housing options while clarifying the town’s business/industrial park designations.
Planning staff summarized advice from the town consultant (IMG) and a land‑use attorney referenced by the consultant. Staff said the attorney recommended several steps to exclude middle housing from parts of the business park zone if the commission wishes to do so: relocate the existing regulation text (from §32D to §33B) so it sits with industrial uses, change the zone name or header to reflect an "industrial business park" or similar header, and separate the consolidated use table into distinct business and industrial columns so that uses are clearer. Staff cautioned that these approaches have not been tested in court and that other towns are handling the issue with similar caution.
Commissioners questioned whether adding the word "industrial" to a zone header would change which uses are allowed. Planning staff and the chair answered that the draft edits intend to clarify header language without altering the defined uses, but several commissioners asked staff to recheck where the word "industrial" appears in the definitions, the map and the regulations to avoid unintended effects. One commissioner asked for clearer language on the draft's definition of mixed‑use/middle housing, specifically how the rule "only one building per lot may contain residential units" would work in practice and whether "ground floor" vs. "first floor" are used consistently.
The commission also reviewed design provisions in the draft: separate entrances and internal circulation so residents do not have to pass through bars or commercial spaces; a requirement of 100 square feet of usable outdoor space per dwelling unit (the draft text did not always say "per unit" consistently); limits on the percentage of first‑floor area devoted to residential‑support space; screening of mechanical and service areas; and a "shall" requirement for bicycle parking without a numeric standard. Commissioners suggested clarifying some numeric thresholds and where downtown or site‑constrained properties might need modified standards.
Discussion turned to candidate geographic areas for an overlay or transit‑oriented middle‑housing zone: Main Street near the Asia grocer site and nearby vacant parcels, some downtown parcels, and parts of the northern tier. Commissioners discussed floating‑zone or master‑plan approaches to allow flexibility and staff said the commission could adopt initial areas now and revise them later through the public‑hearing process.
Staff said the town will continue to work with IMG/IMEG during a larger zoning rewrite and will follow up with the land‑use attorney for additional clarifications, including clearer phrasing about the use table and whether to provide additional noise/decibel guidance distinguishing park‑style industrial uses from heavier industrial operations.
The commission did not take a final vote on the text amendment at the June 16 meeting; staff will refine the draft for future hearings and referrals.
Planning staff summarized advice from the town consultant (IMG) and a land‑use attorney referenced by the consultant. Staff said the attorney recommended several steps to exclude middle housing from parts of the business park zone if the commission wishes to do so: relocate the existing regulation text (from §32D to §33B) so it sits with industrial uses, change the zone name or header to reflect an "industrial business park" or similar header, and separate the consolidated use table into distinct business and industrial columns so that uses are clearer. Staff cautioned that these approaches have not been tested in court and that other towns are handling the issue with similar caution.
Commissioners questioned whether adding the word "industrial" to a zone header would change which uses are allowed. Planning staff and the chair answered that the draft edits intend to clarify header language without altering the defined uses, but several commissioners asked staff to recheck where the word "industrial" appears in the definitions, the map and the regulations to avoid unintended effects. One commissioner asked for clearer language on the draft's definition of mixed‑use/middle housing, specifically how the rule "only one building per lot may contain residential units" would work in practice and whether "ground floor" vs. "first floor" are used consistently.
The commission also reviewed design provisions in the draft: separate entrances and internal circulation so residents do not have to pass through bars or commercial spaces; a requirement of 100 square feet of usable outdoor space per dwelling unit (the draft text did not always say "per unit" consistently); limits on the percentage of first‑floor area devoted to residential‑support space; screening of mechanical and service areas; and a "shall" requirement for bicycle parking without a numeric standard. Commissioners suggested clarifying some numeric thresholds and where downtown or site‑constrained properties might need modified standards.
Discussion turned to candidate geographic areas for an overlay or transit‑oriented middle‑housing zone: Main Street near the Asia grocer site and nearby vacant parcels, some downtown parcels, and parts of the northern tier. Commissioners discussed floating‑zone or master‑plan approaches to allow flexibility and staff said the commission could adopt initial areas now and revise them later through the public‑hearing process.
Staff said the town will continue to work with IMG/IMEG during a larger zoning rewrite and will follow up with the land‑use attorney for additional clarifications, including clearer phrasing about the use table and whether to provide additional noise/decibel guidance distinguishing park‑style industrial uses from heavier industrial operations.
The commission did not take a final vote on the text amendment at the June 16 meeting; staff will refine the draft for future hearings and referrals.
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