Fairfield's 'Plan Of Conservation And Development' Slowly Taking Shape

FAIRFIELD, CT — As residents and officials continue efforts to update the town's Plan of Conservation and Development, one thing seems clear, retaining Fairfield's small town feel is paramount.

At the same time, finding the right balance of commercial and housing developments to go with preserving Fairfield's character is also important.

That was the overriding message conveyed Thursday night during an open house at Osborn Hill School about the POCD, as officials updated residents on the progress of updating the document for the first time since November 2016.

"We're trying to achieve balance with the document, what resident love about the town, with the opportunity for development," Fairfield Planning Director Jim Wendt told the audience of about 100 Thursday night. "We're trying to find the sweet spot."

The town began gathering information and public input to update the POCD in 2018, but when the pandemic hit in 2020, the process "took a giant pause," according to Assistant Planning Director Emmeline Harrigan.

By state law, communities are required to update their POCD every 10 years, so even with the pandemic delay, Fairfield has plenty of time to complete the work.

That work is being overseen by Adam Tecza, a project manager with consulting company FHI Studio, who presented the document's overriding themes to the audience:

Fairfield will be...

1. A Resilient Community
2. An Environmentally Rooted Community
3. A Community that is Home for All
4. A Sustainably Prosperous Community
5. An Interconnected Community
6. A Community Where People Come Together

In the coming days and weeks, the backup materials presented Thursday will be posted online, Tecza said, which will give residents a chance to critique the document as it progresses.

A draft of the updated POCD will be written over the next few months, with the process likely being completed before the end of the year, Tecza told Patch.