Stamford Initiates First Phase Of Comprehensive Zoning Overhaul

STAMFORD, CT — The first phase of an overhaul of Stamford's zoning regulations has officially begun. According to a recent announcement from Mayor David Martin, the revisions will aim to address residents' concerns about zoning and "simplify and modernize" the city's zoning regulations.

The proposed revisions, submitted Friday, Dec. 20, are the first phase of a larger effort by the city's Land Use Bureau to implement a comprehensive update of Stamford's 360-page zoning regulations, which date back to the 1950's.

"My administration's proposed revisions will ensure Stamford's future generations retain the values of our community today," Martin said in a statement. "We began this overhaul to streamline our zoning regulations and modernize the City's expectations for new developments, while sustaining our environment and strengthening protections for historic sites across Stamford."

This first phase of revisions proposes better protections for historic buildings by establishing a "Stamford Sustainability Scorecard." Also proposed are stricter guidelines for development around Stamford's Downtown and South End areas and requiring better storm water management.

Few changes have been proposed for the city's single-family zoning districts, with the exception of strengthening protections for neighborhoods, according to the announcement.

"These proposals are a combination of feedback from Stamford's community, new legal mandates established by the state and the federal government, and best practices from other cities researched by city staff over many months," Land Use Bureau Chief Ralph Blessing said in a statement. "This project began in February, and we're committed to modernizing our guidelines to match the expectations residents have for a forward-thinking city like Stamford."

The proposals for historic preservation are partly the result of recommendations made by the South End Neighborhood Study completed in 2018. The proposed changes would strengthen Stamford's Historic Preservation Advisory Commission (HPAC) as the reviewing body for redevelopment of historic buildings.

The Stamford Sustainability Scorecard would require new office and apartment buildings to disclose their environmental sustainability through categories such as energy usage, water usage, open spaces and landscaping, urban design and waste management. Depending on their scores, buildings would be awarded a respective letter grade, similar to the way in which grades are awarded to New York City restaurants.

The proposed new Residential High Density, or "R-HD," zoning district, is a stricter version of the "R-H" zoning district currently utilized in portions of the Downtown and South End areas.

Developments approved for the R-HD zoning district would need to adhere to the following requirements:

• Provide onsite parking not visible from the street, preventing “concrete deserts” in Stamford’s most populated areas.
• New projects will be restricted by floor area and numbers of units, providing the City with more control over managing the size of new developments.
• Design guidelines for ground floor storefronts and residencies to create an attractive environment for pedestrians, residents, and businesses.

In response to new regulations required by state and federal government, the proposed zoning revisions would also require new developments to better manage storm water runoff from private property, preventing storm water from overburdening the city's storm drains and better protecting both the city's wetlands areas and Long Island Sound.

"City Land Use staff have worked diligently to update Stamford's zoning regulations so they reflect the current needs of the city," Zoning Board Chair David Stein said in a statement. "This was an extensive project that needed to be done and I’m looking forward to seeing the positive results from these efforts."

Since February of this year, the Land Use Bureau has reached out to numerous neighborhood associations, the development community and other stakeholders to get feedback on proposed changes.

The proposed revisions will be reviewed by the city's Planning Board and various city departments, including traffic and law, before they are submitted for approval. Following this process, the zoning board will hold public meetings on the proposed revisions, potentially as soon as February.

The city will then move forward with revising zoning regulations for affordable housing, parking requirements and updating the "downtown" zoning district, according to city officials.

All proposed zoning revisions can be viewed on the city's website.