EAST WINDSOR, CT — East Windsor's next 10-year growth plan would put more housing near village centers and transit routes, encourage new life for older commercial properties and step up efforts to protect farmland.
Those ideas are among the major recommendations in the town's proposed 2026-2036 Plan of Conservation and Development, which the Board of Selectmen reviewed during its Aug. 20 meeting.
The plan remains a draft and has not been adopted.
Town Planner Ruthanne Calabrese told selectmen the document would help guide future zoning decisions, infrastructure investments and economic development efforts. It would not approve a development or change the town's zoning regulations on its own.
"It's a guiding document. It's advisory," Calabrese said.
The draft identifies several challenges facing East Windsor, including an aging population, stagnant population and job growth, declining school enrollment and a housing market dominated by single-family homes. It also points to housing affordability and the town's limited rental options.
To address those issues, the plan encourages more senior housing, workforce housing and multifamily developments. Higher-density housing would be focused in village areas and along transit routes instead of being spread throughout town.
Village revitalization is another priority. Calabrese said zoning changes in Warehouse Point have already created opportunities for mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly development.
Commercial growth would generally be directed toward Route 140, Route 5 and the town's existing industrial areas. The plan also favors redeveloping existing commercial properties instead of building on untouched land.
Other recommendations include expanding water, sewer and transportation infrastructure; improving sidewalks and trails; supporting local businesses; and exploring tools such as tax increment financing.
Protecting farmland and open space is also tied to the town's concerns about additional utility-scale solar projects. The plan recommends identifying important properties and considering conservation measures or the purchase of development rights before another proposal reaches the town.
Unlike East Windsor's current plan, which contained more than 100 individual action items, the new draft relies more heavily on broader principles and milestones. Calabrese said that approach is intended to keep the document useful as the town's needs change.
The Planning and Zoning Commission has tentatively scheduled a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13. Residents can review the draft and submit comments through the town's POCD webpage.
The commission can revise the document following the public hearing and is aiming to complete the update before the end of the year.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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