Plan of Conservation and Development Input Meetings

CT requires every city to have a Plan of Conservation & Development to
guide its land use and decision-making and to update it every 10 years. In 2008, a law was passed requiring that all Plans include Responsible Growth Principles,
a result of the governor’s Task Force on Responsible Growth (Feb 2008).

The awareness of climate change and the role of human behavior had become increasingly more evident, and this task force issued a set of principles which can be used to better guide growth, preserve natural resources, maximize infrastructure investment, and enhance the quality of life in general. Cities have until July 2010 to include these principles into their Plans if they wish to accept certain state funds after that time.

Meanwhile, Middletown had started holding public hearings on its draft Plan
(2006) and considerable work on the Conservation plan had been undertaken by the Conservation Commission and a farm viability study was also being
completed. Since the city’s final draft had yet to be assembled, it seemed
wise to look at some of these ideas now and pull them into the plan more fully.

So over the next 4 months, the Middletown P&Z Commission will host public
forums to share these Principles and discuss their applicability to Middletown’s future land use and open space conservation.

The first of 4 public input sessions will be held next Wednesday March 18
6:30-8 pm at the Russell Library, exploring answers to these BIG questions:

What is the connection between climate change and land use?
How can we continue to grow, but in a more sustainable way?
How do we grow and still be true to Middletown’s heritage?
Do we want to increase local food production? How can we support this?
What do we want to protect?
How do we want to get around?

The 4 Public Input Sessions will be held on March 18, April 16, May 21,
June 17 at 6:30 to 8 pm at the Russell Library.

Additional planning workshops will be scheduled for the end of
April or May, where residents will be invited to look at maps and locate preferred areas for new growth and preservation.

P&Z Commissioner Catherine Johnson will be the contact for these sessions.

Updates will be posted on two blogs:
middletownplanning and The Middletown Eye.

Interested residents are encouraged to contact Johnson at 343-1611.