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PLANNING CORNWALL'S FUTURE
Results of the P&Z Forum: read about what was said and agreed on at the June 23rd Forum on revising Cornwall's town plan. Cornwall In The Zeroes Decade by David A. Grossman. A paper examining trends in Cornwall's population, income, employment, property values, budgets and taxes at the half-way point of the 2000-10 decade Cornwall's P&Z got The Nature Conservancy to show on a map what the town might look like if dwellings were built on every possible lot at the minimum allowed zoning standard on all available open land. David Grossman then looked at the budget and tax implications of this "build-out" map. You may be surprised by his findings. The Cornwall Conservation Trust has sent a very well thought-out response to P &Z in response to their request that all civic groups offer guidance to them as they are revising the town plan. It's well worth looking at. The Board of Selectmen, has submitted its views to the Planning and Zoning Commission on trends affecting the future of Cornwall and their recommendations for action that we should take. Here’s a key quote: “It is the opinion of the Board that our town is at a crossroads.” You can read their full statement here. Land Use Survey. The Cornwall Conservation Trust got 40 responses to the land use questionnaire that was distributed here and around town. Here's a summary of what the respondents said they want to see, and what they DON'T want to see in Cornwall. Mail Order Brides by Patrick Hare. This paper suggests that P&Z should create a "major parcels committee" to review any substantial building proposals submitted by developers. It's an idea that has been adopted in other communities. Affordable Housing This letter from Dan McGuinness, director of the Northwest Corner COG, to the Sharon P & Z Commission, spells out the current situation with regard to State requirements that CT towns have certain levels of affordable housing units. Cornwall is well under the mandated level. Targeted Exemption by David A, Grossman is a proposal that the State of Connecticut enact "home rule" legislation that allows towns to offer targeted property tax exemptions to their lower income residents. Hector Prud'homme has been thinking about "Cornwall in the Year 2050." Here are some of the ideas he came up with. And here are two more thoughtful articles by Pat Hare that were previously published in the Lakeville Journal: "Sprawl Has A Political Lock" examines the reasons that we're losing the extensive open fields and woods that are something most of us love about the Northwest Corner. "St. Jude and The Free Lunch" is an imaginative look at other aspects of the same issue: why doesn't our zoning work anymore? Brian Savin suggests that Cornwall's planners, and anyone else interested in planning, should look at the Fall 2006 Newsletter of the American Planning Association's Small Town Division. Brian says: " Absent a central business district, or even a central post office, the public places that physically bring all people together in communities are mostly lacking in Cornwall. This article spells out the importance of these spaces to community-building and is worth reading." |
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