2022 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 8 - Zoning, Planning, Housing and Economic and Community Development
Chapter 124 - Zoning
Section 8-2. - Regulations.

(a)(1) The zoning commission of each city, town or borough is authorized to regulate, within the limits of such municipality: (A) The height, number of stories and size of buildings and other structures; (B) the percentage of the area of the lot that may be occupied; (C) the size of yards, courts and other open spaces; (D) the density of population and the location and use of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry, residence or other purposes, including water-dependent uses, as defined in section 22a-93; and (E) the height, size, location, brightness and illumination of advertising signs and billboards, except as provided in subsection (f) of this section.

(2) Such zoning commission may divide the municipality into districts of such number, shape and area as may be best suited to carry out the purposes of this chapter; and, within such districts, it may regulate the erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration or use of buildings or structures and the use of land. All zoning regulations shall be uniform for each class or kind of buildings, structures or use of land throughout each district, but the regulations in one district may differ from those in another district.

(3) Such zoning regulations may provide that certain classes or kinds of buildings, structures or use of land are permitted only after obtaining a special permit or special exception from a zoning commission, planning commission, combined planning and zoning commission or zoning board of appeals, whichever commission or board the regulations may, notwithstanding any special act to the contrary, designate, subject to standards set forth in the regulations and to conditions necessary to protect the public health, safety, convenience and property values.

(b) Zoning regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall:

(1) Be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan and in consideration of the plan of conservation and development adopted under section 8-23;

(2) Be designed to (A) lessen congestion in the streets; (B) secure safety from fire, panic, flood and other dangers; (C) promote health and the general welfare; (D) provide adequate light and air; (E) protect the state's historic, tribal, cultural and environmental resources; (F) facilitate the adequate provision for transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other public requirements; (G) consider the impact of permitted land uses on contiguous municipalities and on the planning region, as defined in section 4-124i, in which such municipality is located; (H) address significant disparities in housing needs and access to educational, occupational and other opportunities; (I) promote efficient review of proposals and applications; and (J) affirmatively further the purposes of the federal Fair Housing Act, 42 USC 3601 et seq., as amended from time to time;

(3) Be drafted with reasonable consideration as to the physical site characteristics of the district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses and with a view to encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout a municipality;

(4) Provide for the development of housing opportunities, including opportunities for multifamily dwellings, consistent with soil types, terrain and infrastructure capacity, for all residents of the municipality and the planning region in which the municipality is located, as designated by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management under section 16a-4a;

(5) Promote housing choice and economic diversity in housing, including housing for both low and moderate income households;

(6) Expressly allow the development of housing which will meet the housing needs identified in the state's consolidated plan for housing and community development prepared pursuant to section 8-37t and in the housing component and the other components of the state plan of conservation and development prepared pursuant to section 16a-26;

(7) Be made with reasonable consideration for the impact of such regulations on agriculture, as defined in subsection (q) of section 1-1;

(8) Provide that proper provisions be made for soil erosion and sediment control pursuant to section 22a-329;

(9) Be made with reasonable consideration for the protection of existing and potential public surface and ground drinking water supplies; and

(10) In any municipality that is contiguous to or on a navigable waterway draining to Long Island Sound, (A) be made with reasonable consideration for the restoration and protection of the ecosystem and habitat of Long Island Sound; (B) be designed to reduce hypoxia, pathogens, toxic contaminants and floatable debris on Long Island Sound; and (C) provide that such municipality's zoning commission consider the environmental impact on Long Island Sound coastal resources, as defined in section 22a-93, of any proposal for development.

(c) Zoning regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may:

(1) To the extent consistent with soil types, terrain and water, sewer and traffic infrastructure capacity for the community, provide for or require cluster development, as defined in section 8-18;

(2) Be made with reasonable consideration for the protection of historic factors;

(3) Require or promote (A) energy-efficient patterns of development; (B) the use of distributed generation or freestanding solar, wind and other renewable forms of energy; (C) combined heat and power; and (D) energy conservation;

(4) Provide for incentives for developers who use (A) solar and other renewable forms of energy; (B) combined heat and power; (C) water conservation, including demand offsets; and (D) energy conservation techniques, including, but not limited to, cluster development, higher density development and performance standards for roads, sidewalks and underground facilities in the subdivision;

(5) Provide for a municipal system for the creation of development rights and the permanent transfer of such development rights, which may include a system for the variance of density limits in connection with any such transfer;

(6) Provide for notice requirements in addition to those required by this chapter;

(7) Provide for conditions on operations to collect spring water or well water, as defined in section 21a-150, including the time, place and manner of such operations;

(8) Provide for floating zones, overlay zones and planned development districts;

(9) Require estimates of vehicle miles traveled and vehicle trips generated in lieu of, or in addition to, level of service traffic calculations to assess (A) the anticipated traffic impact of proposed developments; and (B) potential mitigation strategies such as reducing the amount of required parking for a development or requiring public sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle paths, bicycle racks or bus shelters, including off-site; and

(10) In any municipality where a traprock ridge or an amphibolite ridge is located, (A) provide for development restrictions in ridgeline setback areas; and (B) restrict quarrying and clear cutting, except that the following operations and uses shall be permitted in ridgeline setback areas, as of right: (i) Emergency work necessary to protect life and property; (ii) any nonconforming uses that were in existence and that were approved on or before the effective date of regulations adopted pursuant to this section; and (iii) selective timbering, grazing of domesticated animals and passive recreation.

(d) Zoning regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall not:

(1) Prohibit the operation of any family child care home or group child care home in a residential zone;

(2) (A) Prohibit the use of receptacles for the storage of items designated for recycling in accordance with section 22a-241b or require that such receptacles comply with provisions for bulk or lot area, or similar provisions, except provisions for side yards, rear yards and front yards; or (B) unreasonably restrict access to or the size of such receptacles for businesses, given the nature of the business and the volume of items designated for recycling in accordance with section 22a-241b, that such business produces in its normal course of business, provided nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit such regulations from requiring the screening or buffering of such receptacles for aesthetic reasons;

(3) Impose conditions and requirements on manufactured homes, including mobile manufactured homes, having as their narrowest dimension twenty-two feet or more and built in accordance with federal manufactured home construction and safety standards or on lots containing such manufactured homes, including mobile manufactured home parks, if those conditions and requirements are substantially different from conditions and requirements imposed on (A) single-family dwellings; (B) lots containing single-family dwellings; or (C) multifamily dwellings, lots containing multifamily dwellings, cluster developments or planned unit developments;

(4) (A) Prohibit the continuance of any nonconforming use, building or structure existing at the time of the adoption of such regulations; (B) require a special permit or special exception for any such continuance; (C) provide for the termination of any nonconforming use solely as a result of nonuse for a specified period of time without regard to the intent of the property owner to maintain that use; or (D) terminate or deem abandoned a nonconforming use, building or structure unless the property owner of such use, building or structure voluntarily discontinues such use, building or structure and such discontinuance is accompanied by an intent to not reestablish such use, building or structure. The demolition or deconstruction of a nonconforming use, building or structure shall not by itself be evidence of such property owner's intent to not reestablish such use, building or structure;

(5) Prohibit the installation, in accordance with the provisions of section 8-1bb, of temporary health care structures for use by mentally or physically impaired persons if such structures comply with the provisions of said section, unless the municipality opts out in accordance with the provisions of subsection (j) of said section;

(6) Prohibit the operation in a residential zone of any cottage food operation, as defined in section 21a-62b;

(7) Establish for any dwelling unit a minimum floor area that is greater than the minimum floor area set forth in the applicable building, housing or other code;

(8) Place a fixed numerical or percentage cap on the number of dwelling units that constitute multifamily housing over four units, middle housing or mixed-use development that may be permitted in the municipality;

(9) Require more than one parking space for each studio or one-bedroom dwelling unit or more than two parking spaces for each dwelling unit with two or more bedrooms, unless the municipality opts out in accordance with the provisions of section 8-2p; or

(10) Be applied to deny any land use application, including for any site plan approval, special permit, special exception or other zoning approval, on the basis of (A) a district's character, unless such character is expressly articulated in such regulations by clear and explicit physical standards for site work and structures, or (B) the immutable characteristics, source of income or income level of any applicant or end user, other than age or disability whenever age-restricted or disability-restricted housing may be permitted.

(e) Any city, town or borough which adopts the provisions of this chapter may, by vote of its legislative body, exempt municipal property from the regulations prescribed by the zoning commission of such city, town or borough, but unless it is so voted, municipal property shall be subject to such regulations.

(f) Any advertising sign or billboard that is not equipped with the ability to calibrate brightness or illumination shall be exempt from any municipal ordinance or regulation regulating such brightness or illumination that is adopted by a city, town or borough, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, after the date of installation of such advertising sign or billboard.

(1949 Rev., S. 837; November, 1955, S. N10; 1959, P.A. 614, S. 2; 661; 1961, P.A. 569; 1963, P.A. 133; 1967, P.A. 801; P.A. 77-509, S. 1; P.A. 78-314, S. 1; P.A. 80-327, S. 1; P.A. 81-334, S. 2; P.A. 83-388, S. 6, 9; P.A. 84-263; P.A. 85-91, S. 2, 5; 85-279, S. 3; P.A. 87-215, S. 1, 7; 87-232; 87-474, S. 1; 87-490, S. 1; P.A. 88-105, S. 2; 88-203, S. 1; P.A. 89-277, S. 1; P.A. 91-170, S. 1; 91-392, S. 1; 91-395, S. 1, 11; P.A. 92-50; P.A. 93-385, S. 3; P.A. 95-239, S. 2; 95-335, S. 14, 26; P.A. 97-296, S. 2, 4; P.A. 98-105, S. 3; P.A. 10-87, S. 4; P.A. 11-124, S. 2; 11-188, S. 3; P.A. 15-227, S. 25; P.A. 17-39, S. 1; 17-155, S. 2; P.A. 18-28, S. 1, 2; 18-132, S. 1; P.A. 21-29, S. 4.)

History: 1959 acts required that regulations be uniform for use of land in district and authorized requirement of special permits or exceptions; 1961 act deleted provision authorizing reconstruction of nonconforming structure destroyed or damaged by fire or casualty provided cost be less than 50% of fair market value of property and reconstruction be commenced within six months; 1963 act allowed municipality to exempt municipal property from zoning regulations; 1967 act specified that special acts contrary to provision re special permits or special exceptions have no bearing; P.A. 77-509 allowed considerations of historic factors, sedimentation control and erosion in zoning regulations; P.A. 78-314 allowed regulations to encourage energy-efficient development, energy conservation and use of renewable forms of energy; P.A. 80-327 allowed consideration of water supply protection; P.A. 81-334 authorized regulations to provide for incentives for developers using passive solar energy techniques; P.A. 83-388 required provision be made for soil erosion and sediment control, effective July 1, 1985; P.A. 84-263 provided the regulations shall encourage the development of housing opportunities for all citizens of the municipality consistent with soil types, terrain and infrastructure capacity (Revisor's note: P.A. 84-263, which took effect on October 1, 1984, incorporated the amendment enacted by P.A. 83-388, but the Revisors are of the opinion that (1) this in no way changed the July 1, 1985, effective date of the 1983 act, and (2) the further amendment in the 1984 act took effect on October 1, 1984); P.A. 85-91 specified the date by which provision for soil erosion and sediment control is required; P.A. 85-279 made consideration of the protection of surface water and groundwater mandatory where before it had been discretionary; P.A. 87-215 authorized regulations to provide for additional notice requirements; P.A. 87-232 provided that no regulations shall prohibit the operation of any family day care home or group day care home in a residential zone; P.A. 87-474 clarified authority to regulate water-dependent uses; P.A. 87-490 inserted provisions concerning creation and transfer of development rights; P.A. 88-105 required zoning regulations to be made with reasonable consideration for their impact on agriculture; P.A. 88-203 added provisions re imposition of conditions and requirements on certain manufactured homes and developments to be occupied by certain manufactured homes; P.A. 89-277 added provision specifying that the regulations shall not provide for the termination of a nonconforming use solely as a result of nonuse without regard to intent; P.A. 91-170 designated existing language as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re regulations in municipalities contiguous to Long Island Sound; P.A. 91-392 required regulations to encourage opportunities for multifamily dwellings for residents of municipality and planning region, to promote housing choice and economic diversity in housing and to encourage housing development consistent with the state housing plan and the state plan of conservation and development; P.A. 91-395 authorized adoption of regulations under this section to provide for cluster development; P.A. 92-50 amended Subsec. (a) to eliminate reference to adoption of regulations in accordance with the comprehensive plan and substituted consideration of the plan of development in lieu thereof; P.A. 93-385 amended Subsec. (a) by requiring that regulations be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan; P.A. 95-239 added Subsec. (c) re development restrictions in ridgeline setback areas (Revisor's note: Uppercase alphabetic Subdiv. indicators were replaced editorially by the Revisors with numeric indicators for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 95-335 amended Subsec. (a) to change “plan of development” to “plan of conservation and development”, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 97-296 amended Subsec. (a) to allow regulations to provide for conditions on operations to collect spring or well water, effective July 8, 1997; P.A. 98-105 amended Subsec. (c) to provide for protection of amphibolite ridgelines; P.A. 10-87 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes and adding provision prohibiting regulations from prohibiting use of receptacles for storage of items designated for recycling or requiring such receptacles to comply with provisions for bulk or lot area and prohibiting regulations from unreasonably restricting access to or size of such receptacles for businesses; P.A. 11-124 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “housing plan” with “state's consolidated plan for housing and community development”; P.A. 11-188 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to Sec. 1-1(q) re definition of “agriculture”; pursuant to P.A. 15-227, “group day care home” and “family day care home” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “group child care home” and “family child care home”, respectively, in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-39 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re regulations not terminating or deeming abandoned nonconforming use, building or structure, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-155 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re town opt out and installation of temporary health care structures; P.A. 18-28 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re zoning commission may regulate brightness and illumination of advertising signs and billboards, and added Subsec. (d) exempting certain advertising signs or billboards from municipal ordinance or regulation re brightness or illumination when installed prior to adoption of ordinance or regulation, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 18-132 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re regulations that require special permit or special exception for continuance, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 21-29 substantially revised section, including by restructuring existing Subsec. (a) into new Subsecs. (a) to (e), moving provision re Long Island Sound from former Subsec. (b) to Subsec. (b)(10), moving provision re traprock ridge from former Subsec. (d) to Subsec. (c)(10), redesignating existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (f), in Subsec. (b)(2) adding Subpara. (E) re state's resources, Subpara. (G) re contiguous municipalities, Subpara. (H) re significant disparities, Subpara. (I) re efficient proposal and application review and Subpara. (J) re federal Fair Housing Act, deleting provisions re land overcrowding and undue population concentration, in Subsec. (b)(3) changing “character” to “physical site characteristics” and deleting reference to conserving building value, in Subsec. (b)(6) changing “encourage” to “expressly allow”, in Subsec. (c)(3)(B) adding “distributed generation or freestanding” and “wind”, in Subsec. (c)(4) deleting “passive solar energy techniques”, adding Subpara. (B) re combined heat and power, Subpara. (C) re water conservation and Subpara. (D) re energy conservation techniques, in Subsec. (c) adding Subdiv. (8) re floating and overlay zones and Subdiv. (9) re traffic impacts and mitigation strategies, in Subsec. (d)(3) adding “mobile manufactured homes” and “mobile manufactured home parks” and deleting provision re manufactured homes, in Subsec. (d) by adding Subdiv. (6) re cottage food operations, Subdiv. (7) re minimum floor area, Subdiv. (8) re cap on dwelling units, Subdiv. (9) re parking spaces and Subdiv. (10) re land use application denials and making technical changes.