Making The State More Competitive

Public Act No. 07-239, now codified as C.G.S. § 32-1o, provides that on or before July 1, 2009, and every five years thereafter, the commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”), prepares an “economic strategic plan for the state.” This plan is to consider a number of “responsible growth” strategies that may be applied in Connecticut land use law and practice. In September, the DECD released the state’s first Economic Strategic Plan (“ESP”), which comprises 541 pages.

The ESP addresses a number of land use issues with an emphasis on housing and transportation. Specifically, in a section entitled “Land Use in Connecticut,” the ESP discusses incentive zoning measures to encourage development along existing transportation corridors, and the need to provide a more regional approach to land use decisions.

This article provides an overview of the ESP relative to Connecticut land use practice.