After an outcry from many Connecticut residents, and officials in large cities, suburbs and small towns, HB 5002 — omnibus legislation that would overhaul the rights of municipalities to control zoning related to affordable housing — was delayed last week.
But 13 pages of amendments to the 92-page bill came out yesterday — yes, Memorial Day.
And it could be voted upon today.
Danielle Dobin — former chair of Westport’s Planning & Zoning Commission, and a current member of the Board of Finance — has been following the legislation closely. This opinion is her own.
A revised version of HB 5002 has just been posted. And while the bill’s authors claim to have scaled it back in response to the massive outpouring of public outrage to the original language, the changes do little to address the core problems.
Under the revised bill:
- Every commercially zoned lot in Connecticut could be converted as-of-right into up to 9 multifamily housing units, with no local public hearing required. Imagine the parcels surrounding our downtown (many include a portion zoned commercially) built up with 9 townhouses each, with no parking provided and no public hearings at all.
- Off-street parking requirements for buildings with fewer than 24 units would be entirely eliminated. Think about all of the apartment buildings on the Post Road East and West, and proposed near downtown, that rely on public parking lots like Baldwin, and street parking on side streets in Old Hill, Long Lots and Greens Farms.
- For larger developments (24+ units), parking requirements would be determined by the developer, who can propose little or even no parking— particularly in areas near train stations or public parking lots. The Planning & Zoning Commission will be prohibited from requiring any parking for any new multi-family buildings constructed around either of Westport’s train stations, or even on nearby streets like Hiawatha Lane, Ketchum Street or Ferry Lane West.
The bill continues to de-prioritize towns like Westport for critical state road and infrastructure grants, unless we comply with sweeping zoning changes. The so-called “Fair Share” mandate has been repackaged, but the core requirement remains: Westport would still need to zone for a more than 30% increase in the town’s total housing stock.
122 Wilton Road added 19 apartments to Westport’s affordable housing stock. Much more would be required, under HB 5002.
One of the most concerning provisions remains intact: towns could still be forced to pay a developer’s legal fees when defending against 8-30g lawsuits, if a judge so decides.
The only meaningful rollback in the revised version is the elimination of the as-of-right conversion of office buildings to multi-family housing, which has now been removed. But that alone is not enough.
This bill would fundamentally transform local zoning across the state — and do so without thoughtful planning, infrastructure investment, or real local input.
The vote is expected today (Tuesday). If you believe in balanced, locally informed planning, now is the time to act.
Contact our legislators and urge them not only to vote “No,” but to speak out against this bill and the entire idea of dropping complex bills on the public on Memorial Day itself. We deserve better:
- Senator Ceci Maher – ceci.maher@cga.ct.gov
- Representative Jonathan Steinberg – jonathan.steinberg@cga.ct.gov
- Representative Dominique Johnson – dominique.johnson@cga.ct.gov
You can read the updated bill text here.
Our voices matter. Let’s make them heard.