MONROE, CT — A hearing on the Town Plan of Conservation and Development will be held Wednesday night at 7 p.m., allowing members of the public an opportunity to express their opinions and ask questions before the Planning and Zoning Commission votes to adopt it.
“We always encourage residents of the community to participate in the final public hearing before the plan is adopted,” said Town Planner Rick Schultz. “This will be the planning guide the town will use for the next 10 years.”
Tonight’s hearing will be a hybrid meeting, held in the Council Chambers of Monroe Town Hall, via Go To Meeting at this link or by phone, 1-872-240-3311. The Access Code is 210-999-581.
Though the meeting can be attended in-person, Schultz said the Council Chambers cannot be filled to capacity, because some seating is still taped off to encourage social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following a discussion of the plan Wednesday night, the commission will vote to adopt the plan.
Monroe’s last POCD was adopted in 2010. The state of Connecticut requires all municipalities to revise and update their plan every 10 years.
“This exercise took about a year-and-a-half and it was difficult with the pandemic,” Schultz said, “but the state of Connecticut gave towns extensions to complete their work without any penalty.”
Francisco Gomes, a project manager and urban designer with Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc., was hired as a consultant. He and Schultz worked closely with members of the POCD Update Advisory Committee in drafting the new 2021 plan.
Members of the public can view the final draft of the POCD on the town website, which also has a page with information on the POCD process.
The POCD is a blueprint of how the town wants to develop properties and protect its natural resources. It covers everything from economic development, housing and land use to transportation.
