Town of Stratford - Procedures

Special Permit

See Applications and Forms for detailed information.

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Applicability. Applications for approval of all uses named as special permit by these Regulations, or for the approval of any use not provided for or allowed by these Regulations, shall be made to the Zoning Commission. In addition to specific uses requiring special permit approval, special permit approval is required for any proposal having any of the following characteristics:

Any increase in floor area by the following amounts per use:

Use	Square Feet
Restaurant	3,000
Commercial/office	5,000
Industrial	20,000
Warehouse, wholesale, storage	50,000

Any new building, change of use or combination thereof, which requires an increase of parking by 50 spaces or greater.

Any building/use in which a drive-through window is proposed.

Any significant alteration of a previous special permit, as determined by the Zoning Commission.

Any reuse of vacant commercial or industrial space greater than 150,000 square feet, regardless of the proposed use.

Criteria. Those uses which are named as special permit by these Regulations shall be considered to be permitted uses in the districts under which they are named, subject to approval by the Commission as to each specific use. Each of these uses is declared to be of such peculiar and unusual nature in its effect on an area that in order to have it comply with the purposes of the zoning regulations it is necessary to consider it as a special permit.

In reviewing a special permit application, the Commission shall require adherence to the following special permit criteria and objectives and site plan objectives set forth in the following sections. The Commission may, after public notice and hearing in the same manner required by law for zoning amendments, and by the affirmative vote of four or more members present at the hearing, approve the use after making special application of these Regulations in harmony with their general intent by stipulating such restrictions as appear to the commission to be reasonable and the minimum necessary to protect property values in the district as a whole and the public health, safety and welfare. If the Commission determines that an application does not comply with the following criteria and objectives it shall deny the application:

The proposed use shall be in conformance to all requirements of the district in which it is located in addition to any other standard prescribed by these Regulations.

The location, size and intensity of such use shall be compatible and harmonious in relation to the size of the property and existing neighborhood development.

The proposed use shall be in conformance with the Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

The design, location and specific details of the proposed use shall not adversely affect safety in the streets nor increase traffic congestion in the area nor interfere with the pattern of highway circulation. Information on past and present roadway conditions, existing roadway capacity, traffic accidents, existing and projected traffic volumes (ADT, peak a.m. and peak p.m.) existing and projected volume/capacity ratios, existing and projected levels of service and adequacy of traffic signalization and channelization shall be required for all projects impacting traffic conditions.

The emission of noise, light, smoke, odor, gas, dust, or vibration shall not adversely affect land, water or air quality.

The proposed use shall not adversely affect the tax valuation of neighboring properties as a result of the proposed use.

The proposed use shall not create any fire or police hazards.

Approval. Before approving any special permit, the Commission shall consider the above-mentioned special permit criteria and objectives in addition to all site plan objectives set forth in Section 7.3.3C of these Regulations.

Time limits. Any application approved as a special permit by the Commission shall be valid in accordance with the time limits established in Chapter 124, § 8-3c and 8-3k of the C.G.S. The Planning and Zoning Administrator may grant an extension of 18 months, not to exceed a cumulative total of six years, to obtain building permits for any application approved as a special permit. The Planning and Zoning staff shall report back to the Zoning Commission administratively when an extension is granted. The Planning and Zoning Administrator may choose to refer any request for an extension to the Zoning Commission for an administrative review. Any extension sought after the initial six years from the date of approval shall return to the Zoning Commission for an administrative review.

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