The Zoning Commission may, on its own motion, or on petition, adopt new regulations, amend, change, or repeal these Regulations, establish new districts, change, or abandon existing district boundaries, subject to the following conditions and procedure. Whenever the Zoning Commission makes any change in the zoning regulation or the boundaries of a zoning district, it shall state upon its records the reason why such change is made.
A) Public hearing. No such regulation or boundary shall become effective or be established until after a public hearing in relation thereto be held by the Zoning Commission at which parties in interest and citizens of the Town shall have had an opportunity to be heard. Notice of the time and place of such public hearing shall be published in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the Town of Stratford at least twice at intervals of not less than two days, the first not more than 15 days, nor less than 10 days, and the last not less than two days before such hearing, and a copy of such proposed regulation or boundary shall be filed in the office of the Town Clerk for public inspection at least 10 days before such hearing, and may be published in such paper.
B) Protests. If a protest is filed at the above-mentioned public hearing with the Zoning Commission against such change signed by the owners of 20% or more of the area of the lots included in such proposed change, or of the lots within 500 feet in any direction of the property included in the proposed change, such change shall not be adopted except by a vote of four or more members of the Commission. The 500-foot measurement shall be taken from the perimeter of the subject property. Property excluded from the area calculation as required by this section shall include the property that is the subject of the change request, all municipal, state, and federal roads and rights-of-way, and properties located in another town or city. Individual condominium unit areas are excluded from the area calculation if the owner thereof has not signed said protest petition. The common areas of a condominium development are included if any unit owner's sign.
C) Effective date. Zoning regulations or boundaries or changes therein shall become effective at such times as fixed by the Zoning Commission, provided a copy of such regulation, boundary, or change shall have been filed in the office of the Town Clerk and notice of such filing shall have been published in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the Town of Stratford before such an effective date.
