at home The ABCs of P&Z

One of the more mysterious jobs of our local government is “land use”. While we own our homes and as citizens we have the right and power to elect our representatives, we often must rely on groups like the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals and their staff regarding what we can do with the land we own. We often wonder why they make the decisions they do, especially when it comes to thorny issues like giant houses and affordable housing.

Almost all decisions regarding the use of land in Milford come from the Zoning Regulations, which is a document that you can find at ci.milford.ct.us/planning. While the reading can be dry and technical, anyone can understand the basic gist of how decisions are made on everything from a home remodel to a new shopping mall. These regulations are the “rules in place to protect everybody, and when the regulations allow something, it will be permitted,” says David Sulkis, the city planner of Milford.

Who permits something to happen with a property depends on what someone wants to do with a piece of land. A homeowner may want to make changes to their house, like a new deck or an addition. To do any work, the property owner would need a permit from the city to safely proceed. When reviewing the work to be done, however, a permit inspector may note that the project may not be permitted by the Zoning Regulations. If that’s the case, an owner may ask for what is called a “variance” from the Zoning Board of Appeals, which is just to allow a reasonable exception to the rules.

The Zoning Board of Appeals is a board of fellow Milfordites selected jointly by the mayor and the Board of Aldermen for five-year terms. They review the situation to determine whether the work to be done is reasonable enough to be granted an exception to the rules. If so, the property owner is invited to a hearing at City Hall, which is open and noticed to the whole community, to present their case. The Zoning Board of Appeals members vote whether to approve or deny. A lawyer can be engaged if desired, but many times it’s not necessary. Just make sure to consult with someone that has experience with the process, such as your contractor, the staff of the Zoning Board of Appeals at City Hall, or a friend who has completed the process.

The Board meets monthly, so that would be the shortest time to completion, but budget at least another month should unknown issues emerge, or the Board need clarification on details. If the Board votes in favor of the variance, the work becomes legal forever.

Big land use questions are answered by another citizen board, which is the Planning and Zoning Commission. Voters elect the members to four-year terms. They are entrusted with making sure that the Zoning Regulations are followed, as well as making plans for any possible use of land within the city. For example, even if a part of the city government wanted to build a new school, they would need the permission of the Planning and Zoning Commission. It can be very complicated because the commission is also required to follow additional laws that come from Hartford, relating to