Guilford has hired a new Town Planner following the departure of former planner Jamie Stein, who held the position for a little over one year. Anne Hartjen, who has a strong background in municipal planning and design, started last month and comes in at a time of much debate over the Town’s implementation of new zoning regulations.

According to Hartjen, she completed her undergraduate and graduate work in Minnesota, where she obtained a degree in landscape architecture. Hartjen said she worked in several positions in New Haven as a landscape designer and architect, including Towers/Golde, as well as the city of New Haven, where she developed a strong skill set in industrial landscape and architectural work.

“I jumped to municipal work in the city of New Haven in the City Plan Department. I was originally hired as the Senior Project Manager running construction projects, which was interesting because I went from doing the design to essentially being the owner’s rep on projects,” said Hartjen. “I also cut my teeth running the City Plan Commission for around seven years. Then I became the Assistant Director of Comprehensive Planning for the City of New Haven, which was more comprehensive planning work.”

Hartjen trained former planner Jamie Stein when Stein worked for Hartjen in New Haven.

“Jamie contacted me when she was thinking of leaving and let me know about the position and wondered if I was interested. I hadn’t been looking for a move, but I mulled it over and...I realized I was ready for a change,” Hartjen said.

Hartjen arrives in Guilford just as the Town is implementing its first significant zoning regulations changes in more than 60 years. The changes have recently raised concerns of some residents, who expressed fear that the changes will negatively affect the look of Guilford.

“The town has been working for three years on a zoning ordinance rewrite,” said Hartjen. “It’s the first comprehensive rewrite since 1959, so it’s a big deal, and I jumped into the end of it. We have passed the ordinance.”

According to Hartjen, one of her main areas of focus will be in educating residents on how the zoning changes will impact residents and developers.

“I think my first year will be working with the Planning and Zoning Commission will be through the applications we see, kind of sussing out if the ideas we are committed to in the ordinance are working the way everybody expected them to, and then have a debrief and see if there is anywhere we need to make changes or address things, such the affordable housing crisis, climate changes, the Route 1 corridor. For example, how commercial do we want it to look? What are the physical dimensions we want to see there? We know there is going to be growth; how do we want to direct growth? Are those opportunities being accurately addressed through the new ordinance? I think everyone is curious about these questions,” Hartjen said. “This is a new start in a way, and we want to see what comes out of the new ordinance.”

In regard to resident concerns, Hartjen added, “I think people are sometimes resistant to things that they don’t understand, so I think part of the job is breaking these issues down into components that are more easily understood. Honestly, the new zoning regulations are more than 400 pages long, and no layperson is going to be able to understand that. So, it comes down to how do you break the pieces out in a way that not only elicits feedback but also begins to educate people. This zoning ordinance isn’t a static document. It can change, and it can change very quickly,” Hartjen said. “In these conversations, What is that people are resisting, and what are they most worried about? You can’t have a conversation without having people involved. I don’t think you can put your head in the sand and say that there is not going to be any growth in Guilford because that’s not reality.”

According to Hartjen, the zoning rewrite is a nuanced and complex document that all parties, residents, officials, and developers, must collaborate on.

“My sense is that I’m here to serve the public, and my office door is always open,” said Hertjen. “I will listen and help anywhere I can.”