EAST HAVEN

At a special meeting on April 16, the East Haven Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) approved to extend an existing moratorium on all applications for multifamily development proposals in order to craft “set-aside language” for future housing projects.

The moratorium has been in place since Oct. 25, 2023 and was adopted by the PZC to “develop set-aside language [for] when a proposal would come in [so], there would be a plan in place for a certain percentage of the proposed number of dwelling units be set aside for below market rate,” said Joe Budrow, zoning enforcement officer.

The moratorium will expire on Sunday, June 30.

The language follows the income criteria of Connecticut State Statute 8-30g(k), which mandates that when the PZC is approached with a multifamily “residential development with 10 or more dwelling units within an established zoning district, overlay zone, or floating zone, whether by new construction, alteration, expansion, reconstruction or change to existing residential or non-residential space, there shall be a provision to set aside not less than 20% of the proposed units as Below Market Rate (BMR) units affordable to households not earning more than 60% and/or 80% of the area median income for the New Haven-Meriden area.”

As noted in an article published in the The Courier on March 21, the set-aside language is looking to be included in East Haven zoning regulations as a means to boost the town’s affordable housing stock. As of this March, 8.33% of East Haven’s housing stock is deemed affordable per state income criteria. With the set-aside language in place, this may be able to provide the final boost for East Haven to cross the 10% threshold required of all 169 municipalities in the state to meet per the statute.

The moratorium offers the PZC more time to craft the language inasmuch that it fits within town zoning regulations, applies to deed-restricted affordable units and expansions of existing developments, and does not denote a development of lesser quality of housing.

Budrow informed the PZC that he and land use attorney Jennifer Coppola will meet in order to seek her opinion on the set-aside language “because I know it needs some tweaking,” Budrow said.

A public hearing on the set-aside language will take place at the PZC’s next meeting on Wednesday, May 1.