Statutory Land Use Referrals

Overview

Connecticut General Statutes require that regional councils of governments be notified of and be allowed to review and comment upon updates to municipal plans of conservation and development as well as, under certain conditions, zoning map and regulation amendments and proposed subdivisions.

Submit Zoning, Subdivision and POCD Referrals to CRCOG at zoningref@crcog.org using the appropriate cover sheet(s), provided below, for Zone Map or Regulation Change, Subdivisions, or POCD.

Recent referrals are listed here. For questions, please contact Jacob Knowlton, Community Development Planner, at jknowlton@crcog.org or (860)712-8571.

Zoning Referrals

Section 8-3b of the Connecticut General Statutes requires that notice be given to regional council of governments of certain proposed zone map or regulation changes:  “When the zoning commission of any municipality proposes to establish or change a zone or any regulation affecting the use of a zone any portion of which is within five hundred feet of the boundary of another municipality, the zoning commission shall give written notice of its proposal to each regional council of governments for the region or regions in which it and the other municipality are located. Such notice shall be made by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by electronic mail to the electronic mail address designated by the regional council of governments on the council’s Internet web site for receipt of such notice, not later than thirty days before the public hearing to be held in relation thereto … The regional council of governments shall study such proposal and shall report its findings and recommendations thereon to the zoning commission at or before the hearing, and such report shall be made a part of the record of such hearing … The council may designate its regional planning commission to act for it under this section. The report of said council shall be purely advisory.”

Please submit Zoning Referrals to CRCOG at zoningref.

Use one of these referral forms as a cover sheet when you submit zoning map or regulation amendments:

  • Zoning Referral Form (PDF) (Word)

Subdivisions

Section 8-26b of the Connecticut General Statutes requires that municipal planning commissions notify regional council of governments about proposed certain subdivisions: “Whenever a subdivision of land is planned, the area of which will abut or include land in two or more municipalities, the planning commission, where one exists, of each such municipality shall, before approving the plan, give written notice of such subdivision plan to each regional council of governments for the region or regions in which it and the other municipality are located. Such notice shall be made by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by electronic mail to the electronic mail address designated by the regional council of governments on the council’s Internet web site for receipt of such notice, not later than thirty days before the public hearing to be held in relation thereto. If such notice is sent by electronic mail and the planning commission does not receive an electronic mail message from a regional council of governments confirming receipt of such notice, then not later than twenty-five days before the public hearing, the planning commission shall also send such notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to such council. A regional council of governments receiving such notice shall, at or before the hearing report to each such planning commission and to the proponent of such subdivision on its findings on the intermunicipal aspects of the proposed subdivision, including street layout, storm drainage, sewer and water service and such other matters as it considers appropriate. If such report of a regional council of governments is not submitted, at or before the hearing, it shall be presumed that such council does not disapprove of the proposed subdivision. A regional council of governments may designate its regional planning commission to act for it under this section. The report of such regional council of governments shall be purely advisory.”

Please submit Subdivision Referrals to CRCOG at zoningref.

Use one of these referral forms as a cover sheet when you submit proposed subdivisions for regional review:

POCD

Section 8-23h(4) of the Connecticut General Statutes requires that regional councils of government be sent municipal plans of conservation and development for review: “At least sixty-five days prior to the public hearing on adoption, the commission shall submit a copy of such plan or part thereof or amendment thereto to the regional council of governments for review and comment. The regional council of governments shall submit an advisory report along with its comments to the commission at or before the hearing. Such comments shall include a finding on the consistency of the plan with (A) the regional plan of conservation and development, adopted under section 8-35a, (B) the state plan of conservation and development, adopted pursuant to chapter 297, and (C) the plans of conservation and development of other municipalities in the area of operation of the regional council of governments. The commission may render a decision on the plan without the report of the regional council of governments.”

Please submit POCD Referrals to CRCOG at zoningref.

Use one of these referral forms as a cover sheet when you submit plan updates or amendments: