City Council Members Address Parking Requirements At State Capitol

Several City Council members are in Hartford today to push back on a bill  before the state legislature that would “prohibit the imposition of mandatory minimum parking requirements for any development in a municipality.”

A majority of the council recently signed a letter to state legislative leadership framing the community hazards and deterioration the legislation would cause to infrastructure and public health.

The proposed legislation has backers and detractors. Proponents argue it would lessen developments costs in a state that needs tens of thousands more affordable housing units. Critics maintain it’s a quality of life issue adversely impacting renters while leaving municipalities to deal with congestion issues due to inadequate off-street parking, as well as one-size-does-not-fit-all given the different landscapes of urban, suburban and rural areas.

In 2021 the state legislature limited, during Covid, off-street parking spaces that municipalities require on any development: one space for studio and one bedroom units and two spaces for two-plus bedroom units.

Legislators approved a municipality opt out with a two thirds vote of local zoning commissions. Bridgeport’s Zoning Commission opted out.

One such high-density, 74-unit housing development without required parking on the East Side has become a flash point for critics.

News release from CT169Strong.org

This morning at 11 a.m., members of a statewide coalition for local control of zoning will hold a press conference outside of the North Lobby of the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford will address the concerns of several housing and zoning bills expected to be part of HB 5002, an omnibus bill that is anticipated to be voted on in the coming days. There are several concerning concepts in HB 5002 including a law that would prohibit minimum parking requirements on any development and impact towns and cities in Connecticut from making their own zoning decisions. For more information on the zoning and housing bills, go to CT169Strong.org.

CT169Strong co-founder Maria Weingarten, Barry Michelson, President of the Stamford Neighborhoods Association and professional planner, Bridgeport City Council members Jeanette Herron, Maria Pereira, Michelle Lyons and Maria Valle will be making statements on HB 5002.

A majority of the Bridgeport City Council recently sent a letter to the General Assembly’s leadership, urging them not to pass HB 7061, “AN ACT CONCERNING MANDATORY MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS, citing the significant hardships and public safety issues it would cause, along with negatively impacting the disabled and senior populations. Bridgeport had adopted that provision locally in its zoning regulations in 2021. Bridgeport councilwomen Lyons and Valle recently appeared on News 12 CT to share their concerns on HB 7061.

“As a statewide group of citizens, we feel it’s critical that we share the rightful concerns of our fellow residents on bills that impede local towns from making decisions. From banning minimum parking requirements to benefit for-profit developments to putting onerous mandates on our towns and more, home rule is at stake in Connecticut this legislative session,” said Maria Weingarten and Alexis Harrison, co-founders of CT169Strong. “Unfortunately, the majority leadership has not made the language of the omnibus bill available to the public despite its impact on every town and city in Connecticut. In fact, it has essentially been passed by a majority of the housing, finance and appropriations committees without knowing the true concepts that will be included in the bill, they are essentially voting a blank check out of committee. This is not good policy making for Connecticut.”

Other concerning concepts that may appear in HB 5002:

• Statewide “Fair Share” allocations for every town and city, with unreasonable and unattainable development mandates for affordable units. It is a top down mandate to rezone everywhere for high density statewide under an unworkable and vague “realistic opportunity” that developers will build them while also giving outside non-profit groups and developers standing to sue.

• DesegregateCT’s Work Live Ride Transit Bill opt in with a “Sophie’s Choice” of onerous mandated “As Of Right” on any projects up to 9 units and 8-30gs in the transit area or risk deprioritized funding of STEAP and other important grants.

• Homeless and migrants (and their possessions) can perform life functions on Public Lands and cannot be removed unless alternative housing is provided in that municipality (an unfunded mandate on EVERY municipality to provide shelters and services).

• Maximum one acre zoning mandated, statewide.

• Churches can build up to 8 “sheds” for homeless & migrants with no water & sewer and can build 8-30g affordable developments on their lots any undefined size their church owns “as of right.”’

• “As of Right’ conversion of commercial to residential with no public hearings, or zoning discretion.