The Smart Growth Bill did not get voted on during the legislative session due to the lengthy budget negotiations. Please email, call or write your State Representative, Senator and the Governor and ask them to address this most important issue during the upcoming special session. Contact information is on the bottom of this page.
BACKGROUND ON BILL 6640
Sierra Club is supporting House Bill 6640-An Act Concerning Smart Growth in the CT General Assembly. This bill would require the state to set up "priority funding areas" that would be targeted for economic development aid. These targeted areas would largely be in areas that are already developed and include (but not limited to) regional centers, rural community centers, redevelopment areas, distressed municipalities and corridor management areas. When the state is making decisions regarding state aid for "growth related projects", it will take into account whether the project is in one of these areas and whether it would promote a pedestrian friendly and mass transit accessible environment.
This bill would also require municipal, regional and state planning bodies to identify areas where it would be appropriate to have "compact, transit accessible, pedestrian-oriented mixed use development patterns and land reuse."
Sierra Club believes this bill would be very helpful in steering state funded projects away from unspoiled rural areas and instead focus development in areas that are transit accessible and already more densely developed.
WHERE WE STAND:
Sprawl, in all its forms, continues to be a broad dilemma for the State of Connecticut. It is a difficult problem to grasp because it affects so many environmental and social issues. Suburban sprawl is gobbling up open space, clogging our roads with traffic, ruining sensitive animal habitats, and endangering our water supply by encroaching on our aquifer replenishing zones.
The Connecticut Chapter of the Sierra Club is currently working with the State Legislature on a number of bills concerning Smart Growth initiatives. One fundamental issue we are working on is coordinated development. Currently, there is no requirement that each town's plan of conservation and development be consistent with the State Plan of Conservation and Development. Also, each town's plan of conservation and development does not have to be consistent with it's own zoning map. This type of disjointed planning leads to unintended sprawling development. There is no way we can plan for our future if we are all operating off of different plans!
Another concept we are strongly working for is "priority funding and development areas". These areas would include "brownfields"(old industrial sites) and sections of towns with existing infrastructure to support development. This would direct development towards areas with available water, sewer, transportation, and population. Not only does this help corral sprawl, it also helps save money. This "Priority Funding Areas" concept is used in the State of Maryland's nationally recognized anti-sprawl efforts.
These smart-growth concepts will help us develop with greater concern for our environment and, therefore, the well being of the people. We feel it's time to put the needs of the many ahead of the needs of the few. It's time to move past the fear of lawsuits and stepping on the toes of home rule. If we are to be a viable State into the future and a healthy State in the present, we need the political will to see the big picture. For no matter who owns a piece of property, that ownership means they have a greater responsibility to be good stewards of that land for future generations then someone who doesn't own that property.
We urge you to get involved by calling or writing your State Representative, Senator, and the Governor to ask them to support anti-sprawl bills that are being debated on at the Capitol.
