Groton looks to expand apartment requirements for recreational storage, bicycle parking
May 19—GROTON — The town's Planning and Zoning Commission is proposing regulations that would require apartment buildings to provide larger storage areas for residents' kayaks, bicycles or eBikes, among other changes intended to promote sustainability in town.
The proposed regulations add minimum storage requirements for large recreational equipment and expand bicycle parking requirements at apartment buildings.
Assistant Planning Director Deb Jones said the commission is proposing to add the requirements to the regulations because it recognizes that people want such storage areas.
The proposal also makes the town's regulations conform with the level of power required for Electric Vehicle parking spaces under a new state law, called the Connecticut Clean Air Act, said Jones.
Tabitha Harkin, planner for the town, wrote in a memorandum, that the changes are being proposed to better align the town's regulations with the Plan of Conservation and Development's goals for sustainable development, transportation and sustainable energy.
"Groton's current regulations limit multi-unit storage in size and dimension and do not account for e-charging needs," Harkin added. "The proposed regulations seek to remedy this by making more accommodation for large recreational equipment and requiring proximity to a power source."
The commission is also proposing to make tweaks to its regulations so that the parking requirements for Public Assembly Areas, such as churches, are consistent, whether the places have fixed seats or an open floor plan, according to Jones and Harkin.
The proposed text amendment is available at: https://cms9files.revize.com/grotonct/document_center/Departments/Planning%20&%20development/Pending%20Land%20Use/REGA23-03/ZONING%20REGULATION%20TEXT%20AMENDMENTS_Rev%20.pdf
The proposed changes will go to a public hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Town Hall Annex.
