Planning and Zoning Commission finalizes zoning rewrite ahead of hearing
Planning and Zoning · Meeting of May 12, 2026
New Canaan Planning and Zoning Commission clears final edits to its business- and retail-zone rewrite ahead of a June 2 public hearing. Town planning staffer Sarah told commissioners paperwork must reach the town clerk by Monday to meet a new state law deadline requiring updated regulations by July 1. Commissioners agreed to a 50 percent ground-floor commercial frontage requirement with 40-foot depth for mixed-use buildings, tiered medical-office parking thresholds (zoning permit under 5,000 square feet, special permit over 10,000), and cut the maximum parking-reduction special permit from 40 percent to 25 percent.
One commissioner, arguing to loosen a costly parking-study requirement, said "what's great about New Canaan is that there's not a lot" of big national chains able to absorb a $15,000 study. The panel also voted to reclassify real estate offices as office rather than retail use and directed staff to get a legal opinion on whether affordable-housing height bonuses can still require special-permit review.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,138 words
Source: the Planning and Zoning meeting of May 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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