![]() The information required is specific to residential structure or vacant lot acquisition. This application asks that a purchaser provide some basic information to the City before a purchase file is opened.Each requires a completed Application to Purchase City Owned Property (PDF): There are three ways to participate in the Urban Homestead Program. Applicants can acquire property in these areas for below fair market value. A sale takes precedence over a homestead. DeVoe, the town's director of planning and economic development.Properties that are within designated Urban Renewal Areas are eligible for inclusion in the Urban Homestead Program at the sole discretion of the Office of Strategic Planning, with conditions: the property is not needed for public purposes and no qualified buyer is attempting to purchase the property. “Plainville has a fairly liberal accessory apartment regulation that the is currently working on to effect a faster approval process for those with medical needs similar to those described in the statute, in addition to potentially reducing the minimum floor area requirements,” said Mark S. Officials from some opt-out towns, including Plainville, stated a desire to review local zoning rules to make them more accommodating. “So I'm not surprised many municipalities have opted out.” “The heart of local zoning is local control over what is built in your town,” she said. Sara Bronin, chair of Hartford's planning and zoning commission, said an abundance of multifamily and affordable housing options was another reason the city opted out of the granny-pod law, which is seen as overreaching by many local officials. ![]() Some municipalities, such as Hartford and South Windsor, allow for accessory units to be built in existing structures, such as a barn or garage. They, for example, allow for the addition of in-law apartments. Some municipal officials who have opted out said their zoning rules are accommodating enough. John Guszkowski, director of planning and development at CME Engineering in Mansfield, served on a state taskforce that studied granny pods leading up to the passage of the law last year. The law, for example, allows cities and towns to require applicants to post a performance bond of up to $50,000.Īnother potential headache for municipalities is that the law requires an applicant to provide a doctor's note justifying the medical need to have the dwelling installed. In addition, some officials said there are onerous requirements in the new law that may further slow activity. ![]() The others said they're looking to see what nearby towns do, or that the opt-out has led to a discussion about updating local zoning rules to better accommodate families with elderly parents. Of the 18 municipalities that responded to HBJ's survey, 12 opted out or are in the process of doing so. In addition, many local governments have seized on an opt-out provision in the law, which means anyone who applies for a granny-pod building permit will face existing, often stricter local zoning statutes. None had received any granny-pod applications since the law passed last summer. ![]() Hartford Business Journal queried Hartford County's 29 cities and towns, receiving answers from 18 municipalities. There doesn't appear to be much demand, at least right now. In addition, there's a greater focus in the state to keep aging residents in their own homes, as a way to reduce healthcare costs and improve quality of life.īut don't look for a granny-pod explosion anytime soon, experts say. Census Bureau, up from about 600,000 at the turn of the century. The potential granny pod market is big in Connecticut, with nearly 1 million people projected to be age 60 or older by 2030, according to the U.S. “The healthcare structures have the added benefit of not just providing proximity to family caregiver support and assistance, but also a degree of privacy, independence and autonomy for the individual needing care.” “The concept is innovative and recognizes the strong preference seniors have to live in their own home and community as long as possible,” Tia Murphy, an AARP volunteer, told lawmakers last year.
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