Kent panel airs conservation, development plans

KENT — After many meetings, the committee updating the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) presented its proposed changes at an information meeting conducted on Zoom on Thursday, June 30.

The Planning and Zoning Commission convened the public hearing to gather community input.

Matthew Winter, chairman of the POCD Committee, described the state-mandated program whereby each town must have a plan and the plan must be updated every ten years. The last update was approved by the town in 2013. Winter said that the plan is a strategic planning document, advisory and flexible, to be used as a guide with no enforcement muscle.

In 2021, the committee conducted a survey of residents, gathering information about demographics and opinions about the town, its strengths and its issues needing attention. 290 responses were received and summarized in a report issued in August, 2021.

Similar to area towns, Winter noted that the median age of residents has increased in the past 20 years to a current level of 56 years. By contrast, in the 1970s, the median age was in the 30s.

Assisting the committee’s work has been Planimetrics of Simsbury, a consulting firm specializing in town planning, Winter said, introducing planning consultant Glenn Chalder who reviewed the proposed POCD updates based on the 2021 survey results.

In the minds of Kent residents, Chalter reported, sustainability is a key theme for the future.

The town is supportive of its current participation in the SustainableCT state-wide program that promotes several initiatives, including emergency preparedness. The community also favors protection of its community assets and natural resources, praising the quality of life and community character. Needing improvement are utilities, attracting business, recreation and housing affordability.

Chalter noted the importance of coordination between the POCD and the town’s housing plan that must undergo an update every five years. He said that most of the land in Kent is zoned for residential development based on soil characteristics.

Safe roads are important to residents who are looking for safety improvement to the 73 miles of paved roads and the 15 miles of unpaved roads.

Several local groups had submitted written comments about the POCD in advance of the meeting, Winter noted, opening the meeting for public comment.

Offering several comments, resident Joe Spelbos asked for greater specificity and more detail in presenting the survey results. Also, he was looking for crisper definition to differentiate between wetlands and a flood plain.

A resident of the Bulls Bridge area, Therese Duncan reminded the committee of an early town promise to improve an old logging road that would allow residents to escape or for emergency vehicles to serve residents in that part of town in times of flooding.

Expanding access to the Housatonic River is included in the plan’s update, seeing residents advocating for more points of access to alleviate the concentrations of visitors to the northern access point and the Bulls Bridge point.

Selectman Glenn Sanchez spoke of current projects that will impact planning including speed and traffic in the town center and the development of the historic Swift House. He also discussed a proposal for a Riverwalk in town to allow visitors greater river access.

First Selectman Jean Speck suggested including climate change initiatives, aligning with the state’s efforts toward reducing greenhouse gases. She described regional interest in sustainable materials management under discussion by the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), seeking to find an alternative for municipal waste treatment.

To see the survey results and view the POCD draft, go to the town website: www.townofkentct.org. Residents are invited to submit comments to the POCD committee in the coming days. The Planning and Zoning Commission likely will schedule a public hearing.

“We’ve taken a big step forward,” said Wes Wyrick, member of the Planning and Zoning Commission.