Salisbury P&Z seeks comments for new town plan

SALISBURY — The Salisbury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) will be holding a public engagement meeting on the draft of its ten-year Town Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) on Sept. 30. The meeting will be held at Town Hall and on Zoom from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

P&Z encourages residents to review the draft and submit written comments prior to meeting time, where suggestions will be discussed with the general public.

P&Z Chair Michael Klemens stated, “The POCD charts the course of our Town for the next decade and beyond. It is vitally important that citizens participate by attending this workshop or writing to us to provide their input.”

The POCD, which state law requires is updated at least once every decade, “inventories and assesses the status of: affordable housing, villages, comprehensive planning and governance, infrastructure, agriculture, and natural resources” in Salisbury, according the town’s webpage.

The Sept. 30 meeting will inform P&Z’s amendments to the draft, which must be formally submitted to the Board of Selectmen and the Northwest Hills Council of Governments by Oct. 11. Following a 65-day review period, the P&Z will hold a second public hearing for adoption of the finalized POCD, which is scheduled for Dec. 16.

P&Z emphasizes that this plan is inherently cross-organizational, updating the 2012’s POCD with regard to statewide and regional management plans and drawing from sources such as Town of Salisbury Affordable Housing Plan (2018 and 2023) and Salisbury Connecticut Natural Resource Inventory (2009, updated 2024), as well as the results of the 2021 Salisbury community survey.

The plan explains that the worsening impacts of climate change, as well as the dramatic changes brought about by the pandemic, make this 2024 update crucial as it outlines a resilient future that protects the well-being of residents and the landscape alike.

Written comments must be based on the updated draft available on the town’s website, dated Sept. 3, and should be emailed to the Land Use Office at landuse@salisburyct.us, or may be mailed directly to the office. The P&Z will accept comments until Sept. 30.