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.

Latest News

Developers withdraw application to expand Wake Robin Inn

Wake Robin Inn is located on Sharon Road in Lakeville.

Photo by John Coston

LAKEVILLE — Aradev LLC has withdrawn its application to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a special permit to redevelop the Wake Robin Inn.

In a letter submitted to P&Z Chair Michael Klemens on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 17, law outfit Mackey, Butts & Whalen LLP announced its client’s withdrawal.

Keep ReadingShow less
North Canaan antique mall fills resale niche

The 403 Group is located at 403 Ashley Falls Road, where the old This N’ That for Habitat used to be.

Photo by Robin Roraback

NORTH CANAAN — The 403 Group Antique Market is “A hidden secret, a little off the beaten path, but worth the drive,” said Carey Field, who has a booth called “Wild Turkey” there.

“It’s a really fun group of dealers,” Field said. “A really eclectic group of antiques and the prices are reasonable.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Shooting the breeze with Christopher Little

Martin Tandler

Little with his dog, Ruby.

"What I really feel lucky about is having had the chance to meet and photograph so many people who had a real impact on our lives,” said Christopher Little whose new memoir, “Shooting the Breeze: Memories of a Photojournalist” was just released. The book is as eclectic and colorful as the man himself and offers an intimate look into Little’s globe-trotting career spent behind the lens, capturing some of the most iconic figures, events, and human stories of the past half-century.

In 2021, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas acquired Little’s photographic archive.

Keep ReadingShow less
Cold Spring, a not-so-hidden Hudson Valley gem

“Cold Spring, NY” depicts life in a notable Hudson River town with a rich history and much natural beauty.

Krista A. Briggs

According to Alissa Malnati, co-creator of the new coffee table tome, “Cold Spring, NY”, after twenty-five years in the urban jungle, it was time to go in search of a cure for the angst which, for some, can come with metropolitan living. “My husband and I were soul sick,” explained Malnati of the couple’s move to Cold Spring, a Hudson River town located in leafy Putnam County. “We were seeking restoration and quiet, and to be in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.”

The time was right for a move in 2021. The Malnatis relocated from busy Brooklyn to a tranquil mountaintop abode which allowed them to decompress without the intrusion of cell phones and ceaseless city noise. With the shift to the Hudson Valley, Alissa, a writer and fashion executive, and her husband, Will, a podcaster and television producer, found the peace they were searching for in Cold Spring, a semi-rural town known for its boutiques, antique shops, and world-class hiking trails.

Keep ReadingShow less