Goal
The goal of the Downtown Danbury Zoning Study is to reshape the regulatory environment within the Downtown to recapture it as a vibrant center of the City. This will be accomplished by evaluating and proposing new or revised zoning regulations that will be guided by the vision of the Downtown as established by the TOD Study and POCD and will be flexible, easy to administer, and user-friendly.
More specifically the Study will:
Engage residents and stakeholders in a discussion about what kind of development is preferred in the Downtown and which areas hold opportunities for development or redevelopment. This will be accomplished through a survey, workshop, and presentation.
Conduct a review of existing conditions in the Downtown.
Conduct a review of existing zoning regulations.
Provide recommended zoning regulation amendments.
Provide design standards for the Downtown.
Provide recommended zoning map updates.
The Study area is shown on the map (below/right) in pink although some adjacent areas may be included in the Study. The Study Area is focused on Main Street between I-84 and South Street and also extends along streets such as White Street and Pahquioque Avenue and the feeder streets extending just east and west of Main Street.
Study Area
Plans and Studies Leading to this Project
Over the past several years, plans and studies such as the Downtown Danbury Transit-Oriented Development Study, Plan of Conservation and Development, and Affordable Housing Plan have recommended regulatory changes that would enable redevelopment and infill development in the Downtown with the aim of restoring vibrancy and providing much need housing in the City.
The Downtown Danbury Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Study Provided a Vision
The 2019 TOD Study provided a robust vision for the Downtown with infill development in the Downtown and infrastructure enhancements that would leverage transit services. The Study recommended providing opportunities and incentives for land development in the TOD Study Area that would encourage a mix of land uses at densities that promote transit use.
The Plan of Conservation and Development points to opportunities in the Downtown
Innovate!, the City’s 2023 Plan of Conservation and Development, provided multiple recommendations for supporting growth in the Downtown. This includes recommendations that the City:
Explore the feasibility of creating a TOD zone and/or additional mixed-use districts in areas close to transit.
Increase the supply of housing in, and proximate to, Danbury’s Downtown with an emphasis on affordable units.
Consider extending the Downtown Central Business District as recommended by the TOD Plan, to allow for new, higher intensity growth while protecting Downtown’s historic buildings.
Click here to view a brief video about the Plan.
The Affordable Housing Plan recommends development of housing in the Downtown
Danbury’s 2022 Affordable Housing Plan recommends increasing the supply of housing in, and proximate to, Danbury’s Downtown with an emphasis on affordable units. This recommendation requires the City to explore development of a new Downtown zoning district or districts to replace existing Downtown districts and Downtown overlay zones. In addition to the potential establishment of a new district or districts, the Plan notes that existing regulatory standards need to be reviewed and potential revisions made to those standards to support infill development and redevelopment. These standards may include height, density, parking, site design, and public amenities requirements within the Downtown.
