Town of Stratford, CT SECTION 32 Lordship Boulevard Housing Zone (LBHZ).

[Effective 5-18-2021]

32.1 Purpose and Intent.

32.1.1 It is the purpose and intent of this regulation to promote and authorize lower-cost housing development through the new construction of affordable rental housing. Such development is intended to provide an alternative to owner-occupied housing and to foster diverse housing suited to different income levels and lifestyles in compact, well-designed, energy-efficient rental apartments.

32.1.2 Any development constructed in an LBHZ shall be in full compliance with all of the requirements of this regulation as well as all other applicable Town ordinances and regulations except as provided for in these regulations. Further, a development under this Section 32 is separate and distinct from a development under Sections 5.3 and 5.4, and the provisions of Sections 5.3 and 5.4 shall not apply to an LBHZ.

32.1.3 A building permit for the construction of all of any part of an LBHZ development shall not be issued unless and until the Zoning Commission shall have approved a site plan in accordance with the provisions set forth herein in Section 32.

32.2 Requirements as to § 8-30g Units Within an LBHZ.

The site plan for a development in an LBHZ and documents submitted in support of such development shall comply with the requirements set forth below. These requirements shall apply to any sale, rental, resale, purchase and subsequent lease, and conversion to common interest ownership and subsequent resale of the LBHZ development.

a. Affordable units shall be of a construction quality that is comparable to the construction quality of the market-rate units within the development.

b. An affordable unit shall be occupied only as the tenant's primary residence. Subletting shall not be permitted, and such prohibition shall be included in the lease.

c. The developer or its successor may change the designation of the units within the development which are to be affordable units, provided that the minimum set-asides as described in General Statutes § 8-30g shall be maintained and the development as a whole shall continue to comply with all subsections of this section.

32.3 Site Plan Submission Requirements.

32.3.1 Developments pursuant to an LBHZ shall require site plan approval. Special case approval is not required.

32.3.2 In conjunction with the submission of an application for approval of a site plan filed contemporaneously with any application for a zone change to LBHZ, the applicant shall submit the following:

a. A document identifying that a qualified, independent affordability administrator be selected, at the applicant's/owner's expense, to verify all affordable units and potential tenants qualify for residence. A list of qualified affordability managers, which has been provided by the Connecticut Department of Housing, can be obtained in the Stratford Office of Planning and Zoning.

b. An affirmative fair housing marketing plan governing the rental of all dwelling units;

c. A sample calculation of the maximum rents of the intended affordable units;

d. A description of the projected sequence in which the affordable units will be built and offered for occupancy, and the general location of such units within the proposed development;

e. Draft lease provisions that will govern the affordable units.

32.4 Site and Location of Zone.

32.4.1 An LBHZ is an overlay zone and shall be located only on land fronting on Lordship Boulevard and Watson Boulevard north of Watson Boulevard, having between 1.0 and 5.0 acres.

32.5 Permitted Uses.

No building or structure shall be erected, altered, occupied or used, arranged or designed to be used with the development for other than one or more of the following specified purposes:

a. Residential dwelling units comprised of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom rental apartments;

b. Preexisting self-storage facilities;

c. Shared garage and other necessary structures including dumpster area;

d. Parking facilities;

e. Wayfinding and site identification signs only.

32.6 Density.

The density of a set-aside development in the LBHZ shall be no more than 100 units. This standard shall not apply to any other pre-existing residential development and any such development shall not be factored into calculating this standard.

32.7 Minimum Building Lines and Limits on Height and Bulk of Buildings.

32.7.1 Building frontage, height, and setback requirements for an LBHZ development, as follows:

Road frontage	350 feet
Building height	65 feet
Setbacks:
Front	15 feet
Side	25 feet
Rear	10 feet
Maximum building coverage:	40%.

32.7.2 Maximum building footprint coverage: 40%

32.8 Utility and Road Requirements.

32.8.1 There shall be a storm drainage system which shall collect, carry off and dispose of surface water runoff and shall be constructed to conform to all applicable Town ordinances and regulations. All development will comply with the Town of Stratford's MS4 Stormwater Management Plan.

32.8.2 The development shall be serviced by public utilities which shall be underground and shall be placed in locations convenient to users.

32.8.3 There shall be a public water supply and municipal sewer system.

32.9 Landscaping.

Land that is not covered with impervious surfaces such as building, driveway, parking area, and walkways, shall be suitably landscaped. The landscape plan shall be submitted to the Tree Warden for final approval prior to the issuance of building permits. The purpose of said landscaping shall be to enhance the appearance and natural beauty of the Town and to protect and increase property values through preservation of existing vegetation and establishment of new screening and landscaping material, to moderate heat, noise, glare, and accumulation of dust, to shade, to provide privacy from noise and visual intrusion, to prevent the erosion of soil, excess water runoff of drainage water, and to guide the safe circulation of traffic.

32.10 Parking.

32.10.1 The following shall be the minimum number of parking spaces per unit:

Studio/efficiency/one-bedroom	1.00 parking space per unit
Two-bedroom	1.50 parking spaces per unit

32.10.1A The construction of parking areas shall conform to all applicable Town ordinances and regulations.

32.10.2 Handicapped spaces shall be provided as required by applicable laws.

32.10.3 Bicycle parking shall be provided at one bicycle parking/storage space for every three residential units proposed.

32.11 Application for Zone Change Approval.

An application for zone change to an LBHZ shall include:

32.11.1 A zone change petition as provided for by the Zoning Commission;

32.11.2 A written statement describing how the proposal complies with the purposes set forth in Subsection 32.1 of these regulations;

32.11.3 A site plan prepared and certified by either a licensed architect, a registered land surveyor, or a registered civil engineer which shall: (a) define the location of the areas to be used for residential purposes; (b) set forth the proposed density of the dwelling units; (c) show all utilities; (d) show present and proposed topography; and (e) show conceptual landscaping plan for the site;

32.11.4 Preliminary building plans illustrating: (a) floor plans; and (b) elevations;

32.11.5 If applicable, an application for Coastal Area Management approval.

32.12 Additional Restrictions.

a. No trucks, trailers, or commercial vehicles shall be stored or parked within the LBHZ unless parked within a garage or while performing services at a dwelling unit.

b. No animals or poultry, except usual household pets (which pets shall be quartered within the dwelling unit at night), shall be permitted.

c. There shall be no burning of garbage, refuse or debris.