Firms Express Interest in Helping Canton Revamp Its Development Process

The town is in the process of analyzing the scope and costs associated with a project that could dramatically alter the Canton's development approval process for two key sections of town. 

Ten firms have responded to a request to develop “community driven and market responsive Design Standards, Form Based Codes, or Village District Regulations” for sections of Route 44 and the Collinsville business district.

Essentially that process could create design standards to guide developers on types of land use, density, site planning, architectural and aesthetic treatments, transportation, parking and more.

Design Standards could even eventually replace or limit the town’s Design Review Team, a topic of much discussion this year.

Form based codes are a type of zoning regulations that also emphasize design, function, aesthetics, community assets and integration over specific uses.

If the town were to move forward, the chosen consultant would lead a multi-day public input session to help shape the guidelines.

Those who advocate such changes say they could offer predictability for developers while incorporating safeguards for residents. Parameters could also be established, triggering a more extensive process for larger or more unusual projects.

First Selectman Richard Barlow said he is interested to see what the firms have to offer but said he is comfortable with the general direction.

“I’m committed to pursue it,” he said.

Barlow and others have contended the land-use process as a whole and DRT, while sometimes resulting in good projects, is too subjective and lacks clear standards.

“There’s a commitment by the board (of selectman) to clean up that process,” Barlow said. “I see this as a way to get there.”

DRT members have defended their work and said they do have a clear process. 

Selectman Tom Sevigny has also advocated such changes and says they allow for a quicker process with predictability both for residents and developers.

"It's much needed," he said. "The implementation of formed-based codes and design standards will go a long way in correcting the problems we've had."

Town officials said in some cases, standards and/or codes could protect what already exists but isn't aligned with current zoning.

Neil Pade, director of Planning and Community Development, recently told the Collinsville Historic District Commission that in the business district of Collinsville the standards could also largely represent what the village already is.

"We want standards that represent what’s there," he said.

"This will allow us to preserve what we like about Collinsville," Sevigny said in a separate interview.

Sevigny also feels that a lot more creative projects could be done in the Route 44 business areas than people realize.

Not everyone, however, is convinced the direction would be a good one.

"I am concerned that Form Based Codes, in conjunction with what I feel is the economic development focus of the POCD update, signal a desire to push business related expansion into existing residential neighborhoods," said selectman Lowell Humphrey. "We are approaching maximum build-out of available 'commercial' properties so there will be diminishing opportunities for expanding our tax base in the future. I just hope our residents are paying close attention to this potentially expensive process and voice their opinions early on."
Currently the project is not funded and Chief Administrative Officer Robert Skinner said selectmen were committed to first getting the proposals to evaluate what firms could offer and how much it would cost.

“The ideas is to do the interviews, select a firm, agree on a price and then get approval for the funding,” he said.

Pade said the town could potentially use a $20,000 housing zone grant toward the project.

An interview panel, consisting of land-use commissioners, a business owner, a developer, homeowner along Route 44, Canton Main Street Program member, an outside professional and Pade are set to begin reviewing applications and hope to conduct interviews in early January.

Pade said Thursday that a Collinsville resident near the business district would also be on the panel.

If the boards of selectman and finance concur the funding could go to a town meeting for potential approval as early as February. Proposed standards could come by year's end.

See the attached PDF for more on the process and scope of the project.