Local Control of Zoning

Ryan has been Connecticut’s leading advocate defending local control of decision-making for our towns and cities, including over zoning and development decisions. Ryan believes Connecticut must protect local control over our towns, including planning and zoning decisions, and improving housing markets with local buy in. The government that governs closest to the people governs best.

 

In the last two years, Ryan co-authored and passed two of the only victories for local control of zoning in many years including giving towns and cities back the ability to making planning and zoning changes to their municipal charters (SB333, 2024) and making it easier for towns to get moratoriums under the 8-30g affordable housing statute (HB5474, Amend. C, 2024).

 

Ryan also helped stop two major efforts (“Fair Share” HB6633, 2023 and “Work Live Ride” 5390, 2024)to take away more local control over zoning decisions that would enable developers to build whateverthey want without local regulation. Under the current state statute 8-30g, our district has experienced many unfair developer proposals, like the 105-unit development on Weed Street that skirt local zoning. Under the new proposals supported by the majority leaders of the House and Senate, towns could lose even more zoning rights and also be financially liable to build more affordable housing themselves. If those Democratic leaders defeat Ryan and win supermajorities in both houses of the legislature, they will pass those proposals.

 

Ryan has offered constructive solutions to increase housing availability and affordability while also protecting local input in the process.

 

-Give towns credit for more types of affordable and workforce housing being built, rather than simplydeed-restricted housing or public housing

 

-Don’t penalize towns for allowing middle-income housing from being built under 8-30g

 

-Stop any legislation the further erodes local control of planning and zoning

 

-Focus on building more discrete forms of housing in the scope and style of current neighborhoods, like accessory dwelling units, residential units in commercially-zoned areas, and more

 

Ryan’s opponent Nick Simmons, whose campaign is heavily funded by developers, helped pass a law to take away more local control of zoning while he was a bureaucrat in Hartford in 2023. By contrast Ryan has been fighting for local decision making and better housing policies for years. Protecting our neighborhoods and local democracy is a top priority for him in the Senate.