Transcript
Page 1: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development
Page 2: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Learning Objectives

Connection between land use policy and

economic development

Benefits of doing a regulatory audit

and market analysis at the same time

How to talk your elected body into giving you

money for planning!

Page 3: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Snapshot of Groton

Population:40,115

Jobs:26,000+

Major Employers:US Navy Base

Electric Boat

Pfizer

Points of Interest:Fort Griswold

Branford House

US Navy Submarine Museum

Notable People:Matt Harvey (NY Mets pitcher)

Lydia Longley (first Nun)

Brian Anderson (professional skateboarder)

Fran Mainella (former National Park Service

Director)

Page 4: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

What Are Our Problems?

What Can We Do?

Fat and happy, until…

recent HUGE tax revenue loss

Word on the street

Not an easy place to do business

Confusing process

Town Council initiative with $$$

Economic development/

understand the market

Regulatory reform

Customer service

Page 5: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development
Page 6: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Opportunities

New leadership in OPDS (AD/ECD)

Community is ready for change

Developable/Underutilized land

and grayfields

Transit and multimodal options

POCD/Zoning

Sewer/Roadway infrastructure

Water availability

Others

Page 7: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Constraints

Lacking a “development community”

Town/City/Village(s)

Looking for instant results

No town center

Resistance to change

(internal i.e. town hall)

Everyone has ideas, lack of bodies

to implement

Page 8: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

What Are Our Goals?

Easier process and more diverse

economy!

Plan and create an economically

diverse economy

Identify areas where smart growth and

development should be encouraged

and supported (growth centers)

Encourage mixed-use development that

creates great communities

Address infrastructure needs for the future

Protect open space, critical resources

and community character

Develop buy-in and engage the

community in the process

Page 9: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

What Should Groton Do?

Most municipalities are dealing with the

same problems as Groton

How have other municipalities handled

these same issues?

Regulatory audit

Market analysis

Targeted industry assessments

Market the town and its resources

Page 10: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Getting It Done

RFQ

– Town Council plan and $$

– Selection committee and process

Community support is key

Focus group

– Develop buy-in and political support for

future changes

– Include boards, commissions, TC, RTM,

and others

Make this their project, not just another

planning study

Page 11: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Market Analysis

What this will do for us?

– Give us direction for solutions and an

awareness of the market

What is the market?

– Retail

– Office

– Housing

– Hospitality

– Infrastructure

– Smart growth vs. conventional development

“Add on” projects

– Pro forma analysis

– Marketing material

– Industry specific analysis

Page 12: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Regulatory Reform is the Equivalent

of Setting the Table

Plan of Conservation and Development—

update in process

Zoning Regulations—last rewrite in 1986

Subdivision Regulations—adopted in 1980

Economic Development Incentives

Page 13: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Customer Service

Why is this important?

– Does the public like what we are selling?

– We are a service provider

Change of attitude

Change of focus

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Development and Redevelopment

Equation

Page 15: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Regulatory Review

Zoning and Subdivision Regulation Audit

Page 16: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Goals

“Less is more”

Be user friendly: clear and concise

Simplify the approval process

Provide predictability

Provide incentives to meet economic

development objectives

Recognize “best practices”

Ensure consistency with Town’s

Plan of Conservation and Development

Recognize demographic trends that relate

to development patterns

Page 17: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Purpose

Identify areas of concern

Suggest changes

Provide a “roadmap” to assist the Town in

implementing recommendations

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Focus Areas

Inconsistencies

Organization

Confusing/Vague language

Out-of-date provisions

Barriers to efficient permitting

– Staff review vs. commission approvals

– Consolidation of boards/commissions

User friendliness

Best practices

Consistency with state statutes

Consistency with Town’s economic

development objectives

Page 19: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development
Page 20: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Stakeholder Interviews

Regulations are cumbersome, outdated and lack consistency;

hinder the Town’s ability to attract development

Town is losing out to coastal communities in attracting development

Capitalize on Town assets

– Waterfront location

– Regional access (highway, ferry, rail, airport)

– Schools, parks, museums, and destinations

Complacency due to past success (Pfizer and Electric Boat)

Multiple Committees and Commissions create complexities

Confusion created by Town/City of Groton jurisdiction;

redundancy of functions and operations

Land use regulations should support Town’s goal for attracting

economic development

“Can do” attitude of current planning and ED staff

Page 21: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Implications for Zoning

Decreased setbacks

Smaller lot sizes

Mix of housing types/models

Adapting existing—“Granny flats”

Options for aging in place

Connectivity to services

and entertainment

Trends

Aging population

Page 22: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Implications for Zoning

Increased demand for rental housing

Increased density

– Live, work, play proximity

Reduced parking

Increased demand for biking, walking,

and public transportation

Trends

Millennials

Page 23: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Implications for Zoning

Demand for mixed-use

and proximity to services

Support opportunities for Traditional

Neighborhood Development patterns

Locate development near

transportation nodes

Transportation impacts

– Interconnected streets

– Complete Streets

– Sidewalks/crosswalks/bikeways

Demand for on-site amenities

and outdoor space

Trends

Desire for live/work/play

opportunities

Page 24: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

General Comments

Zoning is difficult to get through;

lacks streamlined review process

Few incentives to encourage development

– FAR bonuses, flexible standards

Not supportive of emerging trends

– Particularly mixed use and on-site employee amenities

Lack requirements

– Pedestrian and bike facilities, sustainability, alternative energy

Organizational improvements

– Structure

– Definitions

– Consistency

– Consolidation of districts

Page 25: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

General Comments

Simplify table of permitted uses

– 12 pages long

Consider creating a “developers handbook”

Downtown Development District

– Create a new Overlay that reconciles existing strip commercial

land use pattern with desire to create a true town center

Page 26: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Recommendations

Improvements to the organizational

structure, definition and clarity in

key sections

Language to fill a void in the regulations

Sweeping changes (eliminating a district,

creating a new overlay, or substantially

re-writing the content of a special district)

Page 27: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Next Steps

Target areas for economic development

Create a new Downtown Development Overlay District along

Route 1 corridor

Initiate a master plan for the Route 1 corridor

Staff

– Conduct land use studies in representative cross-sampling of the

built industrial environment to better understand development

characteristics (establish baseline for making adjustments to

dimensional and density requirements)

– Simplify use tables

Address streamlining, including potential to hold

joint hearings

Create a developers handbook

Use technology (on-line permitting)

Page 28: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Market Analysis

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Page 30: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Economic Development Tools

The Big Categories

Business attraction, retention,

and expansion

Real estate and site

development

Innovation, entrepreneurship,

incubation, and acceleration

Workforce development

Community development

Our core focus in Groton:

Real Estate and Site

Development—blending land

use and zoning with economic

and market analysis.

Page 31: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Economic Development & Planning Overlap

The Groton Experience

Land and site development

Redevelopment

Downtown development

Corridor and district

development

Infrastructure needs

and planning

Placemaking

All are impacted by planning,

zoning, permitting, land-use

regulations, and codes; and

all are driven by economic

and market trends!

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Leading Industry Analysis

The Groton Experience

Industry sector and subsectors

– Manufacturing, life sciences, medical office, retail, tourism/visitation,

business and finance

Includes analysis of

– Employment and occupations—trends, projections, concentrations, wages

– Market trends—regional, global, national

Can also include analysis of

– Supplies chains, trade

– Output and impact—sales, GDP, multipliers

Not a guarantee of the future

Not meant to find “lightening in a bottle”

Page 33: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Real Estate Market Analysis

Includes land and new building development, expansions,

redevelopment, business parks, sites, districts, and corridors

Broken into categories of commercial, industrial, retail,

special (i.e. medical office lab, incubators), and mixed-use

Analysis of

– Competitiveness—supply, demand, comparison to

market competition

– Needs—infrastructure, incentives, amenities

Keys in Groton:

Corridors, refreshing retail, integrating tourism/visitation areas,

flex space for manufacturing, mixed-use, and design integration

Page 34: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Lessons Learned

Placemaking Matters!

Workforce is key to economic development

– Top issue for all sectors and all sizes

of business!

Workforce requires infrastructure

and amenities

– Housing, transportation, water, parks,

recreation, community, etc.

– Defines quality of place

Economic development must include

attention to quality of place and must be

integrated with community development

and planning

Page 35: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Lessons Learned

Less Is More!

Focus on “low hanging fruit”—Prioritize!

– Don’t bite off more than you can chew—

break large projects into smaller digestible

components based on your organization’s

and partners’ capacity to implement

Understand what you can have impact over

– At local level—land use, zoning, permitting,

customer service

Be regional

– Workforce, transportation, industry cluster,

and housing all require regional strategies

Be holistic and integrate

– Land use planning, community development,

workforce development, economic, and

business development

Page 36: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Next Steps

Focus on setting the table

Implement market analysis and marketing efforts

Foster community support

First steps in revising regulations

Celebrate small successes

Improve development and permitting process across

the board

Master planning key areas

Local assistance from partner organizations and the State

Promised the Town Council some progress in 3 years

(give or take a little….)

Page 37: Bridging the Gap Between Land Use Policy and Economic  Development

Questions

Jon Reiner, AICP | Director of Planning and Development

Services, Town of Groton, CT

[email protected] | www.groton-ct.gov

Ken Schwartz, AICP, NCICS | Senior Vice President of

Planning/Urban Design

[email protected] | www.vhb.com

Jim Damicis | Senior Vice President, Camoin Associates

[email protected] | www.camoinassociates.com