The Connecticut Department of Housing approved the town’s application for an affordable housing moratorium Friday afternoon, granting Ridgefield a four-year break from affordable housing applications under the Connecticut’s zone-busting 8-30g statute.
“DOH staff has reviewed the material provided, and has determined that the Town of Ridgefield has met the requirements for receipt of a Certificate of Affordable Housing under both statute and regulation,” wrote Commissioner Evonne M. Klein in a letter to First Selectman Rudy Marconi.
“As a result of these findings, I have ordered the publication of a Notice of Issuance of a State Certificate of Affordable Housing at the next publication date,” she added. “This entitles the Town of Ridgefield to a Moratorium of Applicability on the date of publication. Under the law, this Moratorium of Applicability shall remain in force and effect for a four year period unless earlier revoked in accordance with the law.”
Town Planner Betty Brosius put together the application, which was turned into the state on June 27, over the last two years.
Mr. Marconi praised Ms. Brosius’ work Friday.
“The credit for the moratorium should go to our planning director Betty Brosius for submitting what has been referred to as a ‘model application,’” he said.
Mr. Marconi said that the town should use the time to “take a good hard, long look” at affordable housing in town, but at the same time, he’d like to see some changes in the law.
The law gives developers the ability to overstep zoning laws for projects that include an affordable component as long as a town has fewer than 10% of its housing stock designated as price-restricted affordable housing.
“That means Ridgefield would need technically 940 units,” Mr. Marconi said, adding that the chance of Ridgefield having that many affordable units is “remote.”
The statute has been used by developers to get approvals on a number of projects that wouldn’t normally have been approved by local zoning officials and which drew plenty of criticism from the public.