11-1.
INTRODUCTION
The
2005 legislative session amended state statutes to add that
regional plans in Connecticut address transit oriented development
(TOD).
Specifically, the HVCEO regional plan must "identify
areas where it is feasible and prudent to have compact, transit
accessible, pedestrian-oriented mixed use development patterns."

The
Rutherford, New Jersey Rail Station is the focus
of new transit oriented development that will provide
shops, offices, 48 apartments, a day care center and
parking. This project meets New
Jersey DOT Transit
Village funding criteria, one of 17 in NJ since 1999.
TOD’s
can also be viewed as an implementation mechanism related
to two other new requirements for regional plans, also mandated
by the 2005 legislative session: These are to address
pedestrian needs and promote better planning
thru mixed
land use.
Transit
oriented development is defined by Connecticut law as a mixed
use neighborhood within walking distance of a transit station.
According to Public Act 07-6 of 2007:
Transit-oriented development means the development of residential,
commercial and employment centers within one-half mile or
walking distance of public transportation facilities, including
rail and rapid transit and services that meet transit supportive
standards for land uses, built environment densities and walkable
environments, in order to facilitate and encourage the use
of those services.
A TOD
has a central area containing a rail or bus station and a
mix of commercial, office and institutional uses. This center
is typically surrounded by residential development that is
located within easy walking distance of the transit station.
The idea
of linking land development decisions to the presence of transit
service is not new. During the early 1900’s, the development
of many neighborhoods in Connecticut was influenced by the
presence of a system of trolley lines that provided efficient
transportation services for the needs of that era.
Today,
the idea of transit oriented development is to link land use
decisions with public transportation resources, where possible,
in order to accommodate new traffic demands and reduce the
dependence on highway transportation.
11-2.
LOCATE DENSITY AND MIXED
USE DEVELOPMENT AT TRANSIT HUBS
Mixed
use development surrounding rail and bus stations, at densities
appropriate for the affected neighborhoods, benefits the mobility
of residents as well as the economics of public transit systems.
The presence
of office and commercial uses within the core of a TOD can
stimulate transit patronage throughout the workday, not just
during morning and afternoon commuter hours, further enhancing
the economic viability of public transit service.

MTA
passenger rail stations in the New York
Metro Area. New TOD near these stations will
enhance the Connecticut and tri-state rail systems.
Residential
areas with convenient pedestrian access to transit service,
combined with convenient pedestrian access to job sites on
the other end of transit service, are key factors for creating
demand for transit and improving the utilization of that service.
A New
Jersey transportation study showed that “an increase
in residential housing options within walking distance of
a transit facility, typically a one quarter to one half mile
radius, does more to increase transit ridership than any other
type of development."
11-3.
TOD PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND
SUPPORTING MUNICIPAL REGULATIONS
Special zoning designations are needed to facilitate the implementation
of transit oriented development.
A major
factor to consider in writing transit oriented development
planning principles and supporting regulations is the resulting
scale of development. It is important that the TOD’s
result in neighborhoods that are in scale with the communities
located along the Danbury Branch Line: Ridgefield, Bethel,
Danbury, Brookfield and New Milford.
Metro
North Railroad will soon announce TOD criteria to be applied
to the Beacon Rail Line in nearby New York State. It can be
anticipated that Metro North will eventually recommend similar
planning criteria be considered on the Danbury Branch Line,
as part of its continuing efforts to increase ridership levels.
The transit
oriented development goal for this Regional Plan is to reinforce,
intensify and foster mixed use neighborhoods at most existing
and proposed passenger rail stations and at HART’s central
bus transfer station in Downtown Danbury. New mixed use development
at those locations should be designed to utilize and benefit
from the presence of public transit services.
11-4.
SITE EVALUATIONS
FOR POTENTIAL TOD
The
market support for TOD development within the Housatonic Valley
Region is influenced by the need for many people working in
Connecticut’s expensive southwestern Norwalk-Stamford-Greenwich
area to find more affordable housing within a reasonable commuting
distance of their jobs. Se the map
of relative housing costs between the two areas.
For decades,
many of the workers employed in southwestern CT have chosen
to live in the Housatonic Valley Region, where housing costs
are more affordable. To illustrate, from 1990 to 2000 resident
commuters from HVCEO municipalities to job sites in southwestern
CT increased from 12,737 to 14,436, a continuing trend.
A key
goal of the HVCEO Regional Transportation Plan is to facilitate
the ease of rail commuting by HVCEO residents to southwestern
CT employment sites. The development of rail oriented TOD’s,
supported by Danbury Branch Line commuter service improvements,
will help achieve this goal.

Existing
Danbury Branch Line stations
shown in red, proposed stations in blue.
The
following is an assessment of TOD potential at each of the
Region's existing, planned or potential rail passenger stations,
at the HART bus central transfer station, and along HART bus
routes:
GEORGETOWN
RAILROAD STATION
– TOD UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The
HVCEO Regional Plan's Future Growth Map offers a TOD supportive
"Near Central Developed Area" designation for this
innovative project, located in the Georgetown section of Redding
adjacent to Wilton.
This
development has received all required town, state and federal
approvals and construction is in progress. This TOD is a brownfield
redevelopment project that includes a new Georgetown Railroad
Station on the Danbury Branch Line as authorized by Conn DOT.

Intermodal
transportation hub near
proposed YMCA, Georgetown, Connecticut
BRANCHVILLE
(RIDGEFIELD)
RAILROAD STATION
– POTENTIAL TO BE DETERMINED
The
HVCEO Regional Plan's Future Growth Map offers a TOD supportive
"Near Central Developed Area" designation for the
Branchville Railroad Station vicinity in the Town of Ridgefield.
In
2002, the Ridgefield Planning and Zoning Commission prepared
the Branchville Village Plan that included a goal to "Preserve
the train station as part of Branchville," and to "support
enhancement of the Branchville railroad station as a multi-modal
transportation center with transit oriented services at or
near the train station."
Working
with the Town of Ridgefield and CT DOT, HVCEO will study this
location for TOD potential in 2009.

Ridgefield's
Branchville Station (red) and linear parking lot.
The vicinity will be studied by HVCEO for TOD potential.
WEST
REDDING RAILROAD STATION
– MINIMAL POTENTIAL
The
West Redding Railroad Station has the least patronage of any
station on the Danbury Branch Line. This is an "out of
the way" station location adjacent to a small, historic
and rural hamlet.
Redding's
most recent Plan of Conservation and Development and current
zoning map do not envision any intensification of development
at this location.
Also,
the HVCEO’s Plan Future Growth Map does not offer a
supportive growth designation for TOD at this location. Rather
the regional policy is for "Lower Density Area."
BETHEL
RAILROAD STATION
– SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL
The Danbury Branch Line train station serving Bethel is located
on the northern fringe of the Bethel Village Center.
This center is compact, pedestrian friendly, and contains
a mix of commercial, office and institutional land and building
uses surrounded by a variety of housing types.
The
Bethel Railroad Station was located in the middle of this
village center until the 1990’s, when it was relocated
approximately 2,200 feet to the north to provide for improved
parking and to eliminate congestion caused by trains blocking
Main Street while stopped at the old train station.
Of
great importance to Danbury Branch Line TOD advocates, the
2007 Bethel Plan of Conservation and Development supports
rail oriented TOD around the Bethel Railroad Station.

Bethel's
2007 Town Plan proposes a transit oriented
development area (blue) surrounding Bethel Railroad
Station (red) and near transit supported housing area (orange).
As
stated in the draft Bethel Plan, "One area that is appropriate
for TOD is the area adjacent to the Metro North Railroad Station
on Durant Avenue. The Board of Selectmen, the Planning and
Zoning Commission, and the Economic Development Commission
should work together to begin the process of assembling appropriate
parcels in the area for TOD development."
Continuing,
the draft plan states, "The Commission will revise the
zoning regulations for areas deemed appropriate for TOD to
encourage multi-story buildings set close to the street, with
some on-street parking and bus kiosks. Other considerations
include encouraging ground floor retail and restaurants with
upper story residential.
Parking
should be structured, either in stand-alone or mixed use buildings.
Landscaped sidewalks connecting the mixed use development
with the train station and downtown should include benches,
water fountains and other pedestrian amenities."
Continuing,
"In addition to transit oriented developments, there
may also be locations appropriate for moderately dense residential
development (approximately 10 to 15 units per acre) that integrate
transit options by providing access to the train station.
The area around Grassy Plain north of Greenwood Avenue should
be examined as a potential location for transit supported
development."
The
HVCEO Plan's Future Growth Map offers a TOD supportive "Near
Central Developed Area" designation for this location.
In recent decades the
number of Bethel residents that
commute south daily to Stamford and other
southwestern towns has continued to increase. This commuter
flow is one market that could be served in Bethel by the proposed
TOD area and related housing.
DOWNTOWN
DANBURY
RAILROAD STATION
– SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL
Commuter
rail service on the Danbury Branch Line currently ends in
Downtown Danbury. With its central transfer station also located
in Downtown Danbury, bus service is provided by the Housatonic
Area Regional Transit District (HART) throughout the City
of Danbury and to the towns of Bethel, Brookfield, New Milford
and Ridgefield.

HART's public bus routes converge
in Downtown Danbury.
As energy and environmental policy tightens, expect
increased viability for transit oriented uses along these
routes.
Hosting
these two transit facilities, Downtown Danbury can function
as a TOD area. There is a wide variety of retail and service
businesses and relatively high density residential neighborhoods,
all located within walking distance of public transit services
in an attractive, pedestrian friendly environment.
Western Connecticut State University (WestConn), with its
4,200 students and 1,000 employees, is within walking distance
of the train station. WestConn is also served by HART’s
Downtown Bus Loop, with regional bus service provided through
HART’s Downtown bus transfer station.
And,
a major development, Kennedy Place has an approved plan that
includes 586 dwelling units and 5,000 square feet of retail
space, all adjoining the HART Pulse Point and within 1,500
feet of the Danbury Railroad Station.
Current
development in Downtown Danbury includes high density housing
that is being built in neighborhoods within walking distance
of both the Danbury train station and HART’s Downtown
bus transfer station.
In
recent decades the number of Danbury residents who commute
daily to job sites in lower Fairfield County has continued
to increase. The daily total in 1980 was 2,572, up to 3,227
in 1990, and rising still further to 3,847 in 2000.
This
expanding commuter market has the potential to be attracted
into the Downtown area. It will bring added vibrancy and economic
activity to Downtown, facilitated by the presence of public
transit resources, attractive pedestrian friendly neighborhoods,
a diversity of business uses and quality municipal services.
The
HVCEO Future Growth Map offers a very TOD supportive "Regional
Center" designation for Downtown Danbury. The Regional
Center designation proposes relatively high densities and
to "concentrate development around transportation nodes
to support the viability of transit oriented development."
DANBURY AND REGIONAL HART BUS STOPS
– LOW POTENTIAL AT PRESENT
Bus stops to access Housatonic Area Regional Transit vehicles
on their many routes throughout the Housatonic Valley Region
are numerous. But due to today's relatively low service frequency,
these geographically diffuse bus stops do not currently have
the potential to become the transit element of a TOD.
However,
future energy shocks that significantly impair the use automobiles
could rapidly enhance the strategic value of nearby bus service.
It is conceivable that in the future, having a bus route located
nearby will be comparable to having public sewer service,
a universally recognized positive influence on property values.
The presence of nearby trolley lines in the past had the same
positive impact on property values in their day.
The Region's many HART bus routes should continue to influence
the shape and occupancy of adjacent developments so that they
work better with transit. This means that large developments
along bus routes should make provision for bus loading areas
and passenger amenities such as shelters and good pedestrian
connectivity.
In
addition, residents who are bus dependent will continue to
seek housing along HART bus routes, a common phenomenon in
recent decades.
DANBURY
NORTH
(PLANNED) RAILROAD STATION
– MINIMAL POTENTIAL
The HVCEO Future Growth Map
offers a supportive "Primary Growth Area" designation
for this location. The limitation on TOD potential at this
site is due to the lack of developable land in the vicinity
that could be linked with pedestrian access to the station
and that could support the full range of TOD uses.
The upcoming Conn DOT Phase II Danbury Branch Rail Study will
determine if this station should be constructed.
BROOKFIELD
(PLANNED)
RAILROAD STATION
– SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL
The HVCEO Plan's Future Growth
Map offers a TOD supportive "Near Central Developed Area"
designation for the Brookfield Village Center area.
Additionally,
the design guidelines used by the Town of Brookfield for planning
the future of the Village Center area call for mixed use development
and state that the Town should "prepare for the possibility
of rail passenger service from New Milford to Norwalk,"
and "identify an appropriate location for a commuter
parking lot connected to the rail line by a pedestrian bridge
over the Still River."
If
the upcoming Conn DOT Phase II Danbury Branch Rail Study determines
that this station should be constructed, then plans can be
developed to provide for pedestrian connections from the commuter
rail station to the adjacent planned mixed use village.
DOWNTOWN
NEW MILFORD
(PLANNED) RAILROAD STATION
– SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL
The
HVCEO Plan's Future Growth Map offers a very TOD supportive
"Regional Center" designation for Downtown New Milford.
The Regional Center designation proposes relatively high densities
and to "concentrate development around transportation
nodes to support the viability of transit oriented development."
The
Phase I findings of the Danbury Branch Rail Electrification
Feasibility Study concluded that the restoration/extension
of commuter rail service to New Milford would result in over
300 new daily boardings and increase ridership on the Branch
Line by 37%, a dramatic projection as rail studies go.
The
upcoming Conn DOT Phase II of the Danbury Branch Rail Study
will further ascertain the TOD benefits that would result
from the restoration of passenger rail to Downtown New Milford.

Shown
in red is the potential commuter rail platform in
the 1996 "Downtown New Milford Study." Evaluation
of potential
for transit oriented development nearby should await Conn
DOT's
determination as to restoration of rail passenger service
to New Milford.
11-5.
GOALS FOR TRANSIT
ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
GOAL:
HVCEO's TOD goal is to reinforce, intensify and foster mixed
use neighborhoods at existing and proposed passenger rail
stations and at HART’s central bus transfer station
in Downtown Danbury.
New
mixed use development at those locations should be designed
to utilize and benefit from the presence of public transit
services.
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1. INTRODUCTION --- 2.
MAP OF GROWTH --- 3.
WATER SUPPLIES ---
--- 4.
WASTEWATER --- 5.
TRANSPORTATION --- 6.
GLOBAL WARMING --- 7.
HOUSING ---
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8. ECONOMY --- 9.
OPEN SPACE --- 10.
MIX LAND USE --- 11.
TOD --- 12.
PEDESTRIAN ---
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