Commission endorses $100,000 zoning rewrite RFP

Planning and Zoning · Meeting of August 18, 2026

CLINTON — The Clinton Planning and Zoning Commission voted to endorse a $100,000 request for proposals to rewrite the town's zoning and subdivision regulations. Chairman Michael Rossi said the town has "a hundred thousand dollars in the budget" for the project, with a consultant targeted for a fall contract. Members also approved a site plan, PZC 26-18, letting Townie Swag LLC open a retail shop at 27 West Main Street, waiving 14 required parking spaces under town regulations.

Engineer Emily Kelting told the commission removing landfill material instead of capping it "would be many millions of dollars," as the panel continued its public hearing on the landfill cap and closure plan pending town council review. Staff briefed members on a state-mandated regional housing growth plan due by June 2028 under Public Act 25-1, with formal feedback to the River Council of Governments expected at the commission's September 13 meeting.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,624 words

Source: the Planning and Zoning meeting of August 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

Chair's Comments on Member Conduct and Devices

Chairman Michael Rossi opened the meeting by addressing device use during proceedings, saying concerns had been raised about members doing independent research on laptops mid-meeting. He said only information entered into the official record may form the basis of a decision, and that members using devices for outside research risk "being accused of" bias or violating that principle, and give an appearance of distraction. Rossi said he would email the commission a written version of the guidance. No vote was taken; the comments were procedural guidance rather than a policy change.

Approval of Minutes

The commission approved minutes from a prior meeting on a motion attributed to member Robert Corson, referred to informally as "Bob," with a second. The vote carried by a chorus of "aye" responses with no discussion recorded.

Site Plan Application: Townie Swag LLC, 27 West Main Street

Background and stakes: The application sought site plan approval to open a retail store in a long-vacant storefront at 27 West Main Street, last occupied roughly four years ago by a plumbing supply business. The space is already built out with a transaction counter and lighting, requiring no exterior changes beyond a new bathroom the landlord is constructing.

The question before the body: Whether to approve a site plan, PZC 26-18, permitting retail use in the 2,038-square-foot space and to waive the regulation's 14-space parking requirement.

Substantive content: Agent Sam Lyman presented the application on behalf of Townie Swag LLC. Co-owner Jeff Cook described the business as selling town-branded novelty merchandise, including tea towels, pillows, totes, aprons and wine bags, covering roughly 300 towns across Connecticut and New England, with some products for communities in Texas, Virginia and Florida. Co-owner Annette Cook, who said she goes by "the Ringleader," confirmed no screen printing would occur on site. The motion cited sections 33.8.1 and 33.8.2 of the Clinton zoning regulations, which allow the parking waiver because adequate public parking and transit exist within 500 feet, tied to Transportation Alternatives Program sidewalk project 27-131. The use was found permitted under section 27.2.2(24A), consistent with sections 4 and 10 of the regulations, and consistent with the 2025 Plan of Conservation and Development's economic development priorities.

The deliberation: A commission member asked about exterior changes; Cook said none were planned beyond the interior bathroom. Members asked whether the applicant would occupy the upstairs apartment; Cook said the business would occupy only the ground-floor space set back from the street, address 27A. "We're just looking to expand our scope of our business into retail sales, and this is just a fantastic opportunity," Cook said, citing the location's affordability and ready retail build-out.

Procedural steps and outcome: A member moved to approve PZC 26-18 with the findings of fact described above; the motion was seconded, and the commission approved it unanimously by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Implications and what is next: The approval allows Townie Swag LLC to open without further commission review. It is the second long-vacant Main Street storefront recently filled, a point Rossi highlighted as a sign of small-business investment downtown.

Public Hearing: Landfill Cap and Closure Plan (PZC 26-15)

Background and stakes: This hearing on the town's plan to cap and close the Clinton landfill has been continued multiple times while town council reviews cost and oversight questions raised by the commission in a prior round of written questions.

The question before the body: Whether to continue the public hearing again while awaiting town council's review, and whether to take new testimony from the public or the applicant's engineer.

Substantive content: Engineer Emily Kelting, representing the town of Clinton on the project, said the commission had asked for clarification on the difference between capping (containment) and full removal of landfill material. She said state regulations recognize three remediation approaches: abatement, containment and removal. Abatement does not apply to landfill material. Removal, she said, "would be many millions of dollars," making containment and capping the cost-effective option that still achieves remediation goals. She said the town is awaiting a response from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on full approval of the closure plan, expected within the next few weeks, delayed in part by staff turnover at the agency. The record also includes a memo to town council describing the scope and cost of third-party review of stormwater and road work during construction, with the town's Water Pollution Control Authority consulting firm, CDM Smith, providing weekly site-visit oversight.

The deliberation: A commission member asked Kelting to state the capping-versus-removal distinction explicitly for the record, saying there had been "some confusion" about the scope of work after the prior month's presentation. Kelting's response, given above, was accepted without further commission questions. No members of the public rose to speak when the chair opened the floor for public comment.

Procedural steps and outcome: The commission voted to continue the public hearing to its next meeting. Members were instructed to route any new questions directly to staff contact "Laurie" and to the town's attorney liaison rather than the full commission, so answers could be entered into the record in advance of the next session. Staff said town council was scheduled to take up the outstanding financial and legal questions that Wednesday, with a response expected before the commission's first meeting in September.

Implications and what is next: The landfill closure remains unresolved pending town council and town attorney input; the commission will revisit the hearing at its next meeting, with DEP's closure-plan approval also pending.

Staff Report: Regional Housing Plan Update

Background and stakes: Connecticut's Public Act 25-1 requires regions and towns to replace existing affordable housing plans with new housing growth plans. Clinton is in the first cohort of towns required to adopt a local plan, due by June 2028, with the regional assessment due by summer 2027.

The question before the body: Not a vote, but a briefing to familiarize the commission with housing and demographic data the River Council of Governments (River COG) is compiling, so members can offer feedback on methodology before the regional housing needs assessment and unit allocation numbers are finalized.

Substantive content: Staff said River COG has been gathering local housing needs data since March and is moving into drafting a regional housing needs assessment that will determine how many housing units each municipality should plan for. Staff highlighted several regional trends also seen in Clinton: an aging population migrating in or aging in place; a declining share of younger families and school-age children, with roughly a 25 percent drop in school enrollment over the years discussed; a growing share of vacant units reported as seasonal; and higher-income residents increasingly commuting out of town for work rather than working locally. Staff said Clinton has very few government-assisted affordable units with deed restrictions and that most affordability in town is driven by subsidy programs rather than restricted units, though that may change as newer approved developments reach certificate-of-occupancy status.

The deliberation: Member Dylan Walter pressed on whether the data distinguishes between younger residents choosing to leave and those being priced out, asking whether a narrower age band, such as 25 to 35, would better isolate the "sweet spot" of young professionals being forced out by cost rather than choice, citing a personal example of a family member looking to leave Clinton for lack of affordable housing options despite steady employment. Another member raised the example of a local pharmacy unable to retain workers who commute out by train, asking whether low pay or a lack of local housing was the driver; staff said River COG could be asked to help parse that distinction. Members also discussed a gap in the local market for higher-quality long-term rentals, with one member noting state law limiting security deposits to one month discourages landlords from offering higher-end rental units, and another connecting that gap to demand for walkable, Main Street-area housing. Staff said feedback on the data and methodology would be compiled for a formal response to River COG, "hopefully at the September 13th meeting."

Procedural steps and outcome: No vote was taken. Staff asked members to review the presentation packet and send written comments or questions ahead of the September meeting.

Implications and what is next: The regional data and methodology feedback will shape Clinton's eventual housing unit allocation under the state's 2028 deadline, with the commission's formal response to River COG expected at its September 13 meeting.

Regulations Committee: Zoning Notice Requirements

Background and stakes: Clinton's regulations currently require certified mail with signed return receipts to every property owner affected by a zone map change, a standard stricter than state law, which only requires newspaper notice.

The question before the body: Whether to pursue a regulation amendment loosening the town's self-imposed certified-mail requirement.

Substantive content: Staff said a recent mailing involving roughly 1,300 recipients would have cost about $12,000 under the current certified-mail, signature-required standard. Staff said neighboring towns, with the exception of Westbrook on a tiered basis, generally do not require return-receipt mail and instead rely on newspaper notice, website postings, or opt-in digital notifications. Staff proposed amending the regulation to require only newspaper and website notice, matching the state minimum.

The deliberation: Members discussed adding optional text or push notifications for residents who opt in, distinguishing that approach from a broader town communications policy versus a binding regulation. One member argued for codifying a stronger communication policy, particularly for larger actions like a townwide parking district amendment, while cautioning that obligating the commission to costly notice methods "in perpetuity" for every future map change was a separate question from informal policy practice. Rossi said he wants draft amendment language ready "next month" to allow pending parking district changes to proceed.

Procedural steps and outcome: No vote was taken; staff was directed to continue drafting amendment language for commission review.

Implications and what is next: A regulation amendment easing notice requirements could reduce costs for future zone map changes, including anticipated parking district amendments, but has not yet come before the commission for a vote.

Request for Proposals: 2026 Land Use Regulations Update

Background and stakes: The town's zoning and subdivision regulations are due for a comprehensive update; the subdivision regulations have not been revised since 2009.

The question before the body: Whether to endorse the scope of work in the request for proposals and authorize staff to issue it.

Substantive content: Staff said $100,000 is budgeted for the project, in line with comparable consultant costs elsewhere, and proposed splitting pricing among zoning regulations, subdivision regulations, and a map-amendments component, while still expecting a single consultant could handle zoning and subdivision work together given their overlap. Staff said the RFP includes deadlines intended to have a consultant under contract this fall, with a selection committee, potentially drawn from the regulations or Plan of Conservation and Development committee, to interview candidates before a recommendation comes back to the full commission.

The deliberation: Rossi said the scope was broader than he initially expected but called that "a good thing" given the commission's workload needs. No member raised objections to the scope or budget figure.

Procedural steps and outcome: A member moved to endorse the RFP document and authorize staff to move forward with issuing it; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded dissent.

Implications and what is next: Staff will issue the RFP and begin forming a selection committee; the goal is a signed consultant contract this fall to begin the regulations rewrite.

Plan of Conservation and Development Implementation

Background and stakes: The 2025 Plan of Conservation and Development assigns implementation tasks to multiple town bodies, not just the Planning and Zoning Commission, including the Economic Development Commission and public works.

The question before the body: How to coordinate with other town committees to keep POCD implementation tasks moving, and whether to authorize outreach to those groups.

Substantive content: Staff proposed reaching out to each town body with its specific slice of the POCD implementation table, reminding them their feedback was incorporated into the final plan and asking how the assigned tasks fit into their ongoing work. Staff mentioned an offer from a facilitator, referred to in the discussion as "Buffer," who has done prioritization work with the Economic Development Commission, as a possible resource for sequencing implementation tasks.

The deliberation: Members discussed returning to monthly POCD implementation meetings, similar to the commission's prior practice, split between regulations work and POCD work, and suggested periodically inviting other committees to joint meetings to discuss overlapping responsibilities.

Procedural steps and outcome: No formal vote; staff sought and received informal commission support to begin outreach to other town bodies on their POCD responsibilities.

Implications and what is next: Staff will begin contacting other town committees about their POCD implementation roles; the commission may revisit a more formal implementation meeting schedule.

Correspondence and Bills

No correspondence or bills were reported.

Michael Rossi, chairman, present. Ellen Dahlgren, member, present. Robert Corson, member, present (referred to informally as "Bob"). Chinzy Letieri, member, present (spelling as transcribed; unverified). Jay Mandel, member, present. Zach Kluwer, member, present. Dylan Walter, member, present. Susan Marcus, member, present; the chair's roll-call remark that he would "see Susan for both" suggests she may have been covering for another seat, but this is unclear from the transcript. Bo Clark, member, absent. Andrew Randy, member, absent (surname as transcribed; unverified). Michael Florio, member, no response recorded at roll call; attendance unclear. Brian Pellegrini, member, no clear response recorded at roll call; attendance unclear.

Staff in attendance: a staff member referred to as "Abby" presented the regional housing plan staff report and the land use regulations RFP item; no surname or formal title appears in the transcript. A staff contact named "Laurie" was mentioned as the point person for routing landfill-hearing questions; no surname or title given.

Public commenters/applicants: Sam Lyman, agent for applicant Townie Swag LLC; Jeff Cook, co-owner, Townie Swag LLC; Annette Cook, co-owner, Townie Swag LLC.

Outside parties: Emily Kelting (also heard as "Telting" in the transcript), licensed professional engineer representing the town of Clinton on the landfill cap and closure project; her firm's name is unclear in the audio ("Marrero" and "Liberal Engineering" both appear and may be mangled renderings of the same firm).

River Council of Governments (River COG) — regional planning body compiling the regional housing needs assessment and data cited extensively in the staff report on the regional housing plan.

CDM Smith — engineering consulting firm for the town's Water Pollution Control Authority, cited regarding third-party construction oversight for the landfill closure project.

Connecticut Public Act 25-1 — state law cited as requiring towns to replace affordable housing plans with housing growth plans, with regional plans due by summer 2027 and local plans, including Clinton's, due by June 2028.

2025 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) — cited as the basis for findings of fact in the Townie Swag site plan approval and as the source document for the implementation-tracking discussion.

Clinton Zoning Regulations, sections 33.8.1, 33.8.2, 27.2.2(24A), and sections 4 and 10 — cited in the motion approving the Townie Swag site plan.

PZC 26-15 — docket number for the landfill cap and closure plan public hearing, continued at this meeting.

PZC 26-18 — docket number for the Townie Swag LLC site plan approval.

Transportation Alternatives Program Project 27-131 — cited in the parking-waiver finding for the Townie Swag site plan, tied to a sidewalk construction project.

2026 Land Use Regulations Update request for proposals — document the commission voted to endorse, covering a $100,000 budgeted rewrite of zoning and subdivision regulations.