Union Station Transit Oriented Community Zone Hearing April 2

The Union Station Partnership new “Transit Oriented Community” zone will be heard at the Board of Alders Legislation Committee on April 2^nd. The new TOC zone creates more density for the Union Station campus and enables new development on the “East Lot” across from the Police Station on Union Avenue. The new TOC zone has larger FAR (floor area ratio) and sidewalk requirements as well as a right-sized parking ratio to ensure the property is developed to the fullest. The City is supporting the zoning application and asking anyone that is interested in testifying on the item at the public hearing next week to email [email protected] by April 1^st at 5pm with their written testimony. Click here to learn more about the proposed zoning and stay tuned for the upcoming RFQ release for the development.

Hold the Date ~ Vision 2034 Comprehensive Plan Workshop April 25

City Plan has been hard at work with our consultant team at FHI Studio and Led by Us, working on data collection and analysis and scheduling community engagement activities for the spring. The first public workshop is scheduled for Thursday, April 25th, at 5:30pm at High School in the Community (175 Water Street). This workshop will be an opportunity to learn about the planning process, examine demographic trends in the city, and provide feedback on your vision for the city in small groups.

Community Navigator Position Update

A key element of the community engagement strategy for Vision 2034, New Haven’s Comprehensive Plan is a cohort of ten paid Community Navigators. Navigators are New Haven residents with deep connections in the city, who will design and implement creative strategies to engage with residents, particularly communities often excluded from traditional engagement processes. We received fifty-three applications for the position, with applicants from every neighborhood of the city! Twenty-eight highly qualified applicants were interviewed and the top ten candidates have been hired. Stay tuned to get to know our fabulous team in the April newsletter. 

Zoning Map Scheduled Outage for Maintenance April 2

You may have noticed the City of New Haven has released a new zoning application launched by the GIS Department. The new map can be found here. Note that the map will be unavailable for maintenance on April 2. Frequent users may have noted some recent changes to the zoning map. The new application includes: improved compatibility with mobile devices, new zoning color scheme, removal of some layers that slowed loading of the application, modification of popups with more detailed information from the assessor's property card, and a print widget. If you are a zoning map user and have feedback on the new application, let us know. Email the City Plan GIS lead [email protected].

Congratulations Esther Rose Wilen

Planner Esther Rose-Wilen has moved into the role of Assistant Director of Comprehensive Planning. Esther grew up in New Haven (Worthington Hooker ’09, Wilbur Cross ’12) and has been working at City Plan for 2.5 years, as staff to the City Plan Commission and as a member of the Comprehensive Plan team. Some of her favorite things to do in New Haven include eating tacos at Food Truck Paradise, knitting on the beach at Lighthouse Park, and foraging for mushrooms on East Rock. Some of Esther’s goals for the Comprehensive Plan process are to amplify the voices of young people in New Haven in the plan and to ensure the plan stays firmly rooted in principles of equity and resilience. Feel free to reach out to Esther [email protected] 203-946-3029

¡Planeadora Esther Rose-Wilen ha ascendido al papel de Directora Asistente del Plan Integral. Esther se creció en New Haven (Worthington Hooker ’09, Wilbur Cross ’12) y lleva 2,5 años trabajando con el departamento de City Plan, como apoyo a la Comisión de Planeación y como miembro del equipo del plan integral. Algunas de sus actividades preferidas para hacer en New Haven son comer tacos en Food Truck Paradise, tejer en la playa de Lighthouse Park, y buscar champiñones en East Rock. Algunas de sus metas para el Plan Integral son amplificar las voces de jóvenes en New Haven en el plan y asegurar que el plan se quede firmemente basada en los principios de equidad y resiliencia. No dude en ponerse en contacto [email protected] 203-946-3029 (habla español)

Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit Boot Camp - April 18 ~ 6pm

Join the New Haven Preservation Trust and the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for a crash course on the Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HHRTC) program. Recent changes to state law in effect for 2024 have simplified the tax credit voucher process, so prior participants may still want to get a refresher. This free workshop, led by architectural preservationist Erin Fink, will cover all four parts of the HHRTC program including the initial project submissions and the post-rehabilitation documentation of completed work. Register Here.