Governor Rell Issues Executive Order

Championing Responsible Growth

(Listen to Governor Rell here.)

In a sweeping plan aimed at halting “sprawl” in Connecticut, Governor M. Jodi Rell today issued an Executive Order creating an Office of Responsible Growth to coordinate state initiatives to control rampant, ill-conceived development that threatens Connecticut’s special character.  (View photos of the event in Windsor Center.)

The new office, part of the state budget and policy department, will review state funding that has an impact on the development of Connecticut and promote a future that is well-planned, economically strong and environmentally sound.

“Today, we are charting a new course for Connecticut,” Governor Rell said.  “Think about the times we have shaken our heads in disbelief at the sight of another beautiful green field or hillside torn apart while nearby land well-suited for development goes unused.  My order aims to prevent sprawling development patterns from forever changing the character of our communities. 

“If left unchecked, sprawl will continue to fragment the landscape, impair our ability to remain economically competitive, consume precious natural resources, waste energy, and pollute our air and water.  This is an issue that has been talked about by state and local officials for years.  It is time we tackled the issue head on.  It is time to lead our state in a more responsible direction.”

An analysis by the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) states that in 17 years between 1985 and 2002:

• Connecticut added 119 square miles of developed land – an area equal in size to communities of Norwalk, Waterford, Avon, Old Saybrook and Lisbon.
• The percentage of Connecticut that is “impervious surface” – concrete, asphalt, rooftops – increased by 22 percent.
•  The state lost an average of 18 acres of forest per day and added 12 acres of development per day.
• Growth and development is even more pronounced in Connecticut’s coastal towns – and especially within the first 1,000 feet back from our shoreline.

“These statistics should be alarming to every Connecticut resident,” Governor Rell said.  “The time has come to act with vision today so we can preserve our state for tomorrow.  The time has come to plan intelligently for the continued growth of Connecticut so that we have the jobs, housing and amenities we need while protecting the landscapes, the forests, and the rivers that make this state unique.”

Under the Governor’s Executive Order, the Office of Responsible Growth will create and chair an Interagency Steering Council. This council will include the Commissioners and Executive Directors of key state agencies that have an impact on land use decisions.  Representatives from the state’s Economic and Community Development, Environmental Protection, Transportation, Agriculture and Public Health agencies will serve on the Council, as will officials from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and the Connecticut Development Authority.

“Only by bringing everyone to the same table can we create lasting, positive change,” Governor Rell said.  “I want to see real, comprehensive planning.  We have the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for future generations.  We need to do this right.”

Under the governor’s order, which is entitled “Connecticut: Green and Growing,” the Steering Council is charged with the following:

• Expand housing opportunities to meet the needs of all Connecticut residents and support an expanding workforce with housing that provides ready access to passenger rail and bus service.
• Review transportation policies and projects to increase opportunities to promote mass transit and roadway design that supports state and local economic development while preserving and enhancing the character, as well as the “walkability,” of Connecticut’s communities.
• Coordinate policy development and capital planning in an effort to efficiently utilize state expertise and financial resources. 
• Create Regional Roundtables that will invite the ongoing participation of city and town officials and foster the development of planning agendas tailored to the specific needs of different parts of Connecticut, starting with new transit corridors.
• Develop support and incentives for communities to engage in regional planning, to update zoning maps and ordinances and to build the capacity of municipal staff, boards and agencies to make complex land use decisions.  This effort will include the establishment of a new municipal training program that will be created in conjunction with regional planning organizations, the Connecticut Land Use Academy and resources that already exist in the state’s colleges and universities.
• Update the “Green Plan” for Connecticut by June of 2007 to better identify sensitive ecological areas and unique features, guide acquisition and preservation efforts, support local build-out maps and assessments, and make these and other maps accessible to state agencies, regional planning agencies, local communities and nongovernmental organizations through geographic information systems (GIS).
• Create a new “Green and Growing” webpage to highlight best practices and develop a virtual toolbox and roadmap to promote responsible growth.

“By coordinating the work of our state agencies in the areas of transportation and housing we increase our chance of success for transit-oriented development that provides commuters and city residents with bus or rail alternatives to their cars,” Governor Rell said.  “That coordination also means we are more likely to revitalize rail lines and create bus routes along corridors people travel from home to work and back.

“Our efforts to better steer growth and development must be respectful of the Connecticut tradition of home rule and local autonomy by including municipal officials as full partners in this initiative.  This is not statewide zoning.  These are not more unfunded mandates.  We aim to generate more informed decision-making at all levels of government, and to accomplish that we will work with municipal officials and regional agencies as full partners.  This is about reaching out to towns and helping them realize their vision for what they want to look like 20, 40, 60 years from now.”

Governor Rell said that Connecticut is currently taking other positive steps to prevent sprawl. Among them:

• The state is working actively to develop energy policies for the 21^st century that will decrease reliance on fossil fuels through increased use of renewable energy sources and a focus on conservation and efficiency. 
• Connecticut has also already taken action to address issues raised by growth and development through approval of more than $3.5 billion to fund transportation programs that will improve state highways, rail lines and bus systems and encourage transit-oriented growth.
• Connecticut has put in place programs to protect open space, farmlands and historic sites.  As a result of funding for state and local purchases of open space, Connecticut has preserved 479,160 acres of open space.  This represents achievement of 71 percent of the state’s goal of preserving 673,210 acres – or 21 percent of our land area – as open space. 
• Connecticut’s efforts have also resulted in the preservation of 222 farms with 31,025 acres of farmland.  In the past two years alone, $20 million in state bonding has been authorized for this purpose.  In addition, funding for these and other important programs will be increased in future years as a result of enactment in 2005 of the Community Reinvestment Act.  
• Connecticut has also established an Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development to strengthen efforts to clean up and reuse valuable properties often located in urban areas.
• Last month, Governor Rell announced that a national search is now underway for a Deputy Commissioner for the state Department of Transportation whose focus will be on mass transit and anti-sprawl measures.
• Many site-specific projects receiving more than $100,000 in state funding are now limited to “Priority Funding” areas across the state.  Priority areas are defined as regional centers, growth and redevelopment areas and distressed municipalities.

“Connecticut must build on these and other initiatives to ensure the success of our efforts to revitalize cities, preserve the unique charm of our state and build livable, economically strong communities while protecting our natural resources for the enjoyment of future generations,” Governor Rell said.  “Responsible growth policies simply were not on the state’s front burner in the past:  That’s about to change.”

Governor Rell’s “Connecticut: Green and Growing” Executive Order is effective immediately.