The Regulations shall be known and may be cited as the Zoning Regulations, Town of Roxbury, Connecticut which herein are called these Regulations.

These Regulations are adopted by virtue of and pursuant to authority granted by Chapter 124 and Section 7-148 of the Connecticut General Statutes, Revision of 1958, as amended.

The purpose of these Regulations is as follows:

1.3.1.

With reasonable consideration of the physical site characteristics of a district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses, and with a view to encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout Roxbury;

1.3.2.

To promote the health, safety, and general welfare;

1.3.3.

To lessen congestion in the streets;

1.3.4.

To secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other danger;

1.3.5.

To provide adequate light and air;

1.3.6.

To protect the state's historic, tribal, cultural and environmental resources;

1.3.7.

To facilitate adequate provision of transportation, water, sewage, schools, parks, and other public requirements;

1.3.8.

To regulate the percentage of the area of the lot that may be occupied;

1.3.9.

To regulate the density of population and the locations and use of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry, residence or other purposes.

1.3.10.

To regulate the height, number of stories, and size of buildings and other structures;

1.3.11.

To regulate and determine the size of yards, courts, and other open spaces;

1.3.12.

To protect Historic Resources, including homes, monuments, schools, barns and other structures of historic interest. The loss of such resources would detract from the character of the Town, which highly values the preservation of its Historic Resources;

1.3.13.

To provide proper sedimentation control and the control of erosion caused by wind or water;

1.3.14.

To promote energy efficient patterns of development, the use of distributed generation or freestanding of solar, wind, and other renewable forms of energy, and energy conservation;

1.3.15.

To retain the rural character of Roxbury which includes: Natural Features: Land, water, and biological resources including, but not limited to soil types, terrain, slopes, ridgetops, rock outcroppings, watercourses, ponds, rivers, flood plains, wetlands, stream belts, endangered species, wildlife habitat, prime and important farmland soils, pastures, and other unique and fragile features - including stone walls, tree-lined roads and dirt roads;

1.3.16.

To consider the impact of permitted land uses on contiguous municipalities and regional planning area in which Roxbury is located;

1.3.17.

To address significant disparities in housing needs and access to educational, occupational and other opportunities;

1.3.18.

To provide for the development of housing opportunities, including opportunities for multifamily dwellings, consistent with soil types, terrain and infrastructure capacity, for all residents of the municipality and the planning region in which Roxbury is located, as designated by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management under section 16a-4a of the General Statutes;

1.3.19.

To promote housing choice and economic diversity in housing, including housing for both low and moderate-income households;

1.3.20.

To allow for the development of housing which will meet the housing needs identified in the state's consolidated plan for housing and community development prepared pursuant to section 8-37t of the General Statutes and in the housing component and the other components of the state plan of conservation and development prepared pursuant to section 16a-26 of the General Statutes;

1.3.21.

To provide reasonable consideration for the impact on agriculture, as defined in subsection (q) of section 1-1 of the General Statutes;

1.3.22.

To affirmatively further the purposes of the federal Fair Housing Act, 42 USC 3601 et as amended from time to time;

1.3.23.

To the extent consistent with soil types, terrain, infrastructure capacity and the plan of conservation and development for the community, provide for cluster development in residential zones (as defined in section 8-18 of the General Statutes);

1.3.24.

To provide that proper provisions be made for soil erosion and sediment control pursuant to Section 22a-329 of the General Statutes;

1.3.25.

To reasonably consider the protection of existing and potential public surface and ground drinking water supplies;

1.3.26.

To regulate the height, size, location, brightness and illumination of advertising signs and billboards; and

1.3.27.

To promote efficient review of proposals and applications.

(Ord. of 5-11-2023)