The Planning Department is responsible for guiding the conservation and development of the town. By reviewing proposed developments, designing town projects, providing information on public and private developments, and administering the town's Geographic Information System (GIS) for mapping, information retrieval, and analysis, we provide guidance and support to the Historic District Commission, the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, and the Town Planning and Zoning Commission.

Whether you are expanding or relocating your business, developing a new residential neighborhood, or feel that you will be impacted by a proposed development, we are here to help you navigate the planning and zoning process. Even if you are just thinking of developing a project in town, come see us first and we can set up a confidential meeting with our Staff Development Team to help you better understand what will be required of you under the various planning, zoning, building, fire, engineering, and health codes so that you can make more informed decisions about your project.

We have designed this web page to be a clearinghouse for planning and zoning information, where you can get contact information; maps; regulations; application forms; procedures; agendas, legal notices, and minutes; demographic data; answers to many of your questions; and much more with a few clicks of your mouse. If you cannot find what you need, let us know and we will see if we can add it to this site in the future.

Please take a quick moment and take our five (5) question survey about Windsor Center!!

Click the link below!!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nMw0D9Nrq4bdBP2kBsgxl7-yuUCyQE7qhoI7F8Q0k1Y/viewform

Check out the Windsor Center Transit Oriented Development Planning & Facilitation Program website for updates, results, meeting information and more!

Click the link below!

http://windsortod.wordpress.com/

Program Details

The Windsor Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning and Facilitation Program is an initiative undertaken by the Town of Windsor to strengthen Windsor Center as a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use district in anticipation of enhanced transit service. The program will use input from the public to create a plan for Windsor Center that serves the needs of existing and future residents, strengthens pedestrian and bicycle connections, provides an enhanced business and retail center, and examines the potential for mixed-use development including housing within walking distance of the proposed new railroad platforms. Focusing on the area within a half-mile of the proposed new platforms, the program will also analyze opportunities to reuse and redevelop key underutilitized properties. Windsor’s Planning Department and a Steering Committee are guiding the TOD planning program, which is being funded through a grant administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The program is expected to be completed within a year, and a professional team, led by the planning and urban design firm The Cecil Group, is assisting the town.

The Planning Department would like to welcome its newest member, Erin Wilson, to its team.  Erin joined us as the Assistant Town Planner on January 22nd.  Please join us in welcoming Erin to the Town of Windsor!

Legal Notice

Town of Windsor

Town Planning & Zoning Commission

The Windsor Town Planning & Zoning Commission does hereby give notice that it has established a Public Notice Registry pursuant to Public Act 06-80. Landowners and electors of the Town of Windsor, as well as non-profit organizations may request to be placed on this Registry. Those placed on the registry will be entitled to receive advance notice by mail or by electronic mail of public hearings associated with any change in Zoning Regulations or boundaries, Subdivision Regulations, or any amendment to the Plan of Conservation and Development.  For inclusion in the registry, please email the Planning Department; or retreive a form here to fill out and submit by mail or in person; or call (860) 285-1980 to obtain a form to request inclusion in the Registry.  To receive registry notices by USPS mail, you or your organization will be responsible for supplying and replenishing self-addressed stamped envelopes to the Planning Department.

The Town of Windsor contracted with Princeton Hydro to study Silver Birch Pond and prepare a report that evaluates the health of the pond and gives recommendations for maintaining and improving the pond. The summary of the report states:

“Silver Birch Pond is in many ways a typical eutrophic waterbody. While the majority of the indicators and metrics used to evaluate and rank pond health are indicative of acceptable water quality and ecological state, the pond does have issues that need to be addressed. The most significant of those is its seasonal thermal stratification and polymictic nature of the pond. This in itself appears to be responsible for most of the pond’s problems. Once stratified the deeper waters become oxygen depleted and this leads to the liberation of sediment bond phosphorus. This phosphorus is then recycled into the upper reaches of the pond when the weak stratification breaks down, in turn fueling enough algae growth to impact the clarity of the pond and its aesthetic value. The easiest solution to this problem is to install an aeration system capable of keeping the pond in a destratified state. However, before a system can be properly sized more data should be collected.

At the same time a number of small scale, but locally effective efforts can be implemented to decrease phosphorus loading to the pond. These include septic management, retrofits of the stormwater management systems, the creation of aquascaped shoreline buffers, the construction of on-lot rain gardens, and the reduced use of phosphorus fertilizers.”

Dr. Stephen Souza of Princeton Hydro presented the findings of the report to pond abutters and other interested residents on November 19, 2012. Click here to view his presentation. Click here to view the full report.

Over the past few months, Planning Staff has been working to update the Zoning Regulations with amendments that have been adopted by the Town Planning and Zoning Commission.  While we are still working to refine the document (e.g., add an index), a PDF of the updated Regulations is now available online here.

Paper copies may be purchased from the Planning Department; however, we do not routinely keep a stock of printed copies available.  Please call our department at 860.285.1980 to let us know how many copies you would like and we will let you know when they are available.  The cost per copy is $20.