Land Use Department
      Planning & Zoning
      Inland Wetlands

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Preface: Planning for the 21st Century
1.2 Citizen-Based Planning
1.3 Regional and Local Context
1.4 GIS Mapping

2.0 LAND USE 9

2.1 Current Land Uses 9
2.2 Development Potential 14
2.3 Using Land Development to Achieve Better Community Design 19

3.0 POPULATION 27

3.1 Growth 27
3.2 Race and Ethnicity 27
3.3 Age 28
3.4 Households 29
3.5 Income 31
3.6 Conclusions 32

4.0 HOUSING 33

4.1 Types 33
4.2 Occupancy And Vacancy 33
4.3 Cost 34
4.4 Households and Housing Use 37
4.5 Need for Lower Cost Housing 37

5.0 COMMUNITY FACILITIES 43

5.1 Parks and Recreation 43
5.2 Schools 45
5.3 Library 46
5.4 Social Services 46
5.5 Senior Citizens Center 47
5.6 Health Services 47
5.7 Municipal Buildings 48
5.8 Police Service 51
5.9 Fire Stations 51
5.10 Highways 52
5.11 Potential Uses of Publicly Owned Land 53

6.0 WATER AND SEWER UTILITIES 59

6.1 Existing Conditions 59
6.2 Future Needs 63

7.0 WATERSHED AND AQUIFER PROTECTION 67

7.1 Definition of Key Terms 67
7.2 Current Supply Sources 69
7.3 State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Mandates 70
7.4 Bethel's Current Protection Measures for Water Supply Watersheds and Major Aquifers 72
7.5 Recommendations for Bethel for Public Water Supply Watersheds and Major Aquifers 73
7.6 Aquifer and Watershed Protection Programs Around the Region 79

8.0 TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC CIRCULATION 81

8.1 Current Transportation Demand 81
8.2 Traffic Accidents 82
8.3 Transportation Concerns Expressed in the Town-Wide Public Opinion Survey 84
8.4 Potential Transportation Improvements 86
8.5 Key Transportation Issues 88

9.0 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 91

9.1 Overview of the State and Region 91
9.2 Labor Market 91
9.3 Housatonic Valley Region Economic Development Summary 92
9.4 Bethel Economic Development Commission 99
9.5 Overcoming Negative Business Factors 99
9.6 Recommendations and Potential Build-out 100

10.0 SPECIAL PLANNING AREAS: ROUTE 6 AND DOWNTOWN BETHEL 103

10.1 Route 6 103
10.2 Downtown 118

11.0 FUTURE LAND USE PLAN 139

11.1 What is a Future Land Use Plan? 139
11.2 Land Use Plan Elements 140

12.0 APPENDICES

A. Public Opinion Survey A1
B. Survey-Based Goals and Objectives B1
C. June 1996 Public Workshop C1
D. Census Tract and Block Group Data D1

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Photographs from the Workshops
Figure 2: Regional Context
Figure 3: Local Context
Figure 4: Town Map
Figure 5: Current Land Uses
Figure 6a: Examples of Bethel Land Uses
Figure 6b: Examples of Bethel Land Uses
Figure 7: Development Potential
Figure 8: Environmental Constraints
Figure 9: Zoning
Figure 10a: Housing Types
Figure 10b: Housing Types
Figure 11a: Municipal Facilities
Figure 11b: Municipal Facilities
Figure 12: Sewer Service Areas
Figure 13: Water Service Areas
Figure 14: Watershed Views
Figure 15: Aquifer and Watershed Protection: Proposed Regulatory Measures
Figure 16: Wetlands and Streams
Figure 17: Key Transportation Issues
Figure 18a: Views of Bethel Businesses and Employers
Figure 18b: Views of Bethel Businesses and Employers
Figure 19: Economic Development Areas
Figure 20: Landscape Buffers on Route 6
Figure 21a: Views along Route 6
Figure 21b: Views along Route 6
Figure 22: Route 6 Corridor Study Hawleyville Road and Benedict Road
Figure 23: Route 6 Corridor Study Old Hawleyville Road and Route 6
Figure 24: Downtown Study Areas
Figure 25: Whitney Road - Beach Street: Views
Figure 26: Visual Analysis: Positive Features Whitney Road - Beach Street
Figure 27: Visual Analysis: Negative Features Whitney Road - Beach Street
Figure 28: Beach Street to Dolan Plaza: Views
Figure 29: Visual Analysis: Positive Features Beach Street - Dolan Plaza
Figure 30: Visual Analysis: Negative Features Beach Street - Dolan Plaza
Figure 31: Dolan Plaza to P.T. Barnum Square: Views
Figure 32: Visual Analysis: Positive Features Dolan Plaza - P.T. Barnum Square
Figure 33: Visual Analysis: Negative Features Dolan Plaza - P.T. Barnum Square
Figure 34: P.T. Barnum Square to Chestnut Street: View
Figure 35: Visual Analysis: Positive Features P.T. Barnum Square - Chestnut Street
Figure 36: Visual Analysis: Negative Features P.T. Barnum Square - Chestnut Street
Figure 37: Summary of Design Issues and Recommendations
Figure 38: Future Land Use Plan
Figure A-6: Survey
Figure A-7: Responses, Questions 4-15
Figure A-8: Question 4 & 5
Figure A-9: Question 6 & 7
Figure A-10: Question 8 & 9
Figure A-11: Question 10 & 11
Figure A-12: Question 12 & 13
Figure A-13: Question 14 & 15
Figure D-2: Bethel Town 1990 Census Tract Map
Figure D-3: Bethel Town # , % Distribution
Figure D-4: Bethel Town Race #, % Distribution
Figure D-5: Bethel Town Household Income #, % Distribution
Figure D-6: Bethel Town Educational Attainment #, % Distribution
Figure D-7: Bethel Town 1990 Census Block Group Map
Figure D-8: Bethel Town Block Group Chart - Age
Figure D-9: Bethel Town Block Group Chart - Race
Figure D-10: Bethel Town Block Group Chart - Income
Figure D-11: Bethel Town Block Group Chart - Education
Figure D-12: Bethel Town Block Group Chart - Households

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Land Use Acreages 1950-1996
Table 2: Base Zoning Standards and Development Potential
Table 3: Population by Age, 1970-1990
Table 4: Households and Families, 1970-1990
Table 5: Types of Households, 1980-1990
Table 6: Publicly Assisted Housing Units (as of 1994) Housatonic Valley Planning Region
Table 7: Outdoor School Recreational Facilities
Table 8: Outdoor Recreational Facilities
Table 9: School Capacities and Square Footage
Table 10: Comparative Park, Open Space and Athletic Facilities
Table 11: NRPA Classifications
Table 12: Selected Outdoor Facilities Not Found in Bethel
Table 13: Total Number of Developable Units
Table 14: Journey to Work From Residence in Bethel
Table 15: Average Daily Traffic and Trends for State Roads in Bethel
Table 16: Danbury Labor Market Area: Non-Farm Wage and Salary
               Employment Selected Statistics, January 1996
Table 17: Employment by Industry, 1970, 1980, 1990, 1994 Fairfield County
Table 18: High Technology Companies, Bethel, Connecticut

Prepared by:
Buckhurst Fish & Jacquemart Inc.
Adopted July 8, 1997
Bethel Planning and Zoning Commission

Acknowledgments
Planning and Zoning Commission
Denis Riordan, Chairman
Michael J. Mannion, Vice Chairman
Kitty Grant, Secretary
J. Richard Shannon, Treasurer
Alice Hutchinson
William Doling
Emily Yager
Charles Down*
Kevin Gallagher*
Frederick J. Jones, Jr.*
Frederick Cratty*
* Alternates

The Commission wishes to especially thank Sue Lorusso, the Administrative Assistant, for her tireless and cheerful work on this project.

Buildings and Zoning Department
Raymond C. Rubley, Jr., Building Official, Zoning Enforcement Officer
Floyd R. Banzhaf, Land use Coordinator, Enforcement Officer

Public Works Department
Hemraj Khona, P.E., Director

Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission
E. Joyce Dixon, Chairman

Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials (HVCEO)
Jonathan Chew, Director
David Hannon
Timothy Parks
Bill Holler

Buckhurst Fish & Jacquemart Inc.
72 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 620-0050
65 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06032
(203) 674-0303

Frank Fish, AICP, Principal
Harlan Sexton, AICP, Project Director
Georges Jacquemart, AICP, Principal, Traffic Planner
Paul Buckhurst, AICP, Principal, Urban Design Planner
Kristi Broff-Knecht, Planner/GIS
Martin Torre, Graphics
Donna Roberts, Production
Wendy Bernard, Production
Redley Exantus, Production

Space Track
John Ziegler, Principal

URS Greiner Engineers
Art Johnson, P.E.

Urbanomics
Jennifer Weber