Panel Weighs I-1 Zoning Change for Housing

Other Committee · Meeting of August 11, 2026

BLOOMFIELD — The Bloomfield Economic Development Commission discussed, but did not vote on, a zoning change allowing housing in the town's I-1 industrial district and reviewed branding concepts for a Granby Street rebrand. Consultant Justin told members state Public Act 25-1 already requires two-to-nine-unit housing by right in business-zoned areas like Bloomfield's industrial districts. Commission member Bonnie, who disclosed a partial ownership stake in a 33-acre parcel behind Lowe's, proposed the I-1 change.

Commissioner Sadiq objected to a proposed "BAD" (Bloomfield Arts District) signage acronym, calling it unappealing, while commissioner Denise said the rebrand should include existing businesses, not just arts. Town Planner John reported a long-delayed Popeye's remains unfinished despite a mayoral promise of a September opening, and that a $4 million federal grant sought through Congressman John Larson's office is still undecided.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,823 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.

The Full Article

Call to Order and Minutes

The meeting opened at 8:32 a.m. with a brief procedural exchange over quorum rules; Town Planner John confirmed the commission's quorum is set at three members, not a simple majority of four. Commissioner Sadiq moved to approve the minutes of the July 14, 2026 meeting, Commissioner Vivian seconded, and the body approved them unanimously by voice vote with no corrections offered.

Old Business: Granby Street and Tobey Road Properties

Background and stakes: several properties along Granby Street and Tobey Road have pending site-plan, blight or cease-and-desist issues that the commission tracks monthly as part of its oversight of the town's tax increment financing, or TIF, zone.

The question before the body: whether to receive updates, not to take action, on the status of several active cases.

Linda, the town staff member who handles zoning enforcement matters, reported that the Capaco Center is proceeding with facade improvements and has applied for building permits, and that the 529 Granby Street project continues construction. She said 39 Tobey Road's owners intend to bring an informal revised site plan presentation to the commission in September. At 92 Granby Street, engineers are preparing revised site-plan submissions for conversion of a former repair shop into a full-service gasoline station; Linda said the project was continued from a prior month. At 95 Granby Street, home to a retail furniture store and a pita bread business, Linda confirmed the property's cease-and-desist order "is not lifted" despite the business continuing to operate, including hosting a weekend sale; she said she forwarded a commissioner's email documenting the activity to the building department for investigation, noting the code enforcement officer who had been handling the matter was on vacation.

At 6-8 Tobey Road, an unfinished second-story structure originally intended as event space, Linda said the owners received a blight letter and have told their consultant they now intend to pursue a restaurant rather than a nightclub use, though no formal plans have been submitted. A commissioner asked about graffiti that has remained on the building's windows for months; Linda said she expects the owners to address the property "around this time." The adjacent 10 Tobey Road parcel, under the same ownership, has seen no demolition activity despite meetings with the code enforcement officer, Linda said.

One unnamed commissioner voiced strong concern about the aesthetic outcome at the 92 Granby Street gas station site, saying the existing repair-shop building appeared inadequate for the proposed conversion. Linda responded that the application will require renderings, elevations and design review, and that "the commission will not approve it without it."

Procedural steps and outcome: no votes were taken; these were informational updates. Bonnie suggested that once the commission gains an additional member, it should organize a small-group tour of the TIF-zone properties, discussed further later in the meeting.

New Business: Proposed I-1 Zoning Text Amendment for Housing

Background and stakes: Bonnie requested this item be placed on the agenda to explore allowing residential use in the town's I-1 industrial zoning district, an area that includes a 33-acre parcel behind the Granby Street Lowe's in which she disclosed she remains a partial owner. She said the parcel was previously considered for a solar array decades ago and, more recently, for commercial, housing and mixed-use redevelopment in work with a firm referred to as Hesketh.

The question before the body: whether to recommend that the Town Plan and Zoning Commission consider a text amendment allowing residential use in the I-1 district.

Substantive content: Linda told commissioners the I-1 district currently permits most commercial and light-industrial uses, including retail through site-plan approval, small-scale warehousing and manufacturing, but not outdoor storage or housing. A consultant identified only as Justin explained that a recently enacted state law, Public Act 25-1, already requires any zone functioning as mixed-use, business or commercial, a category he said effectively covers Bloomfield's industrial zones because the town has no separate commercial zoning, to allow "middle housing" of two to nine units by right, through site-plan review rather than a public hearing. Developments exceeding nine units would still require a formal text amendment, which Linda said would be referred to the Capitol Region Council of Governments, called "Krog" in the discussion, for regional review.

The deliberation: Bonnie said she envisioned the I-1 change enabling duplexes and public green space as "a wonderful adjunct" to redevelopment plans for the corridor, drawing a comparison to denser development patterns across the town line in Hartford. Town Planner John cautioned that a townwide text amendment "would apply townwide" and that there are areas of industrial-commercial land where the commission "don't want housing," adding that the broader rewrite tied to the pending Plan of Conservation and Development, or POCD, will more carefully separate map and text changes to avoid effectively "taking somebody's property by quote down zoning it." John noted the TIF plan for the area already identifies the 33-acre parcel, previously 55 acres, as suitable for 300 to 400 multifamily units, which he said is "something to reference back to."

"I would like to suggest that the I-1 zone be, uh, amended that the, the, um, use be amended to include residential." [00:12:58] — Bonnie, commission member

John told Bonnie that because she is the property owner, she should avoid detailed discussion of her own parcel in this setting but could raise map-specific comments, including on Tobey Road, once the POCD's land-use map goes to public hearing, expected in September, without conflict concerns. Bonnie confirmed with Justin that any other I-1 landowner could already pursue two-to-nine-unit housing developments under the new state law independent of any town action.

Procedural steps and outcome: no motion was made or vote taken; the item was a discussion intended to inform a future recommendation to the Town Plan and Zoning Commission. John said a Town Council referral period of up to 30 days will accompany any eventual POCD-related text changes, and that the Town Council "has no authority" beyond commenting.

Implications and what is next: the broader zoning rewrite tied to the POCD is expected to take about 18 months; John projected an "80 percent chance" that the POCD itself is formally adopted at the Town Plan and Zoning Commission's September meeting, with October as a fallback, after which the ten-year review clock restarts.

Commission Member Updates: Affordable Housing Funding Question

Commissioner Deke asked whether a recently passed measure providing federal or state funding for affordable housing applies to Bloomfield. Town Planner John said the relevant vehicle is the state's Public Act 25-1, the same "middle housing" statute Justin had described, which carries funding incentives tied to proximity to transit stops and town centers, criteria he said Bloomfield "can meet." John said multiple pending town developments include affordable components, with one "relying almost entirely on public funding," though he cautioned the state-level funding mechanisms are "still not really clearly in place" and that municipalities have one to two years to prepare.

Consultant's Report

Commissioners had no questions on the written consultant's report provided for the meeting; the item passed without discussion.

Town Planner Report

Background and stakes: this standing item covers the status of the POCD process, an active town center redevelopment RFQ, pending grant applications and several major private development projects the commission tracks for their land-use and TIF implications.

Substantive content: Town Planner John said the commission's latest future land-use map draft has been sent to the Town Plan and Zoning Commission, which will review comments at a special meeting on August 20; a companion document with full text and supporting tables is expected to go out by early next week for review at either the August 20 or August 27 meeting, with an informal public release targeted for August 27 ahead of the required Town Council referral. On the town center redevelopment RFQ, John said questions are due back by August 25, proposals ("flannel submissions," per the transcript) by September 15, with selection expected by early October through an in-house review committee. On funding, John said the town's ninth-round state CIF grant application, submitted in June, should see a decision in September, and that a separate $4 million federal grant sought through Congressman John Larson's office remains undecided.

On private development: John said the First Cathedral project has begun its wetlands review but has not yet started formal talks on a PILOT, or payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, agreement, with a TPZ appearance expected next month. At 800 Cottage Grove Road, a proposed 230-unit apartment project, John said the fiscal and economic impact report prepared by the firm Goldman and York is complete and shows "positive alternatives" the town must now choose among before the developer can proceed; no formal land-use application has been filed, though a preliminary staff meeting has occurred. John said unit sizes are not finalized but include some three-bedroom units, an affordable component is planned, and he does not anticipate traffic concerns pending state input. A project referred to as "Paul Butler's phase four" is beginning its presentation process and has engaged Goldman and York for a similar report, expected within four to five weeks. In response to a question from Sadiq about the Aldi project, John said that application is awaiting the POCD's adoption and that he could not predict its reception.

Commissioner Vivian asked about the status of a Popeye's, and possibly a Chick-fil-A, planned near the Geisler's plaza. John said the Popeye's permit was granted two years ago, the last town inspection occurred in February, and the contractor has been slow because he is "working on three Popeye locations at the same time" and distributing funding and materials among them. John said utility coordination with Eversource and the Metropolitan District Commission has also been difficult. He said he identified the CEO of Popeye's parent company and emailed its president directly out of frustration, receiving a response from senior staff within an hour pledging action, though "I have not seen anything on the ground yet." The town has asked for interim site cleanup, including screening, erosion controls, a proper fence and reduced soil piles, and John said he gave the contractor until the end of the week before following up again. He said the mayor had previously indicated the restaurant would open by September, which he said will not happen.

"The mayor told me they would be open by September." [00:35:13] — Town Planner John

Procedural steps and outcome: all items were informational; no votes were taken.

Implications and what is next: the POCD's adoption timeline, the town center RFQ selection expected by early October, and the pending federal and state grant decisions in September will shape the commission's work through the fall, including whether the I-1 zoning discussion advances to a formal recommendation.

New Business: Granby Street Rebranding and Signage Concept

Background and stakes: the commission received funding to engage the design firm Artifacts, owned by Laura Rosen, to develop a rebranding concept for the TIF zone along Granby Street, including new signage intended to change the corridor's visual identity.

The question before the body: whether the commission supports the design direction enough to send it forward to the Design Review Committee and the Arts Commission for further input.

Substantive content: Bonnie shared a screen presentation showing six logo concepts, ranging from a stained-glass color treatment to black-and-white versions, applied to pylon-sign and banner mockups, plus a proposed entrance arch concept for the Cottage Grove Road and Granby Street intersection. The branding used the acronym "BAD," for "Bloomfield Arts District," a term Bonnie said was originally proposed by Andrew Kaplan.

The deliberation: Commissioner Sadiq objected to the acronym's negative connotation, proposing an alternative, "ADAB," for "Arts District at Bloomfield." Several commissioners, including Bonnie, characterized the reaction to "BAD" as generational. Commissioner Denise said the branding overlooked existing businesses in the corridor, suggesting it be framed as an "arts and business district" rather than solely an arts district. Commissioner Dave offered a contrary view, arguing the provocative framing carries deliberate "shock value" meant to signal the corridor is changing, and said businesses he has spoken with on Tobey Road already describe the area as "bad" informally. Commissioner Trish, described in the meeting as a small-business owner, said she favored keeping the black-and-white version of the first logo design but incorporating Bloomfield's green color scheme, and agreed with Denise that business interests should be reflected. Commissioner Vivian raised a question about how the logo would translate to printed materials and accessibility needs. On the signage format itself, commissioners converged on a preference for a flat pylon sign over banners; Dave said based on experience with "50, 60 shopping centers," banners in dark colors fade faster outdoors.

"I kind of agree with what Denise said about incorporating the other businesses and not just zoning in and calling it the arts district." [00:53:35] — Trish, commission member

Procedural steps and outcome: no formal vote was taken. Bonnie said she would return the feedback to Artifacts, seek revised concepts for the next meeting, and separately send preliminary information to the Capaco Center's ownership group for informal reaction. She said that before going to the Town Council, the concept would first go to the Design Review Committee and the Arts Commission, with Town Planner John confirming the Town Plan and Zoning Commission would also need to be included at some point.

Implications and what is next: revised branding concepts and an alternative acronym are expected to return to the commission at a future meeting; no timeline was set.

Field Trip Planning and Open Meeting Law

Bonnie proposed organizing an informal bus tour of TIF-zone properties once the commission fills a vacant seat, expected by the end of September. Town Planner John and Linda clarified that any such tour involving a quorum of members must be publicly noticed as a meeting, and that the commission has previously handled this by splitting attendees into sub-quorum groups, a method they said would likely be used again.

Public Comment and Adjournment

No members of the public offered comment, though staff noted one unidentified attendee, referred to in the discussion as "O'Reilly," was present without raising a hand to speak. Bonnie reminded commissioners the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, at 8:30 a.m., and expressed hope that a new commissioner will be seated by then. The meeting adjourned on a unanimous voice vote following a motion and second from unidentified members.

WHO WAS THERE

Bonnie, commission member, led discussion of the I-1 zoning proposal and the Granby Street rebranding item Sadiq, commission member, moved approval of the July minutes and raised objections to the "BAD" acronym Vivian (also addressed as Viv), commission member, seconded the minutes motion and asked about the Popeye's project and logo accessibility Denise, commission member, raised concerns about the rebranding's focus on arts over existing businesses Dave, commission member, argued for retaining the provocative branding and favored a flat pylon sign Deke, commission member, asked about affordable housing funding availability Trish, commission member described as a small-business owner, weighed in on logo color and business inclusion Town Planner John, town staff, delivered the monthly planner's report covering the POCD, RFQ, grants and development projects Linda, town staff handling zoning enforcement, reported on multiple Granby Street and Tobey Road properties Justin, consultant, explained Public Act 25-1's middle-housing requirements Rebecca, staff, managed meeting technology and screen-sharing during the presentation An unidentified public attendee referred to as "O'Reilly" was present but did not comment

ORGANIZATIONS AND DOCUMENTS REFERENCED

Capitol Region Council of Governments (referred to as "Krog" in the discussion) — regional body that would review any I-1 text amendment exceeding nine units Eversource and the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) — utilities cited as sources of delay in the Popeye's project's installation work Goldman and York — firm preparing fiscal/economic impact (REIS) reports for the 800 Cottage Grove Road apartment project and the "Paul Butler phase four" project Artifacts, owned by Laura Rosen — design firm developing the Granby Street rebranding logo and signage concepts Town Plan and Zoning Commission (TPZ) — body that would ultimately act on any I-1 zoning text amendment and the POCD adoption Town Council — body with a 30-day, comment-only referral role on the POCD Design Review Committee and Arts Commission — bodies Bonnie said would review the rebranding concept before it reaches the Town Council First Cathedral — project in early wetlands review, PILOT/tax agreement discussions not yet begun Office of Congressman John Larson — source of a pending $4 million federal grant application Public Act 25-1 — state law cited by consultant Justin requiring middle housing (two to nine units) by right in mixed-use, business or commercial zones, invoked in the I-1 zoning discussion Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) draft — cited by Town Planner John as the basis for an upcoming townwide zoning text and map rewrite Town center RFQ — request for qualifications for town center redevelopment, with responses due September 15