Town of Stratford Planning Commission
Monday, August 23rd
The Town of Stratford Planning Commission conduced a special meeting on Monday, August 23rd on-line. The major focus of the meeting was for the Planning Commission to act on a petition to amend the Town Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) to adopt The Housing Strategies of Stratford document. The Housing Strategies document has already been approved by the Town Council, MetroGOG had been given the required 35-65 day notice in advance (and had replied with a letter of support). All legal notices were posted as duly required by state statutes.
Harold Watson, Chairman of the Commission, stated that the Planning Commission fully supports this document. The motion was passed unanimously.
The Commission also passed a motion referred by the Water Pollution Control Authority for sewer extensions to: 320 Bayberry Street, 170 Oronoque Lane, 246 Hilltop Drive, as well as 3945 and 3965 Main Street. The motion passed and was sent to the WPCA with a favorable recommendation.
Mr. Watson accepted a motion by Joseph Gerics to amend the bylaws of The Greenway/Complete Streets Committee to allow four alternates (Karen Rodia, Stacie Tavaras, John Staley, and Mr. Gerics to become full members as positions become available. This was unanimously passed.
The final item of the night was the Floral Park Neighborhood Designation that had been referred to Planning from the Town Council.
The proposed neighborhood designation request came from Floral Park area residents, including Sabrina Matis (136 floral Way) and Patricia Clark Sperling (186 Holmes Street).
After a lengthy discussion Mr. Watson then accepted a motion by Mr. Boyd to approve the subject petition and send to the Town Council with a favorable recommendation designating the Floral Park neighborhood boundaries as follows: All of the residential parcels generally bounded by Sherwood Place to the West, Stratford Avenue to the North, Main Street to the East, and South Avenue to the South.
Susmitha Attota, Town Planner, stated that she will write a letter of recommendation to the Town Council based on the Planning Commission’s discussion and vote on this item, as well as stating the concerns expressed by the two Commissioners who voted against this neighborhood designation request. (John Staley and Joseph Gerics)
An Executive Summary of the 2021-2026 Housing Strategies that was adopted into the POCD follow. To read the entire summary go to:
http://www.townofstratford.com/filestorage/39879/40023/119557/119872/Executive_Summary_022621.pdf
Executive Summary: 2021-26 Housing Strategies for Stratford
This is an executive summary of the “Housing Strategies” report prepared by the Stratford Housing Partnership in 2021. The complete report is available on the Housing Partnership webpage on the Town website.
Goal:
Seek to provide for a variety of housing choices in Stratford
for people and households of all ages and characteristics.
Basic Concepts
1. People need housing.
2. People need housing that meets their circumstances and needs.
3. People need housing to be available when they want or need it.
4. Census data shows that housing needs are diverse and changing.
5. Housing needs in Stratford have been recognized for some time.
6. Stratford should refine its housing policies to address present and future needs.
Community Input
The Housing Partnership conducted surveys of different groups in Stratford as part of preparing the report. Survey information is available on the Housing Partnership webpage on the Town website. In this executive summary, the level of agreement with different strategies is presented in the following format for three survey groups:
• Stratford residents (Residents) with 1,048 participants.
• Members of the Stratford Housing Partnership (SHP) with 9 participants.
• Members of Town boards and commissions (BC) with 73 participants.
When is Housing Considered Affordable?
Housing is considered affordable when people spend less than 30 percent of their income on it.
The issue of “affordability” becomes more significant for persons and families earning less than 80 percent of the median income.
According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the median household income in 2020 for the Stratford area was $98,000.
Then, when broken down by household size, the 80% threshold equates to about:
Household Size 80% of AMI
Annual Income
1 -person HH $55,000
2 -person HH $63,000
3-person HH $71,000
4-person HH $78,000
5+ person HH $85,000
