Governor Lamont signed House Bill No. 8002 into law on November 26, 2025. The new law is the most substantial land use reform in decades, and includes several provisions designed to encourage development across Connecticut, such as:
- Permitting as-of-right development of middle and multifamily housing in certain qualifying transit-oriented districts;
- Encouraging municipalities to adopt “Priority Housing Development Zones” where certain types of multifamily housing will be permitted as-of-right;
- Reducing parking requirements for most new residential developments containing 16 or fewer dwellings;
- Capping parking requirements for most new residential developments containing more than 16 dwellings; and
- Reducing the risk of petitions against zone map or zoning regulation amendment changes.
This new law requires municipalities and regional councils of government to enact local and regional Housing Growth Plans to guide residential development. These plans will become effective on a rolling basis, as communities in Southeastern Connecticut (such as New London, Norwich, and Groton) will be required to complete their plans by June 2028, while many communities in Fairfield County (including Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Westport and Fairfield) will be required to complete plans by June 2029.
Please contact Carmody’s Land Use team to learn more about how this new law impacts your development goals:
Madison L. Smith
Associate
203.252.2676
[email protected]
Jason A. Klein
Partner
203.252.2669
[email protected]
Lisa L. Feinberg
Partner
203.252.2677
[email protected]
Timothy D. Bleasdale
Counsel
860.442.0367
[email protected]
William J. Hennessey Jr.
Partner
203.425.4200
[email protected]
Meaghan M. Miles
Partner
203.252.2642
[email protected]
Liz Suchy
Partner
203.252.2656
[email protected]
This information is for educational purposes only, to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. It does not constitute legal advice and does not establish any attorney-client relationship.