9/6/2025
You may have read or heard about a potential high-density housing development on Plum Tree Lane in Trumbull. Unfortunately, the information circulating on social media has been inaccurate. Our residents, and especially the neighbors on Plum Tree Lane, deserve clear, factual updates about this proposal.
This proposal for development is being made by the property owner, 15 Plum Tree LLC — not the Town of Trumbull. This proposed development crosses the Trumbull town line into Easton.
Under Connecticut law, property owners have a right to propose a development through the town’s application process, which is established and governed by state law and local regulations.
The developer is pursuing this project under the Connecticut’s 8-30g affordable housing statute. This state law allows developers to bypass certain local zoning regulations in towns where less than 10% of the housing stock qualifies as affordable. In practice, it often gives developers the upper hand over local land use boards.
I believe we absolutely need to expand housing options in Trumbull so that seniors, young people, and members of our workforce can afford to live here. But I do not support developers using 8-30g to override the thoughtful review of our local boards, which have served our community well.
The proposed development in the Plum Tree Lane neighborhood is excessively dense and out of place. I have shared my concerns with the Plum Tree Lane neighbors.
This proposal has a long way to go in both Trumbull and Easton. It will need approval for the sewer hookup by the Water Pollution Control Authorities of both Trumbull and Bridgeport, as well as the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission (Wetlands) approval in both Trumbull and Easton. From there, the project will need to go to the Planning & Zoning Commissions in both communities.
If Wetlands denies the proposal, the developer can appeal to the Connecticut Superior Court. If the proposal is denied at the Planning & Zoning (P&Z) level, the developer can appeal that decision to the Connecticut Superior Court. Should Wetlands and/or P&Z approve the proposal, then certain neighbors have the right to appeal to the Connecticut Superior Court.
I want residents to understand my administration’s long-standing position with respect to high-density housing developments, such as the one being proposed.
My administration has taken proactive steps to protect our community and maintain local control. For example, in 2020 the Town purchased property on Hardy Lane, with bipartisan Town Council approval, to prevent a high-density development and ensure that the Town, not outside developers, determined how that land would be used. In 2024, we again acted with bipartisan Town Council support to purchase the Grace Church property on Main Street for the same reason.
I also advanced multiple moratoria on large, multifamily rental housing developments that exceed 50 units, which were approved by Trumbull's Planning & Zoning Commission. In addition, I have testified at the state legislature and spoken to our state delegation numerous times about housing issues and the importance of preserving local decision making.
These are just a few examples of what my administration has done to maintain local control over developments, and we have been successful to date. I will continue to fight, as I have over the past eight years, to see that this local control is protected.
Please remember that both Ten Trumbull and the Woodside multi-family high density rental housing developments were approved through the town's land use process in 2017, before I took office. The Residences at Main, approved in 2018, was the last high density multi-family housing development (over 50 units) approved in Trumbull.
As the Plum Tree Lane proposal moves forward, I want to assure the residents of that neighborhood, and our entire community, that I will continue to ensure accurate information is shared and make certain your voices are heard.
Included below is my statement on the development process and FAQs about State Statute 8-30g.
Basics of the Development Process and Trumbull Land Use Boards
- The development process can take several paths depending on the type of project proposed.
- Property owners have a right under Connecticut law to propose a development through the town’s application process. The town’s application process is established and governed by state law and local regulations.
- Town staff, under the direction of the First Selectman, help guide and manage this process.
- The Economic and Community Development Director often meets with businesses, developers, brokers, and property owners early in the process to get a sense of interest in a particular site, building or location.
- The Town Planner and other town officials (Building Official, Town Engineer, Fire Marshall, EMS Director and Police Chief) may provide input to the proposed business or developer in order that they understand the regulations/laws that apply to their project. Specifically, town staff help clarify the development and permitting process.
- While town staff provides input to Land Use Boards; most matters related to project approvals are decided by the elected or appointed Land Use Boards.
- The “Land Use Boards” in Trumbull are as follows:
- Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission (IWWC)
- Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z)
- Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)
- Property owners may request a pre-application meeting with the P&Z Commission to receive general feedback regarding a possible development. This meeting is public; however, it is informal and not binding on any party.
- When a property owner files a formal application, then the application must follow the process required by law.
- Not all projects go to all Land Use Boards. The path a project follows depends on issues related to the specific site and proposal.
- Connecticut state law (CT General Statutes Section 8-30g) permits affordable housing applications to circumvent local zoning regulations where the need for affordable housing exists in a town. The application must set aside 30% of the units as affordable housing.
- A project could also be reviewed by other town boards such as:
- Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA)
- Police Commission
- Some projects may require additional approvals from state departments such as:
- Department of Transportation (DOT)
- Office of State Traffic Authority (OSTA)
- Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)
- Some applications require a public hearing(s) before one or more Land Use Boards. Not all applications require a public hearing. If there is a public hearing, then the board or commission must accept public comment for the record.
- Land Use Boards frequently request information from the applicant to help determine impact to traffic, schools, and town services.
- Land Use Boards can request an independent/third party review of data provided by the applicant.
- Local property owners may receive notice about an application in accordance with state laws and/or the local regulations. Regional planning authorities and neighboring municipalities may also receive notice in accordance with state law.
- Anyone can attend any meeting of any board or commission. If there is a public hearing, then individuals may make their opinions known during the public hearing portion of the meeting. Written correspondence can be submitted prior to a public hearing whether or not a person attends the hearing. Once the public hearing is closed, no new material can be submitted by the public to a Land Use Board.
- Once the public hearing portion of an application is closed, the Land Use Board then deliberates on the matter and makes a decision.
- The land use process should be objective, and Land Use Boards operate within specific guidelines when rendering decisions. In most cases Land Use Boards will review the project to make sure it meets regulations, is compatible with the Plan of Conservation and Development (“POCD”), has appropriate infrastructure and meets safety standards. The POCD is a general guide for development within the Town and is adopted by the P&Z Commission once every ten years.
- Each Board renders decisions within timeframes determined by state law.
- Once a Land Use Board renders a decision, there is an appeal period provided by state law whereby the applicant or any other person or entity with standing (such as an abutting neighbor) can bring an appeal to the Connecticut Superior Court.
Minutes of all meetings are kept and are available to the public in the Town Clerks Office or Town website: https://www.trumbull-ct.gov/agendacenter
Residents can register online to receive the agendas for upcoming land use boards at https://www.trumbull-ct.gov/list.aspx
Information on Affordable Housing (CT General Statute 8-30g)
FAQs
What is 8-30g?
Connecticut General Statutes § 8-30g, also known as the Affordable Housing Land Use Appeals Procedure, was enacted in 1989 to facilitate the construction of affordable housing, particularly in communities that did not already have a large supply of affordable units. Under this Statute, developers of certain types of affordable housing projects may override local zoning in municipalities where less than 10% of the housing units meets the statute’s definition of affordable. To be eligible, developers must “set aside” not less than 30% of the dwelling units as affordable for a period of not less than forty (40) years. In these so-called set aside developments, not less than fifteen percent (15%) of the units must be affordable to persons or households with incomes at or below sixty percent (60%) of the area median income, while the balance needs to be affordable to households earning less than or equal to 80% of the area median income. CGS 8-30g shifts the burden of proof from the applicant to the municipality. In order to reject an 8-30g application, the municipality must prove, based upon the evidence presented, that: (a) the denial was necessary to protect substantial public interests in health, safety, or other matters that the municipality may legally consider; (b) these public interests clearly outweigh the need for affordable housing; and (c) the public interests cannot be protected by reasonable changes to the proposed affordable housing development.
Is the Planning & Zoning Commission able to deny 8-30g applications?
An 8-30g project can be denied only on very narrow grounds – i.e., if the project creates significant health, safety or other concerns that outweigh the town’s need for affordable housing. Moreover, these concerns must be substantiated based on the evidence in the public record. Projects cannot be rejected for their inconsistency with a Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) or its Zoning Regulations, nor based on generalized concerns related to a project’s density, size, height, design, compatibility with surrounding properties or the character of the community, or the project’s impacts related to traffic congestion or local schools. 8-30g proposals are rarely denied by planning and zoning officials because the burden of proof on appeal rests solely with the Town. Appeals are costly, but a municipality can be successful in a court case if it has sufficiently established that the concerns leading to the denial are factual and substantive.