Town of Wethersfield

505 Silas Deane Highway
Wethersfield, CT 06109

A Guide to Land Use Permits

Thank you for your interest in developing in the Town of Wethersfield. The Town staff is here to guide and assist you through the development permitting process. Our goal is to get you through the process as smoothly and quickly as possible. This narrative provides a general overview of the development permitting procedures. Also included are the names and phone numbers of key Town and MDC staff, along with the meeting dates of the various Boards and Commissions.

If you need to identify a site please contact the Economic Development Manager/Town Planner, who has a database of available industrial and commercial properties in Town. The Economic Development Manager/Town Planner is also available to assist you in determining the general feasibility of the site for your purposes and to discuss the requirements for the permit review process. Town staff, including the Town Engineer, Economic Development Manager/Town Planner, Chief Building and Zoning Official and Fire Marshal are available to meet with applicants informally to review plans at any time. We encourage you to meet with Town staff to review your application and plans prior to submitting an application.

The Economic Development Manager/Town Planner will review your proposal and advise you as to which permits may be required and which Town and State Agencies may be reviewing your application. Depending on the use, nature and location of the site, applications may be required by the Planning and Zoning Commission, Historic District Commission, Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Residential and commercial interior construction and remodeling usually require only a building permit.

After submittal of an application, plans are reviewed by Town staff. The staff comments are forwarded to the appropriate Boards and Commissions as well as the applicant. You will be notified as to the dates your applications will be heard by each of the Boards/Commissions and as to whether or not your application will be considered at a public hearing or public meeting. A public hearing is a legally noticed meeting at which all interested parties have an opportunity to address the Commission, while a public meeting is a meeting at which only the applicant may address the Commission. You or your representative (attorney/engineer/architect) should be in attendance at these meetings to present your application and answer any questions the Commission members may have. Once your applications have been approved by the various Commissions, there may be follow-up items to address.

For example:

Building permits are required for any new construction. The Chief Building and Zoning Official, Fire Marshal, and Engineering Division staff will review building plans and the Building Division will issue the permits. After construction is completed an "as-built" drawing of the site showing the improvements is submitted to the Building Division. The Chief Building and Zoning Official, Fire Marshal and Town Engineer will make a final inspection prior to the Chief Building and Zoning Official issuing a Certificate of Occupancy. Bonds are required to be posted for new road construction and any unfinished work.

APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS

  1. Discuss proposal with the Director of Planning & Economic Development.
  2. Review plans with staff. Staff explains which permits may be necessary.
  3. Submit applications to Town and if necessary to the Dept. of Environmental Protection and the Dept. of Transportation
  4. Staff reviews applications & plans and forwards comments to applicant and appropriate Boards and/or Commissions.
  5. Applicant makes presentation to Boards and/or Commissions for their consideration and action.
  6. Application is approved. If necessary the applicants file plans for signing by the PZC, file easements on land records and post bonds for road construction.
  7. File application & plans for building permits. Staff reviews plans and issues permits. Begin construction.
TOWN BOARDS & COMMISSIONS
Meeting dates/locations*
KEY CONTACTS
Historic District Commission (HDC)
Fred Valente, Kristin Stearley, Staff Liaison
2nd & 4th Tuesday each month (December - 2nd Tues. only)
Town Managers Conference Room
Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission (IWWC)
Michael J. Turner, Staff Liaison
3rd Wednesday each month
Town Council Chambers
Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC)
Town Planner, Staff Liaison
1st & 3rd Tuesday each month (July & August - 3rd Tues. only)
Town Council Chambers
Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)
Brian O'Connor, Staff Liaison
3rd Monday of each month
Town Council Chambers

*All meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall

If you should have any questions please contact the Director of Planning & Economic Development by phone at (860) 721-2838 or by mail at the Town of Wethersfield, 505 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

Peter Gillespie, Director of Planning & Economic Development
(860) 721-2837
(Fax) 721-2843
Brian O'Connor, Chief Building & Zoning Off.
(860) 721-2839
(Fax) 721-2843
Michael J. Turner, Town Engineer
(860) 721-2853
(Fax) 721-2843
Bonnie Therrien, Town Manager
(860) 721-2801
(Fax) 721-2994
Gary S. Santoro, Fire Marshal
(860) 721-2806
(Fax) 721-2843
Paul Hutcheon, Director of Health
Central CT Health District
(860) 721-2822
(Fax) 721-2823
Mark A. Hanson, Asst. Mgr. Util. Serv.
Metropolitan District Commission (MDC)
(Water and Sewer Utilities)
(860) 278-7850 ext 3638
(Fax) 525-5013
James L. Cetran, Chief of Police
(860) 721-2900
(Fax) 721-2995
Kristin Stearley, Historic District Coordinator
(860) 721-2836
(Fax) 721-2843

Last modified July, 2006

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