Land Use Law

We can assist you in locating and coordinating a team of experienced professionals with local knowledge. We’ll work with this team to identify and resolve project issues and concerns in order to maximize the likelihood of a successful project. We have represented land use clients with matters in the following Litchfield County towns:

Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Cornwall, Falls Village, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Thomaston, Torrington, Washington, Watertown, Winsted (Winchester), Woodbury.

Our Land Use practice involves a wide range of legal issues representing a diverse clientele throughout Litchfield County. Our Land Use clientele run the gamut -- from individuals putting additions on their homes to the Building Committee responsible for the 34 million dollar renovation of Litchfield High School. We have represented the City of Torrington in the creation of Torrington’s second Industrial Park as well as its Middle School and we represented the developer of the Sarah Pierce, Litchfield’s Assisted Living Facility.

Recent land use projects include:

• An 18 Hole Private Golf Course spanning the Towns of Norfolk and North Canaan
• A 16 lot subdivision in Harwinton which included the creation of a new town road
• Local Zoning and Wetlands Approvals for Stop & Shop Supermarket’s East End Torrington Store
• Redevelopment of The Torrington Parkade resulting in an expanded Big Y Supermarket and Lowe’s Home Improvement
• Opposition to an illegal commercial use in Morris center
• Site Plan Approvals for change of use
• Subdivisions
• Cross Easements and Boundary Line Adjustments for neighboring parcels
• Amendments to zoning regulations in Litchfield and New Hartford to Permit Active Adult Projects in Industrial Zones by special exception
• Special Permits for quarry operations in Torrington and Woodbury
• Permiting for a Synagogue in Litchfield’s Historic District
  

Representative Land Use Cases

Connecticut Supreme Court:

Beit Havurah vs. Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Norfolk, 177 Conn. 440, 1979. In representing a synagogue, we obtained a favorable decision which allowed unrestricted overnight accommodations as a permitted accessory use in the synagogue’s zone.

Connecticut Appellate Court:

Gevers v. Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of North Canaan, 94 Conn. App. 478, 2006. We defended the claims of neighbors who challenged our client’s special permit issued by the Norfolk Planning & Zoning Commission to construct an 18 hole private golf course. The court upheld our permit dismissing the claims raised by the neighbors.

Fox v. Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Barkhamsted, 84 Conn. App. 628, 2004. We represented the owner of a pre-existing non-conforming lumber business in upholding a Superior Court decision enabling him to construct a new building in replacement of a barn destroyed by fire.

Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority v Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of Torrington, 46 Conn. App. 566, cert denied 243 Conn. 935, 1997. We successfully overturned a Superior Court decision which vacated the special exception we obtained for our client to operate a solid waste transfer station and leaf composting facility from the Torrington Planning and Zoning Commission.

Connecticut Superior Court:

N&L Associates v. Planning and Zoning Commission of Torrington, Litchfield Judicial District 2005. We successfully defended challenges by the neighboring property owner to a special exception we obtained for our client’s earth excavation operation.

Gevers v. Norfolk Planning and Zoning Commission, Litchfield Judicial District, 2005. We defended the challenge from neighboring property owners who attacked a special permit for 18 hole private golf course that we obtained for our client with the result that the Court upheld the permit.

Gevers v. Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency of the Town of Norfolk, Litchfield Judicial District 2004. We defended the claim against a wetlands permit for 18 hole private golf course that we obtained for our client with the result that the Court upheld the permit..

Gevers v. Planning and Zoning Commission of North Canaan, Litchfield Judicial District, 2004. The Companion case for a previously mentioned 18 hold private golf course spanning two towns in which we successfully obtained and then secured a Superior Court decision upholding our client’s special permit.

RBF Associates v. Torrington Planning and Zoning Commission, 18 Conn. L. Rptr. 591, 1997 WL 30213 (1997). We successfully challenged the planning commission’s determination that a subdivision was void for its failure to meet a condition of approval.

English v. Litchfield Planning and Zoning Commission, Litchfield Judicial District, 1986. We overturned a local commission’s decision to deny our client’s bed and breakfast facility and successfully persuaded the Superior Court that said facility was a permissible home occupation.