Building Density Pt.1 - Downtown

Can you imagine waking one morning to find that a large multi-family apartment building is going up on the lot next door? That appears to be an issue of major concern of at least one Bristol resident so far.  Perhaps because this is only the beginning.  This one gentleman is one of the very few taxpayers who is now very-well aware of the direction that the City of Bristol is taking with it's planned growth and associated urban renewal.

The West End Study indicates that as much as 75% of the housing in that area of town is approaching the 100 year mark. With much of that housing in a state of substandard appearance combined with safety concerns, many residents and city officials see the situation as a dire one.  In fact, in a recent radio interview on Bristol's The Beat, West End Association President David Hamelin stated that roughly 25 percent of the housing stock in the area is in need of major rehabilitation.  With that in mind, the City of Bristol is embarking on a progressive endeavor to tackle that issue with the support of most of the townsfolk. The beginnings of the "blight-fight" has been mostly directed at properties owned by out-of-state residents.  Therefore,  opposition to the infringement of private property rights has been met with little to no public outcry. Most residents who support the measure are concerned neighbors whom have watched the physical appearance of these structures continue to deteriorate. Others regard the demolition as a great way to displace tenants of the unsavory type.

 The West End is identified as one of the target areas for the rehabilitation of low income housing as part of Bristol's 2015-2020 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consolidated Plan. In accordance with the plan, the City of Bristol is using CDBG funds for the rehabilitation of housing that has been declared blighted in the target area.  Per federal mandates, projects must meet one of three National Objectives:

(1) Benefit to low- and moderate-income persons,
(2) Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or
(3) Meet a need having a particular urgency (such as a natural disaster)

Whether or not these goals are being achieved through best use of these monies has been a subject of local debate.  With the reduction of the low income housing stock as a result of said action, there is a necessity to provide new affordable housing options for this demographic. A failure to do so could leave the city's CDBG funding at risk.  These grant monies are also tied to an obligation of HUD's mandate to Affirmitavely Further Fair Housing.  The City of Bristol's Analysis of Impediments of Fair Housing Choice indicates that a lack of transportation is an issue that needed to be addressed.

The CCRPA Housing Report illustrates Transit-Oriented Development adjacent to the target area  under the premise of providing affordability by combining both housing and transportation costs together. Essentially, the premise under such conditions is that the provision of expanded public transportation options will allow low income residents the ability to live an automobile-free lifestyle in newer housing units at the expense of taxpayers.

To accommodate the requirements for subsidies for redevelopment under the city's Consolidated Plan, the City of Bristol's plan must be in line with the State Plan of Conservation and Development(PoCD).  Planimetrics was commissioned to draft PoCDs and lead public workshops in many CT cities.  They updated the city's Plan of Conservation and Development at a cost of $61,000 to Bristol taxpayers.  In 2016, the State of CT mandated municipalities draft these Master Plans every ten years or become ineligible for discretionary state funding.*  Among the six of the state's Growth Principles municipalities must consider are the priorities to Expand Housing Opportunities,  Concentrate Development Around Transportation Nodes and Corridors and Promote Integrated Planning Across All Levels of Government on a Statewide, Regional and Local Basis.

Renaissance downtowns brought more than their vision of the Depot Centre Square project to Bristol. Their website plainly states their goal is to create a sense of local and regional connectivity, promote sustainable transit-oriented development and bring a critical mass of potential riders to support transit. This is why it comes to no surprise to hear that the developer  worked with city planners to change the downtown's zoning to create an overlay zone that allows for higher density development.  This was done so without the knowledge of one local resident whose property borders the new overlay zone.  Saying he is not pleased about that is an understatement as it will also undoubtedly alter the character of his neighborhood.


Many cities see the purpose of such a change as three-fold benefit and nothing more.  It will accommodate the requirements for subsidies for the large scale transformation of Bristol and attract investors eager to cash in on the land value capture that the density increase near transportation produces.  It will also create higher tax revenues per acre within the overlay zone.

The state has other goals.  It sees such a change as an opportunity to get automobiles off the road and fill up the empty CTFastrak buses in an effort to meet the state's carbon emission mandates and reduce roadway congestion.  Some also view it as a way to affirmitively further fair housing from a regional perspective while "ensuring not to disproportionately burden citizens with the negative impacts of transportation infrastructure. " Many experts equate this to providing low-income inner-city residents an opportunity to live in smaller towns with less pollution, less crime and better schools as urban renewal drives the most vulnerable residents out through gentrification in the state's densest cities.

According to the unified residential and mixed use developments section of the AZR13-4 draft from 11/11/2013, much of the historic Federal Hill area may be affected by these changes.  Although the document promises consideration of the impacts of new development on such properties, property owners on Center Street, High Street, Main Street, North Street, Race Street, School Street, South Street, Summer Street and West Street are no longer protected by previous zoning regulations. Vacant lots may be the site of future buildings with up to 55 stack-and-pack units per developable acre. This is a staggering statistic for wary homeowners who have invested much of their time and money to restore their homes. The requirements are as follows:

As we move forward with this agenda one can only wonder where it will lead Bristol in it's future. It appears that city leaders have thrown all of their chips on the table to bring increased density to the downtown in hopes that retail and restaurant investment will follow in it's path. If it works, Bristol's future may hold more than just a larger grand list.




 Rapid urbanization has it's risks.   Some potential pitfalls of failure includes higher crime rates, lower school grades and graduation rates and an increase in tax rates due to increased demand  for social services.  Will a denser, more urbanized Bristol hold a future more similar to the likes of Hartford, Waterbury and New Britain or Detroit?  Will residents be informed enough or included enough in the planning process to plan for themselves in the future?





The January 10th, 2017 meeting of the City Council included a resolution to approve the submission of a grant application to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston for a Working Cities Challenge Grant.   The resolution was adopted and the document, which was on the city website has been taken down. The design grant is for growth initiatives that impact the lives of lower income and minority residents. The proposal concept includes reducing barriers to higher paying employment and addressing transportation issues.
Here is glimpse of portion of that document.