Stafford’s two-family housing proposal moves to next step

On June 4, 2026, the Planning and Zoning Commission took the next step toward approving two-family housing in the AA Districts of town. It has voted to send revised regulations to the Capital Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), which will provide feedback and potentially its blessing on the changes. There will also be a public hearing where citizens can come and be heard before the changes are official. Look for those dates in late July or early August. 

The goal, according to the PZC is to allow for more affordable housing options to be built. And in moving forward, the commission has more clearly outlined what, exactly, a two-family home consists of: 

“A single building containing two independent dwelling units, each providing completely independent living facilities; a single-family dwelling with an accessory apartment that provides communication with the primary unit through conditioned space shall not be considered a two-family dwelling.”

In other words, if you put an in-law suite in your basement or even divide a single family into two apartments—but there is a staircase joining those two unit—you’re still not officially a duplex. Why is this important? Taxes. (Also, as explained here, the building code clearly defines the difference but the assessor's office doesn't have a great way to do so.)

Two-family homes are not typically as valuable as single-family homes. If people started converting single-family homes into two-families en masse, it could impact the Grand List significantly. And then, of course, there’s a certain amount of NIMBY-ism. People who bought or built their house in a neighborhood of one-family homes simply don’t want to live next door to a duplex. In fact, both of these concerns were brought up by Brian Bagley who attended the meeting on Thursday.

PZC Chair David Palmberg pointed out that there has not been much single-family housing built in Stafford in recent years. The data backs that up as you see a significant decline in the number of housing permits issued in recent years.

(Data Source: Annual Housing Permit Data by Town, 1990-2024)

In response, commission member Dr. David Mordasky said, “You can’t have it both ways.” He mentioned that seniors who may be finding their homes hard to afford as values increase could use this to not only potentially reduce their own property values but to bring in income. While he said he could see both sides of the issues, he also thought the change would be a “benefit to the residents of Stafford.”

These are all things that were discussed back in September when this conversation was reignited, and the PZC asked for feedback way back then. 

At the most recent meeting, Becky Kraussman, who is a member of the Stafford Historical Advisory Commission (SHAC), expressed concern that a disproportionate number of historic homes are in the AA zones and could be converted in high numbers. She also worried that without an owner-occupancy mandate, this move could encourage investors to build in town rather than homeowners who live here.

The PZC pointed out that in order to build (or convert) a two-family home in the AA zone, you will need a parcel of land that is 44,000 square feet, which is roughly one acre. Many existing homes, especially older or historic homes, don’t have that much land as they were built long before modern zoning regulations. Additionally, most properties in the AA district are not on town water or sewer, meaning their wells and septic would need to support the increased density. So there are many limiting factors determining whether or not a particular parcel would be able to support a two-family dwelling. The commission also noted that building codes, especially those regarding fire separation, can also be quite prohibitive when converting buildings, making it easier to build a new two-family than to convert an old building.

Still, resident Henry Brooks said, “Changing the zoning is going to turn us into Willimantic, Hartford, Bridgeport, or Springfield…” He went on to say “my friends” didn’t buy their homes Stafford to end up living near a two-family home.

Patrick Soucy, who owns 255 East Street, also had questions and concerns for the PZC, but from a different point of view. He told the commission his building has an apartment upstairs and commercial space downstairs. Due to a lack of interest in the commercial space, he wants to convert the first-floor unit to living space. However, his property falls short of the 44,000 square feet needed to convert to a two-family.. 

The commission seemed to agree that, if the AA Zoning change is ultimately put into action, Soucy’s property would be a good candidate for a variance through the Zoning Board of Appeals. With plenty of parking already in place, a two-family dwelling nearby, and much more intensive uses of the property in the past, the PZC thought it could be potentially converted.

Want to know when the Public Hearing is scheduled? Keep an eye on the Town’s meeting calendar or follow us on Facebook where we regularly post upcoming agendas.

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