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Stamford has taken a bold step: its Planning Board approved a new comprehensive plan despite sustained pushback from residents. The plan, called “Stamford Tomorrow,” reimagines land use across neighborhoods while trying to strike a balance between growth and local character.
At the heart of the debate was the RES2 zoning category, which allows medium-density housing (think duplexes, triplexes). Originally, RES2 was to span broad areas. But after community backlash, that footprint was trimmed. Instead, the higher density is now focused near transit corridors and infrastructure, with adjacent tracts reverting to a lower-density RES1 zone.
Another contentious point: accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The draft had allowed broad ADU expansion, but the final plan pulls back, recommending further study rather than immediate rollout. In neighborhoods like Hubbard Heights, the plan strengthens protections for historic districts and limits outward density spillover.
The Board’s approval follows earlier rejection by the city’s Representatives, who worried about shifting density. Still, Planning Chair Jennifer Godzeno defended the outcome as pragmatic: “We want growth, but not at the cost of what makes Stamford home.”