Sarah Bronin. Photo by G.J. McCarthy | UConn Foundation
Sara Bronin
Chair, Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission
Age: 41
Industry experience: 14 years
Letting businesses and developers operate with more flexibility is a common theme of the Hartford planning and zoning commission’s approach to land-use planning during the tenure of Sara Bronin, a member since 2013 and its current chair. In recent years, the commission has relaxed restrictions on outdoor retail displays, offered developers height bonuses if they include green roofs, and eliminated minimum parking requirements for new developments. Bronin is an architect and law professor at University of Connecticut, and in March was appointed to the Connecticut Bar Association’s COVID-19 Pandemic Task Force.
Q: What do you consider to be some of the major accomplishments of the planning and zoning commission in recent years?
A: As chair of the commission, I helped to oversee overhauls of the zoning code, subdivision regulations and the inland wetland regulations, and we also as of last week adopted a new city plan which will take us to Hartford’s 400th anniversary in 2035. The city plan has a significant impact, because major development and policy decisions will be tied to it.
Q: What were some of the major organizing principles?
A: The city plan is arranged around five areas: sustainability, growth for economic development, liveability, transportation and arts and cultural issues. With all of the five categories combined, what we’re really trying to do is set out goals where the city can move forward equitably, sustainably and with greater vibrancy that enhances the lifestyles in the city,
Q: How does the plan address transportation priorities?
A: The city plan envisions a multi-modal transportation network that would promote not just car use but pedestrians and biking, so the city plan would promote complete streets, which would enable people of all abilities to use our streets, whether they’re able-bodied or in a wheelchair or biking or skateboarding. We want people who are getting around Hartford to feel safe and connected, to shift away from a car-oriented city to a multimodal city.
Q: Does that incorporate “road diet” strategies to repurpose vehicle travel lanes?
A: We’ve done some bike lanes and the mayor’s office has dedicated a significant amount of money in the upcoming capital improvement budget, which we are very excited about. Something we’re going to see going forward is an acceleration of the implementation of the bike plan, which was adopted this year and is available online. The bike plan was folded in the city plan and is one of the top 10 priorities. The Hartford line commuter rail service also is mentioned in the plan, and we are really excited about the possibility it might connect people who want to move between downtown, Bloomfield and possibly out to the airport.
Q: What are the commission’s near-term priorities?
A: What we’re going to try to do next is implement the plan and be a guiding force in making sure that our city decisions are made in accordance with the plan.
Q: In addition to your role as a law professor, you have a background in architecture. Which came first as a career option?
A: I went continuously from architecture school to law school. In order to be a great architect, you have to understand the laws that constrain you. We learned a little bit about law and planning in architectural school, but I knew there was more to learn, and that’s why I decided to go to law school. In order to make great decisions, you need both the architecture side and the law side to match up. And that’s what I think is happening here in Hartford: Our rules are catching up to best practices in urban design nationally. It could really help transform the city. In Hartford, what we’ve found is most effective is getting people of all perspectives and communities around the table, and engaging both the business community and the residents in the future of Hartford.
Q: How is the commission dealing with holding meetings and public hearings in the COVID-19 era?
A: We were one of the first commissions to move entirely online. We have all of our meeting materials posted online 24 hours in advance. We host our meetings on both video and audio, and we invite public comment before meetings in writing and also allow members of the public to speak during meetings. So thanks to great city staff, we’ve been able to deal with public involvement in meetings fairly well I think, and we’ve actually seen greater attendance than some of our in-person meetings because it’s a lot easier for people to attend.
Bronin’s Five Favorite Historic Sites to Visit in Hartford:
- City Hall
- Nook Farm: Mark Twain House & Harriet Beecher Stowe House
- Coltsville
- Bushnell Park
- Wadsworth Atheneum
