FAQs
You’ve come to the right place to find the answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding Economic Development in the City of West Haven. If you can’t easily find the answer that your looking for please feel free to contact us.
Q. Where do I find out about the zoning of a property and what I can do with my property?
A. The City of West Haven web site has a download center where you can find planning and zoning information. The latest Zoning Regulations are shown as “2007 Zoning Regulations.” If you have difficulty understanding the regulations, you can contact the Zoning Enforcement Officer for assistance.
Q: Where can I look to find an available site?
A: We have an inventory of available sites that are known to us. Sites in West Haven can also be viewed on the Connecticut Economic Resource Center’s (CERC) SiteFinder website.
Q. What is the function of the Zoning Board of Appeals?
A. The Z.B.A. hears appeals of decisions of the Zoning Enforcement Officer actions and applications for Variances of the Zoning Regulations.
Q. What is a Variance?
A. If granted by the Z.B.A., a variance changes the rules for yard setbacks, street frontage requirements and lot sizes.
Q. How can I get a Variance?
A. The application form is available in the office of Planning & Development. When it is completed, it is advertised in the newspaper and a public hearing is held by the Z.B.A. where you present your evidence and opponents are permitted to speak against the application.
Q. What do I have to prove to get a Variance?
A. You need to show that the Zoning Regulations, and not your own desires or actions, would cause the property to be valueless without a variance. It generally requires that your lot or parcel be different than the remaining properties in the neighborhood, such as having a steep slope or extensive wetlands.
Q. What is a Special Permit?
A. A Special Permit is granted by the Planning & Zoning Commission when a specific use which requires special consideration and review, such as for traffic generation, is proposed for a specific site.
The City of West Haven has been lauded by "BusinessWeek" as one the "best places to raise your kids." Noting that West Haven is home to the University of New Haven and is about five miles from Yale University and offers easy access to Bradley Point Park beach and the Sandy Point bird sanctuary, the publication narrowed the list of towns using the following weighted criteria: affordability; school performance; number of schools; household expenditures; crime rates; air quality; job growth; family income; museums, parks, theaters, and other amenities; and diversity.
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