Fairfield County Land Use Hub
What are Land Use Boards?
Land use boards are municipal commissions that meet one or more times per month, to review and approve or deny applications related to housing and land use. They include Planning Commissions, Zoning Commissions, Planning & Zoning Commissions, and Zoning Boards of Appeals.
Board members are responsible for making decisions in the best interest of the community. The power to regulate land use stems from the mandate to protect health, safety, and welfare of residents, so all decisions should connect to these goals. Since they operate in public meetings, land use boards are required to allow public comment and input. Board members may be elected or appointed depending upon each town's charter.
Fairfield County
Find upcoming land use board meetings and current vacancies in your community. Meetings are updated weekly, vacancies are updated quarterly.
Engaging with Land Use Boards
The easiest way to engage with land use boards is to make a public comment at meetings. Board members aren't allowed to engage in dialogue during public comment, so you probably won't get a response in real-time. That's okay! Trust that your representatives are listening and that your voice matters.
Tips for Participation
- Review the agenda and submitted documents for the address you will be commenting on before you attend the meeting
- Many meetings now have an option to attend virtually
- Arrive early, give yourself time to be calm and present
- Sign up on the sheet for public comment if one is available
- Public comment or testimony is often limited to three minutes
- Prepare notes to help you deliver your key points clearly, within the time limit
- When your name is called, identify yourself, give you or your organization’s address, and testify
- Make your case using just one to three key points
- Consider offering a personal testimony if you can
- Write your testimony and ask that the recording secretary receive a copy
- If you cannot attend, learn where, when, and how to submit written comments prior to the meeting
Joining Land Use Boards & Commissions
To participate more in land use decision making, you can volunteer to join a board or committee. Approximately 10% of seats on local land use boards in Fairfield County are vacant, so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved as a member, or an alternate member.
Some land use board members are elected, while others are appointed: check the Appendix of our report Room at the Table to see how your community selects board members, and learn more about the application process.
No experience is required to become a land use board or commission member. Because CT Statutes require annual commissioner training, there are a variety training and educational options through UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR), CT Bar Association, local towns, and others.
Listen to local land use board members describe how and why they got involved during our 2025 webinar:
