Groton seeks closer look at housing, climate resilience as defense industry expands
The Day
By: imberly Drelich
July 14, 2024
As the defense industry expands, towns and cities in the region want to take a fresh look at housing, climate resilience, and child care, among other topics, to ensure compatibility between the naval submarine base and Electric Boat and local communities.
And the military is expected to pay for the study.
The Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, along with the Town of Groton, is seeking a Department of Defense grant to update a 2017 study, which tackled issues from transportation to land use and housing, and to take a deeper dive into housing issues in Groton.
The 2017 Joint Land Use Study focused on ensuring mutual support between the base and the surrounding communities of Groton, Ledyard, Montville, Waterford, and New London, said Helen Zincavage, director of regional planning for the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments.
But since then the landscape has changed, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of military affairs, and an increased focus on climate resilience, she said.
The proposed update, the Compatible Use Plan, would include the original municipalities and also bring in Preston, East Lyme, Stonington and Norwich, she said.
“We really want to make sure we’re looking at how we’re balancing the growth from the base and from the defense industry regionally,” Zincavage said.
The grant request is $615,000, of which $350,000 is for the Groton portion, and Council of Governments and Town of Groton staff will also contribute their time, Zincavage said.
If the grant is received, the plan is to begin the 18-month process in September, she said. The end result would be a list of recommendations to alleviate points of conflict and collaborate.
The update to the plan is expected to have an increased focus on climate resilience, utility resilience, housing and economic development, and also delve into the health care, education, child care and spousal employment needed so service members are able to perform their job best.
The goal is to be comprehensive and find areas both of potential conflict and mutual support between the base and communities to maintain the cooperation and collaboration between the base and the surrounding communities.
Housing in Groton
A second component of the project is focused on the shortage of housing in Groton and how to create housing at all price points, both market-rate and affordable, said Jon Reiner, the Town of Groton’s director of planning and development services.
The town plans to look at the market and demand, do analyses and hold extensive community outreach to understand what the community wants and needs and understand the design of housing and where is the right place for it, Reiner said.
Reiner said a housing market analysis found that Groton needs up to 6,450 new housing units over the next decade. There also was an affordable housing study of Groton, where almost 24% of the housing stock is affordable.
He said the town needs more affordable housing and also needs a lot more market-rate housing, and it’s important to have more community understanding and support about what solutions would work for Groton.
The grant abstract notes that housing demand was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as more people moved to less populated areas.
“The past decade saw very low housing production and the recent employment surge at General Dynamics/EB, and the Navy Base has put enormous pressure on Groton’s housing market,” the abstract states. “Adding to that pressure are the over 22,000 daily commuters to Groton, many of whom are looking for housing here.”
Toward the end of the 18-month project, the town plans to look at potential changes to its Plan of Conservation and Development, design guidelines and zoning regulations, Reiner said.
After approving it at the Committee of the Whole level, the Town Council is expected to take a vote Aug. 6 to approve the town’s participation in the grant.
Bob Ross, executive director of the Connecticut Office of Military Affairs, said the effort grew out of a January visit to Connecticut from the Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to look at the landscape and the challenges of the host community in the face of growth at Electric Boat, as well as some growth at the naval base, as submarine production increases.
The office administers grants “to enhance readiness and resilience” of military installations and “deliver safe places for our members and their families,” and also helps communities to “respond and adapt to changes driven by the Department of Defense,” according to its website.
Ross said he wants every service member and Electric Boat worker to feel good about where they live and where they work and for the community members also to be happy.
“I want everyone to have a wonderful experience as we go through this growth together,” he said.
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