SPOTLIGHT ON

Land Use Office and Building Department,

P&Z Commission and Associated Boards:

An Important Part of our Town!

It's been exactly one day since I sent out the Newsletter and I have already screwed up by failing to recognize one of the hardest working and most dedicated Departments we have in the Town of Kent. Many of you have noticed that while I wrote about the other Departments, their people, and their Boards/Commissions, I left one of our most important and busy departments hanging in the wind without any specific write-up and actually included some outdated information that I failed to correct. I certainly meant no disrespect or disregard for their office or the people who work there, I simply missed including this update as I rushed to get the newsletter emailed out. Our Land Use Office, staffed by Tai Kern, Land Use Administrator; Donna Hayes, Assistant Land Use Administrator; Joseph Manley, Building Official; Stan MacMillan, Fire Marshal; and, Cathy Weber, Town Sanitarian, all work together supporting you, the townspeople, by ensuring that all regulations, building codes and health codes are adhered to as you build, update, renovate and add to your properties. In addition, Tai and Donna support the Planning and Zoning Commission; Inland Wetlands Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Architectural Review Board, consisting of a total of 31 volunteers. Those volunteers put in countless hours developing and adopting the very important Plan of Conservation and Development which is a road map for the health and positive growth of our town and the basis for the regulations which are applied equally throughout the Town. None of this is taken lightly by me, or I'm confident, by the friends and neighbors, building contractors, and businesses that this group deals with on a daily basis. I know they are dedicated professionals deserving of my respect, and just as importantly, my appreciation and support for this great group of people and their Department. Now, let's put out the information and the highlights they have accomplished and are continuing to provide our town.

Land Use/Building Official/Fire Marshall/Health Department

Land Use Administrator Tai Kern | 860.927.4625 | landuseadmin@townofkentct.org

Assistant Land Use Administrator Donna Hayes | 860.927.4873

Building Official Joe Manley | 860.927.4872 | buildingdepartment@townofkentct.org

Fire Marshall Stan MacMilllan | 860.927.4557 | sharonlanduse@gmail.com

Sanitarian Cathy Weber | 860.927.4626 | cweber@tahd.org

You can also contact us here: (https://www.townofkentct.org/departments)

Regular Meetings:

• Architectural Review Board meets 2nd Monday at 5:30pm
• Zoning Board of Appeals meets 2nd Tuesdays at 7pm
• Planning and Zoning Commission meets 2nd Thursday at 7pm
• Inland Wetlands Commission meets 4th Monday at 7pm
• 
  

These scheduled meetings along with the numerous special meetings are important ways for the public to be heard as well as to ask questions and receive satisfaction on many of your building, zoning, and planning needs. I encourage you to attend them so that you both get to know the people you're dealing with as well as the reasons decisions are made. As a matter of fact, here's a copy of the the latest P&Z Special Meeting Agenda:

TOWN OF KENT PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA FOR JANUARY 23, 2024

TOWN OF KENT

PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION

41 Kent Green Boulevard, P.O. Box 678, Kent, CT 06757

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

6:30 p.m.

Meeting to be held via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89642296318

Meeting ID: 896 4229 6318

Dial in to: 1 646 558 8656

MEETING INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND HERE:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OM4Pfd3gtqPU0CFZAvbdKbTTzvz3c4pT?usp=sharing

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. ROLL CALL AND APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES IF REQUIRED

3. PUBLIC HEARINGS (Possibility of closure, discussion and decision on the following):

3.A.1. Subdivision Regulation Amendments

3.A.2. Conservation Development Zoning Regulation Amendments

3.A.3 Unfinished Subdivisions Zoning Regulation Amendment

3.A.4. Group and Family Home Day Care Zoning Regulation Amendments

4. ADJOURNMENT

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

*Important News From the Land Use Office

and Building Departments*

The Kent Land Use and Building Departments are excited to announce that

online permitting will be available starting JANUARY 8, 2024 via

ViewPoint/Open Gov.

Beginning JANUARY 8, 2024, the Town of Kent’s website

(https://www.townofkentct.org) will provide a live link to the ViewPoint/Open

Gov website where applicants can create their accounts or login in with

existing accounts enabling them to apply online for residential/commercial

zoning permits and/or building permits. For your convenience, there is a

public terminal in the Land Use Office in Town Hall for use by applicants who

need access.

This new online permitting system will:

• Allow applicants to apply for permits from their office/home eliminating the

need to drop off or mail each application.

• Allow applicants the ability to schedule building inspections online,

eliminating the need to call the Inspection Line.

• Allow applicants to view the status of their applications and inspections

eliminating the need for phone calls to the Land Use Office.

• Allow applicants to pay their fees online via credit card (some fees apply).

• Allow documentation of communications regarding the application

requirements.

While it is going to be a more streamlined process with this up-to-date

permitting program, please know that the staff of both the Land Use Office and

Building Department will be available to assist in guiding applicants with their

submissions.

Thanks for your patience while we all adjust to this change. Please know that

we will continue to make the approval of your applications as seamless as

possible.

I will continue to improve on the communications you receive from the people you know and trust from Town Hall. Sometimes mistakes are made, and when they are, I will work hard to correct them. We have a new year coming and a chance to do better and grow together, I look forward to that opportunity. Once again, Happy Holidays everyone!

Warm Regards,

Marty

Martin J. Lindenmayer

First Selectman, Town of Kent

Office: 860.927.4627 | Cell: 860.488.6074

firstselectman@townofkentct.org