Charter panel defers vote on electing planning board

Other Committee · Meeting of March 24, 2026

New Canaan's Charter Revision Commission stalled a vote on electing Planning and Zoning while a member defended refusing to recuse herself from an active Supreme Court case. Commissioner Jennifer told the panel "a request was recently made for my recusal, which I declined," disclosing the town has spent about $22,000 in legal fees on the litigation, more than half in 2025. Commissioner Joe reported roughly 133 survey responses split about 25 percent for an elected Planning and Zoning Commission, 25 percent for keeping it appointed.

Commissioner Judy moved to recommend putting the question to voters, seconded by Commissioner Chris, but Chair Kathleen deferred the vote to Wednesday, citing the agenda. Attorney Nicholas Bonte of Berchem Moses told members the Zoning Board of Appeals cannot legally gain authority to hear Planning and Zoning appeals.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 896 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of March 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

NEW CANAAN — March 24, 2026 — The New Canaan Charter Revision Commission spent a special four-and-a-half-hour session Tuesday weighing whether to recommend that voters decide if the Planning and Zoning Commission should be elected rather than appointed, while a commission member read a memo defending her refusal to recuse herself from the debate over an active Connecticut Supreme Court land-use case.

The 11-member commission took no vote on the appointed-versus-elected question Tuesday. Members did approve the minutes of their March 17 meeting by unanimous voice vote and expect to take up the Planning and Zoning recommendation, along with term-limit and minority-representation proposals, at a Zoom meeting Wednesday, March 25.

The Full Story

Commission Chair Kathleen opened the meeting by walking members through a synthesized, 16-point summary of written comments each of the 11 commissioners submitted on whether to keep the current appointed Planning and Zoning Commission or move to an elected model. The document, posted to the commission's public packet, will help form the basis of the panel's eventual report to the Town Council.

Before that discussion began, a commissioner identified as Jennifer read aloud a memo explaining why she declined a recent request that she recuse herself from the commission's work. She said the request came from Planning and Zoning member Dan Radman and stemmed from a case now before the Connecticut Supreme Court involving her and her husband, which originated from a 2023 land-use decision and reached the state's high court over what she described as three procedural questions about remand and fact-finding authority. She said she and her husband have no financial interest in the litigation, no active matters currently pending before Planning and Zoning or the Zoning Board of Appeals, and no other town commission appointments that could create a conflict.

Kathleen followed by clarifying that conflict-of-interest rules cover financial interest, not just financial benefit, and disclosed that the town has spent roughly $22,000 in legal expenses on the litigation since it reached the state level, more than half of it in 2025. She said she had asked commissioners in December to recuse themselves from interviews or conversations involving parties with whom they or family members are connected, though she said the guidance was "not always followed."

Several members argued for preserving the current appointed structure, citing Wilton's struggles with affordable housing and Westport's tendency to delay contentious land-use votes near election time. Others said an appointed system produces a deeper, more specialized talent pool and noted that unaffiliated voters, who make up more than a third of the New Canaan electorate, face structural disadvantages running as candidates without party support. Commissioners floated potential reforms short of full elections, including having the Board of Selectmen nominate Planning and Zoning members for confirmation by the Town Council, formalizing an open posting process for vacancies, and adopting a rotating chair similar to the Board of Education's practice.

Commissioner Joe told the panel that a commission survey of roughly 133 public responses found about 25 percent favored an elected Planning and Zoning Commission, about 25 percent favored keeping it appointed, and the rest did not address the issue, while Planning and Zoning ranked as the top charter topic residents flagged for possible revision. Attorney Nicholas Bonte of Berchem Moses, the commission's legal counsel, told members by phone that the Zoning Board of Appeals does not hear appeals of Planning and Zoning decisions and that the charter cannot legally grant it that authority; appeals of Planning and Zoning rulings go directly to Superior Court.

Late in the meeting, Commissioner Judy moved that the commission frame a recommendation asking the Town Council to put the elected-versus-appointed Planning and Zoning question before voters. Commissioner Chris seconded the motion, but Kathleen ruled the panel would not vote Tuesday because the item was not on the agenda, deferring the decision to Wednesday's meeting.

"A request was recently made for my recusal, which I declined, and I would want to explain my reasoning and provide the public with a clear account of the situation," [Jennifer] said in reading her memo.

"This is the only thing our town has, is land use. We don't even need to exist for anything else," [Bill] said, arguing for stronger checks on the Planning and Zoning Commission's authority.

"I've been waiting for this discussion since October. This is absolutely what we need to do. This is what the public wants to hear that we're doing," Kathleen said as the session wound down.

Why It Matters

The commission's recommendation could put a question on a future town ballot asking whether New Canaan residents want to elect, rather than appoint, the Planning and Zoning Commission, a body that oversees roughly three dozen appointed land-use officials across four boards. A draft report is due to the Town Council by May 4, with a public hearing scheduled for April 14. The recusal dispute also underscores an unresolved tension on the commission over how members with personal litigation before town land-use boards should participate in that same debate.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approval of the March 17, 2026 regular meeting minutes Tally: Approved unanimously - Action: Recommendation on whether Planning and Zoning Commission should be elected or appointed — Continued to March 25, 2026 special meeting

Source

Town Of New Canaan: Charter Revision Commission meeting, March 24, 2026