New Britain, CT Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)

Section 217-60-60 sits in the Design Standards article (§ 217-60) of Section 217, the Transit-Oriented Development District, East Main Primary and Secondary districts, approved February 19, 2017 (Item #33721-3) around the CTfastrak East Main Street station. The provision is an assembly incentive: the zoning code encourages smaller parcels within TOD-EM-1 and TOD-EM-2 to be combined into a single larger site, and any combined development parcel of one acre or more earns a 10 percent density bonus for residential units. The bonus sits alongside a separate set of parking reductions in § 217-50 that reward the same kind of larger, transit-served project: § 217-50-30 allows a 10 percent cut to the residential parking requirement for properties with 15 or more dwelling units within a quarter mile of the CTfastrak station, § 217-50-40 allows another 10 percent reduction if the building provides secure bicycle parking, and § 217-50-50 allows a further 10 percent reduction for mixed-use properties with 15 or more units and 8,000 square feet or more of business use.

A project claiming the § 217-60-60 density bonus still has to meet the district's other Design Standards under § 217-60, including access-management and driveway limits on East Main, Harvard, Florence, and East Streets (§ 217-60-20.10), rear or side placement for surface parking (§ 217-60-20.20), screening of parking visible from the street (§ 217-60-20.30), and the street-facing building wall, setback, and facade-material rules in § 217-60-70 through § 217-60-80.