New Britain, CT Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Adopted June 26, 2008 (Item #30065-3) and last amended March 19, 2025 (Item #36711-3), the Design Guidelines in § 170-100 apply to every site-plan application under § 280-60 and every special-exception use under § 270-40 in the Central Business District and CBD-R zone. Section 170-100-10 requires the general architectural design of all buildings to complement the appearance and character of historically significant buildings and public spaces downtown. Section 170-100-40 pushes new construction and rehabilitation toward materials and treatments compatible with the historic downtown fabric and specifically discourages EIFS, metal or vinyl siding, and shingles.

Subsection .10 sets a hard material ratio: at least 80 percent of each facade must be primary material such as stone, brick, wood lap siding, or fiber cement board siding, though City staff can approve other high-quality materials if they fit the building's style and context; subsection .30 applies that rule to any new facade over 1,000 square feet or any renovation of more than 1,000 square feet of facade. Section 170-100-60.20 sets the build-to line: new buildings must sit within five feet of the front lot line (both lot lines on a corner), though a building with a front plaza or courtyard for outdoor dining, pocket parks, sculpture, or monuments can pull back up to 10 feet across the whole width or up to 20 feet for half the building's width.

Section 170-100-60.30 requires at least 85 percent front lot line coverage on Main Street and Arch Street frontages, and § 170-100-60.40 sets minimum ground-floor facade transparency at 75 percent with clear, non-reflective, unpainted glass.