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

The design guide for Stratford's downtown station area sits inside the Transit-Oriented Overlay District (TOD) in the Stratford Zoning Regulations, Section 3.7.1. Section 3.7.1(E) states that the guidelines are meant to guide high-quality development, infill and redevelopment near the Stratford Train Station, and that applicants must demonstrate their design is consistent with their purpose and intent. A developer can choose the underlying zoning instead, but anyone who wants the overlay's provisions takes on the guidelines. Any such application is a Special Permit before the Zoning Commission under Section 7.3.4, and the Commission must find the site well connected to the station and able to contribute to an active, walkable downtown environment.

The guidelines mix firm rules with encouragement. Firm rules: walls along public streets comprise a minimum of 35% and a maximum of 75% window area; ground-floor facades facing a street carry at least 50% clear window area; smoked, reflective or black glass is prohibited; windows and doors cannot be covered by a commercial security structure; loading doors cannot sit in a street facade or within 35 feet of a public street. Surface parking goes to the rear or side and never between a building and the street, lots visible from a street need a three-foot-high wall, fence or hedge, sidewalks need a five-foot minimum unobstructed width, and chain link fencing is not permitted along the street. Softer language applies to facade articulation, where breaks of approximately 30 feet are encouraged, and to lesser-quality materials such as vinyl siding, which are discouraged.

Separately, Chapter 5 of the Town Code creates the Architectural Review Board (ARB), which reviews applications and sends written advisory recommendations to the land use boards at least 10 days before their meeting. Under Section 5-97 its authority is limited to recommendations and does not override the Zoning Commission.