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

Article VII of Chapter 177, added in 1985, creates the Design Review Advisory Committee 'for the purpose of promoting and encouraging public and private actions to maintain a high character of community development, to protect the public health, safety, convenience and welfare and to protect real estate within the municipality from impairment or destruction of value.' In reviewing plans, the Committee 'shall consider and take cognizance of the development of adjacent, contiguous and neighboring buildings and properties' to achieve 'safe, harmonious, aesthetically pleasing and integrated development.' Under § 177-53, the Town Council appoints six regular members plus two alternates to three-year terms, with the Town Planner serving as a nonvoting secretary; at least three members must have training in architecture, landscape architecture or graphic arts, one in real estate finance, one in development or construction, and one appointed by the Architectural Heritage Committee.

Section 177-55 makes review mandatory for special development district applications: no such application may be approved until the plans, drawings, sketches and other documents required under § 177-44C have been reviewed and recommendations reported by the Committee to the applicant, the Town Council and the Town Plan and Zoning Commission. The Plan and Zoning Commission or Town Planner can also refer any other application to the Committee at their discretion. Because West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square were built as special development districts, this Committee functions as the town's de facto downtown design review body even though the code never uses the word downtown.