Bloomfield Officials Silent on July 1 State Housing Law Deadline as $19.5M Town Center Project Advances
By: Peter C. Frank, Editor-in-Chief
BLOOMFIELD, CONN., January 29, 2026 -- On Friday, January 23, 2026, Mayor Anthony Harrington discussed Bloomfield's downtown redevelopment plans on 1080 WTIC radio, highlighting a nearly $20 million Community Investment Fund (CIF) vision for a curated, "village-style" Town Center. But the town faces a July 1 deadline to update its zoning rules under a new state housing law—a deadline officials have not publicly addressed.
On July 1, 2026, Public Act 25-1 (HB 8002) takes full effect across Connecticut. The law changes who decides about new housing. Starting July 1, towns cannot block certain apartment projects that meet state criteria, creating an "As-of-Right" pathway for converting commercial buildings into residential units.
For a town like Bloomfield, which is banking its economic future on a carefully controlled Master Plan, this law presents a significant challenge. Yet, an investigation by The Bloomfield Community Dispatch reveals that while other municipalities are publicly discussing regulatory updates to comply with the new law, Bloomfield’s leadership has not publicly addressed the July 1 deadline.
Public Sentiment vs. State Law
The disconnect between the looming state mandate and local reality is significant.
Town Councilor Joe Merritt, responding to a January 27 inquiry from The Dispatch, indicated the town is questioning unlimited residential conversions. "How many new apartments do we want or need?" Merritt wrote, noting that public hearings have shown residents prefer restaurants and green space over additional apartments.
Regarding the state law's implementation, Merritt stated there will be "many decisions to be made by the center commission, ZBA and the Town Council regarding this."
However, planning and legal experts interviewed by The Dispatch say Public Act 25-1's As-of-Right provision specifically removes the Town Council and ZBA from the approval process for qualifying conversions. Under As-of-Right rules, developers would not need special permits or public hearings.
The Dispatch sent follow-up emails to Merritt on January 27 and 28, asking specifically whether he believes the Town retains decision-making power under the state statute's As-of-Right language. Merritt did not respond to either follow-up inquiry.
The disconnect is clear: Residents have expressed preferences through public input, but if the town fails to adopt conforming regulations by July 1, state law may supersede those local preferences.
The Expert Dialogue: Local Rules vs. State Reality
Sara Bronin, the founder of the National Zoning Atlas and a Professor at George Washington University Law School, confirmed the timeline in a January 24 email to The Dispatch.
"Bloomfield has several more months to modify their zoning code so it conforms with HB 8002," Bronin said. "As of July, property owners will only have to comply with the state law provisions, and not any contradictory local zoning provisions."
Tyeshia Redden, an Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Toronto who specializes in American housing policy, warns that this legal vacuum often leads to "incongruent land uses"—a planning term for the friction caused when incompatible properties are shoehorned into neighborhoods without local oversight.
The Qualifying Community Question
A critical threshold remains unclear: Does Bloomfield meet Public Act 25-1's definition of a "qualifying transit-oriented community"?
The law's As-of-Right conversion provisions apply specifically to municipalities with qualifying transit access. Communities that don't meet this definition may retain more local control. The state Office of Policy and Management (OPM) has not yet published the official list of qualifying communities.
The Dispatch contacted OPM's communications office on January 28, 2026, asking when the list will be released. OPM did not respond by publication deadline.
Town Manager Alvin D. Schwapp, Jr., Mayor Harrington, and Town Planner Jonathan Colman also did not respond to questions about whether Bloomfield expects to qualify under the law's transit criteria.
Financial Consequences of Non-Compliance
Beyond zoning control, experts warn that non-compliance carries financial risks.
Redden notes that when municipalities fall into non-compliance, they risk "enforcement lawsuits" and the potential "loss of grants that fund infrastructural areas like climate resiliency, mass transit, or workforce development."
For a town banking on a $19.5 million grant to revitalize its center, the prospect of becoming ineligible for future infrastructure funding creates a significant risk: The Town could lose control of its development and lose the money needed to support it.
Building Code Review Questions
While Public Act 25-1 creates As-of-Right approval for certain conversions, Connecticut building codes still apply. However, it remains unclear whether the mandatory As-of-Right pathway includes the same level of building code scrutiny as the traditional Special Permit process.
The Dispatch contacted the Connecticut State Fire Marshal's Office on January 27 and 28, 2026, asking whether As-of-Right conversions under PA 25-1 receive building code review equivalent to special permit applications. The Fire Marshal's Office did not respond by publication deadline.
Bloomfield's Building Official also did not respond to January 27, 28, and 29 inquiries on the same question.
The 8% Solution — Ignored?
Public Act 25-1 allows municipalities to designate up to 8% of their land area where parking requirements still apply. Towns must map these areas before July 1.
Despite the deadline being less than five months away, town officials have not publicly addressed the 8% exemption map.
The Dispatch reviewed all available Town Planning and Zoning Commission meeting agendas and minutes from September 2025 through January 28, 2026, posted on the town's official website. No agendas or minutes included discussion of Public Act 25-1, HB 8002, the 8% parking exemption provision, or As-of-Right conversion regulations.
The Dispatch contacted Town Planner Jonathan Colman on January 27, 2026, via email, requesting information about whether work has begun on the map. As of 7:00 PM on January 29, 2026, no response was received.
The Administration's Silence
The Bloomfield Community Dispatch made multiple attempts to obtain official comment on the town's PA 25-1 compliance planning:
- Town Manager Alvin D. Schwapp, Jr.: Contacted Jan 27 (email), Jan 28 (email with read receipt), and Jan 29 (phone call). Result: No response.
- Mayor Anthony Harrington: Contacted Jan 27 (Council-wide email) and Jan 28 (direct email). Result: No response.
- Town Planner Jonathan Colman: Contacted Jan 27 (email). Result: No response.
- TPZ Chair Byron Lester: Contacted Jan 27 (email). Result: No response.
- Town Council Members: Only Councilor Joe Merritt and Councilor Suzette DeBeatham-Brown responded to inquiries. Seven other council members did not respond.
The Council's Alarm
While the Administration remains silent, Councilor Suzette DeBeatham-Brown said in a January 25 interview that the Council has a "moral obligation" to prepare regulations before the state's deadline.
"We know this law is coming, and we know it removes public hearings for certain projects," DeBeatham-Brown said. "My phone rings every day with residents concerned about the character of their neighborhoods."
She called for immediate action on mapping parking exemptions, warning that "waiting until the last minute doesn't just hurt the town; it disrespects the residents who trust us to manage Bloomfield's future responsibly."
UPDATE & CORRECTION (2:06 PM January 30, 2026): Legal Analysis Added and Name Correction
Subsequent to the initial publication of this article, The Dispatch has added the following analysis regarding the potential legal risks of regulatory non-compliance, which it inadvertently left out in the initial publication. Additionally, in our 9:15 PM update on January 29, we inadvertently swapped the name of legal expert Timothy Hollister with the name of the Town Manager. We are now correcting that error:
Without updated local regulations, the town enters a dangerous gray area. Tim Hollister, a prominent land-use attorney from New England legal powerhouse Hinckley Allen, noted that while the new law lacks explicit penalties for non-compliance, the result is often determined "on a case-by-case basis."
In practical terms, this means the future of Bloomfield Center may not be decided by the Town Council, but by judges in lawsuits brought by developers.
The Dispatch sincerely apologizes to Town Manager Alvin D. Schwapp, Jr. for this unintentional error. While we acknowledge that more frequent direct engagement from the Town Manager's office might have helped prevent such a clerical oversight, we take full responsibility for the mistake and hope it has caused no harm.
What Happens Next
Bloomfield has until July 1, 2026—153 days from now—to update its zoning code to comply with Public Act 25-1. If the town misses that deadline, state law will override local regulations for certain housing developments, potentially affecting the $19.5 million Town Center investment and the community's vision for a curated downtown district.
As Sara Bronin told The Dispatch: "Bloomfield has several more months to modify their zoning code so it conforms with HB 8002."
Upcoming Meetings:
- The Town Council's next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 9, 2026.
- The Planning & Zoning Commission meets Thursday, February 19, 2026.
- Both bodies have the authority to initiate regulatory updates before the July 1 deadline.
The Dispatch will continue to monitor the town's progress toward PA 25-1 compliance and report on any developments.