Spotlight Vol. 8, No. 1: Springdale Village in Stamford Adopts State's First Comprehensive TOD Zoning

Once upon a time there were two small railroad towns in Connecticut, Glenbrook and Springdale, that grew up around train lines going to New York City. These two railroad towns initially thrived with their compact streets and houses built near the station. 

But in the middle of the last century, these towns were consolidated into the new, sprawling city of Stamford, a city almost wholly suburban in character and attitude. At that time, the city's motto was "Always a Place to Park." Over the decades, the more compact, walkable nature of these village centers declined, leaving them almost lost in the road-centered, big-houses-on-big-lots character of that city, even though the villages remained on what had become the Metro-North New Canaan Line. 

Building off of the city's successful efforts to pedestrianize its downtown, things are changing here too. Last week one of those villages, Springdale, overhauled its zoning to encourage Transit-Oriented Development around the station - Connecticut's first such TOD zoning. The new zoning builds on the 2002 Stamford Master plan, which laid out a transit-oriented vision for the city. If successful, this new zoning code will help craft a more sustainable and more livable environment for the area.

The new TOD zoning code was the product of dozens of community meetings and charrettes that RPA facilitated. By encouraging pedestrian-oriented mixed-use buildings and preventing those developments that would have negative impacts on the village character, the new zoning tackles the two most essential features of transit-oriented planning and land use law: increased residential densities and reduced parking ratios.

These comprehensive regulations and the participatory process that created them hold important lessons for any suburban community seeking to reduce carbon emissions, provide a greater range of housing and mobility options, and maintain community character and quality of life. Compact, transit-oriented development is an effective, holistic solution to many community challenges. For those who fear that TOD promotes a one-size-fits-all "Manhattanization" for every community, there are many steps smaller communities can take to make their communities more walkable and transit-oriented at a scale that is appropriate for local conditions. They include: 

The Springdale project was successful because its process included a wide spectrum of community members and municipal officials, including those individuals who didn't always agree with the direction of the initiative. It is only through collaborative planning meetings, where all concerns are voiced, that comprehensive solutions can be reached that meet the needs of all community members. 

People drive to drive-thru restaurants, gas stations and low-density land uses; by definition, these are not, therefore, transit-oriented or walkable. They don't belong within a half-mile of a transit station. Springdale has banned the construction of any new auto-oriented uses in the village center.

Focus first on elements of the public realm that are important to stakeholders, such as architectural style, streetscape and the feeling one gets when walking down the street. After these design elements have been agreed on, a community is more likely to understand how accepting greater density can help them achieve those aesthetic goals - namely, by providing a return-on-investment able to encourage private redevelopment. Arguments over whether a building should be two or three stories are a waste of time if redevelopment will only occur at three stories due to financial conditions. Springdale's TOD ordinance includes both strong design guidelines to ensure development whose mass and character match the neighborhood, and zoning that enables fiscally plausible densities. 

Springdale reduced its parking requirements to reflect the fact that its residents depend on the train station and own fewer cars. The previous zoning's onerous parking requirements prevented many of the small sites along Springdale's main street from being redeveloped, while other sites have been built with large surface parking lots between building and sidewalk. The new regulations will allow good infill buildings to be built for the first time in a generation. Shared parking and additional on-street spaces resulting from traffic calming measures will accommodate drivers' needs. 

It was Metro-North's decisionto provide more frequent and direct service to Manhattan on the New Canaan Branch that allowed Springdale to make its TOD plans. Convenient and frequent transit service supports residential property values and creates a stable demand for housing in the area. As we establish federal and state transportation priorities in the coming years, and we consider additional infrastructure investments nationwide, we need to recognize the positive effect that transit investment have for the communities served. 

A two-story building in Springdale village, with a restaurant on the ground floor and apartments above, was destroyed in a fire in December. Had this fire occurred last year, the site would have had to be redeveloped as a restaurant with lots of parking in front and no apartments above. A cornerstone of the village character would have been lost forever. With these new TOD regulations in place, the owner can rebuild a similar building in its place. And hopefully, it will soon be surrounded by other fine, pedestrian-oriented, active buildings.

For additional information related to Springdale and RPA's other TOD initiatives, see our new web section at www.rpa.org/tod.html.