Zoning Office

Zoning Office
West Hartford Town Hall, Room 214
50 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT 06107
(860) 561-7555 FAX: (860) 561-7504
Monday-Friday: 8:30 AM-4:30 PM

The Zoning Office enforces the zoning code of the Town of West Hartford and staffs and administers the actions of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Appearing in alphabetical order are services and requirements for various projects in town.

Customary Home Occupations
An accessory use conducted within a dwelling unit by the person who occupies the dwelling unit as his or her principal residence, which use is clearly secondary to the use of the dwelling unit for living purposes. A Home Occupation may be permitted either by Special Exception, approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals, or by administrative approval by the Zoning Office or his/her designee.

A Special Exception approval, pursuant to the provisions of Section 177-49, as amended by Section 2 of Town of West Hartford Code of Ordinances, shall not be required for a person to conduct a Home Occupation in the dwelling unit which such person occupies as his or her principal residence provided that: (a) There are no non-resident employees, (b) There are no visits to the subject dwelling or unit by clients and/or customers, (c) There is/are no sign(s).

For more information, contact the Zoning Office at (860) 561-7555, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Click here for a ZBA guide and Zoning application and Fee Schedule. Click here to read the Home Occupation Ordinance.

Fence Construction
A fence permit is required for any fence construction being done in the Town of West Hartford. The maximum height allowed for fence construction is 7 feet behind the building lines, 4 feet high and 50% open in front of the building line.

Fence Regulation: Please be advised that in the Town of West Hartford it is permissible to face the fence in either direction. It is not necessary for the more attractive side of the fence to be facing your neighbor. You are entitled to have the more attractive side of the fence facing your direction. Fence regulations apply to all types of fences, any structure used as an enclosure, barrier, or partition.

Follow one of the three links for the exact regulations for your type of lot:

Interior Lots

Through Lots

Corner Lots

Applications for permits are accepted in Zoning Office, Town Hall, Room 214 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. There is a $70 fee (payable by check to the Town of West Hartford) and a diagram is required which shows the property, gives the type of fence to be constructed and shows where the fence will be placed.

Fill & Grade Permits
No fill shall be deposited on any lot within the Town without the prior written approval of the Director of Community Services. The Director may attach reasonable conditions to said approval, including a requirement that the applicant make application for an inland wetlands and watercourses permit if the land appears to be in an inland wetlands area as delineated on the Official Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Map. For more information, contact the Planning and Zoning Office at (860) 561-7555.

Housekeeping Permit
When three or fewer individuals not related by blood or marriage do live and cook together on the premises as a single housekeeping unit, such individuals, may be considered a family, provided that a permit for such housekeeping unit has been issued by the Zoning Enforcement Officer to the owner of the property, which permit may be revoked if ordinances or regulations or laws of the Town relating to health, noise, parking or litter shall be violated in the occupancy of the premises. Application for such permit shall be made annually, and the permit shall show the names of the persons constituting the proposed family unit. Contact Planning & Zoning Office at at (860) 561-7555, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

Motor Vehicle Dealer/Repairers License and Gasoline Stations Approval
The Connecticut General Statutes require local approval for the location of motor vehicle repairers and dealers and gasoline stations. For more information, contact the Planning & Zoning Office at (860) 561-7555, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Click here for an approval form.

Outdoor Dining - Permitted Accessory Use with Zoning Permit
Provision of temporary seasonal outdoor dining on the premises of an existing restaurant, provided that there are no more than 4 tables, with 4 chairs per table. Location of outdoor furniture shall not obstruct the pedestrian right-of-way or emergency access, and furniture shall be stored inside the restaurant daily by 10:00 PM. For more information, contact the Planning & Zoning Office at (860) 561-7555, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Click here for a Zoning Permit and Fee Schedule .

The applicant is responsible for litter control. It is recommended that trash receptacles be properly located outside and emptied on an "as needed" basis.

Sidewalk/Tent Sales
Tents for sidewalk sales, social events, etc., less than 350 square feet use this permit. Tents greater than 350 square feet, please apply for a building permit.

Sight Distance and Sight Obstructions
Property owners with shrubbery that either obstructs a public sidewalk or creates a traffic hazard on street corners or curves may be ordered to remove the obstruction by a Zoning Enforcement Officer.

Special Development District
The purpose of a Special Development District is to permit and encourage variety and flexibility in land use that will enhance the Town’s development. An SDD is an overlay zone which allows the Town Council to approve a proposed project which may not otherwise have been permitted in the particular zone in which it is located. In order for this approval to be granted, certain standards must be met. These standards may be found in Section 177-44.B. of the Town Zoning Ordinance. Click here for "Guide to Special Development District Designation" and "Guide Special Development District Administrative Amendment." Generally, SDD approval will also require a zone change. In such a case, a consolidated hearing will be held, with the zone change application incorporated into the SDD process.

Subdivision Regulations
Technical information and regulatory direction are provided to residents and developers who are applying for an application of subdivision regulations concerning a potential development site. Click here for a "Guide to the Subdivision Process."

Yard Drainage
Per West Hartford Code (§ 177-27), regarding drainage water - "No structure shall be used, erected or expanded, and no land shall be graded or hard-surfaced, unless provisions have been made and approved by the Department of Community Services for the proper disposal of drainage water, particularly from parking areas and driveways, from area contiguous to property lines and from low areas which tend to collect drainage water." If you have questions, please contact the Zoning office at (860) 561-7555.

Zoning Board of Appeals
The Zoning Board of Appeals hears and decides the following types of cases:

A Variance to the requirements of a zoning ordinance with respect to a particular parcel of land, where the strict or literal interpretation and enforcement of the specified regulation would result in exceptional difficulty or unusual hardship. The hardship can be neither personal nor financial in nature. (See Section 177-49B of the Town Code: "Variance").
A Special Exception to allow a home occupation in a residence district. A home occupation is an accessory use conducted within a dwelling unit by the person who occupies the dwelling unit as his or her principal residence. This use must be clearly secondary to the use of the dwelling unit for living purposes. A home occupation may not be conducted in an accessory building or a unit of occupancy in a multifamily dwelling other than the unit in which the person conducting the home occupation resides. (See Section 177-49C of the Town Code: "Special Exceptions").
The ZBA also acts as an agent for the State of Connecticut regarding the approval of location for Motor Vehicles Repairer's and Dealer's Licenses.
An Appeal where it is alleged that there is an error in any order, requirement or decision made by any official charged with the enforcement and administration of the Zoning Ordinance.

This eight member board usually meets at 7:00 p.m. every third Wednesday of the month at Town Hall. Click here for a "Guide to Zoning Board of Appeals" and here for a ZBA Application.

If you want to object or support and application at a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, you need to sign-up when you first arrive. The sign-up sheet is by the meeting room door. Public comment is open for any item on the official meeting agenda. General comments cannot be accepted for items which are not on the agenda.

Zoning Enforcement
Two full-time zoning enforcement officers provide on-going inspection services. The Zoning Office is located in Room 214, and their regular office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m. Zoning enforcement officers are available in the office to answer questions from 8:00 - 9:00a.m., and 1:00 - 2:00p.m. Monday through Friday. For information on zoning permits, please call (860) 561-7555.

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