Town Planner's FAQ

Phone # 693-7892

For residential lots under five acres, you may keep one horse per full acre. For residential lots over five acres, you can be considered a farm with no restriction on the number of horses. Stables and manure piles must be kept 75 feet from any property line or body of water.  The same rules apply to alpacas, burros, cattle, donkeys, llamas and similar animals.

2. How tall can my fence be, how close to the property line can it be and which side should it face?

A fence near a property boundary that creates a visual barrier between properties cannot exceed six feet in height except with the written permission of all of the surrounding neighbors or a Special Exception Permit from the Zoning Commission, in which  case the fence can go as high a seven feet. A fence can be placed right up to the property line with a neighbor but should not be placed directly on the line as half of the fence posts would be encroaching on the neighbor's property.  It is recommended that enough room be left on the opposite side of the fence to maintain it without trespassing. A fence should stay at least a car length from the curb of the road or further if necessary to ensure that the fence does not obstruct the view of passing motorists or neighbors attempting to exit their driveways. In many cases the Town or State right-of-way extends twelve feet or more from the curb line, prohibiting the installation of fence in any event without permission. In most cases, common courtesy dictates that the front face of a decorative fence should face away from the owner's property but doing so is not required.

Many issues factor into whether a lot is buildable and there is no simple answer. The availability of public water and sewer, the ability to construct a well and septic system, floodplain, inland wetlands and watercourses and topography all factor into whether a lot is buildable, Subdivision approval with valid permits from the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency and Farmington Valley Health District (where required) are a good indication of a buildable lot. Oftentimes a soil scientist and professional engineer must be hired to determine the suitability of a lot.

The Planning Commission meets on the first Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in the Library Community Center at 40 Dyer Avenue except during July and August when they go on hiatus and when the first Monday is a legal holiday in which case they meet on the second Monday. The Zoning Commission meets on the third Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in the Library Community Center at 40 Dyer Avenue.

Subdivision applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. five business days prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Planning Commission. Once received, the application will be scheduled for review or a public hearing at the following months hearing. Zoning applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. of the second Wednesday of the month, one week prior to the scheduled meeting of the Zoning Commission

Items received by the Commission will generally be scheduled for review or public hearing at the following months meeting.

Once an application is submitted, everything that we have in the land use office is available to the public to review during normal business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. In the case of a zoning application, if a public hearing is required, a legal notice will be published twice in the Farmington Valley edition of the Hartford Courant prior to the hearing and a sign will be posted prominently on the property for seven consecutive days prior to the hearing. For subdivision or resubdivision applications that require a public hearing, a legal notice will be published twice in the Farmington Valley edition of the Hartford Courant prior to the hearing. In all cases, a subdivision applicant is required to send written notice to all property owners within l00 feet of the property being subdivided. Both the Planning Commission and Zoning Commission agendas are posted in the Town Clerk's Office at least 24 hours prior to a hearing, but typically are posted several days before the meeting. These agendas are also posted in the hall outside the Town Clerk's Office as well as on the Town web site at"

http://www.townofcantonct.org/PCAgenda.PDF for the Planning Commission Agenda http://www.townofcantonct.org/ZCAgenda.PDF for the Zoning Commission Agenda.

If you have any questions about an application, you can call the Land Use Office at

693-7856 or 693-7891.

Contact with planning and zoning commissioners outside of a commission meeting to discuss matters pending before either commission is generally prohibited. The Planning Commission and Zoning Commission hold regular meetings and public hearings to solicit input from applicants and the public. With everybody present, people on both sides on an issue will have an opportunity to express themselves and rebut opposing statements if necessary. Similarly, letters should be sent to commissioners care of the Land Use Office, PO Box 168, Collinsville, CT 06022. All letters will be copied and distributed to all commissioners and become part of the public record. Letters sent directly to Commissioners will not be read upon discovering that they concern a pending application. Sending letters directly to Commissioners could be construed as an attempt to unduly influence them. Commissioners are instructed to forward the letters to the Land Use Office or bring them to the next meeting to be read and added to the public record. .

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood zone maps are prominently posted outside of the Land Use Office and they are also available in the Town Clerk's Office. Because there are no property lines shown on the map and differing map scales make comparisons difficult, Town Hall staff will not make determinations of whether a property or structure is located in a floodplain. As flood prone areas constitute a small portion of Canton's total area, residents, realtors, appraisers and lenders can usually see for themselves that there are no floodplains in the vicinity of a property or structure. When a property or structure is close and there is some doubt as to whether it is or is not in a floodplain, there are flood determination companies that lenders call upon to make the determination for them.

There is no simple answer to this question. The Zoning Regulations allow home occupations with the following conditions: the business owner must reside on the premises; no more than two employees may live outside of the home; no more than two commercial motor vehicles of not more than one ton capacity may be parked on the premises and no more that six total vehicles may be parked on the premises; all commercial materials must be stored indoors and not visible from outside the premises; the business shall not alter the residential character and appearance of the property; and a Home Occupation Permit is required from the Zoning Enforcement Officer. Not every business is appropriate in the home. If the business generates significant traffic, noise, odor, shipments of materials and goods or other conditions not conducive to a residential neighborhood it will not be approved. Typical home businesses include professional offices, small contractor's offices, word processing services, dressmaking, music lessons, candy and soap making and artisans. Examples of inappropriate home businesses are retail stores, florists, art galleries, machine shops and contractor’s offices that use the property as a base of operations for many employees.

A new business or business under new ownership may display an' A' frame sign provided by the Chamber of Commerce for a period on one to two months, depending on availability. No other business may display temporary ‘A' frame or sandwich board signs. The Zoning Commission has a more permanent pre-approved 2' x 3' promotional sign that can be installed with a simple sign permit. Non-profit organizations may display a properly anchored ‘A' frame signs on their premises with a sign permit or at the corner of East Hill Road and Simonds Avenue with the permission of the Director of Parks and Recreation (call John Bennett at 693-5808 for permission).