Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-311

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 14-311 - Open air theaters, shopping centers and certain other developments affecting state highway traffic

(a) No person, firm, corporation, state agency or municipal agency, or any combination thereof, shall build, expand, establish or operate any open air theater, shopping center or other development generating large volumes of traffic that substantially affect state highway traffic within this state, as determined by the Office of the State Traffic Administration, until such person, firm, corporation or agency has procured from said office a certificate that the operation thereof will not imperil the safety of the public, except that any development, including any development to be built in phases, without regard to when such phases are approved by the municipal planning and zoning agency or other responsible municipal agency, that contains a total of one hundred or fewer residential units shall not be required to obtain such certificate if such development is a residential-only development and is not part of a mixed-use development that contains office, retail or other such nonresidential uses, provided if any future development increases the total number of residential units to more than one hundred, and such total substantially affects state highway traffic within the state as determined by the Office of the State Traffic Administration, a certificate shall be procured from said office.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection or permitted by the Office of the State Traffic Administration, no local building official shall issue a building or foundation permit to any person, firm, corporation, state agency or municipal agency to build, expand, establish or operate such a development until the person, firm, corporation or agency provides to such official a copy of the certificate issued under this section by the office. No local building official shall issue a certificate of occupancy to any such person, firm, corporation or agency for such development until the conditions of the certificate issued by the office under this section have been satisfied. If the office determines that a local building official issued a building or foundation permit to any such person, firm, corporation or agency without such person, firm, corporation or agency having a certificate from the office, the office shall order the building official to revoke such building or foundation permit. If the office determines that any person, firm, corporation or agency has (1) started building, expanding, establishing or operating such a development without first obtaining a certificate from said office, or (2) has failed to comply with the conditions of such a certificate, the office shall order the person, firm, corporation or agency to (A) cease constructing, expanding, establishing or operating the development, or (B) comply with the conditions of the certificate within a reasonable period of time. If such person, firm, corporation or agency fails to (i) cease such work, or (ii) comply with an order of the office within such time as specified by the office, the office may apply to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford or the judicial district where the development is located enjoining the construction, expansion, establishment or operation of such development. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, for single family home building lots within a subdivision of land, for which a certificate is required and which do not have a direct exit or entrance on, or directly abut or adjoin any state highway, no local building official shall issue a certificate of occupancy to any person, firm, corporation, state agency or municipal agency to occupy homes on such lots until the person, firm, corporation or agency provides to such official a copy of the certificate issued under this section by the office and such official confirms that the certificate conditions have been satisfied.

(c) The Office of the State Traffic Administration, to the extent practicable, shall begin its review of an application prior to final approval of the proposed activity by the municipal planning and zoning agency or other responsible municipal agency.

(d) In determining the advisability of such certification, the Office of the State Traffic Administration shall include, in its consideration, highway safety, bicycle and pedestrian access and safety, the width and character of the highways affected, the density of traffic thereon, the character of such traffic and the opinion and findings of the traffic authority of the municipality wherein the development is located. The office may require improvements to be made by the applicant to the extent that such improvements address impacts to state highway safety or bicycle and pedestrian access and safety created by the addition of the applicant's proposed development or activity. If the office determines that such improvements, including traffic signals, pavement markings, channelization, pavement widening or other changes or traffic control devices, are required to handle traffic safely and efficiently, one hundred per cent of the cost thereof shall be borne by the person, firm, corporation or agency building, establishing or operating such open air theater, shopping center or other development generating large volumes of traffic, except that such cost shall not be borne by any municipal agency. The Commissioner of Transportation may issue a permit to such person, firm, corporation or agency to construct or install the changes required by the office.

(e) Any person, firm, corporation or agency building, establishing or operating such open air theater, shopping center or other development generating large volumes of traffic aggrieved by any decision of the Office of the State Traffic Administration under this section may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183, except venue for such appeal shall be in the judicial district in which it is proposed to operate such establishment. The provisions of this section, except insofar as such provisions relate to expansion, shall not apply to any open air theater, shopping center or other development generating large volumes of traffic in operation on July 1, 1967.

(f) Before submitting an application for a certificate for any development generating large volumes of traffic pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the Office of the State Traffic Administration, the person, firm, corporation or agency submitting such application shall attend a mandatory meeting with the Office of the State Traffic Administration and other staff from the Department of Transportation. At such meeting, such person, firm, corporation or agency shall present the applicant's proposed development and receive feedback, including, but not limited to, information as to what materials need to be submitted for an application to be considered complete.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-311

(1951, S. 1408d; 1967, P.A. 730; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 152; 1971, P.A. 611, S. 1; 870, S. 103; P.A. 73-136; P.A. 74-183, S. 202, 291; P.A. 76-412; 76-436, S. 173, 681; P.A. 77-603, S. 38, 125; P.A. 78-280, S. 1, 127; P.A. 83-362; P.A. 84-546, S. 46, 173; P.A. 85-498, S. 1, 3; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; 90-342, S. 1, 5; P.A. 93-142 , S. 4 , 7 , 8 ; P.A. 95-220 , S. 4 -6; P.A. 11-256 , S. 14 ; P.A. 12-132 , S. 36 .)

Amended by P.A. 24-0040,S. 3 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2024.

Amended by P.A. 24-0040,S. 2 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2024.

Amended by P.A. 23-0135, S. 3 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2023 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2023.

Amended by P.A. 21-0028, S. 3 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2021.

Amended by P.A. 12-0132, S. 36 of the the 2012 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2012.

Amended by P.A. 11-0256, S. 14 of the the 2011 Regular Session, eff. 7/13/2011.

Approval by State Traffic Commission is not a condition precedent to issuance of a building permit by local authority. 144 Conn. 67 . Cited. 176 C. 63 ; 180 C. 11 . Cited. 43 CA 52 . No open air theater can lawfully be built until the required certificate has been issued. 18 CS 521 . The issue of adequacy of roads leading to proposed site is determined by the State Traffic Commission. 20 CS 192.

See Sec. 14-311c re developed parcels of land separately owned and utilized together for a single development purpose which affects state highway traffic.