A zone change is largely a mundane task that represents the basic blocking and tackling of most planning and zoning commissions. That’s the case in East Granby, where the planning and zoning commission recently approved changes to the town’s Commerce Park Transitional Zone, opening up 264 acres of vacant land to new mixed-use development opportunities, including apartments and retail. The zoning change is part of a longer-term vision for the bucolic town of around 5,200 people to become more than just a bedroom community that hosts thousands of workers during the day who leave at night for homes in nearby suburbs, said Gary Haynes, East Granby’s director of community development. Apartments are attractive near the town center, Haynes said, because they will put feet on the street, hopefully creating demand for more restaurants, shops or even a grocery store — amenities that are key to developing a definable town center.
https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/east-granby-eyes-apartment-development