CHAPTER 297a
PRIORITY FUNDING AREAS
Table of Contents
Sec. 16a-35c. Priority funding areas. Delineation. Review by Continuing Legislative Committee on State Planning and Development. Approval by General Assembly.
Sec. 16a-35d. Funding of growth-related projects. Exceptions.
Sec. 16a-35e. Cooperative effort to sustain village character in rural areas.
Sec. 16a-35f. Review of regulations to coordinate management of growth-related projects in priority funding areas.
Sec. 16a-35g. Review of federal projects in priority funding areas.
Sec. 16a-35c. Priority funding areas. Delineation. Review by Continuing Legislative Committee on State Planning and Development. Approval by General Assembly. (a) As used in this section and sections 16a-35d to 16a-35g, inclusive:
(1) "Funding" includes any form of assurance, guarantee, grant payment, credit, tax
credit or other assistance, including a loan, loan guarantee, or reduction in the principal
obligation of or rate of interest payable on a loan or a portion of a loan;
(2) "Growth-related project" means any project which includes (A) the acquisition
of real property when the acquisition costs are in excess of one hundred thousand dollars,
except the acquisition of open space for the purposes of conservation or preservation;
(B) the development or improvement of real property when the development costs are
in excess of one hundred thousand dollars; (C) the acquisition of public transportation
equipment or facilities when the acquisition costs are in excess of one hundred thousand
dollars; or (D) the authorization of each state grant, any application for which is not
pending on July 1, 2006, for an amount in excess of one hundred thousand dollars, for
the acquisition or development or improvement of real property or for the acquisition
of public transportation equipment or facilities, except the following: (i) Projects for
maintenance, repair, additions or renovations to existing facilities, acquisition of land for
telecommunications towers whose primary purpose is public safety, parks, conservation
and open space, and acquisition of agricultural, conservation and historic easements;
(ii) funding by the Department of Economic and Community Development for any
project financed with federal funds used to purchase or rehabilitate existing single or
multi-family housing or projects financed with the proceeds of revenue bonds if the
Commissioner of Economic and Community Development determines that application
of this section and sections 16a-35d and 16a-35e (I) conflicts with any provision of
federal or state law applicable to the issuance or tax-exempt status of the bonds or any
provision of any trust agreement between the Department of Economic and Community
Development and any trustee, or (II) would otherwise prohibit financing of an existing
project or financing provided to cure or prevent any default under existing financing; (iii)
projects that the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development determines
promote fair housing choice and racial and economic integration as described in section
8-37cc; (iv) projects at an existing facility needed to comply with state environmental
or health laws or regulations adopted thereunder; (v) school construction projects funded
by the Department of Education under chapter 173; (vi) libraries; (vii) municipally
owned property or public buildings used for government purposes; and (viii) any other
project, funding or other state assistance not included under subparagraphs (A) to (D),
inclusive, of this subdivision.
(3) "Priority funding area" means the area of the state designated under subsection
(b) of this section.
(b) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, in consultation with the
Commissioners of Economic and Community Development, Environmental Protection,
Public Works, Agriculture, Transportation, the chairman of the Transportation Strategy
Board, the regional planning agencies in the state and any other persons or entities
the secretary deems necessary shall develop recommendations for delineation of the
boundaries of priority funding areas in the state and for revisions thereafter. In making
such recommendations the secretary shall consider areas designated as regional centers,
growth areas, neighborhood conservation areas and rural community centers on the state
plan of conservation and development, redevelopment areas, distressed municipalities,
as defined in section 32-9p; targeted investment communities, as defined in section
32-222; public investment communities, as defined in section 7-545, enterprise zones,
designated by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development under
section 32-70, corridor management areas identified in the state plan of conservation and
development and the principles of the Transportation Strategy Board approved under
section 13b-57h. The secretary shall submit the recommendations to the Continuing
Legislative Committee on State Planning and Development established pursuant to section 4-60d for review when the state plan of conservation and development is submitted
to such committee in accordance with section 16a-29. The committee shall report its
recommendations to the General Assembly at the time said state plan is submitted to
the General Assembly under section 16a-30. The boundaries shall become effective
upon approval of the General Assembly.
(P.A. 05-205, S. 5.)
History: P.A. 05-205 effective July 1, 2005.
Sec. 16a-35d. Funding of growth-related projects. Exceptions. (a) On and after
the approval of the General Assembly of the boundaries of priority funding areas under
section 16a-35c, no state agency, department or institution shall provide funding for a
growth-related project unless such project is located in a priority funding area.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the head of a
state department, agency or institution, with the approval of the Secretary of the Office
of Policy and Management, may provide funding for a growth-related project that is
not located in a priority funding area upon determination that such project is consistent
with the plan of conservation and development, adopted under section 8-23, of the
municipality in which such project is located and that such project (1) enhances other
activities targeted by state agencies, departments and institutions to a municipality
within the priority funding area, (2) is located in a distressed municipality, as defined
in section 32-9, targeted investment community, as defined in section 32-222, or public
investment community, as defined in section 7-545, (3) supports existing neighborhoods
or communities, (4) promotes the use of mass transit, (5) provides for compact, transit
accessible, pedestrian-oriented mixed use development patterns and land reuse and promotes such development patterns and land reuse, (6) creates an extreme inequity, hardship or disadvantage that clearly outweighs the benefits of locating the project in a
priority funding area if such project were not funded, (7) has no reasonable alternative
for the project in a priority funding area in another location, (8) must be located away
from other developments due to its operation or physical characteristics, or (9) is for
the reuse or redevelopment of an existing site.
(c) Not more than one year after the designation of priority funding areas, and annually thereafter, each department, agency or institution shall prepare a report that describes grants made under subsection (b) of this section and the reasons therefor.
(P.A. 05-205, S. 6.)
History: P.A. 05-205 effective July 1, 2005.
Sec. 16a-35e. Cooperative effort to sustain village character in rural areas. On
and after the approval of the General Assembly of the boundaries of priority funding
areas pursuant to section 16a-35c, each state agency, department or institution shall
cooperate with municipalities to ensure that programs and activities in rural areas sustain
village character.
(P.A. 05-205, S. 7.)
History: P.A. 05-205 effective July 1, 2005.
Sec. 16a-35f. Review of regulations to coordinate management of growth-related projects in priority funding areas. On and after the approval of the General
Assembly of the boundaries of priority funding areas under section 16a-35c, each state
agency and department shall review regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 and modify such regulations to carry out the purpose of coordinated
management of growth-related projects in priority funding areas.
(P.A. 05-205, S. 8.)
History: P.A. 05-205 effective July 1, 2005.
Sec. 16a-35g. Review of federal projects in priority funding areas. The Office
of Policy and Management, within available appropriations, shall coordinate review of
federal projects in relation to their location in priority funding areas to encourage location
in urban areas pursuant to the provisions of Federal Executive Order 12072-Federal
Space Management.
(P.A. 05-205, S. 9.)
History: P.A. 05-205 effective July 1, 2005.