Submitted by Lynne Cooper
(June 16, 2026) — Did you ever wonder if there is a master plan for Haddam that guides the various town decisions toward a common goal? The answer is “Yes!” Every ten years, Haddam (and every other municipality in Connecticut) develops a ten-year plan called the “Plan of Conservation and Development.”
A Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD) is a comprehensive plan that helps guide land use, conservation, development, and community priorities for a municipality and is used as a tool to proactively plan for the future. While it focuses on local priorities, it is aligned with the “Connecticut Conservation and Development Policies Plan,” ensuring consistency with state goals for sustainable growth, environmental protection and infrastructure planning.
Connecticut General Statutes require each municipality to update and submit an updated or amended POCD every ten years. Without a current POCD, a municipality is not eligible for any discretionary state funding (grants). The Town of Haddam has received approximately $16 million in grant funding in the past six years under the current POCD (which was adopted on December 7, 2017, and became effective January 23, 2018).
The value of a POCD extends further than the receipt of grants from the state. The development of the POCD includes data collection and analysis (demographic, housing, land use, economic and infrastructure trends) along with community engagement and input to define what we care most about as a community, what we want to protect, and how we want to grow. The plan reflects a vision that can guide municipal growth, conservation, and development.
The Planning and Zoning Commission is responsible for completing this task and they have appointed a POCD sub-committee to draft a revised POCD for review and adoption by the town in late 2027 to become effective in 2028. Many people have volunteered their time and expertise to support this effort:
Marc Adelberg
Peter Baird
Gina Block
Curtis Brown
Alan Chadwick
Cary Chadwick
Lynne Cooper
Raul DeBrigard
Mike Farina
Mike Karam
Stacey Kinney Arroyo
Greg Kozman
Lori Maggi
Gail Reynolds
Bob Waller
Interested? Contact Lynne Cooper at LLCooper13@comcast.net
