(a) There shall be a Connecticut River Gateway Committee consisting of the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection or his designee, a representative from each of the towns of Old Saybrook, Essex, Deep River, Chester, Haddam, East Haddam, Lyme and Old Lyme, appointed by the first selectman of each of said towns, and a representative of the Mid-State Regional Planning Agency appointed by said agency and a representative of the Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency appointed by said agency. The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall, within thirty days of July 1, 1973, call a meeting of said committee which shall, within ninety days thereafter: (1) Hold public hearings for the purpose of developing minimum standards to preserve the area within the conservation zone as hereinafter provided; (2) using as guidelines whatever standards may be applicable, including those set down for estuarine sanctuaries by the Department of Commerce under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (P.L. 92.583), prepare minimum standards for the regulation of the usage of property within the conservation zone consistent with the purposes of this chapter and for the protection and development, for purposes of this chapter, of such property by means of land coverage, frontage, setback, design and building height and the regulation of the cutting of timber, burning of undergrowth, removal of soil or other earth materials and the dumping or storing of refuse to prevent deterioration of the natural or traditional riverway scene, provided such standards shall not discourage constructive development and uses of such property, which are consistent with the purposes of this chapter; (3) make recommendations for lands and waters to be acquired by the commissioner in less than fee title under the provisions of section 25-102f; and (4) present such standards, with relevant findings as to whether the plan of development and zoning ordinances and planning and subdivision regulations, relating to land within the conservation zone of each of the eight towns enumerated in this subsection conform with such standards and, if not, specifying the particulars in which they do not conform, to the conservation commissions, zoning commissions, planning commissions and planning and zoning commissions of the respective towns. No action by said committee shall be effective except by the concurring vote of at least six members. The committee shall terminate at such time as the Connecticut River Gateway Commission has been created under section 25-102e or four towns have voted not to be governed by the provisions of sections 25-102g, 25-102h and 25-102j.

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(b) The commissions of the respective towns referred to in subsection (a) of this section shall study the standards so established and shall, within ninety days of such submission, file with the town clerk of the town which they serve, for submission to its legislative body, recommendations as to whether such town should vote to be governed by the provisions of sections 25-102g, 25-102h and 25-102j. Failure of a commission to make such recommendations within the time limited therefor shall be deemed a recommendation that the town should vote to be so governed. Within thirty days after April 22, 1974, the clerk of any such town which has not previously voted to be governed by the provisions of this chapter, shall call a meeting of its legislative body at the earliest legal date, which may be the annual or a regular or special meeting of such body, at which meeting, such legislative body shall vote as to whether such town shall be governed by the provisions of sections 25-102g, 25-102h and 25-102j and the town clerk of such town shall report the result of such vote to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection for transmittal to the Connecticut River Gateway Committee.