Connecticut General Statutes 8-26c – Subdivision to be completed within five years of plan approval. Exceptions
(a) Any person, firm or corporation making any subdivision of land, except as provided in section 8-26g, shall complete all work in connection with such subdivision within five years after the approval of the plan for such subdivision; the commission‘s endorsement of approval on the plan shall state the date on which such five-year period expires.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 8-26c
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Commission: means a planning commission. See Connecticut General Statutes 8-18
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- municipality: includes a city, town or borough or a district establishing a planning commission under section 7-326. See Connecticut General Statutes 8-18
- subdivision: means the division of a tract or parcel of land into three or more parts or lots made subsequent to the adoption of subdivision regulations by the commission, for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of sale or building development expressly excluding development for municipal, conservation or agricultural purposes, and includes resubdivision. See Connecticut General Statutes 8-18
(b) The subdivider or his successor in interest may apply for and the commission may grant one or more extensions of the time to complete all or part of the work in connection with such subdivision, provided the time for all extensions under this subsection shall not exceed ten years from the date the subdivision was approved. If the commission grants an extension of an approval, the commission may condition the approval on a determination of the adequacy of the amount of the bond or other surety furnished under section 8-25, securing to the municipality the actual completion of the work.
(c) In the case of a subdivision plan approved on or after October 1, 1977, failure to complete all work within such five-year period or any extension thereof shall result in automatic expiration of the approval of such plan provided the commission shall file on the land records of the town in which such subdivision is located notice of such expiration and shall state such expiration on the subdivision plan on file in the office of the town clerk of such town, and no additional lots in the subdivision shall be conveyed by the subdivider or his successor in interest as such subdivider except with approval by the commission of a new application for subdivision of the subject land. If lots have been conveyed during such five-year period or any extension thereof, the municipality shall call the bond or other surety on said subdivision to the extent necessary to complete the bonded improvements and utilities required to serve those lots. “Work” for purposes of this section means all physical improvements required by the approved plan, other than the staking out of lots, and includes, but is not limited to, the construction of roads, storm drainage facilities and water and sewer lines, the setting aside of open space and recreation areas, installation of telephone and electric services, planting of trees or other landscaping, and installation of retaining walls or other structures.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any subdivision approval made under this section on or before October 1, 1991, shall expire not more than seven years from the date of such approval and the commission may grant one or more extensions of time to complete all or part of the work in connection with such subdivision, provided the time for all extensions under this subsection shall not exceed ten years from the date the subdivision was approved. If the subdivider or his successor in interest submits evidence to the commission that completion of the project was delayed because of a state or federal construction project, the approval shall expire not more than ten years from the date of such approval and the commission may grant one or more extensions of time to complete all or part of the work in connection with such subdivision, provided the time for all extensions shall not exceed fifteen years from the date the subdivision was approved. If the subdivider or his successor in interest prevails in an appeal of a decision of the commission on the subdivision under section 8-8, the time to complete the subdivision shall be tolled for the time of such appeal and until the commission implements the judicial decision.
(e) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any subdivision approval made under this section prior to July 1, 2011, that has not expired prior to July 12, 2021, shall expire not less than fourteen years after the date of such approval and the commission may grant one or more extensions of time to complete all or part of the work in connection with such subdivision, provided no subdivision approval, including all extensions, shall be valid for more than nineteen years from the date the subdivision was approved.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any subdivision approval made under this section on or after July 1, 2011, but prior to June 10, 2021, that did not expire prior to March 10, 2020, shall expire not less than fourteen years after the date of such approval and the commission may grant one or more extensions of time to complete all or part of the work in connection with such subdivision, provided no subdivision approval, including all extensions, shall be valid for more than nineteen years from the date the subdivision was approved.