Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Strategic Plan Guidelines
Description
This document is a guideline for communities that are considering developing strategic plans as required under the Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (NRZ) legislation (Connecticut General Statutes, Sections 7-6-- through 7-607).
Under the Connecticut legislation which established NRZs, the state Office of Policy and Management (OPM) is charged with the responsibility of reviewing NRZ strategic plans. To ensure that the plans we receive are comprehensive and consistent with the intent of the legislation, we have designed this document to interpret the law in an easy-to-read manner and to describe the basic components which should be included in the strategic plan.
This document is organized as a series of questions and answers that reflect the kinds of questions that neighborhoods may have about NRZs. We have attempted to anticipate your questions about NRZs and to provide practical and useful answers. If you find that you have additional questions that are not addressed here, please contact Bruce Wittchen by email at bruce.wittchen@ct.gov or by phone at (860) 418-6323.
What are Neighborhood Revitalization Zones or NRZs?
In 1995, An Act Establishing a Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Process (P.A. 95-340) was passed by the Connecticut General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Rowland. This law -- the first of its kind in the nation -- established a collaborative process for communities to work with all levels of government to revitalize neighborhoods which have become substandard, unsafe and blighted. Amended in 1999(PA 99-35), the law now addresses how amendments to the strategic plan are done.
NRZs represent a new kind of partnership and cooperation between communities and government which shifts the impetus of planning to the local level and provides a mechanism for relief from burdensome state and local regulations.
Mini-Grants
The Office of Policy and Management and the Connecticut Economic Development Fund (CEDF) have created a pool of matching funds to support the NRZ program through technical assistance grants. Assistance is provided in the form of consultant services and can be used for the Economic Development section of an NRZ's Strategic Plan, the development of studies and reports necessary for future development projects, or the development of a specific development project. CEDF engages such consultants and no funds go directly to local NRZs. For further information about these mini-grants, contact David LeVasseur of OPM at (860) 418-6484 or Donna Wertenbach of CEDF at (888) 835-2333, extension 2080.
Documents: NRZ Guidelines
For Further Information, Please Contact:
Bruce Wittchen: phone (860) 418-6323, bruce.wittchen@ct.gov