Planning and Zoning

Bob Lavitt

Robert (“Bob”) Lavitt has resided in Granby for the past 22 years where he and his wife Cory have raised four wonderful kids.   He is a graduate of the College of the University of Chicago and Boston University School of Law.   Bob worked at Travelers for 15 years and now is in-house counsel with Amynta Surety Solutions in Glastonbury.   Bob has been serving as an Alternate Member of the Planning and Zoning Board for the past year filling in when other members are absent and now seeks a permanent position on the board.   Bob was previously the Planning Board Attorney of West Orange, New Jersey and has extensive experience in Land Use.   Bob is committed to regulating the growth of Granby to ensure it remains a family friendly environment for years to come.

As a candidate for the Granby Planning and Zoning Commission my platform is simple: I will approach every single application fairly and on its own legal and factual merits without an agenda.   Having lived in Granby for 22 years and raised four children here I have an intimate knowledge of Granby and its people and culture, and I will seek to preserve the historic rural character of Granby within the limits of Connecticut law.

I have been an alternate member of the Planning and Zoning Commission for the past year filling in to vote when regular members were absent.  I have attended all but one meeting even when I was not needed to vote.  

The Planning and Zoning Board has been actively reviewing the Town’s ordinances including those pertaining to high density developments and multi-family housing.   Further, Connecticut law and our current ordinances and procedures require architectural review of every new construction.   This has been so for many years.  Every Planning and Zoning meeting has a public session shortly after the Pledge of Allegiance where the public is invited to speak on matters of concern not on the agenda.  Then when projects are on the agenda the public is invited to speak on those projects as well.  The Town has been actively working to preserve farmland in cooperation with the Granby Land Trust.  Recently, the Planning and Zoning Commission amended its ordinances involving farm stores to encourage accessory usages that support agriculture.

Two things that I will not do however are to break Connecticut law or make promises to the people of Granby which would rely on violation of Connecticut law.   Granby cannot for example declare a moratorium on further development.  This is expressly prohibited by a Connecticut statute, CGS Section 8-30g.   While there are a handful of towns that were “grandfathered” in, Granby was not one of them and attempting to block development by a moratorium now would involve Granby in an expensive lawsuit we would lose.

With 36 years of legal experience and over 20 years of living in Granby I feel that I am well suited to help shape Granby’s development in a manner that seeks to preserve the rural character of Granby but respects the law.