(a) Each revision of the plan of conservation and development shall be initiated by the secretary and shall be undertaken in accordance with the process outlined in this chapter.

(b) Without initiating a revision of the plan and after receiving written approval from the committee, the secretary may undertake interim changes in the plan upon the secretary's own initiative or upon application by (1) the chief executive officer of a municipality, with the approval of the legislative body of such municipality, or (2) any owner of real property or any interest therein on which a change is proposed. No application for an interim change from a municipality under subdivision (1) of this subsection may be submitted unless (A) the municipality in which the change is proposed has a plan of conservation and development that has been updated in accordance with section 8-23, and (B) the application includes evidence, in writing, of the opinion of the planning commission of the municipality regarding the interim change. The secretary shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to establish procedures for applications for such interim changes by any person, political subdivision of the state or state agency. Such regulations shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions for interviews and consultations with local planning and zoning commissions or, in those municipalities which have adopted the provisions of chapter 124 but which do not have a zoning commission, the persons designated to exercise zoning powers pursuant to section 8-1, review of local plans of development and public hearings. The secretary shall notify the chief executive officer and the persons exercising planning or zoning powers in any municipality which is the subject of an application for change in the locational guide map and shall notify any members of the General Assembly representing any area which is the subject of such an application. A joint public hearing by the secretary and the committee shall be held in any such municipality if requested by any chief executive officer or planning or zoning official notified by the secretary pursuant to this subsection. The committee shall also hold a hearing in addition to any hearing required to be held in any municipality concerning the locational guide map on any other proposed changes. After such public hearing, the committee shall approve or disapprove the application and notify the secretary of its decision not more than ten days thereafter. The secretary shall make interim changes in the plan to reflect the approved changes.

(c) The secretary shall report annually on or before February fifteenth to the committee progress on the implementation of the plan and the extent to which state actions are in conformity with the plan.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the committee from initiating a revision of the plan at any time.

(P.A. 76-130, S. 9, 11; P.A. 77-614, S. 51, 610; P.A. 79-402, S. 1; P.A. 81-156, S. 1; P.A. 06-24, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 77-614 substituted “secretary”, i.e. secretary of the office of policy and management, for “commissioner”, i.e. commissioner of planning and energy policy; P.A. 79-402 rewrote Subsec. (b) and added details re procedure for interim changes; P.A. 81-156 provided for notice to municipal officials of proposed map changes and hearings on such changes in the municipality only at the request of such officials; P.A. 06-24 amended Subsec. (b) to limit applications for interim changes to the owner of the affected real property or an interest therein and the chief executive officer with approval of the legislative body, to prohibit applications from municipalities that do not have updated plans of conservation and development and to require application to include evidence of planning commission opinion re the interim change and require the committee to approve or disapprove the application and notify the secretary of its decision not more than ten days after public hearing.