Your Transit & Civil Rights Public Participation and Title VI - NHCOG Title VI Flyer English | Spanish In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, NHCOG operates its programs without regard to race, color and national origin. NHCOG has an established process in place to deal with complaints of discrimination. For more information about NHCOG obligations under Title VI, or if you have a complaint, contact Kathryn Faraci at 860-491-9884. ESPAÑOL: De acuerdo con el Titulo VI del Acta de Derechos Civiles de 1964, NHCOG ofrece sus servicos a personas de cualquier raza, color o nacionalidad. NHCOG ha establecido un proceso para resolver comentarios relacionados con la discriminación. Para más información sobre las obligaciones de NHCOG bajo el Titulo VI, o si tiene algún comentario sobre el tema, comuníquese con al 860-491-9884. Policy Statement, Notice to Beneficiaries, and Complaint Procedures (Procedimiento de queja) & Documents Reports, Publications, RFP/RFQ Maps Civil Rights Career Opportunities Member's Login

Learn more about what we do at the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, a regional planning organization for twenty-one towns in the northwest corner of Connecticut. What We Do Reports, Publications, RFP/RFQ Maps Civil Rights Career Opportunities Member's Login The mission of the Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG) is to make Northwest Connecticut a better place to live, do business, and visit by providing a forum for local officials to discuss issues of intermunicipal concern, promote regional cooperation, and direct various regional initiatives to enhance government planning, efficiency and service delivery. NHCOG began its work January 1, 2014. It is a consolidation of two former regional planning organizations- the Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials and the Northwestern Connecticut Council of Governments. The COG prepares a regional transportation plan, a regional growth plan and is also involved in planning for housing, economic development, emergency management and natural hazard mitigation. Community & Economic Development Transportation Planning Emergency Management Health, Human Services & Housing Shared Municipal Services Land Use Planning & Conservation

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Community & Economic Development The Northwest Hills COG boundary doubles as a U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) designated Economic Development District (EDD). As an EDD, we help lead a locally-based, regionally driven economic development planning process that leverages the involvement of the public, private, and non-profit sectors to establish a strategic blueprint for regional collaboration. The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a strategy-driven blueprint that guides economic prosperity and resiliency in the region. 2024-2029 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Northwest Connecticut: The current CEDS was developed through extensive public outreach efforts and a strategic planning process that was led by the Northwest Connecticut Economic Development Collaborative (EDC). The EDC is comprised of members having a broad-based representation of regional stakeholders. The five core focus areas of the CEDS are: Addressing the housing needs of the region Encourage business growth and expansion Support workforce development that aligns with the needs of the regional business sectors Increase tourism in the region and Strengthen the Creative Economy. Find more information about the Economic Development Collaborative Committee, here . The Northwest Hills COG staff and members of the EDC work collaboratively to implement the tasks identified in the CEDS to achieve these goals. The CEDS was developed in partnership with the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and the Northwest Hills Council of Governments and funded in part by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Other economic development links: Affordable Housing: Land Use Commissioner Training (January 2026) Recorded Training Northwest CT Chapter of SCORE’s “Starting a Small Business in Northwest Connecticut: A Basic Guide “ Northwest Connecticut Economic Development Corporation Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce State Department of Economic and Community Development Connecticut Economic Resource Center Connecticut Main Street Center Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative ’s Village Center Vitality Current Conditions Report (2010) and Strategies Report (2010) Economic Development Districts | U.S. Economic Development Administration (eda.gov) Reports, Publications, RFP/RFQ Maps Civil Rights Career Opportunities Member's Login

Land Use Planning & Conservation Reports, Publications, RFP/RFQ Maps Civil Rights Career Opportunities Member's Login Land Use Referrals The State of Connecticut mandates that municipalities refer specific proposals to amend and/or establish zoning maps and regulations, subdivision plans, and Plans of Conservation and Development to the regional council of governments in which the municipalities are located for advisory review. The Connecticut General Assembly has designated all regional referral reports purely advisory. A local-level land use decision cannot be made based on a referral report. Referrals can be submitted electronically to Robert Phillips, AICP at referrals@nhcogct.gov -or- Via certified mail to 355 Goshen Rd. PO Box 832, Litchfield, CT 06759 Zoning Referrals Under CGS Sec. 8-3b , municipal Zoning Commissions are required to notify each regional council of governments for which the municipalities are located of a proposed zone change or regulation amendment that will affect the use of a zone within five hundred (500) feet of another municipality. The council of government that serves the abutting municipality shall be notified of the proposed zoning amendment. This notice must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by electronic mail message to the regional council of government(s) in which the proposal is located in, no later than thirty (30) days prior to the public hearing. POCD Referrals Under CGS Sec. 8-23h(4) , municipal Planning Commissions are required to submit a copy of the municipality’s updated Plan of Conservation and Development or proposed amendment(s) to the regional council of government for review and comment. The regional council of government will submit an advisory report with a finding of consistency of the plan with the Regional Plan of Conservation and Development, the State Plan of Conservation and Development, and of surrounding municipalities’ Plan of Conservation and Development. This notice must be sent by certified mail or by electronic mail message to the regional council of government in which the municipality is located in, at least sixty-five (65) days prior to the public hearing on adoption. Addition/revision of coastal regulations in the Municipal Plan of Conservation and Development shall be submitted to NHCOG and to the Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Revisions may be adopted upon receipt of comments from both the COG and the Commissioner or ninety days after receipt by the Commissioner. (Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 22a-102d) Subdivision Referrals Under CGS Sec. 8-26b , municipal Planning Commissions are required to notify regional council of governments in which the municipalities are located of proposed subdivisions when a subdivision of land will abut or include two or more municipalities. The regional council of governments will submit their findings on the intermunicipal aspects of the proposed subdivision, including street layout, storm drainage, sewer and water services, and other elements that are considered appropriate. This notice must be sent by certified mail or by electronic mail message to the associated regional council of government(s) in which the proposal is located in, no later than thirty (30) days prior to the public hearing. Proposals of regional significance may be submitted to NHCOG for referral on a voluntary basis. (Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 4-124u). Some examples of projects of regional significance include those that include at least: Five hundred thousand square feet of indoor commercial or industrial space, Two hundred fifty residential housing units in structures under four stories, or One thousand parking spaces. State law requires each referral to be sent to NHCOG. If one or more municipalities outside of the region are implicated (under #1-2 above), referrals also need to be sent to the COGs representing those municipalities. No referrals are required to the states of NY or MA.