(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.

(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) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any subdivision approval made under this section prior to July 1, 2011, that has not expired prior to May 9, 2011, shall expire not less than nine 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 fourteen years from the date the subdivision was approved.

(1967, P.A. 677, S. 2; P.A. 77-545, S. 4; P.A. 78-104, S. 6; P.A. 87-371, S. 3, 5; P.A. 91-153, S. 2; P.A. 93-19, S. 2, 3; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 11, 130; P.A. 95-322; P.A. 98-188, S. 1, 5; P.A. 09-181, S. 2; P.A. 11-5, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 77-545 required that endorsement state date on which five-year period expires and added Subsec. (b) re subdivision plans approved on or after October 1, 1977; P.A. 78-104 reworded ban on conveyance of lots after approval expires and substituted “bonded improvements and utilities” for “work”; P.A. 87-371 inserted reference to Sec. 8-26g; P.A. 91-153 added Subsec. (c) which provided that site plans approved on or before October 1, 1989, be valid for seven years after the date of such approval; P.A. 93-19 inserted new Subsec. (b) re extensions of time to complete work on a subdivision, relettered former Subsecs. (b) and (c) accordingly and amended newly relettered Subsec. (d) to authorize extensions of time to complete subdivisions approved on or before October 1, 1989, effective April 21, 1993; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 amended Subsec. (c) by making technical change, adding reference to extensions of subdivision plans, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-322 amended Subsec. (d) to make seven-year expiration limit applicable to approvals made on or before October 1, 1991, rather than October 1, 1989, and to add provision re extension of time in the case of a project delayed because of state or federal construction project; P.A. 98-188 amended Subsec. (d) by adding provision re tolling of time for completion when there is an appeal of a decision by the commission, effective June 4, 1998; P.A. 09-181 added Subsec. (e) re subdivision approvals made during period from July 1, 2006, to July 1, 2009, effective July 2, 2009; P.A. 11-5 amended Subsec. (e) to apply to subdivision approvals made prior to July 1, 2011, that have not expired prior to May 9, 2011, and to provide that approvals shall expire not less than 9 years after approval date and that no approval shall be valid for more than 14 years, effective May 9, 2011.

Cited. 228 C. 476. Sale of lots in approved subdivision not required for municipality to call performance bond. 254 C. 348. Plain and unambiguous meaning of the term “conveyance” is restricted to the conveyance of subdivision lots, and does not encompass the transfer of partial interests in lots. 286 C. 280.

Cited. 17 CA 344; 18 CA 569.

Subsec. (b):

Statute that allows zoning commission to require successor developer to submit new application and to post a bond of its own was permissive and did not require plaintiff to post a substitute bond. 71 CA 715.

Subsec. (c):

Cited. 49 CA 452. Trial court reversed; statute unambiguously states that if subdivision improvements are not completed, town may require a surety to complete the improvements to the extent necessary to serve conveyed lots, and in this case no lots were conveyed so no improvements were required. 54 CA 328. Statute that allows zoning commission to require successor developer to submit new application and to post a bond of its own was permissive and did not require plaintiff to post a substitute bond. 71 CA 715.