Town Meeting Minute™ – Issue 6: Housing Pressure, Zoning Changes, and the Local Decisions Shaping Real Estate

Town Meeting Minute — Issue 6: Regional Housing Pressure, Zoning Rewrites, and Infrastructure Capacity

Across New London, Middlesex, Newport, and Washington Counties, local governments are dealing with growing pressure around housing, zoning modernization, infrastructure capacity, and the tension between state policy and local control.

Below is our latest Town Meeting Minute review using the Seaport Impact Score™, our internal framework for evaluating how local government decisions may influence real estate markets before visible development occurs.

Town of Groton, Connecticut — Housing Potential and Short-Term Rental Regulation Review

Status: Under Discussion
Confidence: High
Seaport Impact Score™: 91
Capital Sensitivity: Housing,…

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Preston CT, Water, Sewer, and the Future of Route 2

Preston, Water, Sewer, and the Future of Route 2

A Town Meeting Minutes Special Edition

There has been growing discussion about the possibility of expanding water and sewer infrastructure along the Route 2 corridor in Preston.

For some residents, that idea represents opportunity — the ability for existing commercially zoned properties to finally become viable for modern businesses that require water access. For others, it raises understandable concerns about growth, traffic, and whether Preston could lose the rural landscape and character that make the town special.

Both perspectives deserve thoughtful consideration.

But there is one point that is often misunderstood in these discussions.

Utilities Do Not Decide What Gets Built

…

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Community Calendar: Local Events in Connecticut & Rhode Island (March 9 – March 22, 2026)

Community Calendar – Issue #4
March 9 – March 22, 2026

Welcome back to the Community Calendar, our bi-weekly roundup of local events and activities across Southeastern Connecticut and Coastal Rhode Island. Each issue highlights live music, arts and culture, community gatherings, and family-friendly programming taking place over the next two weeks.

We intentionally leave out town meetings and administrative listings to keep the calendar easy to scan and focused on events people actually attend and enjoy.

Want to submit an event? Email info@seaportre.com with the subject line Community Event Submission.

Connecticut

New London County

• St. Patrick’s Day Parade – New London
  Sunday, March 15 • 1:00 PM • Downtown New London
  Annual…

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393 Acres, One Dollar, and a 15-Year Vision: Inside the Preston Riverwalk Redevelopment

393 Acres, One Dollar, and a 15-Year Vision: Inside the Preston Riverwalk Redevelopment

For decades, one of the largest pieces of undeveloped land in Southeastern Connecticut sat quietly along the Thames River.

If you’ve driven Route 12 in Preston, you’ve likely seen the remnants of the former Norwich State Hospital campus — a massive property filled with empty buildings, overgrown roads, and a history stretching back more than a century.

Today, that same site is slowly transforming into what could become one of the largest redevelopment projects in the region’s history: Preston Riverwalk.

This story isn’t just about development. It’s about environmental cleanup, long-term planning, infrastructure challenges, and the enormous effort…

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The Market Is Splitting: Why Some Homes Are in a Seller’s Market While Others Are Not

The Market Is Splitting: Why Price Range Now Matters More Than Ever

In real estate, markets rarely move in one single direction.

Instead, they tend to evolve gradually. Certain segments begin to change first while others remain strong. Over time those shifts spread across the broader market.

Today we are beginning to see the early stages of that process.

Across many towns in Southeastern Connecticut and coastal Rhode Island, the market is no longer behaving as one unified environment. Instead, it is fragmenting by price range.

Some price tiers remain firmly in seller territory, while others are moving toward balance.

Understanding this shift requires returning to…

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The Seaport Multifamily Brief Issue #2 | March 2026

The Seaport Multifamily Brief

Issue #2 | March 2026

Coastal Connecticut & Southern Rhode Island

Powered by CoStar Data and Seaport Due Diligence

Primary market statistics sourced from CoStar Search Analytics (March 2026 reports). Interpretation and underwriting commentary are proprietary to Seaport Commercial.

Executive Summary

Coastal multifamily fundamentals remain tight, but the market is becoming more selective. Vacancy stays relatively low across the region, rent growth varies by county, and cap rates appear to be stabilizing. In this environment, our view remains simple: Do the Math—and let the math tell you what to do.

Featured Listing Spotlight is included below and uses county-level CoStar benchmarks for context.…

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“Statewide Zoning?” What’s Proposed, What’s Already Law, and What Towns Should Do Next

Series: Town Meeting Minute

“Statewide Zoning?” What’s Proposed, What’s Already Law, and What Towns Should Do Next

Across Connecticut, the phrase “statewide zoning” is gaining traction. Some residents believe local control is about to disappear. Others believe statewide guardrails are the only way to solve housing supply constraints. The truth sits somewhere in the middle.

This issue breaks down what is actually happening, what is already law, and what towns in CT (and RI) should be watching closely.

No. Connecticut does not currently have a single, uniform statewide zoning code replacing local planning & zoning commissions.

However, the state has increasingly moved toward state-level housing guardrails and oversight, and at…

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Community Calendar – Issue #3 (Feb 23 – Mar 8, 2026)

Community Calendar – Issue #3
February 23 – March 8, 2026

Welcome back to the Community Calendar — our bi-weekly roundup of local events and activities across Southeastern Connecticut and Coastal Rhode Island. We focus on events people actually attend: live music, arts, family activities, markets, and seasonal happenings (and we intentionally exclude town meeting dates).

Want to submit an event? Email info@seaportre.com with the subject line Community Event Submission and include the event name, town, date/time, a short description, and a link.

Connecticut

New London County

• Breezeline Winter Cinema Series: “It Was Just an Accident”
  Wed, Feb 25, 2026 • 7:30 PM • Garde Arts Center (New London)
  Film screening as part of…

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What the Market Looked Like Before 2020

Series: When the Market Changes – Lessons From Real Estate Cycles

If you entered real estate after 2020, your understanding of the market may be shaped by one of the most aggressive seller-driven environments in modern history.

But prior to the pandemic, real estate operated very differently.

To understand where we may be heading, it’s important to remember where we came from.

A More Balanced (and Often Buyer-Leaning) Market

In the years leading up to 2020, many markets across Connecticut and Rhode Island experienced:

• Longer days on market
• More inventory than buyers in certain price ranges
• Frequent price reductions
• Negotiated closing costs
• Inspection repair requests as standard practice
• Appraisals that frequently…

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The Seaport Multifamily Brief™ – February 2026 Multifamily Market Intelligence | Coastal CT & Southern RI

The Seaport Multifamily Brief

Issue #1 | February 2026

Coastal Connecticut & Southern Rhode Island

Powered by CoStar Data and Seaport Due Diligence

Executive Summary:
Coastal multifamily markets remain structurally tight, but momentum is moderating. Leasing velocity has slowed, rent growth has flattened, and cap rates have stabilized. We have entered a Yield Discipline Phase.

Table of Contents

Washington County Market Snapshot
Transaction Intelligence
Interpretation – Beyond the Numbers
Coastal Regional View
Underwriting Reality Check™
Seaport Coastal MF Stability Index™
The Seaport Signal™
About This Series

Washington County, RI – Market Snapshot

According to CoStar Search Analytics (February 16, 2026):

• …

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