Pine Plains Zoning Law is Enacted
November 9, 2009
The zoning law was adopted at the October 15, 2009 Town Board meeting. The most salient features of the law are:
- It divides the town into various zoning districts with differing lot sizes or densities, varying from 20,000 square feet (15,000 if central sewer is installed) in the central hamlet districts to 5 acres in the rural district, including the agricultural overlay and the wellhead protection district.
- Although a number of commercial uses are allowed throughout the town (i.e. home businesses and other smaller impact commercial uses) major commercial development is concentrated in the hamlet center and hamlet main street districts. The latest zoning map now includes the flat land behind Stewarts on the Village Green property in the hamlet main street district.
- The agricultural overlay zone covering about ¾ of the rural district includes properties currently or previously used in agriculture (raising crops or pasturing livestock), properties with prime soils or soils of statewide importance and properties included in the County Agricultural District. However, none of the Carvel property is included in the Agricultural Overlay even kthough it meets the first two criteria. The zone
does not differ from the underlying rural district in allowed density but it restricts placement of houses on agricultural fields to the extent practicable. - The subdivision regulations require that environmentally constrained acreage (steep slopes, wetlands, flood plains, etc.) be subtracted from the total acreage prior to calculating the net buildable acreage.
- Major subdivisions outside of the hamlet districts are in most cases to be designed as conservation subdivisions, with most of the units
clustered on small lots and at least 50% of the land preserved as open space. In the agricultural overlay (A-O) district this requirement applies to any development of 5 or more housing units. In the rural and well head protection districts not included in the A-O overlay developments of between 5 and 14 units may be of a more conventional layout with Planning Board
approval; although the preferred layout is still the conservation subdivision layout. Additionally, in all conservation subdivisions after deducting the environmentally constrained land an additional 15% of the
remaining acreage is deducted from the total prior to determining the net buildable acreage. - The zoning draft includes a New Neighborhood Development (NND) overlay that can be applied to a development in single ownership of at least 750 acres. The base density in an NND is one unit to 3 net buildable acres rather than one unit to 5 acres. The open space requirement is increased to 60% of the entire parcel from 50%. Prior to approving an NND rezoning
application the developer will be required by the Town Board to commit to providing a number of community benefits and infrastructure improvements to the town beyond those obtainable through SEQRA review. - The regulations also include generous bonus density awards for various community benefits-up to 40% additional units in a regular conservation subdivision and 50% in an NND.
- Affordable housing provisions apply to all developments of 10 or more units.
Jane Waters
November 9, 2009
FINAL ZONING DRAFT FOR PINE PLAINS
September 22, 2009
The final draft of the zoning law will be adopted at the October 15, 2009 Town Board meeting. Prior to that, one more workshop meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 6 at 7PM to review the wording of a few final revisions made in the law in the September 10th workshop meeting. The most salient features of the law are: Read more
“Planner updates town on progress of zoning review” in Millerton News
February 7, 2008
By Whitney Joseph – Editor
02/07
PINE PLAINS – Planning consultant Bonnie Franson appeared before the Town Board Jan. 31 to discuss her progress in the review of the proposed zoning law.
Franson, of Tim Miller Associates, was retained last year to work with the Town Board on that review, which she began in November. To start the process, Franson took a look at the town’s objectives, especially in ensuring they kept in line with the comprehensive plan.
