Millerton trustees take up zoning changes; sets public hearing for a parking-related local law

MILLERTON — The Village Board of Trustees used its Monday, Nov. 10, workshop meeting to tackle long-discussed zoning reforms and parking pressures in the business district, while also advancing several infrastructure and policy items.

Much of the meeting focused on what trustees and residents described as “outdated” zoning code and a process that can be slow and confusing for applicants. The discussion was sparked by an idea raised by Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Kelly Kilmer to consider merging the ZBA and Planning Board.

The village attorney outlined three broad options under state law. One would eliminate the Planning Board entirely and give the ZBA authority over site plans and special permits. A second would give the ZBA most of those powers but keep some higher-level reviews with the Village Board. A third option would keep both boards, but rewrite the zoning code to reduce how often applications require formal board review.

Officials agreed the core problem goes beyond board vacancies, which were resolved for the foreseeable future with village trustees appointing two members and an alternate to each board with a renewed expectation of regular training and clearer procedures.

The Board also returned to a familiar complaint of the shortage of parking in the business district. The conversation related to zoning in that the code still requires spaces that often don’t physically exist. Officials noted that existing buildings frequently need variances to make modifications, which the board noted can lead to empty buildings or stalled requests.

To address that, trustees are considering a local law that would exempt existing commercial buildings in the business district from off-street parking requirements unless they expand their footprint. The Board voted to set a public hearing on the proposed parking law for Monday, Dec. 15, at 6 p.m. The measure will also be referred to Dutchess County Planning and Development for comment.

In her mayor’s report, Mayor Jenn Najdek said demolition at the damaged water and highway building is nearly complete. Engineers are finalizing plans for a permanent, no-frills water department building. Once plans are in hand, Najdek said “time is of the essence” to move quickly into construction.

In other business, trustees approved a franchise renewal agreement with Optimum/Altice securing, among other items, free WiFi at Eddie Collins Memorial Park and at Village Hall/Police Department for municipal use.

The Board also adopted a plain-language website privacy policy required for municipalities operating .gov domains, formally explaining how the village collects and uses online contact and payment information.