Pine Plains Town Board creates Zoning Review Committee

PINE PLAINS — Forging ahead with the next step toward revitalizing the town, the Pine Plains Town Board devoted its recent workshop meeting on Monday, Feb. 15, to creating a Zoning Review Committee (ZRC), with help from BFJ Planning.

After 10 years of “living with our zoning law here,” town Supervisor Darrah Cloud told residents in her “Dear Pine Plains” e-newsletter it’s now time to “smooth the process for economic development in Pine Plains and make it easier to live here as long as we would like.”

The meeting was held via Zoom due to the pandemic. Since BFJ Planning had previously worked with the town to update its Comprehensive Plan, Taylor Young, a planner with BFJ Planning, said they were excited to continue their work. Fellow BFJ  planner Frank Fish said he’d act as principal for the ZRC while Taylor would act as project manager.

An overview of the town zoning code update schedule as divided by phases and tasks was presented to the Town Board, with Phase One focused on zoning review and draft updates. Fish explained the board’s Request for Proposals (RFP) hinted that there are some items in the zoning code that might focus on cleanup issues. Other items focused on issues coming out of the Comprehensive Plan and substantive issues that may require some analysis. After examining these issues, Fish said they’d try to come up with the initial draft zoning recommendations.

Virtual meetings would be held between BFJ Planning and the ZRC every month for the first three months. The meetings would focus on cleanup issues, zoning issues and approaches and then draft zoning recommendations. After the third meeting with the ZRC, Fish said they’d try to review a proposed zoning text for the Town Board.

Phase Two would focus on finalizing the zoning text with the Town Board and completing the mandated State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process. Around the fourth month, Fish said BFJ Planning would meet with the Town Board to go over the draft document from the ZRC and make needed revisions. They’d continue meeting with the Town Board up until a public hearing and then again before assembling the final text.

As the text is developed, Fish recommended the board share it with its town attorney, and then with the Planning Board before the public hearing. Councilwoman Sarah Jones later asked whether the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) should be consulted; Fish agreed it was a good idea.

Overall, creating the ZRC should be a six- to seven-month process; Fish and Taylor guided the board through the various tasks involved in each  phase. Fish explained they wouldn’t be creating a new zoning code as the town already has a code in place.

“We all thought when we read it in the Comp Plan update that it’s in pretty good shape, but there are things you want changed, so we see this as a select zoning code update,” he said.

Responding to Jones’ question about items not included in the project scope — such as subdivision ordinance review — Fish said they’re trying to complete the work on a reasonable budget for the town, quickly. Throughout this process, he said some things may come up while updating the zoning that will shed a light on subdivision ordinances, or other issues, but for now, it’s a budget issue.

Based on their preliminary knowledge of the town’s zoning, Fish said they’re hoping for a negative SEQRA declaration (which indicates there are no perceived negative impacts on the environment resulting from the project), since it would be covered in their budget. He added they are also hoping an environmental impact statement (EIS) won’t be necessary as it’s not covered in their budget and can’t be done in less than six months.

From accessory dwelling units and zoning for crucial properties to new neighborhood developments, Taylor reviewed the priority zoning issues that BFJ Planning collected through the RFP. Together, the planners and the board discussed at great length which aspects need to be addressed and what must be done moving forward.

Fish then asked Cloud to inform him once the ZRC is formed so the planners can meet with them in early March. He recommended seven to nine members be appointed and advised the board to include members from the Town Board, Planning Board and the ZBA.

The Town Board made those ZRC appointments after coming out of an executive session on Monday evening, Feb. 15. They include: Councilman Rory Chase, Councilwoman Sarah Jones, Building Inspector and Zoning Enforcement Officer Drew Weaver, Planning Board Chairman Michael Stabile, ZBA Chairman Scott Chase, former Planning Board Chairman John Forelle and Comprehensive Plan Committee member Wesley Chase.