Village of Millerton sets stage for zoning overhaul, aims for transparency

Village of Millerton sets stage for zoning overhaul, aims for transparency

Millerton Village Hall, where the Zoning Board of Appeals has begun laying the groundwork for a zoning overhaul aimed at modernizing the village’s code.

Nathan Miller

MILLERTON – The village Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) met on Tuesday night to begin laying the groundwork for a long-anticipated update to its zoning code — a process officials say is necessary to replace regulations they repeatedly describe as “outdated.” The discussion comes as the Town of North East faces public scrutiny over its November release of a years-long zoning rewrite of its commercial district.

To better understand the rewrite process — and avoid replicating challenges the town has encountered — ZBA Chair Kelly Kilmer invited two members of the North East Zoning Review Committee (ZRC), Edie Greenwood and David Sherman, to share insight.

Kilmer emphasized that the village has no intention of embarking on a years-long rewrite like North East’s, noting that the town’s zoning update has already stretched over four years. “Some of our terms [in office] will be up by then,” she joked.

Instead, Kilmer said the village intends to begin by zeroing in on the parts of the code that most often appear before the ZBA and Planning Board.

“We need to look at the zoning laws that come up the most when people come to us for variances,” Kilmer said. “The ones that are really holding people up.” She added that she doesn’t want to over-complicate the process.

Parking is one issue that continually comes up at Village Hall. It is already under review and will be discussed at a Dec. 15 public hearing, where a proposed zoning change will be presented. The revision would ease off-street parking requirements in the business district and lower barriers to entry for new businesses.

Greenwood offered two key suggestions for the village’s early stages. First, she recommended becoming fluent in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan, which she said guided the town’s zoning process and served as a blueprint. Second, she urged the village to hire a consultant, pointing out that zoning code is generally “too technical” to interpret and rewrite without professional support.

Greenwood said she pursued a grant through Hudson River Valley Greenway to help the town pay for its consultant. However, the September deadline has already passed for the upcoming year, meaning the village would need to wait until next year to apply

She also advised beginning the process with a clear purpose. “Whether you call it ‘legislative intent’ or ‘purpose,’ that’s the brainstorming of what you want to happen in that district,” Greenwood said.

Village board member and ZRC volunteer David Sherman echoed the sentiment: “Begin with the vision you’d like to see in the district.”

With the help of Greenwood and Sherman, Kilmer outlined four immediate next steps for the village.

  1. Review the 2019 Comprehensive Plan, including the village zoning audit
  2. Revisit materials from a prior Pace Land Use Law Center training held for village boards
  3. Ask Dutchess County Planning and Development staff to provide additional training – a service already supported by county taxpayers
  4. Ensure ZBA members and those involved become fluent in the village zoning law and districts

Greenwood recommended additional in-person and online training, including programs through Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM). While ZBA members are only required to complete four hours of training annually, officials said they intend to do more.

Even as the zoning conversation moves ahead, board members stressed that the village’s long-running wastewater constraints will ultimately shape what any zoning changes can accomplish.

“We can dream all we want,” said ZBA member Delora Brooks, “but if the wastewater doesn’t get addressed, everything else we do will be shaped around that.”

Cathy Fenn, who has served in multiple village and town roles over the decades, questioned why the Planning Board was not at the table, noting that it led the last major zoning change in the village.

The meeting took place as the Village Board weighs whether to consolidate or potentially eliminate the Planning Board in favor of a different structure. Kilmer said there was value in keeping the initial zoning conversations small and focused while the village works through those broader governance questions.

Looking ahead, Kilmer said that transparency will be central to the process, noting that she intends to use the public as a sounding board and help demystify the steps ahead.

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