[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6108472,"mediaKeyId","2768241-21ec50b7d1bfb5b853f6bcff7ad96300","parentId",2768241,"title","Beacon council reviews 2025 priorities list; agrees to focus next on mobility and communications planning","audioSeconds",3198,"startMs",3206000,"endMs",7084,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768241-21ec50b7d1bfb5b853f6bcff7ad96300&start=3206&end=7","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768241-21ec50b7d1bfb5b853f6bcff7ad96300/thumbnail_3206000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6108472/Beacon/Dutchess-County/New-York/Beacon-council-reviews-2025-priorities-list-agrees-to-focus-next-on-mobility-and-communications-planning","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108472-6b15c2a81cf9fa5a9cc9810c9980c814/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135814&Signature=QMnKFHRNf~eyFCEvG5jIGEcW9eicD7e2W-0eu850voYOk1kz6Q~K3yDzvcbpxAyjesa6WgnESaxPM6c5FxxZJP21YC9q4YJk9w3k0o6~q821gE-L5Czzk2rcrVMm9eX9Lndoh3Pt04mZwa1CN6ElfFwN7z8KEJVfvnrop7qmAz4e9cultCDKkQ2bo3Wj5mLqYewrC4hR7W9PsiTYFPHqj3VJC3JC4WitWoZWLql75yWcNFCCz5p35UGYHcNw9HK8ZKM-7NhXRFGjRl-QKPaLPR0aoC3H9RA~MA-zWgm4U2WHIxIsr-VcEzhCG3W4DFdm5pkb8lOgifhhMCoGqGkFgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Beacon ","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","Council reviewed a draft list of the City of Beacon’s 2025 priorities, covering capital projects, water and sewer work, operating initiatives and longer‑term aspirational items. City Administrator Chris White and Mayor Lee walked councilmembers through the list and the tradeoffs between funding, staff capacity and grant opportunities.

Chris White explained the table groups projects by department and shows relative staff time and likely funding sources. He emphasized that some large projects are largely grant dependent — for example, Fishkill Avenue work and a county grant application for Beekman Street — while others will rely on city funds or bonds (water/sewer projects, a ladder truck for the fire department).

Items discussed at length included water and wastewater upgrades and the Melzinga Dam rehabilitation (staff said a $2 million grant application this year was unsuccessful and that the authorization to perform the work does not sunset until 2029); continuing meter upgrade and finance work to ensure billing integration; and several park and downtown capital projects (skate‑park rehab with public art, Riverfront Park phases, Memorial Park walkway, and visitor‑center/ bathrooms work).

On transportation and streets, councilmembers asked for targeted studies. Council asked that staff scope mobility work so it can be carried out in measurable pieces rather than a broadly defined, expensive consultant contract. \"If you do a study, it's really good to understand what are you looking for specifically?\" Chris White said, urging the council to define clear outputs for any mobility or communications study. Councilmembers expressed interest in a sidewalk prioritization and a combined, phased approach to bike and pedestrian improvements.

Council agreed to continue to use the draft priorities list as an aspirational working document and to return in upcoming workshops with narrower, scoped proposals for: (1) a mobility plan or discrete sidewalk/bike studies (to create a prioritized list of implementable projects) and (2) a communications strategy with clear goals and outcomes. Members also proposed further community conversations about a possible community center and to examine opportunities tied to state or county actions (for example, the rail‑trail feasibility study and county interest in the DMV lot).

Staff flagged next steps and capacity constraints: planning staff is already engaged in Fishkill Avenue work, finance has been busy implementing the new water‑meter billing system, and legal support is allocated across ongoing negotiations and contracts. Council asked staff to return with defined study scopes and cost estimates so council can prioritize a limited number of new studies in the coming year.

No formal votes were taken; council discussion produced direction to staff to scope studies and to bring memos and draft agenda items back to future workshops and the next meeting cycle.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Beacon City Council Meeting 2025-02-11","oneSentenceSummary","Council reviewed a draft 2025 priorities list covering capital projects, water/wastewater work, park improvements and operating initiatives and asked staff to return with narrower study scopes for mobility and communications work.","taxTitle","Beacon, Dutchess County, New York","taxId",69898,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6108482,"Beacon council to introduce local law clarifying drive‑thru and self‑storage rules; seeks planning‑board input on self‑storage locations",1770,961000,2731000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768241-21ec50b7d1bfb5b853f6bcff7ad96300&start=961&end=2731","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768241-21ec50b7d1bfb5b853f6bcff7ad96300/thumbnail_961000.jpg","/articles/6108482/Beacon/Dutchess-County/New-York/Beacon-council-to-introduce-local-law-clarifying-drivethru-and-selfstorage-rules-seeks-planningboard-input-on-selfstorage-locations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108482-016bfaf029086326fc2ddf26c9d25b38/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135814&Signature=RUqoR24LASIl3BexB8ax-gQO2-6Xv-9Xs9JXgXsPiIz-tsCvL2HIaO8JgWrot3257x4mhTw6VXkSSLU-KXsCjhqsl9FKOstbQdOFjK87I1wRIFzWTtYvWMiNtSevLpgaJoahGHz7LXQkirrUfdlcAZxwuE9DcwoxRhCwjZYIllB0cujXlERlcLvODiBkxjOG3lTXxU6~hnnhu5UbO5QzG0btZjxNJAJuv7y16TbJjl-fvdeA6ViIlaEqF2W3gYwr2ttCxpm9q5MnafKGAbIiJiSfSmpUuofORSyuDCxejqQOBcsLXa7lUmnuLX~-yfRSGnFv0GY9Pr1iiIYQoJVmwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a draft local law to the City of Beacon council that would make explicit a zoning principle: uses not expressly permitted in a zoning district are prohibited. Natalie, the city planner, told the council the amendment adds a clause to the use table to make that clear and pulls self‑storage out as a distinct use in the table.

\"If the use is not expressly permitted ... you presume that it is prohibited,\" Natalie said, describing the change as standard municipal practice. She said the draft also lists drive‑through facilities as a permitted accessory use in the use table but retains prohibitions inherited from earlier rules for districts such as the Central Main Street (CMS) and the Linkage District.

City Attorney Jennifer Gray summarized the next steps: \"Provided that this language is suitable to you, this would be the local law that you could introduce at your meeting next week. And then the next step would be to refer that to the county planning and your city planning board for comment,\" she said.

Councilmembers discussed how the change would operate in practice. Molly said she \"appreciate[s] the elegance of this\" approach — emphasizing clarity about permitted and prohibited uses — but also urged the council to be prepared to add specific uses later if the community wants them. Mayor Lee and other members raised particular concern about whether self‑storage should be barred citywide or limited only in pedestrian‑oriented corridors. Lee said the self‑storage issue \"doesn't have any time sensitivity\" and urged caution.

Staff and council agreed on a compromise approach: move the draft forward for introduction at the regular council meeting next week, but ask the city planning board and Dutchess County planning officials to review and advise specifically on whether there are locations where self‑storage should remain allowed. Jennifer Gray confirmed staff will prepare a memo asking the planning boards for that targeted input.

What the draft changes would mean in practice: city staff said existing, lawfully operating self‑storage or drive‑through businesses that would become prohibited under the revised table would be legal, nonconforming uses and may continue, but could not be enlarged. If a property owner sought a new drive‑through in a district where the draft would prohibit it, the owner would need either a use variance (a high legal burden) or a zoning amendment from the council.

Next steps: staff will present the local law for introduction at the upcoming council meeting and will refer the draft to the city planning board and county planning for comment, with a specific request for guidance on where, if anywhere, self‑storage should be allowed.","City staff presented a draft local law to the City of Beacon council that would make explicit a zoning principle: uses not expressly permitted in a zoning district are prohibited.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6108477,"Council to consider 6‑month extension for special‑use permit at 416–420 Main Street; building inspector issued temporary certificate of occupancy",589,2735000,3324000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768241-21ec50b7d1bfb5b853f6bcff7ad96300&start=2735&end=3324","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768241-21ec50b7d1bfb5b853f6bcff7ad96300/thumbnail_2735000.jpg","/articles/6108477/Beacon/Dutchess-County/New-York/Council-to-consider-6month-extension-for-specialuse-permit-at-416420-Main-Street-building-inspector-issued-temporary-certificate-of-occupancy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108477-75b66b97344461ede9d058dac65b984a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135814&Signature=DGIf4jzB-uYnCeb7xNDKid0WfNR6XlM~F~kjQQFahoMaLMwlnW65I5AXigPT-luGRxORc8UVxXJaEAfDklAvS0FamAEf3s5z2RUPxud49P2KV9~erzIUrYEnPAQDRfpmbXKinmIn8DHcINL4p1vZn63Mq2INoYL2abvmu06mTlIVmda9jdhhsV-lh16b6BEmobhKfXLdQKFDdy4nfb-WZs92QqY6wZ6liMya~Y4yJui5tS-u4A23ERP9xZWWmJEAr5g8KIvWhplFubTSYsoOCJrfy92pAIIs35GH1Y885pOU6Y1uZMAxR9MzDn88E20mdrm6xnHDR-4n2LphNE8kRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Attorney Jennifer Gray and staff briefed the council on a request for a further six‑month extension of a special‑use permit for the property at 416–420 Main Street, originally approved in 2021. The permit required all construction to be complete within two years of the building permit; the permit timeline had already been extended once to December 2024.

Jennifer Gray said the applicant filed a timely request for another extension to June 2025 and that the building inspector confirmed the project has proceeded with due diligence and attributed delays largely to material shortages. She told the council the building inspector had issued a temporary certificate of occupancy on Jan. 29.

\"TCOs are typically granted when life‑safety issues have been addressed and maybe there are some finishing items, punch list items that need to be completed,\" Jennifer Gray said, explaining that a TCO can allow interior occupancy while exterior work such as landscaping is completed.

Councilmembers asked about enforcement options if the public green space included as a condition of the original approval did not open on schedule. Staff said the primary enforcement tool is that a final certificate of occupancy will not be issued until required public‑space and other conditions are met, and that the local law’s standards limit when further extensions are appropriate.

Council agreed that staff should prepare the extension for formal action at the upcoming regular council meeting next week and to share a copy of the temporary certificate of occupancy and any conditions on it so the council can review the TCO details before voting.

Next steps: staff will prepare the extension resolution for the next regular meeting and provide the council with the TCO documentation and any TCO conditions.","Staff recommended that the council extend the special‑use permit deadline for 416–420 Main Street by six months after the building inspector confirmed progress and granted a temporary certificate of occupancy Jan. 29. Council agreed to have the extension ready for the next regular meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Beacon council reviews 2025 priorities list; agrees to focus next on mobility and communications planning

Beacon council to introduce local law clarifying drive‑thru and self‑storage rules; seeks planning‑board input on self‑storage locations

Council to consider 6‑month extension for special‑use permit at 416–420 Main Street; building inspector issued temporary certificate of occupancy