Planning board to re-vote on 8 South Clinton after officers say prior action did not meet zoning code

The Poughkeepsie City Planning Board discussed procedural problems with how it handled an application for 8 South Clinton at its previous meeting and decided to revisit the item at a future meeting.

Assistant Corporation Counsel Joanna Longcore told the board that under the city zoning code (cited in the meeting as chapter 19‑8.2(g)) the board may take only three actions on a site‑plan application: approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove. Longcore said a prior meeting’s failed motion to approve did not meet the code’s requirements for an explicit disapproval and the board therefore left the application open.

Longcore explained the specific shortcoming: a formal disapproval must include written findings that identify the site‑plan elements inconsistent with the code. Because the board’s last meeting record lacked those findings, Longcore said the matter remains pending and must be revisited with properly drafted resolutions.

The board agreed to prepare both a resolution of approval and a resolution of disapproval for the next meeting so members can vote explicitly. Longcore said either resolution requires a minimum of four votes to pass. The staff indicated it will work with the applicant and the consulting architect on potential revisions to the site plan before the board’s next review.

No final approval or disapproval occurred at the meeting; the board’s steps are procedural and intended to ensure future votes comply with the ordinance’s requirements.