Washingtonville board declares itself lead agency for comprehensive plan; zoning draft, SEQRA timeline set

The Village of Washingtonville board on Feb. 18 declared itself lead agency for SEQRA review of the village’s 2024 comprehensive plan and set a timeline for drafting zoning changes, environmental review and a public hearing.

County planners last month sent a formal letter commending the village’s comprehensive plan, and village staff said they expect the planner to deliver a draft zoning text by the end of the week or early next week. The village’s planner is scheduled to complete the Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) by late March, with the EAF submitted in early April and a combined public hearing tentatively set for April 7. Village staff said they are targeting mid‑April for board adoption and the subsequent filing of the local law in April 2025.

The county letter — read aloud during the meeting — said the Department of Planning found “no evidence that its approval would result in significant intermunicipal or countywide impacts,” praised the plan as “well written and well balanced,” and noted its attention to open space, housing diversity and downtown revitalization. Village staff told trustees they had received public comments and an updated engineering report from a landowner proposing a large parcel for development; the board and planner forwarded those materials to the comprehensive plan committee for review.

Officials described the remaining steps as procedural: review of the draft zoning text, a brief internal review period of seven to 14 days once the zoning draft is received, completion of the EAF, and then the combined public hearing on both the comprehensive plan and zoning amendments. The board passed a resolution at the meeting appointing the board as lead agency under SEQRA so the statutory review can proceed.

Board members and staff stressed that the plan aims to balance preservation of the village’s character with infill development opportunities and that the process will include public comment before any zoning changes take effect.

Staff said they will circulate the county letter and related materials to the comprehensive plan committee and that the planner will notify the board when the draft zoning text and EAF are ready for the final review period. No formal zoning changes were adopted at the Feb. 18 work session.

The board’s next regulatory step is to hold the SEQRA public hearing and, if appropriate following SEQRA and public comment, adopt the local law that will enact the new zoning; staff placed the tentative hearing date on the calendar and asked for public review time once the zoning draft is available.