Town board adopts local law rezoning Rhinebeck site for workforce housing

The Rhinebeck Town Board on June 9 adopted a local law to amend the town zoning map and rezone a parcel between Astor Drive and Linecliff Road (State Route 85, tax parcel listed in the meeting record as 617-00-223336-0000) to permit an affordable workforce housing development in a newly created Workforce Housing (WH) district.

The vote came after the board closed a public hearing on the local law and heard a brief staff summary that the changes since the prior meeting were largely formatting and an amendment to the zoning code matrix rather than substantive policy changes. The motion passed unanimously by roll call.

Board members emphasized the long development process and community input behind the law. A town official said the planning board provided suggested format edits that were incorporated; the board’s presenter said the edits split one former paragraph into two and added a matrix entry showing the WH district’s permitted uses but did not alter subparagraph content.

Under the newly adopted local law (cited in the meeting as “chapter 25, article 5, section 25-64.4”), the rezoned parcel may be developed as an affordable workforce housing project subject to the standards and waivers included in that law. Board members and town staff said the action on June 9 is not the construction permit: the next steps are planning-board review in accordance with the local law and the zoning code, followed by any required environmental review and, when complete, issuance of a building permit by the building inspector.

The board and speakers cited an anticipated project schedule: staff and proponents said they expect to be under contract and closing around Thanksgiving, with construction to follow and an estimated project timeline of approximately two years from start of work to welcome residents. Town staff and consultants thanked community members and engineers who contributed to plan development.

Discussion points and next steps recorded in the meeting included: the planning board will review the project per the directives in the new local law; the planning board retains review authority for the concept plan and may grant waivers the local law permits; town staff indicated they expect the planning board to act expeditiously and that board members and staff will follow up through the planning-board process.

Votes at the June 9 meeting were taken by roll call. The attendees recorded in the roll call segment voted "aye" and the measure passed unanimously.

The board did not adopt any development approvals or building permits at this meeting; the local law establishes the zoning framework enabling the workforce housing project to proceed through subsequent approvals.