Council debates zoning text amendment to permit indoor recreation uses; members raise parking and occupancy concerns

The Department of Planning and Community Development presented an ordinance to amend the zoning code to permit and regulate indoor recreation and amusement uses. Councilmembers welcomed the concept as addressing a municipal need but raised substantive concerns about missing provisions in the draft text.

Acting President Poteet and other councilmembers noted the draft lacked parking standards and a clear maximum-occupancy formula (the usual square-foot-per-person ratio used to determine how many people can occupy a space). One councilmember said, “there's no information around parking at all” and pointed out that occupancy ratios were not specified. Another councilmember said this appears to be a zoning text amendment and suggested corporation counsel confirm whether the change should be enacted as a local law and referred to the Westchester County Planning Board and the local planning board.

Corporation counsel (Yohan) agreed the procedural question needed confirmation. After discussing the need for additional language on parking and occupancy and the referral requirements, the councilmember tasked with the item was asked to proceed with obtaining the necessary confirmations; the item was called up from agenda-pending and placed on the agenda for later action after counsel and planning feedback.

No final amendments or votes were recorded in the transcript; council direction was limited to seeking clarifications and ensuring the correct legislative process.