Menands board schedules public hearing to move self‑storage zoning out of village center

The Menands Village Board scheduled a public hearing for Sept. 23, 2024, to consider a local law that would move permissions for self‑storage facilities out of the village’s T5 center district and into industrial zoning.

Board members said the change stems from a review showing self‑storage—often multiple buildings and larger footprints—is not appropriate in the T5 village‑center district. "We're proposing to move them from t 5 ... and place them into the industrial district," a board member said during the discussion, noting the facilities would remain allowed in heavy industrial zones and that the village must refer the change to the Albany County Planning Board under state law.

The board was told the draft local law will require a public hearing and a formal referral to the county for review under New York State Village Law. Speaker 6 said staff will prepare the proposed local law language and local law numbering so the public hearing can proceed.

After discussing the rationale and likely locations affected, a motion was made to hold the public hearing at 6 p.m. Sept. 23, 2024. The transcript records a motion and a second; the board directed staff to circulate the notice and complete the required county referral. The transcript does not record a full roll‑call vote in the meeting minutes excerpt provided.

If adopted after the hearing and referral process, the change would remove self‑storage as a permitted use in the T5 district and reclassify it as appropriate in industrial districts, a shift the board said is intended to keep the village center oriented toward pedestrian‑scale and mixed‑use development.

Next steps: staff will post the public‑hearing notice, forward the local law to Albany County Planning for review and return to the board with any required revisions prior to final adoption.