Ballston Spa schedules Jan. 26 public hearing on residency rule and extends planning-board review deadline
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Summary
The village board voted to hold a public hearing on a proposed local law limiting which appointed officials may live outside Ballston Spa and approved a 65‑day extension for the planning board to provide an advisory report on the draft zoning code.
The Village Board voted on Jan. 12 to hold a public hearing at 7:01 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, on a proposed Local Law No. 1 (2026) that would set residency rules for appointed officials, and it approved a motion to extend the planning board’s review period to 65 days from Dec. 15, 2025.
The extension was presented as a waiver of the statutory deadline so the planning board can complete an advisory report after receiving the draft zoning code on Dec. 15. “The reason that’s being done is that the chairs of both boards requested that because of this decision we will lose the document,” an attorney to the board explained during the meeting, noting that deliberations cannot meaningfully start until the board receives the materials.
Resident Marilyn Stevenson asked why the board was granting 65 days, saying she was concerned the planning board had not publicly discussed the draft zoning code at scheduled meetings. “Can the trustees explain why the planning board needs 65 days from 12/15/2025 to provide you with an advisory report?” Stevenson asked during public comment.
Board members described the proposed local law as a compromise: it would limit which appointed officials may live outside the village to residents of Ballston Spa or the neighboring towns of Milton, Ballston and Malta while offering transitional language that allows current outside residents to complete existing terms but not to be reappointed. The attorney said state law requires residency within the village unless amended by a local law and that extending residency beyond the county would require home-rule legislation filed in Albany.
The board set a 90-second public-comment opportunity specifically for the local-law hearing and said the draft law would be posted on the village website prior to the hearing. Trustees voted to schedule the hearing and approved the 65-day extension by voice votes.
Next steps: the local-law draft will be posted for public review and the board will hear public comment at the Jan. 26 meeting before any further action.
