Planning Board questions town's proposed hospitality overlay, cites spot-zoning and adaptive-reuse concerns

Planning Board members criticized a town-board draft hospitality overlay district at their meeting, saying the proposal as written appears narrowly targeted to a handful of properties already under review and could effectively block future hospitality uses or adaptive reuses without clear policy justification.

"When you read this, the overwhelming impression is we don't want these uses," the Chair said, noting the draft’s initial list of three properties and observing the rules, as written, would apply to virtually no existing properties. Board members raised spot-zoning concerns and said the draft lacks a clear process to add new sites to the overlay.

A town-board representative (speaker 7) explained the overlay arose from town leadership wanting to avoid new nonconforming uses and hold potential hospitality sites to a higher standard rather than allowing them to become nonconforming if an educational or other use ceased. The representative said the town board intends any addition to the overlay to come before the town board for approval.

Members urged the town board to clarify policy objectives, add provisions that encourage adaptive reuse of historic properties, and ensure consistency with the comprehensive plan. One member pointed out the draft treats bed-and-breakfasts and small inns differently—BNBs are subject to separate, more permissive provisions—which can produce inconsistent outcomes for similar uses.

What happens next: the Planning Board will send comments back to the town board asking for clearer policy language, a feasible process for adding sites, and consideration for adaptive-reuse pathways that preserve existing buildings while allowing hospitality uses in appropriate locations.