Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Policy Wetlands Comprehensive Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Poestenkill board debates wetlands rule changes, moratorium and delays on senior-housing review
Summary
Board members and staff discussed whether to adopt a narrow rule excluding wetlands from buildable acreage or wait for a comprehensive-plan rewrite; staff said the town could enact a moratorium and a committee member criticized a five-month delay by an engineer on a senior-housing scoping document.
Board members and staff discussed a proposed change to how wetlands are counted toward buildable acreage and whether to defer narrow rulemaking until the town completes a comprehensive plan.
One board member said the original intent was a "simple" fix so wetlands could not be counted as buildable land; others warned that the simple change would not resolve issues tied to Planned Development District (PDD) approvals and that a broader comprehensive-plan revision may be the preferable forum. Staff advised the board that the town board could adopt a moratorium to pause applications until new rules are in place.
A committee member raised a separate but related concern about Wayne West Meadows senior housing: the member said the project's engineer took five months to respond to a draft scoping document and called the delay "unacceptable," urging timelier replies from professionals serving as engineers of record. Staff and board members discussed whether delays stemmed from applicant action, town-board scheduling or changing wetland regulations.
No formal rule change or moratorium was adopted during the meeting; board members agreed the comprehensive plan would influence future code edits and that the town board retains the authority to adopt a moratorium if needed. The matter remains under discussion and may return to future agendas.
