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Fallsburg board opens hearing and approves zone change for 70‑unit Empress project near college
Summary
At a June 17 meeting the Fallsburg Town Board opened a public hearing on the Empress development and adopted Resolution No. 49 to change zoning for parcels 17-1-30.1 and 17-1-31, clearing the way for a mixed residential and commercial project near the college. Residents asked about trees, sidewalks and water supply.
The Fallsburg Town Board on June 17 opened a public hearing and later adopted Resolution No. 49 approving a zone change for the Empress development, described by a project presenter as a "70 plus unit project" adjacent to the college entrance that would expand an existing business (B) zone to allow a proposed 14,000-square-foot commercial building.
The hearing gave residents an opportunity to question site design and infrastructure. A presenter explained the zoning proposal and said "this is the commercial zone right now" and that the proposed change would move additional property into the B‑zone so the developer could build the commercial component. The planning board had recommended the zone change.
Residents asked whether an existing stone wall and mature trees along the sidewalk from the post office to Leroy Road would be preserved. "The public really wanted that to stay," one attendee said; the presenter and planning-board representative said the plan seeks to retain the stone wall where possible and add supplemental landscaping.
Water supply drew particular concern. A resident raised a lack-of-water issue in the area; the presenter said the project is partnering with an entity identified in the record as "KJ" to develop a well in a well field that would supply KJ and feed additional water into the town system. The board acknowledged the water-district extension route shown on the project map and noted the water district would have to advance necessary infrastructure work.
Board members closed the hearing after public comment and passed Resolution No. 49, described on the agenda as approving the Empress zone change applicable to SPL1 parcels 17-1-30.1 and 17-1-31. The resolution was called and the board indicated approval; the transcript records the motion and the board's "All in favor?" confirmations but does not include a roll-call tally in the public record.
What happens next: the resolution's adoption changes the parcels' zoning classification as stated in the resolution; final site plans, building permits, water‑district work and any required state or county approvals must still be completed before construction begins.
