Stony Point board opens hearings on residential and battery-storage moratoriums, continues both to July 14

The Stony Point Town Board on June 23 opened public hearings on two proposed temporary moratoriums — one imposing a one-year pause on certain residential development and another placing an eight-month hold on battery energy storage systems — and voted to continue both hearings to the board's July 14 meeting while it awaits the county's recommendation.

Supervisor told residents the moratoriums are tied to the town's update of its comprehensive plan and are intended to give the board time to review whether current zoning rules reflect the town’s long-term vision. "The purpose of these proposed moratoriums isn't to stop progress or stop development, but they're intended to provide the town with a period of time to review our existing regulations and determine whether changes are necessary before certain types of development move forward," the supervisor said.

On the residential moratorium, the supervisor emphasized the proposal would "not prevent homeowners from making improvements to their properties" and would continue to permit common projects such as decks, pools, fences and the construction of single-family homes. The board opened the hearing on the one-year moratorium, recorded that no members of the public spoke at that time, and voted to continue the hearing to July 14 at 7 p.m. at Patriot House.

The second hearing would temporarily pause approvals for certain battery energy storage facilities while the town examines safety and regulatory concerns raised by such installations. The board opened the battery storage hearing and similarly voted to continue it to July 14 at 7 p.m. (recorded location: Patriot Hills) to allow county input.

Next steps: both hearings will reconvene July 14, after the town receives the county’s recommendation. The board did not adopt either moratorium at the June 23 meeting.