Board advances detailed zoning edits and a GFA formula change; pool‑house sizing and density triggers draw debate

Deputy town attorney Jamieson McWilliams and planning staff presented a series of post‑hearing zoning code edits Dec. 3 that would revise GFA measurement, accessory‑structure limits, and special permit criteria for increased density at affordable housing developments.

Key edits proposed: clarifying how to measure gross floor area (including exemptions for some open‑air appendages and updated rules for egress height), defining "pool house" (200 sq ft maximum plus up to 400 sq ft of open‑air appendages) and limiting one pool house per lot, and increasing the separation rule for accessory structures to 10 feet to avoid combined massing. The code changes include explicit prohibitions on full kitchens in pool houses (barbecue only) and topographic survey requirements to show clearing limits.

Board members debated a suggested alternative termed "cabana," which would permit broader outdoor recreational uses. Several members worried the 400‑square‑foot exemption for shade structures would create a new year‑round massing; others said the effective visual impact is similar to an already‑allowed 600‑sq‑ft accessory building and that the exemption prevents applicants from building a second, separate structure. The board coalesced around moving forward with the pool‑house approach while staff cleans up definitions and cross‑references.

Separately, planning staff proposed a code change to allow non‑senior affordable housing developments to seek up to 12 units per acre by special permit if they meet specific criteria—mandatory sewage treatment, traffic studies, and an economic/school‑impact analysis. The change mirrors the earlier senior housing amendment (which permitted higher density under a distinct standard) but adds site‑by‑site safeguards for family housing to address sewage, traffic and school impacts. Staff recommended a SEQR (EAF) negative declaration for the code amendment, reasoning that individual projects would require site‑level SEQR and planning‑board mitigation when necessary.

Gross floor area formula: The zoning working group proposed replacing the town’s current 10% of lot area + 1,600 sq ft formula with a 7% of lot area + 1,300 sq ft formula and instituting a 10,000‑sq‑ft cap on maximum house size. Staff said the change would reduce allowable GFA by roughly 25–29% for many lots and asked the board for time to present visuals that show percent‑of‑lot coverage and two‑story/basement scenarios before scheduling final public hearings.

Next steps: staff will recirculate revised redlines incorporating board direction, publish the post‑hearing resolution for Thursday consideration, and provide additional charts and a landing page of background data for the public in advance of further hearings.