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Lackawanna zoning board gives contingent sign‑off to state ‘‘Move In New York’’ housing application
Summary
City staff told the zoning board the Move In New York program could bring modular single‑family homes to 10 city lots; the board granted contingent approval to area variances to strengthen the state application, voting 4‑0.
Chuck Clark, director of development for the City of Lackawanna, asked the zoning board for contingent approval of area variances so the city can apply to New York State’s Move In New York housing program.
Clark told the board the program, administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, opened an application window on Nov. 15 and will select up to 15 municipalities, land banks or nonprofit agencies for awards from a roughly $50,000,000 statewide pool. "Move In New York is a program that governor Hochul ... approved $50,000,000 in grant funding," Clark said. He described the homes as cross‑mod (modular with stick‑built standards), about 1,000–1,800 square feet, and said the state’s pilot modeled a roughly $250,000 all‑in construction cost per home and a $75,000 buyer subsidy.
Clark said the city identified 10 buildable lots (seven in Ward 1, three in Ward 2) that would need minor variances similar to previous Habitat for Humanity projects. He emphasized the city would convey lots to the Lackawanna Housing Development Corporation only if the program awards funds and qualified buyers are identified. "If we do not get approved for the program, nothing moves forward," Clark said.
Board members asked for specifics about accessory structures, lot dimensions and the subsidy payback terms. Clark said the subsidy includes a 10‑year recapture schedule that requires partial repayment if a buyer sells early. After a public hearing with several residents raising concerns about individual lots and parking impacts, the zoning board voted to grant contingent approval to the required variances to support the city application; the motion carried 4‑0.
The next procedural steps Clark listed are a planning board recommendation and a city council work session on Dec. 1, followed by a council vote if the application proceeds. The contingent approvals allow the city to show inventory and site control in its state application but do not authorize conveyance or final site plans until later review and the program award.
