The town is moving forward a plan to remove an affordable housing requirement disliked by developers of multi-home subdivisions. The 2009 zoning code required any development of ten or more homes to be composed of 20 percent affordable homes. The proposed revision would provide incentives to build affordable homes but would not require them. The incentives would come in the form of a density bonus: For whatever portion of homes are priced affordably, an equal portion greater density can be built on the land than would normally be allowed. For example, if two homes were priced affordably in a ten-lot subdivision, 20 percent more homes could be built on that land than would normally be allowed by zoning. (The maximum is 20 percent; any more affordable units beyond that would not yield more density.)
The second revision reads: “If the dwelling has been constructed for use by moderate income families, all future sales must be to a person who is designated as eligible under the affordable housing guidelines established by the Saugerties Town Code.”a that “he house ng $19,300 for a house, or $1588 per month.”n the law and put it on the wevsitefore the meet
Councilman James Bruno said the change would increase the possibility of future development and that several developers in the last few years, when informed of the requirement, had decided against moving forward.
In response to a question at a June public hearing about what constitutes affordable housing, Bruno said it is 30 percent of the median income. For example, a family of four in our area has a median income of $63,500, so housing should cost no more than $1,588 per month.
There will be another public hearing on the revision Wednesday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the senior center.