In a wide ranging discussion, the Saugerties Town Board held a workshop meeting to discuss issues that are now before the board and what the next steps should be in resolving these issues. The nearly two-hour meeting covered the expansion of the industrial district on Kings Highway, the definitions of various types of short-term rentals and how they should be handled, storm water management and more. The board has discussed making these discussion workshops a regular feature.
Kings Highway zoning
The board has been considering changes to the zoning in the Kings Highway industrial district, to expand the definition to include a greater range of land uses than simply heavy industry. Some types of commercial uses could be added, but the board wants to be careful to avoid encouraging development that would be in direct competition with the village.
The board’s planning consultant, Adriana Beltrani said changing the zoning in the corridor without also changing the zoning in other industrial zones could cause headaches later on. “The hurdle that we’ll come across if we only focus on Kings Highway is that we’ll create a completely different zoning district with completely different definitions and completely different use definitions, whereas if we tailor the definitions to an updated idea of what an industrial zoning district should be accommodating and look at the three industrial district areas, it would be a little bit clearer in the zoning code,” she said.
While zoning changes can require an environmental review, Beltrani said, the changes proposed for Kings Highway seem to be minor, and in general to have less impact on the environment than what is there now, so there should be little environmental impact.
Councilwoman Leeanne Thornton said Beltrani seemed to be recommending “a look at the Malden Turnpike area, [about] which there has been discussion back and forth as to whether that should be included in the discussion.”
Beltrani said she is close to finishing a draft of the new zoning for the board to consider. Then she and the board can find the gaps in the plan, and discuss possible amendments, which she can write up and add to the existing law.
Councilman John Schoonmaker asked whether the proposed amendments would allow for commercial projects on Kings Highway. “I’ve been told we don’t want direct competition with the village in terms of commercial uses, but accessory commercial uses, to a degree, should be accepted,” Beltrani said. She suggested looking at the provision in the existing code that allows for accessory uses, and these could include almost anything the building inspector deems to be incidental. For instance, a brewery with a tasting room might fit into the industrial zone, while a brew pub — more like a restaurant — would be more in line with the village.
Councilman Mike Ivino asked whether the small residential enclaves along or just off Kings Highway would be included in the updated industrial zone. Beltrani responded that those houses that are in the current industrial zone are included.
Short-term rentals
While the Town of Saugerties zoning law has not addressed short-term rentals, the board workshop included a discussion of how to regulate them in the future.
The Town Board has looked at ordinances from Woodstock and Gardiner for ideas on how to regulate the various types of short-term rentals, from homeowners who rent their houses when they are away on vacation, to owners of multiple houses to be rented out to vacationers for short periods.
“We looked at this a couple of years ago and decided at that time further legislation was not needed, but things changed,” Supervisor Fred Costello said. “The CPC [Comprehensive Plan Committee] put together a document that was sent to [former planning consultant] Dan Shuster last year dealing with short-term rentals and it was basically things the committee found that would be acceptable and things that were concerns that possibly should be some legislation addressing them,” said councilwoman Leeanne Thornton.
Beltrani asked whether the board had reviewed comments by the town Planning Board and building inspector regarding the differences between “tiny homes” and cabins and how the code deals with them. “We’re getting a lot of uses that really would fit more into a resort type use; people presenting conference and retreat centers in your low-density zoning districts,” she said.
Shared bathrooms, campfires and portable kitchens characterize RV parks and campgrounds, Beltrani said. What some local towns are proposing are so-called tiny cabins and glamping — glamour camping, or luxury combined with closeness to nature — Beltrani said. “There’s not much in the code to help guide us toward these creative type ideas.”
Costello said some of these proposals resemble resort activities and definitions need to take this into account. Regulations need to take into account the grounds already in operation versus the needs of near neighbors. There have been proposals for a moratorium on these operations until regulations are in place to define them.
Councilman Mike Ivino said he is uncomfortable with a moratorium. “I have a hard time saying ‘no’ to somebody who wants to do something with their property, to be able to do what they want with their property, especially with the times we’re facing right now.”
Presenting an alternative view, Thornton said that for some people who bought homes in areas zoned for large-lot residential development, they are finding that their new neighbors can attract crowds and noise on weekends. While regulations should reflect the needs of people living near proposed projects, clear regulations can help developers. “We have to come up with a way of balancing the right of a property owner to develop and if they want to put in a tiny house or glamping or whatever,” said Thornton. “We also have to consider the folks that are already there and how you can keep everybody happy. It’s not going to be easy.”
Building Inspector Alvah Weeks said his department has been inundated with requests from people who wanted to do short term rentals, “such as putting campers on their property, building tiny houses to create year-round lodging; we really need a definition of what a camp is.”
The wide ranging discussion included definitions of both the land use — campground, resort, RV park and other possible definitions — to the specific regulations that would apply to each. The board agreed that a moratorium on new building within these areas might be needed to clarify the issue. Costello summed up the difference between a homeowner renting his own house while he is on vacation and a property owner building five houses solely for short-term rentals.
Property maintenance
Run-down, abandoned or un-cared-for properties can be an annoyance for neighbors or even a danger to the community and the discussion focused on how to handle them.
Councilman Ivino said Weeks and some of his group, along with attorney John Greco have been discussing changes to the property maintenance law. “John [Greco] emailed me today [April 14] and said he should have a draft of some sort of property maintenance law back to us. What Alvie [Weeks] and the building department have been working on for the past few weeks and what we’ve got kind of mixes up a little bit of what the village has, a little bit of what we have and will give us the opportunity to be able to look at property such as Steyer’s Garage or Sawyerkill Motel or even the Candle Factory if nobody buys it — properties that have issues. It will give us grounds to say, ‘this needs to be rectified or we can move to rectify the issue ourselves and not let it become a three year long battle.”
Weeks questioned whether heavy fines or even jail time are appropriate, as in many cases the reason why conditions aren’t remedied is that a person may have a mental illness, or be in poor health and unable to remedy a situation immediately. “The Town Board can say, ‘look Mr. Smith, we’re willing to help you, or we’re going to have to do it and put it on your taxes.”
Thornton said the Town of Stockport will give a property owner a specified time to correct a violation and then the town will send its employees or a contractor to remedy the situation and bill the property owner on his or her taxes. Other towns hire a landscaping service to deal with uncut lawns under contract to the town to take care of lawns that have to be mowed, she said.
The board also discussed having a town employee use town equipment to cut lawns on the weekend via a sign-up system.
The board suspended the conversation until the attorney gives it a proposed ordinance to discuss and pass.
Storm water ponds
The board discussed storm water ponds, a question raised as the town is poised to accept its first storm water pond district in Glasco. The district would be developed and then turned over to the town, along with a restored silo on the property, Costello said.
Questions included which department would handle storm water regulations, inspections and such. Costello said the highway department has the heavy equipment that would be needed to maintain ponds every ten years or so. Ivino asked whether this means the highway department would handle all the funds that come in from the stormwater districts.
Beltrani said that some developers maintain stormwater ponds on their property, but this should be handled by the town to ensure it is not dropped. The town should be handling the maintenance of the ponds. She explained that in many towns, the stormwater problems are handled by the town engineer. However, she said, “I work in rural areas, and these districts are created mainly out of necessity. I do think the town maintains it and it is usually in the engineering realm. I’ll ask my colleagues.”
Costello reiterated his belief that the highway department would be out maintaining the roads and “how much of a stretch is it to look at the structures for storm water?”
Ivino suggested that the subject should be revisited once the board has obtained maps and further information from the departments involved.
Marijuana legislation
The question of dealing with the fact that the use of marijuana has been legalized does not take into account such issues as the age at which it could be legally consumed, distribution and other factors, Costello said. “I’m not sure this is a debate we can have tonight,” he said. Discussion included location of possible marijuana sales and sales regulation, but the discussion will be ongoing.
However, the board agreed that some control of the placement of stores selling marijuana is desirable. Costello said that while the board has not agreed on how far apart any businesses that sell marijuana must be, there does need to be some standard for separating them. Marijuana sales should also be restricted to certain zones. Costello said he would favor the business districts, but there are still many details to iron out.
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