Woodstockers face innovative zoning changes designed to encourage long-term housing and restrict short-term rentals. The recommendations were presented at a recent meeting of the town board.
“The outcome of this effort has a human quality to it. It has a human side to it. And that people side of it is that we want to build housing so that people who live here can stay here, or who have been displaced, so they can come back,” said Housing Oversight Task Force co-chair Kirk Ritchey. “And that focuses on workers. We need our workers here, we need our volunteers here, we need our firefighters here, our EMTs, and those who volunteer. And then we also need people who work for this town to be able to live here.”
Ritchey pointed out many elderly Woodstockers who would like to move into smaller places in Woodstock find there is no place for them to go.
The proposed zoning revisions change some 300 pages of code, but a table of contents, a summary of changes, and strike-through versions are available on the town website, woodstockny.org, and by clicking on “Zoning Updates” on the list of links on the left side.
The town is in the midst of a 45-day public comment period and has submitted the changes to the town and county planning boards for review before the town board approves them.
Feedback can be sent to zoningupdates@woodstockny.org.
Some of the significant proposed changes include:
Second ADUs
The new zoning will make it easier for property owners to make accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, available. Under the current code, these are called accessory apartments — typically above garages, in attics, or in a detached cottage. They have been allowed since 1998.
The new code stipulates a second ADU must be affordable. To be affordable, it has to be available to those with an income of up to 120 percent of the area median income. The rent cannot be more than 30 percent of income.
The requirement for affordability will be in a deed restriction. Enforcement will be in the town board’s hands. The task force will recommend a governing body to review affordability on a regular basis.
The new code also cleans up the definition of an ADU.
“The question of what’s an artist studio, what’s a pool house, what a guest cottage was also troubling, and we’ve clarified that,” said task force member and planning board vice-chair Judith Kerman.
“The reason why we’re bringing this additional ADU in is to promote long-term housing in our town is it’s less intensive to have an ADU put on a piece of property than it is to build a whole complex of affordable housing,” explained Ritchey. “So this is another way that we can have a less impact, if you will, and leverage existing properties for long-term housing for those who can afford it.”
“It’s also the simplest thing to build. Houses are hard to build,” added task force member Jeff Collins.
Supervisor Bill McKenna likes that proposed change. “It’s great,” he said. “You’re recycling something that already exists.”
Multiplexes
The provision for three- and four-plex buildings in the code is new.
“The reason why we focused on that is because these are the same size. They have size
restrictions, and they’re the same size as the size restrictions of a single-family home,” Ritchey said.
Incentives can be incorporated for developers to build this type of structure and include bike and pedestrian pathways. No short-term rentals will be allowed in the three- and four-plex housing.
Floating housing
Then there’s the new floating residential district. In this type of district, a developer can propose things not normally allowed in the zoning code.
“The floating residential district maintains some level of flexibility for a developer who might have a really good idea. But we’re actually creating a district, just like your R-8 district, your R-5 districts, all the rules are set, what’s allowed, how many allowed, what the sizes are, what the standards are, where they’re going to be, what environmental things need to be protected, and on and on,” said planning consultant Nan Stolzenburg. “Everything is set just like your normal districts are now except that it’s not mapped. So it’s floating.
“It’s a district that’s created with all the rules and regulations, but it’s not mapped until someone comes to the town says, I have this great idea. And I can meet all these rules, and I have a piece of land that would be perfect for that, then they go to the town board and ask for that zoning district to be established on that parcel.”
Conservation subdivisions
Another new zoning section aims to conserve environmental resources, It can be achieved through clustering. Not all the lots have to be the same size, as is often the case now.
“We looked at slopes,” said task force co-chair Deborah DeWan. “We looked at other environmental resources. We looked at clustering. We looked at ways of keeping as much open space as possible, but recognizing that people buy land, and they have certain rights to develop their land. And so we don’t have the tools right now.”
Clustering allows slopes and large open spaces to be free of development while having the same number of houses as a traditional development.
Preventing forceouts
“This is a sheriff’s warrant for May 31 for me to get out of my rental,” Regins Ippolito said, holding up an eviction notice. “I pay $1300 a month. But my property owner says you’re costing me money. They intend on renting my place for four grand a month. So from $15,600, up to $48,000 annually. I’m the casualty that you all are working for.” she said.
“That’s why we’re working so hard to get this done,” McKenna said.
“Please do something. I am not the only one,” she said.
An information session on the zoning changes will be held on May 30, 6:30 p.m., at the Mescal Hornbeck Community Center, located at 59 Rock City Road in Woodstock
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