Town awaits county input on proposed zoning change

ESOPUS, N.Y. » The town is awaiting an Ulster County review of proposed zoning amendments that would reduce the minimum size of “planned unit developments” in Esopus from 25 acres to 5 acres.

Consultant Matthew Rogers said during a recent online meeting of the Town Board that it appears the county wants local-level zoning codes to include provisions allowing developers to add housing units on smaller parcels if a project has reduced-priced units for essential workers and moderate-income residents.

“The county is releasing a housing study, and ... it is obvious within the county, there are residents who are housing burdened spending more than 30 percent of their income on either rents or their mortgage and related expenses,” Rogers said.

He said the Esopus proposal was drafted to cover projects comprising at least five units.

“Any projects that propose between five and 14 units, you’d have to provide one workforce housing unit,” he said. “If it’s between 15 and 24, you’d provide a minimum of two workforce housing units.”

Also under the proposed changes, the requirement for preserving open space would be waived if an application includes at least two public-benefit projects.

“With a reduction in the minimum property size, the ability to protect adequate open space may be more difficult,” Rogers wrote.

Potential public benefits would include the acquisition or construction of a new town park or recreational facility; improving or rehabilitating existing parks or recreational facilities; and creating greenways, sidewalks and bicycle paths that connect significant areas in the town.