“Density protections”
Brunswick considers 6-month moratorium on multifamily housing
Brunswick plans moratorium on new apartments.
In a town that transitions from singlefamily homes and apartment complexes crowded along its western boundary to rural spaces, the Town Board is considering a six-month moratorium on any new multifamily housing.
Two-family houses and apartments account for 20.5 percent of the town’s housing units in what’s generally viewed as a bastion of single-family housing.
“There’s still quite a bit of open space. We’ve got to take a look at the density protections,” Supervisor Phil Herrington said Monday.
When the town adopted its current zoning law in 2017 it unintentionally dropped density requirements for multifamily housing and apartment complexes. Herrington said density requirements had served as a protection under the previous zoning code, but somehow were overlooked when the town updated its zoning requirements.
Most of the multifamily development, in the form of apartments, has occurred along the town’s Route 7 commercial corridor. The town doesn’t have any new multifamily development proposals pending, although Herrington said there is talk about projects along Route 2 and in other loca
tions.
The proposed local law setting the six-month moratorium on any apartment complexes and multifamily units was introduced at the Town Board’s February meeting. A public hearing is set for 6 p.m. March 11.
“The Town Board is desirous of investigating whether the existing Zoning Law sufficiently regulates two-family dwellings and multifamily dwellings in a manner that advances overall public health, safety, and welfare and preserves community character,” the proposed ordinance states.
The town of 12,143 residents has an estimated 5,543 housing units including 1,142 two-family and multifamily units, according to 2019 American Community Survey data.
The town has an estimated 168 two-family structures, 165 three- to four-unit housing, 198 units in five- to nine-unit construction, 533 units in apartments of 10 to 19 units and 78 units housed in 20 or more units.
The town wants to maintain a balanced amount of housing, Herrington said, noting the town Planning Board has raised questions about the number of multifamily units in the town.
The proposed law cites the Planning Board’s communications to the Town Board and “whether the Town of Brunswick is at or near the saturation point for multifamily dwelling units in terms of balanced land use planning in the Town.”
The town’s 2017 zoning update attempts to maintain the open space in the eastern, rural part of the municipality.
Much of the town’s housing density is located in Sycaway along the border with the city of Troy and in apartments that are accessible from Route 7 where the community’s commercial areas are concentrated.
Development had been a flashpoint in town politics during the first decade of the 21st century. Grassroots organization Brunswick Smart Growth was active for years in questioning the impact development and sprawl would have on the town and its open space, but its presence has faded.