Public hearing on proposed zoning code changes set

A public forum will be held this week regarding proposed changes to the city’s zoning code that call for a consolidation and reduction in the number of residential districts in the city.

The forum on “Consolidation and Reformatting of Residential Districts and Bulk Standards” will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 420 Broadway. It will be one in a series of forums regarding the ongoing effort to update the city’s zoning, according to a press release.

“This month’s theme is to discuss proposed changes that have been recommended by the consultants to the zoning sub-committee,” Megan Weiss-Rowe, the city’s director of communications and community engagement, said in an email. “Under their recommendations, there would be a consolidation and reduction in the number of residential districts within the city.

“There are currently eight residential districts and their initial proposal looks to consolidate them into three districts. In addition, they have discussed reformatting the layout of the existing zoning code to make it more user-friendly.”

Thursday’s forum will begin with a presentation that discusses the current code, why this topic is important and what has been discussed so far by the zoning sub-committee, the release said. The release said participants will then be asked to break into smaller groups where they can provide comments and ask questions. Each group will be facilitated by a city staff member.

The next forum in the series will be held beginning at 6 p.m., Oct. 17. That forum will focus on the roles of the city’s Historic Landmarks Preservation Com- mission, the Heritage Area Commission, and the Planning Board.

A third forum will be scheduled in November and focus on “Form Based Codes and Overlay Districts.”

For more information, contact City Planner Suzanne Cahill at scahill@ kingston-ny.gov or (845) 334-3957.