Supervisor says zoning, land use are priorities
WOODSTOCK, N.Y. » Zoning and land-use issues are expected to dominate the town government’s attention in 2018 as it moves toward revising regulations to fit a changing community.
Discussing the priorities on Wednesday, town Supervisor Bill McKenna noted a committee has been reviewing zoning regulations and the type of adjustments needed to guide development.
“I’d like to see the [comprehensive] plan adopted,” McKenna said after the Town Board’s annual reorganizational meeting. “We’ll be working on that for the next couple months and start to implement some of their recommendations.”
The committee also is expected to recommend changes to laws that pertain to lodging.
“The short-term rental issue I’d like to see dealt with by the end of the year,” McKenna said, referring to houses that are rented through such online services as Airbnb. “That’s going to require zoning changes.”
Also this year, the town expects to complete upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant. Voters last year approved $380,000 in bonding and $120,000 from a reserve fund to establish a reed bed that is expected to reduce the cost of sludge disposal.
“I hope to see the reed bed construction completed this year,” McKenna said.
McKenna also said there will be two road projects along state Route 212 in 2018.
“One will be from the village green down to Bank of America; that will be the drainage,” he said. “The other will be a culvert out by Reynolds Lane.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, the Town Board:
• Designated TD Bank North as the town’s official depository.
• Set the second and third Tuesdays of each month for board meetings.
• Appointed David Gross as chairman of the town Environmental Commission; John Lavalle as chairman of the town Planning Board; and Jeff Viglielmo as chairman of the Comeau Stewardship Advisory Committee.
• Designated Rod Futerfas as town attorney for $165 per hour.