Documents › Board of Trustees Work Session, 2026-01-28

local law 1 page

Also attached to this agenda item: Local Law Intro 3 of 2026 Zoning Code Amendments

To: From: Date: January 24, 2026 Re: Local Law Intro 3 of 2026 (Zoning Code Cleanup) I have been working collaboratively with our Village Engineer Vincent Salanitro, Planning Consultant Valerie Monastra and Village Attorney Lori Lee Dickson over the past few months to address a number of cleanup items in the Zoning Code (Chapter 230) of the Village Code. Many of these cleanup items are related to the special permit law passed by the Village Board in 2025, or the revised solar system and battery energy storage system laws adopted by the Board in 2024, and as such, are not addressed below. Regarding the substantial changes that are included in this local law: • Section 2: A number of the definitions included in the Zoning Code have become outdated or were sufficiently vague that their meaning was up to interpretation. Buildings, structures, swimming pools and accessory buildings have been defined to give clear direction on what requires a building permit and what requires site plan approval. A definition for farm animals has also been added (more on that below). • Section 3: The number of fowl permitted on a property has been adjusted proportionally based on lot size. Currently, up to 25 fowl are permitted on any sized lot. We have also suggested removing the prohibition of more than three dogs on any one property. • Sections 12-14: This change recognizes that the Village Board issued a permanent special permit for all merchants to have sidewalk displays and sidewalk dining in 1993 and revised the resolution in 2020. • Section 21: These changes recognize that some of the sidewalks desired by the Board following the 2003 Comprehensive Plan have been built, so they can be removed from the list. • Section 24: This change clarifies that accessory cottages require minor site plan approval; accessory apartments (those within the primary structure) do not. • Section 37: Noncommercial swimming pools and residential accessory buildings larger than 300 square feet will require minor site plan approval under this proposed change. The change also clarifies that walls in excess of six feet and accessory cottages require minor site plan approval. • Section 38: Under the current code, an applicant is entitled to a 50% refund of the application fee if their site plan is denied. This is an unusual provision as the same amount of work needs to be done by staff regardless of whether or not approval is ultimately granted. This clause is proposed to be deleted. • Sections 40 & 48: These sections codify the state requirement that Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals members undertake four hours of training each year. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the above. Thank you. Mayor Brian Pugh Trustees Stacey Nachtaler Nora Moriarty Nicholson Len Simon Maria F. Slippen Village Manager Bryan T. Healy Village Treasurer Genette Toone Village Clerk Pauline DiSanto Village Engineer Vincent Salanitro, P.E.