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January 30, 2012

Proposed zoning law changes to go to planning board

BY JIM AUSTIN

THE COOPERSTOWN CRIER

The Cooperstown board of trustees approved sending a series of proposed zoning changes to the planning board for its review during its meeting Monday night.

The changes, formulated by the Economic Sustainability Committee, would simply the village’s zoning law to expand creation of additional homes and apartments for yeararound residents, according to the committee’s meeting minutes.

“They are small items, but could add up to significant increases in population in the relatively small footprint of the village,” Economic Sustainability Committee Chair Dr. Walter Franck said.

The committee’s recommendations include:

• allowing mixed use occupancy as a permitted use in the business district. Mixed use would allow a store on the first floor and an apartment(s). The elimination of the special permit would reduce bureaucracy.

• allowing apartments on first floor in the business district by special permit. Generally, the committee believes, the first floor should be used for storefront space, but in some cases it would be appropriate to have the option available.

• raising the 30-foot height restriction in the commercial district an area from the southern part of the village along Grove Street, Railroad Avenue to Bruce Hall. Raising the height restriction would make it easier to develop housing units on a smaller footprint.

• reducing the rear yard setbacks in the residential district. Setbacks are now 35 feet in the R1 district and 20 feet in the R 2 and 3 districts. The committee recommends a reduction to 10 feet. The change would make it easier to construct accessory structures such as garages or small homes. The reduction, according to the committee, would encourage the accessory uses of existing, unoccupied space.

• allowing more flexibility in the side yard setbacks in the residential districts. The zoning law calls for a 10-foot setback on each side of the house. The committee would keep that total footage, but allow one side to be less as long as the total of the two sides is still 20 feet. According to the committee, the zoning board of appeals allows that as a variance. The committee recommends it be allowed without a variance.

• allowing smaller lots for residences occupied by seniors or others whose needs would be better met with less property maintenance. The committee also proposed allowing multiple residences on a single lot. Smaller lots with denser use would allow construction of duplex or similar housing units.

• requiring only one offstreet, instead of two, parking spaces per residence and allow parking in the front yard during winter months when on-street parking is prohibited. These are issues for owners, or owners and renters to resolve, the committee’s minutes stated.

• allowing forestry in the R1-A district. The committee believes the zoning is unnecessarily restrictive and has little practical value to the community.

Following the completion of a review of the proposed changes to the zoning law, the planning board would make its recommendation to the board of trustees. Any changes to the law would be subject to a public hearing prior to adoption.

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