‘Bonus’ density questioned for preserving open space

By DAVID HULSE

GLEN SPEY, NY — Lumberland Town Board members have taken up a growing debate about the best ways to conserve open space in the town.

Supervisor John LiGreci and the town’s planning consultant Tom Shepstone have proposed zoning amendments to the town’s multiple dwelling zoning, which would provide a “bonus” dwelling density under a new definition for cluster development. Although it would provide more dwellings, LiGreci said the concentration of housing units would conserve more open space on the larger tract overall.

But planning board members are skeptical about changing the density requirements without amending the town’s master plan to evaluate where that new density housing would best go.

LiGreci says the town is now exposed to litigation by developers because Lumberland currently has no zoning definition for cluster housing. LiGreci says he is concerned that a court might decide what that definition is, taking the local initiative away.

The former Staten Island resident said he saw the comparatively suburban and rural borough change to urban multiple dwellings almost overnight after the building of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Now he points to a 1,500-unit cluster development being built in neighboring Deerpark, on Wilson Road. “They didn’t have specific planning to stop that,” LiGreci said of Deerpark.

At the board’s March 9 meeting, Councilwoman Jenny Mellan referred to town law and said that Lumberland could define cluster housing but would be violating town law by creating bonus density. “We don’t have to put anything on the books. We’ve been told to approve bonus points and New York State law says you can’t do that,” she said.

Rather than changing laws to accommodate developers, Mellan said prospective developers should be aware of the town’s zoning before they purchase land “and know what it can and can’t be used for.”

Planners say the proposed change increases the permitted density from one unit on each buildable acre to 1.5 units per acre. Additionally, 25 percent of non-buildable land, such as wetland, would count toward the density calculation. Compared to current regulation the density for an 80-acre parcel with 20 acres of wetland and 10 acres of roads would now allow for a total of 50 multifamily units with central water and sewer. Under the proposed amendment, the density would allow 83 units on the same acreage.

The town’s planning board is scheduled to take up the issue again on March 17, when it meets at 7:00 p.m.