Workshop held for New York town officials

By TOM KANE

COCHECTON, NY — Ten members of five New York towns’ planning and zoning boards attended a training workshop on how local government works.

The training was conducted by Sullivan County Director of Planning, Dr. William Pammer. The event was sponsored by the Visioning Committee of the Upper Delaware River Corridor and the Sullivan County Planning Department.

It was part of the efforts by New York State to require planning board and zoning board officers to receive four hours of training a year in order to remain members of their respective boards.

The trainees came from the Towns of Lumberland, Highland, Fremont, Cochecton and Forestburgh.

“There are a whole range of regulations in state town law with which board members must be familiar to correctly regulate the growth in their towns,” Pammer said.

Pammer explained how the state government, the county government and the local town governments relate to each other in the creation of local ordinances like zoning and subdivisions.

“New York is a home-rule state,” Pammer said. “That means that the local town boards have the most jurisdiction in the creation of ordinances and not the state or county. The county’s role is to assist the towns when we’re needed and to exercise some limited oversight in instances where state and county roads and buildings are affected by town construction.”

“It’s important that our board members understand what their powers are when developers appear with their plans,” said Cochecton town board member Larry Richardson who attended the workshop.

More and more developers are coming forward in Sullivan County to purchase land and develop it. In 2003, Cochecton saw the Donald Zylstra farm on Route 52 close down and go up for sale. It was purchased by Brookside Homes of Monticello, who have been dividing it and selling lots. Several homes have been built on the former 141-acre dairy farm.

This trend is expected to continue.