Bethel zoning update completed

Environmental impact statement ahead

By FRITZ MAYER

KAUNEONGA LAKE, NY — After working for nearly two years on Bethel’s zoning code, a review committee has finished its revisions and is ready to present the changes to the public. The town board met at a special meeting on January 28 to introduce a local law to adopt the new rules.

The committee started its work in 2007 and presented its initial recommendations in February 2008. Among the main concern was lot sizes for new homes. The committee urged that four acres be a minimum for new houses in the agricultural districts. Some farmers and others thought that was too restrictive.

At a public hearing on February 14, 2008, residents testified that a four-acre limit would prevent first-time homebuyers from affording to build or buy in Bethel. Joe Walsh, a member of the Sullivan County Farmland Protection Board, testified at the time that, “Four acres is too big to mow and too small to farm.” He said that changing the zoning from one acre to four would adversely affect working farms.

Other residents defended the four-acre option as necessary to preserve open space. Resident Dawn Ryder noted that other towns in the area have five-acre minimums in their ag districts.

The committee took the comments, gathered at the time, and, according to Bethel supervisor Dan Sturm, attempted to work them into the new zoning law.

Ultimately, the committee decided to change the lot-size recommendation for the ag districts to three acres. Sturm said the intent behind the recommendations is to encourage preservation of open space, but, at the same time, encourage residential development in the more populated parts of town. Therefore, in any area that has a sewer system, the recommendation calls for houses to be built on half-acre lots or more.

The new zoning includes a forest conservation district, which comprises most of the land south of Route 17B, and in which new homes will go on lots of a minimum of five acres or more. This includes the areas around the reservoirs and the hunting camps. The new recommendations call for even more acreage to go into the forest conservation district.

There is a new zoning district created specifically for Smallwood. Sturm said that because Smallwood is pretty much already built out, there will be one-acre zoning, with limited residential and commercial options in that neighborhood.

In all districts, land that has already been subdivided will not be subject to the new rules. Many other changes are proposed.

Councilperson Denise Frangipane said that she has not yet read through the voluminous changes, but will be urging her colleagues to have an informational session on the code before any public hearing is scheduled.

In the meantime, before moving forward, the town will create a complete Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) to ensure that the law will withstand legal challenges over the long term.

As the first step, the town is accepting comments on the draft scoping document related to the process until February 11.

The zoning amendments and associated documents can be viewed by visiting www.town.bethel.ny.us and clicking on the Proposed Local Laws link.

Comments on the draft scoping documents can be sent to Town of Bethel, 3454 Route 55, P.O. Box 300, White Lake, NY, 12786. They can also be sent to BethelClerk@hvc.rr.com via email.