Stony Point public hearing sparks discussion on BU zoning laws

On Tuesday, February 13, Stony Point held a public hearing to discuss adopting a local law amending Chapter 215 of the Town Code. The newly amended chapter, which regards regulations in the Business (BU) Zoning District, would include clarifications for mixed uses in the district in regards to adding apartments to the upper stories of Stony Point buildings. The public hearing was preceded by a brief ceremony honoring Rockland Human Rights Commissioner Spencer Chiimbwe.

The hearing began with a statment from Town Planner Max Stach, who explained that the initial code was added after the formation of the 2013 Master Plan Amendment to allow business owners in the district who had seen significant increases in property taxes to be able to weather these changes by adding apartments to the upper stories of their property. Stach stated that the new amendments would close loopholes that opened the door to development that “clearly wasn’t the intent of the original law as it was adopted.”

Major clarifications include that the FAR (Floor Area Ratio) would apply to each particular building and that the planning board would be allowed to increase that ratio, height limitations, and apartment size, as well as parking requirements based on the number of bedrooms in an apartment.

“I don’t think it was (the 2013 board’s) intention to drastically change the character of Stony Point with several large floors or different things,” said Supervisor Jim Monaghan. “I do know that the residents of Stony Point would conform with our historic character of downtown Stony Point. But there is definitely a need (for smaller apartments)…I think development, if done right, would suit Stony Point.”

Though the Supervisor clarified that the amendments referred to the whole BU district—not for one specific area or project—not all community members seemed entirely convinced.

While George Potanovic Jr., President of SPACE (Stony Point Action Committee for the Environment), applauded the board on overall improvement to the original zoning code, he questioned why they were allowing a recreation area on the roof of one of the properties. Joseph Pascal, a representative of 111 in South Liberty, shared his suspicion that the amendments being proposed were a response to his plans for the property, which Supervisor Monaghan denied. Pascal asked that the public hearing be held for one more meeting, for which he plans to prepare a written response to the amendments. Supervisor Monaghan confirmed this meeting would take place on Tuesday, February 27.

Supervisor Monaghan reiterated that the law was not intended to address any one project but rather update the master plan and Chapter 215 stating that the needs of the town in general have ultimately changed over the decade.

“It’s something that’s due to be upgraded,” Supervisor Monaghan said. “So now we’re taking initiative to upgrade this code and we’re going to be looking at other plans throughout the town. We’re looking to redo our master plan, and we want to move swiftly.”