Planning Board flags process and neighborhood concerns in response to proposed MFRC zoning changes

The Planning Board devoted the largest portion of the meeting to reviewing a referral from the Town Board on proposed amendments to the MFR‑C (multi-family residential-commercial) provisions that would apply in BR zoning areas such as King Street Hill and parts of North Gley.

Staff summarized the changes: reducing the minimum lot size from 1 acre to one-quarter acre, lowering a setback from 50 feet to 10 feet in some areas, correcting a chart entry (removing an "NA"), and offering a menu of incentives (green building credits, public amenities, etc.) that could permit added density. Sabrina told the board the red-line edits were the specific changes under consideration and that everything else in the code currently remains as-is.

Board members expressed two broad concerns. First, process: several members argued the board lacked baseline information — an accurate inventory of existing housing stock, likely rental levels from recent projects and a clear statement of the town's housing numeric goals — and that the town should not assume SEQR/impact screening is complete. Sabrina urged the board to produce a comment letter and to request a joint work session with the Town Board to align goals and staff drafting.

Second, design and neighborhood impacts: members said a uniform reduction of setbacks to 10 feet and removal of a stated maximum development coverage in the MFRC table could be transformational for King Street Hill’s character and would create conflicts with other code provisions such as front-yard setback rules and stormwater constraints. Several members asked that the Town Board treat King Street Hill differently than other BR areas (for example, North Gley) and asked for careful mapping of where the changes would apply.

A resident who identified himself as James Maui of 24 Highland Avenue spoke during the discussion, urging caution and noting rents at nearby complexes can already be high: "I live on King Street... one unit in my complex is renting for over $4,000 a month," he said, arguing the proposed changes could produce higher‑end units and might not deliver more affordable housing without targeted incentives.

Board members discussed alternatives: greater use of accessory dwelling‑unit (ADU) incentives, targeted modifications just for specific subareas of the BR zone, or a staged approach informed by a capacity study that would estimate how many additional units the proposed changes would yield versus a more incremental ADU-driven approach.

Action and next steps: staff will revise the board’s referral-response memo to note procedural concerns, call for data on housing stock and affordability impacts, recommend treating King Street Hill separately from other BR areas, and request a joint Town Board–Planning Board work session. The board asked staff to circulate a draft memorandum for rapid circulation and approval within 24–48 hours so a signed referral letter can be sent soon.