Fayetteville consultants unveil wholesale zoning rewrite; board declares intent to lead SEQR review

EDR planning consultants presented a comprehensive rewrite of Fayetteville's zoning ordinance and mapping tonight, telling the village board the update replaces the existing code (originally adopted in 1985) and is designed to implement the village’s comprehensive plan.

"It's a wholly new code," said Sam Gordon of EDR, summarizing a package that consolidates zoning districts, adds a single use table to make allowed uses easier to find, updates dimensional regulations, and pairs form-based illustrations with new design guidelines to communicate preferred development patterns. Gordon said the update is the culmination of a multi-year process that included a steering committee, two public meetings in 2025 and iterative office hours for stakeholder review.

The consultants emphasized practical changes: a consolidated use table that flags where site-plan review or special-use permits will be required, two-page district summaries with clear setback and height measurements, and supplemental regulations for specific uses. They also said the design guidelines are intended to guide — not rigidly dictate — planning-board review, distinguishing mandatory "shalls" from advisory "shoulds." "We wanted to make the code more user friendly," Gordon said. EDR said the materials (maps, use table, and a visual 'redline' tool showing existing vs. proposed) will be posted online and are on display locally.

After the presentation the board reviewed a draft resolution to act as lead agency under New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR). The resolution, read into the record by staff, classifies the zoning change as a Type I action and sets a 30-day lead-agency coordination period during which involved and interested agencies may raise objections or issues. Counsel explained county and state grant providers could be among the interested agencies, but said it was unlikely either would contest the village acting as lead.

A motion to adopt the notice of intent to serve as SEQR lead agency was moved, seconded and approved. Board members agreed the next steps include a referral to the county planning board and one or more public hearings before any final adoption can occur. The board and EDR also discussed targeted technical work the SEQR process will require — for example, district-level buildout and infrastructure-capacity baselines for areas with significant changes (EDR and counsel said Limestone Plaza and accessory-dwelling-unit policy were logical focal points).

The board accepted the consultants' offer to assist through the SEQR coordination and adoption steps. No final zoning changes were adopted tonight; the vote was limited to declaring the village’s intent to act as lead agency and to begin the SEQR coordination process. The board scheduled follow-up review and signaled it may hold workshops to examine specific districts and draft provisions in more detail.