Proposed Construction Moratorium For Hurley

(Republished from Kingston Wire - by Maya Schubert)

The Town of Hurley is seeking to pass a nine-month moratorium to ban major subdivisions, special use permit applications, and site plan approvals for projects on properties of 5 or more acres while the town updates its Comprehensive Plan. The town has set a public hearing on the proposed local law for April 18 at 7:15 at 10 Wamsley Place.

 The moratorium, which spans Hurley’s A-4 and A-2.5 zoning districts, would also prohibit “any “construction activity including clearing, grading, excavating, soil disturbance or placement of fill” disturbing a half acre or more of land, as well any activities disturbing less than half acre of land “that is part of a larger common plan of development or sale.” The proposed law reads that the moratorium is “necessary to prevent inconsistent and incongruent development” as the town reviews its comprehensive plan.

 “What this moratorium would do is put a pause on certain developments over the next nine months while you finish up your comprehensive plan and maybe start rezoning,” Town Supervisor Melinda McKnight said to the town board at Tuesday evening’s meeting, noting that the board was close to having a draft available of an updated comprehensive plan.

 Hurley’s comprehensive plan, which studies the town’s region for future land uses, has not been updated since 2006. In 2020, the town appointed a Comprehensive Review Committee amid some pressure from developers to update existing land use regulations to accommodate multi-family developments. McKnight said that the town’s zoning has not been examined in a “comprehensive way” since the town’s 1969 plan.

 Updating the zoning laws within the nine-month moratorium period “would be a goal,” according to McKnight, “even though it's a lofty goal.” She noted that the moratorium identified the smallest frame of time to achieve goals, and another local law could be passed to extend it if necessary.

 According to the proposed local law, property owners who applied to the planning board before the moratorium would take effect and can prove that the moratorium would cause an “unjust result” and economic hardship may apply for a waiver for exception.

 At Tuesday night’s meeting, the board also approved a development agreement between the Town of Hurley and Archtop Fiber, a local fiber optic internet and phone service.