South Fallsburg – Town Plans to Revamp Half-Acre Zoning

South Fallsburg – After an outcry from residents and members of the town's comprehensive plan review committee, the Town of Fallsburg will re-examine a proposal to nearly triple half-acre zoning.

Supervisor Steve Levine said the areas covered in the density of zoning proposal aired two weeks ago would be reduced.

The initial proposal elicited an outcry from people who worked on the town's comprehensive plan, saying the Town Board undercut them. Others in the community said the plan is too favorable to developers.

Currently, developers can build two units per acre in approximately 25 percent of the town. The changes would have permitted half-acre development in the Rec-1 zone, which covers about half of the town.

Levine said during a meeting that any changes would include half-acre zoning in part of the zone. "I agree that some things need to be changed," he said.

Angry community members wanted Levine and the board to name who had spearheaded the changing of the zoning.

Kenny DeMars, a member of the review committee, said the process had not been open enough. He said there was never any public deliberations for such a radical change in the zoning and the committee was never notified of the board's intentions. [Record]