County wise on Hyde Park plan

Ediitorial Poughkeepsie Journal April 21 , 2005

County planners have delivered a powerful message about Hyde Park's controversial zoning plan: change it. The town board would be wise to follow the county's recommendations and also should abandon any proposal for a moratorium.
The county's changes would eliminate some proposed commercial districts, expand open space requirements and clarify the board's ability to require cluster housing. In addition, the county pointed out a dozen areas of concern about wording and objectives in the plan that should be fixed.
Everyone's goal is to create zoning that will embrace Hyde Park's future. One key element is to create a vibrant town center, an effort county planners believe would be undermined by the smaller strip centers allowed in the proposed plan.
While the county doesn't have final say on zoning issues, it does oversee the process. If it rejects plans, a municipality needs a supermajority to adopt the zoning. If the county accepts the plans, changes can be made with a simple majority vote. This delicate balance gives local authorities control, but, at the same time, ensures the county has a say in zoning laws that can sometimes have regional consequences.
In Hyde Park, the board doesn't have a supermajority to support the proposed plan since two of the five members, Robert Linville and Victoria Kane, have been critical of it. This means the process can either stall or start all over again unless the board adopts the county changes.
Moratorium not necessary
At Monday's meeting the board will discuss a possible building moratorium in light of the county's concerns. This may seem appealing, but it is not the way to deal with zoning. Moratoriums should be acts of last resort and used sparingly. In extreme cases, they're appropriate, but Hyde Park already knows what it needs to do. Now, it needs to act. Indeed, a moratorium could even further delay board action until November, when all five town board seats are up for election. That's too long.
In 1997 a comprehensive plan was adopted. Committees addressed zoning to comply with the plan, but in 2003 the effort stalled after a 2-2 vote by the town board -- a last-minute court order removed the fifth member from voting, citing a conflict of interest.
In 2004, the Zoning Review Committee made substantial changes to zoning, which required altering the comprehensive plan, and a hearing was held on the proposal in March. More than 200 people attended. Critics and supporters had their say and now the county's recommendation will also influence the town board's action.
Hyde Park, like so many Dutchess communities, is at a crucial point in development. The county recommends the town enact zoning laws that reduce sprawl and set clear standards for important visual effects of development, such as screening and landscaping. These actions and others would preserve the unique character of the historic community.
The town board should heed the call.

Copyright © 2005, Poughkeepsie Journal .

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