This law rescinded all prior versions of the Town of Ancram zoning law and replaced it with an updated version. This updated version incorporates a variety of amendments designed to clarify the Town’s regulations regarding hospitality uses in Town. The Town Board had previously adopted a moratorium on hospitality uses to allow Ancram to update its regulations to ensure that new such uses are consistent with the values and goals of the Town as expressed in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan. This law accomplishes that. New sections of this local law define a variety of hospitality uses, amends the Use Table to remove certain hospitality uses that were previously allowed (lodge, motel, retreat center and resorts for example), and to add others allowed in specific locations. For example, lodging facilities are now under the ‘country inn’ definition allowed in the Hamlets and in the Ag district. A new section entitled ‘Hospitality Uses’ was added to consolidate all hospitality-related uses together for efficiency. This new section includes general development standards for all allowed hospitality uses, and adds a dimensions table detailing lot sizes, setbacks, building footprints, and other required dimensions designed to allow for these uses at a scale and intensity consistent with the rural nature of Ancram. Standards for parking, signage, lighting, design standards, screening, noise, adaptive reuse of structures, hours of operation, water and septic including authorizing water pump tests, and protection of plants, animals, agriculture and prime farmland soils were included. Most allowed hospitality uses are limited in physical building size or acreages to promote small scale hospitality uses – thus the number of units, sleeping rooms, camp sites, or guests are restricted in the new table added. The zoning had previously established development standards specific to certain uses and those were brought into the new Hospitality Section. The updated version also clarifies wording in certain sections such as removing, where applicable the term “to the maximum extent practical” so that the Planning Board has clear direction on performance expectations for new land uses, fixing numbering, clarifying that the Planning Board can require periodic re-evaluation of water and sewage disposal as a condition of site plan approval, clarifying maintenance of 25’ of undisturbed vegetation along a watercourse, clarifying abbreviated site plan review required for use of solar on farm operations, adding a requirement that digital copies of applications be submitted, updating definitions, and other minor wording changes.
Document: Town of Ancram Local Law No. 6 of 2023, Adopted 12 21 23
