Town awaits input on allowing riding academies, stables
The Town Board plans to wait for comments from the Ulster County Planning Department before deciding on a proposed landuse change that would allow riding academies and stables in two more zoning districts.
A public hearing on the proposal Thursday drew no comments.
Under the proposed change, riding academies and stables would be allowed in the town’s High Density Residential District and General Business District, subject to a special permit on properties of at least 10 acres.
“We’ve gotten feedback from property owners who have been approached for development,” town Councilman Fred Costello said. “Some on Kings Highway, some in other areas . ... They’ve had their property on the market, but people who wanted to buy them found the zoning to be a little bit too restrictive for what they had intended.”
The proposed change calls for buildings to have a minimum setback of 50 feet from property lines, and a 25-foot buffer of “landscaping or naturally growing vegetation” between properties would be required.
Property owners also would be required to have a management plan that explains methods for the storage and disposal of “manure, soiled bedding ... [and] provisions for storage of feed and bedding.”
Town officials said the proposed change is one of three efforts to update the town zoning code to reflect actual market conditions.
“On Kings Highway, we’ve ... been trying for industrial growth up there,” Costello said. “Industrial [zoning] prohibits retail uses and prohibits some kinds of food services and things like that. So unless you’re making widgets, it’s probably a little too restrictive.”
Councilwoman Leeanne Thornton said the changes would help businesses located between Kings Highway and the Thruway.
“It’s been shovel-ready, we’ve tried to attract big industry in there, it hasn’t happened,” she said. “By modifying zoning classification, it could potentially bring some more tax base into the area.”
The third change being considered is allowing electronic signs on business properties.
“We’ve been approached by a number of ... businesses — some emergency services, some just volunteer — where they would like the opportunity to put the signs that are basically TVs, the LEDs that are visible during the day, that have messages,” Costello said.
“We are considering it,” he said, “but we are far from ready to propose anything yet. It’s complex, and there are some state regulations that govern that already.”