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Also, updates on parking, historic properties
Beacon residents will be able to apply later this year to serve on a committee tasked with updating the city's comprehensive plan.
New York State recommends that municipalities update their plans — the blueprint for how a city will grow — every 10 years; Beacon's was last revised in 2017.
That document was drafted by a consulting firm with input from a committee of residents and city officials. Public workshops were held in the fall of 2016.
There has been a general shift from doing "everything and the kitchen sink" rewrites of comprehensive plans to focusing on priorities, planning consultant Natalie Quinn told the City Council on Monday (May 4).
The 2017 update focused on the waterfront and Metro-North train station area. Council members should begin thinking about important areas, because the 2027 plan will guide future councils as they enact zoning laws, said City Attorney Jennifer Gray. Topics mentioned Monday included non-vehicular transportation, smaller housing units as an affordability tool, climate adaptation and protected scenic views.
Council Member Lastar Gorton disagreed with the approach, saying she would prefer a review of the entire plan. "Beacon is completely different now" than in 2017, she said. "Let the community have its say."
Historic properties
A public hearing on properties nominated for Beacon's historic district, scheduled to continue on May 18, will likely be adjourned to June 1.
In the meantime, the city is creating an FAQ to explain the program. Many residents who spoke during the first part of the hearing last month seemed uncertain about the details.
Properties added to the district will be required to obtain approval from the Planning Board before making alterations to certain historic features, but there are tax and assessment benefits that come with the designation, Mayor Lee Kyriacou said.
Parking requirements
It's too soon to say whether Beacon's new parking requirements for developments will affect the number of apartments being built in the city.
In August 2024, the City Council eliminated minimum parking requirements for new developments and substantial reconstructions in "core" walkable areas, such as Main Street and parts of the waterfront. Instead, there is now a maximum number of spaces developers may provide.
Studies have concluded that minimum parking requirements added to the cost of new housing and hindered the development of affordable units.
A report by the Planning Board looked at 10 projects approved by the end of last year. In that time, four applicants provided the same parking as would have previously been required, three provided one to three fewer spaces, and two provided as many as 40 fewer spaces.
In several cases, the report said, applicants voluntarily provided on-site parking because of design considerations and anticipated demand. But developments on Main Street provided fewer spaces. The Planning Board said it's too soon to know how reduced supply will impact demand for on-street spaces, because the developments have not been built.
Moving forward, the board said it will monitor applications that provide no parking but rely on municipal lots, to avoid over-allocating or "double-counting." In addition, overuse of city lots could be an issue during snowstorms.
As for the new parking regulations and the density of development, "unit counts" are affected by factors other than parking, Quinn told the council. Future data will provide more clarity, she said.
Council Member Carolyn Bennett Glauda remarked: "If we want to encourage people to come here and not have cars, we need to talk about our bike comprehensive plan, and we need to talk about public transportation as viable options."
Meeting schedule
The City Council seems ready to continue meeting on the first and third Monday of each month, instead of weekly, as it had done for decades.
The shift to every other week (except during months with five Mondays) has allowed ...
Beacon residents will be able to apply later this year to serve on a committee tasked with updating the city's comprehensive plan.
New York State recommends that municipalities update their plans — the blueprint for how a city will grow — every 10 years; Beacon's was last revised in 2017.
That document was drafted by a consulting firm with input from a committee of residents and city officials. Public workshops were held in the fall of 2016.
There has been a general shift from doing "everything and the kitchen sink" rewrites of comprehensive plans to focusing on priorities, planning consultant Natalie Quinn told the City Council on Monday (May 4).
The 2017 update focused on the waterfront and Metro-North train station area. Council members should begin thinking about important areas, because the 2027 plan will guide future councils as they enact zoning laws, said City Attorney Jennifer Gray. Topics mentioned Monday included non-vehicular transportation, smaller housing units as an affordability tool, climate adaptation and protected scenic views.
Council Member Lastar Gorton disagreed with the approach, saying she would prefer a review of the entire plan. "Beacon is completely different now" than in 2017, she said. "Let the community have its say."
Historic properties
A public hearing on properties nominated for Beacon's historic district, scheduled to continue on May 18, will likely be adjourned to June 1.
In the meantime, the city is creating an FAQ to explain the program. Many residents who spoke during the first part of the hearing last month seemed uncertain about the details.
Properties added to the district will be required to obtain approval from the Planning Board before making alterations to certain historic features, but there are tax and assessment benefits that come with the designation, Mayor Lee Kyriacou said.
Parking requirements
It's too soon to say whether Beacon's new parking requirements for developments will affect the number of apartments being built in the city.
In August 2024, the City Council eliminated minimum parking requirements for new developments and substantial reconstructions in "core" walkable areas, such as Main Street and parts of the waterfront. Instead, there is now a maximum number of spaces developers may provide.
Studies have concluded that minimum parking requirements added to the cost of new housing and hindered the development of affordable units.
A report by the Planning Board looked at 10 projects approved by the end of last year. In that time, four applicants provided the same parking as would have previously been required, three provided one to three fewer spaces, and two provided as many as 40 fewer spaces.
In several cases, the report said, applicants voluntarily provided on-site parking because of design considerations and anticipated demand. But developments on Main Street provided fewer spaces. The Planning Board said it's too soon to know how reduced supply will impact demand for on-street spaces, because the developments have not been built.
Moving forward, the board said it will monitor applications that provide no parking but rely on municipal lots, to avoid over-allocating or "double-counting." In addition, overuse of city lots could be an issue during snowstorms.
As for the new parking regulations and the density of development, "unit counts" are affected by factors other than parking, Quinn told the council. Future data will provide more clarity, she said.
Council Member Carolyn Bennett Glauda remarked: "If we want to encourage people to come here and not have cars, we need to talk about our bike comprehensive plan, and we need to talk about public transportation as viable options."
Meeting schedule
The City Council seems ready to continue meeting on the first and third Monday of each month, instead of weekly, as it had done for decades.
The shift to every other week (except during months with five Mondays) has allowed ...