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1-11-2007 It is a long, narrow piece of property - a little more than two acres and as Galati sees it, he has a number of options. He has considered housing, a motel and most recently, a restaurant, self-storage warehouse or a parking lot. His first choice was residential development and as recently as Wednesday morning, said he still believes residential use is better for the property and more in keeping with the neighborhood. But the property is zoned commercial and a residential use would require a change in zoning or a special use permit from the board of trustees. Last March, Galati proposed a change in zoning from commercial to R-3, but with the lesser setbacks for commercial structures to accommodate the nine duplex units we wanted to build. The planning board sent him to the zoning board of appeals, where he was told they would consider the zoning change, but not with the R-3 setbacks which were necessary to build the residential units. He was told he could submit a second request for setback variances, but there would be no guarantee they would be granted. In April, he sent a letter to the board of trustees and asked for its assistance. "Wouldn't these duplex units be more in keeping with the character of the neighborhood and better serve the village than a used car lot, self-storage units or some other allowable commercial application?" he asked in his letter to the trustees. After waiting two months, he wrote again and was told the board reviewed his letter during the May meeting and the consensus of the board was that a change in zoning must come to the trustees as a recommendation from the planning board. He had come full circle. Now he is considering commercial development although he told the board of trustees during its December meeting that he is still open to the idea of residential development. There is no question the village needs more housing. Only a month ago the Notre Dame students proposed creating additional housing in and around the village. One of the locations they targeted was the same railroad right-of-way Galati wants to develop. On Tuesday, in response to a request from the board of trustees to review the village zoning map, the planning board voted unanimously to recommend that the rail right-of-way be rezoned residential. It has taken awhile, but we are glad to see the planning board and board of trustees demonstrate a willingness to review the rezoning of the property to a use more in keeping with the residential neighborhood surrounding it. To simply change the property to an R-3 zone will not work. Galati can't be expected to give up all the uses available in a commercial zone without some assurance he will be able to build homes on the property. At the same time, he will also have to be willing to craft his project in a manner which will blend well with the existing neighborhood. We believe this is an important first step and see it as an excellent opportunity for the board of trustees to address the housing need, but it will require both parties to work together to resolve zoning issues and shape the development in manner that works for everyone. |
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