Trumansburg reviewing zoning after 30 years

TRUMANSBURG, NY — The Village of Trumansburg has set up a committee to review its zoning ordinance, which has been largely untouched since its instatement in 1971.

The eight-member committee is comprised of board members from several village organizations. Two members of the village board of trustees, two from the planning board, two from the zoning board of appeals and two independent members of the community will evaluating the zoning regulations. Joan Jurkowich, deputy commissioner of planning for the county planning department, will also be working with the committee, though she is not an official member.

Jurkowich will be providing “professional support” and will be helping the committee address issues it identifies. She will not be pointing out problem areas.

“I’ll help them draw out the ideas but it’s really their ordinance,” she said.

Timothy Hamilton, chair of the zoning board of appeals, said amendments have been made to the village’s zoning laws over the years, but the overall policy is largely untouched for more than 30 years.

“We need to update it, we need to define terms,” he said.

The committee has met once, but it does not have all its members yet. Community members were asked to apply to be on the committee and the board of trustees is still in the interviewing process ¬- community applications were due by July 8. At the July 28 board of trustees meeting, Mayor Marty Petrovic said he expected community members to be appointed to the committee this month.
Though community members may not have an in depth knowledge of zoning issues, the board felt it was important to get public input from the beginning of the process.

“I think that’s great,” Hamilton said.

In addition to addressing problems that have developed over the years, the zoning is also being updated to meet the village’s new comprehensive plan, which was adopted February of this year.
“[The zoning] needs to be updated to reflect the business environment and the new comprehensive plan,” Hamilton said.

Before any serious work can begin, some people have to become familiar with zoning in general. Some members, like Robert Brown of the zoning board of appeals, volunteered to serve on the committee, but others, David Boyd of the planning board, were “drafted.”

“I’m not sure [about specific changes needed],” Boyd said. “I haven’t been in the zoning that much and I need to be brought up to speed.”

Ed Marx, of the Tompkins County Planning Department, told the board of trustees at its June 15 meeting that the revision process would take about a year from the time the committee begins working. A new zoning ordinance draft could be completed as soon as March. When the committee enters the writing phase, Jurkowich will help with the technicalities.

“I’m helping to actually draft the language that they want to put in the ordinance,” she said.
Marx said March is a good goal for producing a new draft because the spring is generally a good time for public participation. A public hearing regarding the ordinance is required before the new regulations are adopted.

Currently, the zoning revision committee is comprised of David Boyd and Don Schlather of the planning board, Christopher Thomas and Marty Petrovic of the board of trustees, and Timothy Hamilton and Robert Brown of the zoning board of appeals.

Copyright. Published August 27, 2008 "Trumansburg Free Press."