Delaware Avenue, Hudson River waterfront among areas under consideration
DELMAR—As part of its ongoing review of the town’s zoning code, the Bethlehem Planning Board discussed proposals to adjust special district zoning rules on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Bethlehem is updating its zoning and land use regulations as part of implementing the Comprehensive Plan update. The Planning Board has been meeting monthly since fall 2023 to discuss proposed changes to the zoning law.
At this month’s meeting, outside consultant Molly Gaudioso from Bergmann and Prospect Hill presented “highlights” of the proposed changes to the town’s four special purpose districts, as well as the adoption of a new district – the Delaware Avenue hamlet district.
Gaudioso explained that the new district is an “overlay” of an existing district on Delaware Avenue near the Four Corners. She said creating the new district would tie the area to the hamlet divisions and design standards.
Town Economic Development & Planning Director Robert Leslie noted that the overlay district provides an exception for certain parking requirements for new tenants, making off-street parking buildup unnecessary given the area’s accessibility by foot or bus.
In addition, a new waterfront district was proposed, but Gaudioso clarified that this district is based on the existing waterfront revitalization area. She said the district would function more as a “visual trigger” to connect to current regulations.
Gaudioso also recommended maintaining the planned development special use district. Leslie explained that the planned development district has not been used in some time but remains an available “tool” for development. It can address changing development needs for residential units and has been used by the Town Board in the past, though not recently.
“I’d rather keep it in there and have the Town Board decide whether it should be used,” Leslie said.
According to Gaudioso, the most significant change to the special district zoning involves the mixed economic development districts throughout the town.
Currently, the Vista Blvd. development is the largest such district in the town, with a few others scattered in the southern end. She explained that the district was originally conceived to support land use for technology and office projects, but other than the Vista Blvd. area, there has been little interest in those uses.
To address this, she recommended – with the exception of the Vista Blvd. area – creating a new multi-use or rural life/industrial district for those sites, while retaining an option for tech/office usage. If adopted, the only strictly ME district under the town’s master plan would be the Vista Blvd. area.
Leslie said a definition of technology-based business would be adopted to ensure clarity on usage. He described all of these changes as “minor tweaks.”
