Bethel town board wants to get it right

by: Bill Liblick

Building moratoriums on the surface are a bad idea because they essentially can put a halt to development and growth for a region. When a person hears that a municipality has a freeze on new construction it gives the appearance of “we don’t want it” or  “not in my Backyard.”

Towns and Villages throughout Sullivan County are confronting fears of increased residential and commercial development.  Some are concerned whether our infrastructure can handle the growth; others are worried about our ever changing landscape, while still others are disturbed about the amount of land which is tax exempt keeps growing.

There have been comprehensive plans, proposals of building moratoriums, and zoning changes. Every concern is credible, and merits open discussion.

What is being done in the Town of Bethel should set an example for all of our other municipalities - they want to get it right once and for all.

With the opening of Bethel Woods, developers have been exploring bringing new housing developments, hotels, and other commercial entities to the vicinity. Although many proposals sound promising, town officials along with pressure from residents have put on the brakes on several projects. 

They have said zoning and subdivision laws must be updated along and environmental impact statements in order for the moratorium to be lifted.

Bethel Town Supervisor Daniel Sturm called the moratorium on major residential subdivisions “prudent” and a “wise measure.” 

He told me that in 2006 the Town Board passed a Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Amendments that allowed and encouraged Town-wide building of homes on 1-acre lots. But the laws were passed without the proper Environmental Impact Study. “As a councilman, I voted against these measures because no account was taken of the anticipated growth, and the effect 1-acre zoning would have on our open spaces, farmland, scenic views, budgets and environment.”

In fact once the law was passed there were proposals for large-scale development. “This could have hurt our operating budgets as well because we would have had to provide additional services.” For every dollar brought in from residential taxes, a Bethel spends about $1.29, as opposed to 43 cents for commercial growth.

Sturm said they had no attorneys, engineers, or competent planners to protect the Town from over-residential proposals.

The newly elected supervisor pointed out sub-division laws had not been updated since the 1960's. “Our zoning laws were flawed, our zoning maps, and density requirements all needed updating and this needed to be done without the pressure of new development applications. We needed time to do the necessary scrutiny and study, and that is what we have been doing.”

Councilman Dick Crumley the lone Republican on the Town Board noted that no commercial development or minor residential sub-divisions are affected by this moratorium.

The town has since updated and revised their planning board procedures, application guidelines, as well as modernized their fee schedule.

Once the environmental impact study is complete the new zoning and sub-division laws will be introduced.

Sturm said, “We want it done, and we want it done right. The future of our town is at stake. We want growth that protects our environment and benefits our residents. In Bethel, I believe we can have our cake, and eat it too.”

Jonathan Hyman one of the community leaders who pushed for the moratorium said, “by contracting to do an Environmental Impact Study the town will be making a wise and practical decision which will benefit us for years and years.”

Noting that it will be costly for the township to do the study, Hyman said the cost of not conducting one would be far greater. “If the Town does not take this important, required step, it will leave itself open to lawsuits from developers and citizens alike regarding a basic step that towns are required to take when enacting new zoning laws.”

The actions of the Town of Bethel Town Board in updating their zoning laws should be a catalyst for all of our Towns and Villages. It is refreshing to see elected officials trying to get it right.

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