In order to fulfill the purpose of this chapter, the Town of
Pleasant Valley, New York, establishes and is hereby divided into
the following zoning districts:
A. Conservation (CONS).
(1) This category includes the land east of the Taconic State Parkway,
and north to the Washington Hollow hamlet area. Large land holdings
by the Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Rockefeller University, the
Innisfree Foundation, and the Taconic-Hereford State Forest make this
section of the Town particularly important for a coordinated conservation
program. This land contains the lowest density residential district
in the Town to prevent additional fragmentation of this environmentally
sensitive area.
(2) This district contains some of the most rugged land in the Town.
The general combination of steep slopes, shallow soils and exposed
bedrock over much of the terrain makes the siting of septic systems
and foundations difficult. Road access is poor in many areas. Land
uses should be limited to lower-density, primarily single family residential,
recreation, and other minimal-impact activities that protect the unique
features of this region. Where larger parcels are available for development,
conservation subdivision techniques should be required to preserve
the green-space characteristics of the land and avoid construction
on portions of the property with natural constraints.
B. Rural Agricultural (RA).
(1) This district includes much of the land in the north and northwest
sectors of the Town and connects across the Taconic State Parkway
to lands north of the Washington Hollow hamlet. It is the largest
category in terms of overall acreage.
(2) The northwest sector contains a large percentage of the remaining
agricultural land in Pleasant Valley. The areas surrounding Gretna
Road, Malone Road, Fox Run, and sections of North Avenue, Netherwood
Road, and Salt Point Turnpike all have extensive farmland. Protecting
agriculture and the necessary food-growing potential of the land is
not only important to the Town's economy, but also contributes to
the scenic and rural qualities that residents responding to the 2006
Community Survey so strongly supported.
(3) Portions of this district contain significant natural constraints,
including large areas with shallow soils or soils with low permeability,
moderate and steep slopes, and sizeable wetlands, especially in the
northwest section. Although most of this district still remains in
large parcels, scattered areas have been subdivided into smaller pieces
and flag lots lining the back roads in strip residential patterns.
(4) This district is primarily designed for activities compatible with
farming or farm-related businesses, and lower-density residential
and accessory uses. Recreation, low-impact resort uses, camps, golf
courses, and fish and game preserves or clubs are also appropriate.
A lower-density residential designation, by itself, will not protect
farm properties or rural qualities, but lower densities allow for
more creative land siting decisions and conservation techniques. Where
development at higher densities will significantly alter large tracts
of land, conservation subdivision development from a lower overall
density allows growth to be carefully placed off good farm soils or
within the wood line. Conservation density development and other green
space preservation techniques should be strongly encouraged in this
district and on other large, undeveloped parcels.
(5) The intent is to protect the district from overdevelopment, encourage
continuation of agricultural uses, and discourage sprawl through the
remaining rural areas. All development should be compatible with the
natural limitations of the land.
C. Rural Residential (RR). This district bridges the gap between the
Conservation District along the eastern portion of Town, and areas
to the west that have experienced continued growth and development
over the last decade. The area encompasses numerous DEC and NWI wetlands,
as well as sections within the one-hundred-year floodplain of the
Wappinger Creek and tributaries. According to the 2007 Municipal Aquifer
Report, the soils in this area are predominantly Type C and Type C/D,
meaning that slower aquifer recharge rates necessitate an appropriate
change in development potential in order to protect water quality
and quantity.
D. Lower Density Residential (LDR). This district includes a large area
located in the central portion of the Town, along with two smaller
sections located in the areas of Netherwood and Salt Point. Although
this category is sometimes less compatible with the surrounding agricultural
nature of the northern portion of Town, its inclusion reflects conformance
with pockets of existing smaller parcel sizes.
E. Medium Density Residential (MDR).
(1) This district includes many of the areas of Pleasant Valley that
already contain suburban-scale single-family home development. Further
development in this district is likely to be consistent with the average
density of already developed parcels. This land use category serves
as a buffer for the less populated, more rural surrounding areas and
helps maintain the focus of development in the Pleasant Valley hamlet
center.
(2) Natural limitations in these areas vary, with some areas containing
good soils for development and others having more marginal soils.
Because of their distance from community centers, central water and
sewer connections are not projected, although more intensive development
near the hamlet boundaries could be included in any future utility
district. Actual density for any given project will be determined
by the features of the particular parcel and the restraints placed
on the land by the provision of individual wells and septic systems.
While much existing development in these areas has taken on a pattern
more typical of suburban locations, care should be used in new developments
to preserve the more rural features, including existing tree cover,
areas of wetlands, steep slopes and other natural features, and traditional
agricultural forms like hedgerows and stone walls. Most homes are
on Class C and D soils. Development in adjacent districts and on nearby
parcels should be at a lower density.
F. Higher Density Residential (HDR).
(1) This district describes the mostly developed southwest section near
the Town of Poughkeepsie line, south of the substation and wetland,
and north of Wappinger Creek. It contains the parcels along the ridgelines
of Clark and Timothy Heights, as well as the properties lining Bower
Road and Route 44, and a large mobile home park. Most of this area
is already zoned for higher-density residential development. Because
of its existing density and location near the Wappinger Creek, Route
44 Corridor and Pleasant Valley hamlet, this area may be included
in any future consideration of a central utilities district.
(2) This district, following the recommendations of the Comprehensive
Plan, intends to maintain the essential residential character of this
area with housing set back from a roadway lined with street trees
to form an entrance transition to the hamlet of Pleasant Valley, allowing
that other compatible low-traffic-volume uses would also be appropriate
under special use permit conditions (for example, and not limited
to, accessory apartments and multifamily housing options, family day
care, bed-and-breakfast establishments, professional offices and home
occupations). Existing spot or strip highway business uses, both here
and in other noncommercial areas along Route 44, should be allowed
to continue and treated under the nonconforming provisions of this
chapter.
G. Mixed Use Commercial District (MC). This district is specific to
the Route 44 corridor in an area between Mill Lane and Rossway Road,
formerly part of the Neighborhood Commercial District. The purpose
of this category is to allow for a variety of mixed uses, but in a
contained area that eliminates the possibility of continuous strip
development. Development and redevelopment in this area will involve
improved site design, landscaping, and architecture, in an effort
to "retrofit the strip" (as recommended in the Greenway Guides).
H. Office/Industrial (OI).
(1) Two large areas that are currently zoned for light industry have
been retained in this district. The largest area includes the electric
substation at the western entrance to the Pleasant Valley hamlet,
as well as two existing industrial uses and a large vacant property
at the intersection of West Road and Salt Point Turnpike.
(2) Office and industrial uses provide Pleasant Valley with the opportunity
to create jobs and diversify the tax base. While they contribute to
the economic well-being of the Town, improperly sited or buffered
uses can detract from the immediate vicinity by, among other things,
funneling truck traffic onto residential streets and country roads,
and consuming large amounts of land for operations that may not be
compatible with the more rural characteristics of the area. However,
modern light industrial uses are more likely to have the appearance
and impacts of an office park than a smoke-belching factory. For this
reason, and to promote flexibility in land uses, offices as well as
certain commercial uses compatible with manufacturing and warehouses
(such as auction halls, auto sales and repair, building supplies,
equipment rental, health clubs, and transportation facilities) should
be permitted in these industrial areas. Like and compatible uses should
be grouped together.
I. Quarry (Q).
(1) Mining is an essential component of the construction industry, providing
needed raw materials as well as generating jobs and taxes. However,
the effects of larger-scale operations, such as noise, dust, erosion
and visual impacts, can extend beyond their property boundaries. Truck
traffic on local roads and through hamlet centers is also a concern.
In addition, by removing topsoil, vegetation, overburden and bedrock
materials that provide a natural filtering and cleansing medium for
water moving over the surface and through the ground, underlying aquifers
can be affected.
(2) Under a recently enacted state law, local governments have limited
control of larger mining operations, but can determine through zoning
where mining and truck access on local roads are permitted. The Town
should carefully review future mining permit applications to ensure
that erosion and sediment controls, buffers from streams and property
lines, reclamation plans, and performance standards are in place to
minimize off-site impacts and to protect the aquifer and future water
supply sources.
J. Special Flood Hazard (SFH).
(1) This district contains the low-lying areas and major stream corridors
defined on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's maps as one-hundred-year
floodplains. It primarily consists of the banks of the Wappinger Creek
and its major tributaries. In contrast to the scattered state-regulated
wetlands, the one-hundred-year floodplains form continuous corridors.
(2) Uses in the floodplain district should be generally limited to agriculture,
forestry, recreation and other uses that would be minimally affected
by high water. Structures that would house either humans or livestock
should be sited elsewhere. Floodplain setbacks also provide stream
protection, although the Town should supplement this category with
separate stream protection guidelines that would help preserve and
maintain the integrity of more minor waterways.
(3) The major exception to these general floodplains recommendations
must be the hamlet of Pleasant Valley, the center of which is almost
entirely built in the one-hundred-year floodplain. Improvements since
the last great flood in the 1950s have reduced the high water potential,
but floodplain regulations still apply in the hamlet center. The siting
of septic systems in a floodprone area is a particular problem, adding
another argument for central utilities in the hamlet area. Since the
Plan recommends reinforcing, not abandoning, the hamlet center, new
construction must conform to the floodplain standards and, to the
greatest degree possible, limit downstream consequences. Placing residential
uses in upper floors, providing for first-level parking, and floodproofing
nonresidential structures are among the techniques for limiting damage
due to future flooding.
K. Hamlet - Pleasant Valley (H-PV).
(1) This district includes the business core of the hamlet, composed
of an approximately one-quarter-mile walking radius that supports
the traditional village concept of "park once and walk around." The
traditional land use pattern in Pleasant Valley is essentially rural
in character. The concentrated, mixed-use village or hamlet settings
that evolved in the pre-automobile era still make sense from an economic
and social perspective.
(2) The Hamlet of Pleasant Valley serves as the Town center, hosting
an array of shops, services, and government functions. It is located
adjacent to the Wappinger Creek, at the confluence of several major
roads. A large portion of the Town center is located within the floodplain
of the Wappinger Creek, making the addition of hamlet-scale residential
difficult. The addition of central water and sewer will allow for
appropriate, hamlet-scale infill development.
L. Hamlet — Washington Hollow (H-WH). This district encompasses
a small linear commercial hamlet that straddles the Pleasant Valley-Washington
border, which has limited room for growth. There are possibilities,
however, for a mixture of small-scale commercial, office, and more
compact-scale residential uses east and west of the intersection of
Route 44 and Route 82. To make the best of the hamlet's constraints,
good landscaping and architecture should be required of all new projects.
The construction of excess driveways along Route 44 should be discouraged;
consolidation and shared access are preferred.
M. Hamlet — Salt Point (H-SP).
(1) In this district, mixed uses should continue to be encouraged at
a scale that reuses old buildings and provides some room for business
and residential expansion. Sidewalks and other appropriately scaled
pedestrian amenities should be included. Signs should be improved
to be more consistent with the hamlet's historic character. Architectural
design standards should be established to ensure that new uses and
new structures respect their historic setting. The store and post
office building act as a centralizing feature and should be enhanced
reminiscent of historic photos of the property.
(2) Salt Point is unique in this part of the county and Town as a compact
hamlet whose core of historic buildings is directly adjacent to actively
farmed land. The traditional setting of this rural hamlet, together
with its buildings and small-town functions, lend a charm and practical
character to the area and merit preservation. Indeed, it is a special
area within the whole Hudson Valley and is so recognized in the 2000
plan prepared by the Regional Plan Association.
N. Hamlet Residential (HR).
(1) This district includes the three existing hamlets: Pleasant Valley
and Washington Hollow, and Salt Point. This residential district surrounds
and supports the mixed-use business core, and covers an area of approximately
a one-half-mile radius from the center of its partner mixed-use district.
(2) Sprawl development should not be permitted to blur the hamlet's boundaries.
The Town should place priority on supporting continued agricultural
uses, use of conservation easements, and expansion of recreational
opportunities, including creek access. Residential development should
be carefully designed and clustered away from prominent scenic entrances
and important viewsheds.
The location and boundaries of said zoning districts are shown
on the map designated "Town of Pleasant Valley Zoning Map" (Zoning
Map) The Zoning Map and all amendments thereto are part of this chapter
and amendments are on file in the Town Clerk's office.
Where uncertainty exists with respect to the boundaries of any
of the districts as shown on the Zoning Map, the following rules shall
apply:
A. Along center lines and rights-of-way. Where district boundaries are
indicated as approximately following the right-of-way lines of streets,
highways, public utility easements or watercourses, boundaries shall
be construed to be coincident with such lines.
B. Along lot lines. Where district boundaries are so indicated that
they approximately follow the Town boundary line, property lines,
lot lines or projections thereof, boundaries shall be construed to
be coincident with such lines or projections thereof.
C. Parallel to center lines and rights-of-way. Where district boundaries
are so indicated that they are approximately parallel to the Town
boundary line, property lines, lot lines, right-of-way lines or projections
thereof, boundaries shall be construed as being parallel thereto and
at such distances therefrom as indicated on the Zoning Map. If no
distance is given, such dimension shall be determined by the use of
the scale shown on said Zoning Map.
D. Along watercourses. Where the boundary of a district follows an internal
stream, lake or other body of water, said boundary line shall be deemed
to follow the center line; where the boundary of the district follows
an external stream, lake or other body of water located along the
Town boundary, the district line shall be deemed to follow the line
of jurisdiction of the Town.
E. Along district boundaries. Where a district boundary line divides
a lot in a single or joint ownership of record at the time such line
is established, the regulations for the less restricted portion of
such lot shall extend not more than 30 feet into the more restricted
portion.
F. Nondimensioned boundaries. In all other cases where not dimensioned,
the location of boundaries shown on the Zoning Map shall be determined
by the use of the scale.