A.
This chapter, which includes both the zoning text
and the zoning map, has been adopted in order to advance the goals,
policies, and recommendations of the Town of Glenville Comprehensive
Plan. The Comprehensive Plan serves as the planning policy document
for the Town of Glenville, while this chapter establishes land use
regulations to advance these policies. It is the intent of the Town
of Glenville Town Board that all planning and zoning decisions be
made in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan and/or a comprehensive
planning process.
[Amended 10-1-2014 by L.L. No. 7-2014]
B.
In general terms, this chapter is adopted as a means
to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the Town and
its residents. It has been designed to lessen congestion in the streets;
to secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other dangers; to provide
adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid
undue concentration of population; to make provision for, so far as
conditions permit, the accommodation of solar energy systems and equipment
and access to sunlight necessary therefor; to facilitate the adequate
provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other
public amenities and infrastructure.
C.
This chapter has also been crafted to encourage certain
types of development in areas where the land is well suited for such
development, and/or where such development has already occurred, and/or
where infrastructure is available to support both the type and intensity
of the proposed use. In encouraging development in designated areas,
it is the intent that nearby properties and/or neighborhoods are not
significantly impacted as a result, either through environmental impacts,
visual effects, or through a reduction in property values.
In addition to the above general purposes, this
chapter, either directly or indirectly, is designed to advance the
following objectives:
A.
Maintain the quality and quantity of the Town of Glenville
and Village of Scotia's drinking water via protection of the underlying
Schenectady (Great Flats) Aquifer. This is to be accomplished by preventing
the siting of potentially harmful land uses over the recharge areas
of the aquifer, and by minimizing pollution threats to streams and
rivers that comprise the aquifer's watershed.
B.
Protect various natural features throughout the Town,
including state and federal wetlands, flood-prone areas, stream corridors,
and view sheds known to be important to the community and/or region.
C.
Encourage the establishment of additional parklands,
open space, and recreational opportunities.
D.
Maintain the rural character of those areas in western
Glenville where public water has not been installed, and/or where
soil conditions, slopes, and/or the presence of environmentally sensitive
features pose limitations to development.
E.
Preserve scenic vistas known to be important to local
residents as well as passersby, particularly in western Glenville
where the topography is visually appealing, and wherever unspoiled
views of water bodies are present.
F.
Preserve historic structures and maintain areas and
buildings of distinctive character.
G.
Minimize traffic congestion, particularly along arterials
and collector roads that are meant to serve through traffic (i.e.,
NYS Route 50, NYS Route 5, NYS Route 147, Glenridge Road, Freemans
Bridge Road, Maple Avenue, Alplaus Avenue, Swaggertown Road, etc.).
This is to be accomplished via the minimization and/or consolidation
of curb cuts, encouragement to build access roads, maximization of
sight distance for new driveways along these roads, etc. as part of
the review of planning and zoning-related applications.
H.
Increase housing options so as to accommodate a broader
spectrum of demographic groups, including senior citizens, single-parent
households, minorities, young married couples, and other low- to moderate-income
socioeconomic groups.
I.
Decrease the property tax burden upon residents by
increasing the nonresidential tax base through well-conceived and
appropriately scaled and located commercial and industrial development.
J.
Provide additional appropriately scaled and sited
recreational and commercial development opportunities along the Mohawk
River so that the public may benefit from improved access to this
resource.
K.
Foster community identity and character by focusing
on the Route 50/Glenridge Road area known as the "Town Center." This
is to be accomplished by encouraging a pedestrian-scale, downtown-type
development scenario through the construction of sidewalks, access
roads, bicyclist accommodations, public open space, increased landscaping,
aesthetically pleasing building design standards, minimization and
standardization of sign design and construction, the location of parking
to the side and rear of buildings, etc.
L.
Improve the appearance of the Town through the use
of building design standards, particularly in the Town Center area,
along commercial corridors, and in the gateway areas of the Town where
motorists are exposed to a first impression of Glenville.
M.
Encourage pedestrian and bicycle design features and
structures throughout the commercial and higher density residential
areas of Glenville.
N.
Ensure that development and building activities on
the border of other municipalities do not conflict with existing land
use patterns of those adjacent municipalities. This is particularly
true along the borders of the Village of Scotia.
