At their meeting last Tuesday, the Montgomery Village Board voted unanimously to adopt Introductory Local Law No. I-1 of 2021. This local law extends the moratorium on the submission and processing of applications for land use approvals within the Village of Montgomery for two additional months.

The moratorium was originally enacted last June by Local Law No. 2 of 2020 for a period of six months and was then extended an additional three months in December.

“Mainly because we wanted to take into account the town’s own comprehensive plan that they just recently announced,” Trustee Walter Lindner said regarding the reason for the moratorium’s two-month extension. “There’s some things we want to try to do to compliment what they’re doing particularly on the edge of our village.”

The Town of Montgomery released a draft of its updated comprehensive plan in February. The draft features changes to the zoning by Orange County Airport, which affects the Village of Montgomery. The village has three commercial properties out that way and the board wants to take the zoning changes into account before they make their final decisions regarding the properties.

The purpose of this local law is to enable the village to prevent the submission and processing of any applications for land use approvals within the village for a reasonable time so that it can complete and enact appropriate zoning amendments to its zoning law to further the comprehensive plan update.

The village board also voted to adopt this law, as it will fulfill their obligations to protect and preserve the public health, welfare and safety of residents as well as to protect the value, use and enjoyment of property in the village by temporarily prohibiting the submission and processing of applications for land use approvals.

In addition, the village board voted to extend the moratorium because they require additional time to study the impacts, effects and regulation of development within the village. The extension would give them time to further consider the concerns of the residents and property owners of the village and to address their needs. The village board aims to preserve the resources and character of the village.

Residents were pleased that the moratorium was extended an additional two months.

“I think it’s the best thing that they could do at this time,” said Don Berger, one of the founders of citizens group Residents Protecting Montgomery. “It gives them more time to evaluate the land use and zoning.”

The Village of Montgomery Comprehensive Plan Subcommittee will present the zoning changes to the master plan on Wednesday, March 31, 7 p.m. at the Village of Montgomery Senior Center. A public hearing regarding the extension of the moratorium was scheduled to take place at last Tuesday’s meeting but has been postponed indefinitely.