By Art Cusano

The Somers Town Board voted Thursday night to approve a series of amendments to the town’s zoning code aimed at increasing the amount of affordable housing in the town.
The board voted unanimously to approve a local law that adds a new article to the zoning code dedicated to creating and regulating affordable housing units.

The article gives preferential treatment to Somers residents that qualify financially for such housing. Some of the other aspects taken into consideration include being a municipal employee of the town, being a Somers volunteer fireman or policeman, or being a fulltime Somers Central School District employee.

Residents who are legally blind or hearing impaired would also be given preferred treatment, as will be those receiving disability insurance through the Social Security Administration. Residents with over a year of military service would also get preferential status.

The legislation enacts changes to the zoning code of the Multifamily Residence District, Business Historic Preservation District, and Neighborhood Shopping Districts of the town to encourage affordable housing there. The code changes mandate that 15 percent of all housing built in the three districts must target affordable housing.

The amendments contain incentives to developers to make affordable housing more attractive. For example, in the Multifamily Residence District, the creation of one affordable housing unit will allow a developer to build an additional market rate unit after the required 15 percent base density required has been reached. Developers are restricted to a 20 percent increase in market rate units.

In the Neighborhood Shopping District, developers who set aside 50 percent of residential units for affordable housing may be eligible for a reduction in the amount of required parking spaces, as well as the right to build a structure up to three stories or 50-feet high.
The code changes also lists requirements for the number of residents who can live within affordable housing units, as well as establishes the maximum price a resident can be charged for such a unit.

Town planner Sabrina Hull said the changes were meant to make it more attractive to developers to create affordable housing.

“This will encourage developers to go above and beyond the minimum requirements,” she said.

The approval of the code amendments followed a public hearing where the amendments were praised by several residents.

Barry Singer of Heritage Hills, chairman of the affordable housing board, said the affordable housing board was pleased to endorse the amendments but hoped more work could be done.
“We deem it to be a wonderful first step toward coming close to satisfying perhaps half of the town’s goal for affordable housing,” Singer said. “We still would like to see the town board survey the town to see where else affordable housing can be developed.”

Carol Sturtz, a Heritage Hills resident and co-president of the Somers League of Woman Voters, said the amendments would help fulfill the town’s promise to create 224 units on the 654-acre Eagle River property that was acquired by the town in 2006. She also said the amendments would help keep important emergency services personnel in the town.
“It should be noted that without these volunteers we would need to create a very costly fire department, as well as other expensive services,” Sturtz said.

In other news:
* An amendment to give a special exception use permit to Best Plumbing of Somers was passed by a 4-0 vote. The amendment gives the owner permission to move eight parking spaces to improve traffic flow and to install concrete curbing in the parking area, as well as some other minor property changes. Supervisor Murphy recused herself from the vote due to personal business she had been conducting with the company.

* The board authorized Murphy to sign a renewal of the town’s NYSEG franchise for a 25-year contract.

* The board authorized the town attorney to put the deeds of the Preserve development into escrow because work on certain roads in the development is finally close to being completed.