Deferiet Aims for Multifamily Zoning


by Timothy W. Scee II
Special to Newzjunky.com
Published February 1, 2012

WATERTOWN, N.Y.  —  The village is making efforts to amend its zoning laws in a push to welcome additional multifamily residential developments into the municipality. 

The Jefferson County Planning Board Tuesday discussed a proposal made by the village’s Board of Trustees to define two-family residences and allow them to be developed in R-1 and R-2 zones, which allow only the development of single family homes under current zoning.

“Now two-family homes will be allowed with a special use permit,” Jennifer L. Voss, a county community development coordinator, said. 

Mayor Robert J. Foster says village officials have been eyeing a zoning change for nearly four months to facilitate potential property sales of land that could be developed for multifamily housing, including a 45-acre, waterfront parcel on State Route 3 owned by GSR Development Co. Inc.

That parcel is located in a R-1 zone.

“That way, if a developer came in and wants to put in duplexes or two-family homes, that wasn’t an issue,” Mr. Foster said. 

The mayor says he hopes his community can lessen the burden of what he describes as a growing housing crunch due to an expected influx of soldiers returning back to Fort Drum this year. 

“If we can help do something to help develop our community or something that is going to lead us to smart growth, we’ve been pretty open to that for the past three years,” he said.

A real estate agent for the property, listed for $375,000 through Hunt Real Estate, Fayetteville, N.Y., contacted Mr. Foster with potential buyers’ concerns about the types of developments allowed on the land under its current zoning.

“(The realtor) is trying to market the property and we’re trying to market the property,” Mr. Foster added. “It’s a beautiful site for development, it’s right on the river, you know I don’t have anything bad to say about it.”

The mayor said the once heavily wooded property is experiencing a “new growth of trees” after some of its original trees were destroyed under former property owner John Palladino.

Mr. Foster says the site is now owned by GSR Development Principal Gary S. Reibert, also the owner of Homestead Quality Homes, Watertown. 

A public hearing on the proposed zoning amendment will be held during the village Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 6 p.m., at the village Office Building, 68 Riverside Drive. 

Have a story idea? E-mail newzjunky@gmail.com 

Interested in advertising on Newzjunky? Yes.          Follow Newzjunky.com on Twitter.


© 2011 Newzjunky, Inc.   
The information you receive online from Newzjunky, Inc., 
is protected by the copyright laws of the United States.

Interested in ad space here?
Contact us