In split vote
R’ville board adopts moratorium



RENSSELAERVILLE — The town board last week narrowly passed a one-year moratorium on new major subdivisions in the town.

At a special meeting last Thursday, the Rensselaerville Town Board voted 3 to 2 in favor of the moratorium. Split along party lines, Republican Supervisor Jost Nickelsberg and Republican board members Myra Dorman and Robert Lansing voted for the moratorium, while Democrats Sherri Pine and Gary Chase voted against it.

For one year, the moratorium will halt subdivisions of over three lots in Rensselaerville. A previous draft called for a stop to developments along ridge lines and non-residential developments over 2,000 square feet, but the town board changed those requirements after it met with harsh criticism from residents.
The intent of the moratorium is to give the planning board time to review the comprehensive plan and "look at what needs to be added and deleted," Nickelsberg told The Enterprise.
"We haven’t revisited the comprehensive plan since 1992, which is a long way ago," Nickelsberg said.

Though some residents, particularly large landowners, have vocally opposed the moratorium, Nickelsberg said he believes the majority is in favor of it.
"At the end of the day, the majority has to rule," he said.

Chase told The Enterprise he voted against moratorium because petitions and comments at meetings indicated to him that more people in the town were against the moratorium than for it.

Moratoriums, Chase said, are only for when there is intense pressure for development in a town, and he does not believe that exists in Rensselaerville.

To aid the planning board in its work, the town formed a comprehensive-plan committee of residents from each part of town, large and small landowners, and local business people. The committee is currently up to 11 people, but a few more will be added soon, Nickelsberg said.
"We want more people representing the business community," he said.