NEW SCOTLAND — Albany County’s planning board has made the opposite recommendation as the town’ planning board regarding the extension of a moratorium on large-scale commercial buildings in town.

“The town should complete its work to amend the provisions of the zoning ordinance in regards to the commercial zone within this next time extension,” the county’s planning board wrote in its Aug. 20 decision.

First introduced in May of 2008, the moratorium was a response to Sphere Development’s plans to build a shopping center in the town’s commercial district, which is currently used primarily for agriculture.  At the time, the town board appointed a now-defunct committee to advise it on bringing the zoning code in the commercial zone into line with the town’s comprehensive plan.

Earlier this month the town’s planning board advised the town board not to extend the hold on large-scale commercial development further (the full story can be found at www.altamontenterprise.com under archives for Aug. 6, 2009 in New Scotland).  The current moratorium ends in September and the proposed extension would last until Feb. 1.  A public hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the town hall.