In a Court of Appeals decision announced Monday, the towns of Dryden and Middlefield prevailed in cases testing their zoning prohibitions against activities surrounding high-volume hydraulic fracturing.
Kristen Reynders, the owner of Hitmans Towing, appeared in Knox Town Court with her lawyer, father, and several supporters. Her lawyer requested the trial be heard by a jury, scheduled for July.
BERNE — One of the neighbors and potential bidders for a foreclosed property near a state preserve is the town’s building inspector, who was recently accused of trying to devalue an adjoining parcel.
The area along Route 156 is called "mixed-use" zoning, where residential and commercial uses are allowed. The law is set up with planning board oversight, with the aim to sustain the historic qualities of the district.
Realtor Robert Smith says his niece bought property in Knox, where she has a towing business in the second district, only after the zoning administrator said they would be clear of the town's law.
The land is currently zoned Residential R15 and Residential R40, and would need to be re-zoned to Planned Unit Development — which can exceed zoned density requirements — in order for the project to go forward.
Knox's first official business district is one step closer to reality as the planning board finalized a map, stretching the length of the hamlet along Route 156.
