RYE PLANNING BOARD
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE 

Changes To Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendments 

            The Rye Planning Board will hold second public hearings on December 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Rye Town Hall on two (2) proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments which have been materially changed from the proposals submitted to public hearings on November 3, 2009.  The amendments address the Town of Rye’s obligations relative to workforce housing, which are required by state law.  Amendment WF-1:  Instead of allowing multi-family dwellings as a permitted use in the Commercial District, WF-1 has been changed to establish a Multi-Family Dwelling Overlay District in which multi-family dwellings would be allowed by Special Use Permit. The other proposed requirements for multi-family dwellings have not materially changed, including that at least 20% of the dwelling units (but not more than 40%) must be for workforce housing.  The areas proposed to be covered by the overlay district are the Commercial District along Lafayette Road; land within 800 ft. westerly of the Commercial District along Lafayette Road; and the Rand Lumber Company parcel. Amendment WF-4 provides for Conservation Land Developments (CLD’s) by Special Use Permit on parcels 20 acres or lager in size in the Single Residence and Commercial Districts, provided that at least 20% of the dwelling units (but not more than 40%) are for workforce housing.  CLD’s must have 50% of the land preserved in perpetuity as open space.  In exchange for open space, lot size, frontage and setback requirements may be reduced by the planning board.  WF-4 has been changed to address the requirements of the Growth Management Ordinance and to refine the definition of “open space.”  Amendments WF-1 and WF-4 include several pages of requirements intended to assure that proposals for multi-family developments and CLD’s are well planned and compatible with existing neighborhoods and the natural environment.   

Copies of the proposed amendments and of a map showing the proposed overlay district are posted at the Rye Town Hall and available from the Planning Office. 
 

 Donald Cavallaro, Chm. 
             Rye Planning Board
             November 20, 2009