In the history of the Village of Avon, there have been cases in which the non-residential zoning of a business property has caused it to remain vacant and decrepit until special action has been taken to allow residential use.T he method has proven effective in reviving otherwise nonviable properties the village’s Business-1 districts. Local law now allows the Zoning Board of Appeals to issue residential special use permits in B-1 districts when recommended by the Planing Board and sanctioned by the Village Board.
The question before the village board at their last meeting was whether to extend this practice village-wide in all zoning districts if the specially permitted residential housing would be occupied by senior citizens.
Two specific cases prompted the discussion, scheduled to come before the planning board this week: proposals to convert the former Wesleyan Church and the professional office at 190 Clinton Street to residential apartment use.
The board approached the idea with caution. Deputy Mayor Mark McKeown suggested that such special permitting “looks a lot like spot zoning,” that is, allowing an isolated use within a neighborhood where it might be out of place. There was also the worry that universal acceptance of the notion might result in a flurry of applications to convert carriage houses and other accessory buildings into apartments.
The decision was made in the absence of Mayor Tom Freeman, who was in Utah at the time of the meeting. However, Freeman is known to be an advocate of making allowances which set the stage for an otherwise useless property to become a viable, tax-paying site of investment.
At the conclusion of its discussion, the board was in agreement to move forward with a new local law which will expand special use permitting for senior housing.
Complete story appears in our Sept. 24 print edition.
