At a special meeting on March 31, the Gallatin Town Board moved closer to adopting a new zoning plan, guided by updated overlay maps prepared by Hudsonia Ltd.
The board discussed a “pass-and-amend” strategy that would establish key overlay zones — covering forests, wetlands, streams, and steep slopes — while deferring the specific development restrictions that those areas would entail to later amendments.
In March 2024, the town received a $10,000 grant to hire zoning attorney Andrew Howard, who has been drafting a new zoning law for Gallatin, to which the proposed overlay zones would be added. But the grant funding the project expires in April, adding urgency to the board’s efforts. “It is always best to satisfy a grant in the timeframe requested,” wrote Town Clerk Lisa DeLeeuw in an email to the Herald. “Future grants cannot be applied for until older ones are fully closed out.”
Work on the zoning update began more than a year and a half ago. “This isn’t being thrown together,” said Tara Silberberg, who assumed the role of Town Supervisor last month. She noted that turnover in leadership and overall board membership has contributed to the need to fast-track the zoning process.
Representatives from Hudsonia Ltd., an environmental research institute based at Bard College, joined the meeting virtually to present maps identifying forested areas they said are worthy of protection. Their maps revolved around the forest linkage zone, an important migratory corridor that connects the Berkshires with the Hudson River.
Hudsonia identified forests that are in the 90th percentile of the Forest Condition Index (a metric from the New York Natural Heritage Program) and fall within the linkage zone. On the same map they marked Gallatin’s ancient forests (discovered by the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program), which contain ecological rare, historically untilled soils. Combined, this “Forest Protection Overlay District” covers 43.5% percent of Gallatin, and was offered as one possible overlay option for development restrictions.
The specific restrictions for these zones have yet to be finalized. Board members discussed bringing in an outside expert, with Nan Stolzenberg and Gretchen Stevens named as possibilities. “Guidance from someone who knows a lot about this is definitely something I’d want to have happen,” said board member Ben Maron.
One restriction that the board used as an example was driveway length, which can carve into a forest and severely impact its health. In the proposed zoning plan, driveway length could be restricted differently depending on whether residents fell within ancient forest zones, 90th percentile forest health zones, or 80th percentile forest health zones.
The plan would also take into account other environmental features. Slopes steeper than 25% would be protected from development due to erosion risks, while streams and wetlands would be surrounded by yet to be defined buffer zones, where development would be restricted.
A tiered plan was also discussed, in which the most ecologically sensitive areas, such as ancient forests, have the most restrictive development rules, and that healthy (but not ancient) forests had more lenient rules. “These are remarkable ecological remnants that are so unusual,” said Arnow about Gallatin’s ancient forests. “They deserve protections similar to wetlands or vernal pools.”
Questions remain as to the exact acreage and boundaries of the forest protection overlay zone, and balancing, as board member Jeff Jorve said, “the trifecta of rural character, environmental preservation, and affordability.”
Good for Gallatin! Wish that Milan would do the same. They had environmentally friendly eco system studies done. However, without the zoning board following through on their recommendations, our lovely countryside will be thoroughly ruined. Just look at all the long driveways on Turkey Hill Road. Also Jackson Corners Roads. New people coming into the area want long drives in order to avoid road noise and being seen from the road.