Credit: Will Maitland Weiss
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Gallatin Town Board met to approve the annual reorganization of town appointments, to approve salaries for highway and clerk positions, and to discuss the memo that will be sent to the town attorney regarding possible revisions of zoning regulations.
Board member Jeff Jorve expressed the board’s consensus that “we seek language indicating that the town is interested both in greater forest protection in some areas and in considering higher housing density in other areas.” When a member of the public asked about the comprehensive plan’s mandate for “preserving rural character,” Jorve responded, “Is our ‘rural character’ about the number of homes in Gallatin? Or is it about whether blue-collar workers can afford to live here? How do we create an environment for both affordable housing development and preservation of our contiguous forest corridor?”
The board asked the Conservation Advisory Council to provide mapping for the town’s forest corridor that facilitates migration south and north, in addition to the broader forest overlay Members also discussed possible zoning language around future commercial solar farm development, concluding that it should be treated like the current regulation regarding a Floating Commercial/Industrial District (FCID), which does not define specific geography but invites “concentrated development” through special permits approved by both the Town Board and the Planning Board.
The board noted that in March, Columbia County will start taxing short-term rental facilities — 38 are now registered in Gallatin — and the town needs to determine what additional fees and restrictions it will impose. Town Supervisor John Reilly will post a memo on zoning revisions on the Gallatin Townhub site, inviting residents’ input before it is sent to the attorney. He hopes the board will see an attorney draft at its March or April meeting.
Town Highway Superintendent Jack Gomm, who will be retiring on Dec. 31, praised Gallatin for having his position appointed rather than elected. (Gomm: “Meaning there’s no requirement of experience.”) Reilly noted that the opening will be posted next fall, and that the appointment could be affected by November 2025 Town Board elections.