Monday evening the Lancaster Town Board unanimously approved a resolution to adopt Local Law No.4 of the Year 2022, which updates and corrects the lot sizes within Zoning 400 Attachment 2, Schedule B, of the Town of Lancaster’s Town Code.

Minimum lot area for Residential Districts:

If public sewer: 15,000 square feet per DU.
If public sewer on corner lot: 15,625 square feet per DU.
If no public sewer: 37,500 square feet (3/4 ac.) per DU

Minimum Lot Width for Resident Districts

(1) If public sewer: 100 feet
(2) If public sewer on corner lot: 125 feet
(3) No public sewer: 150 feet

The zoning code change resolution was unanimously adopted by the board without board exchange or comment during numerous builder petitioner requests for resolution tabling or during resolution voting. Builders and their representatives addressed the board on their not being properly notified / made aware of the code change, the implications of increased home building cost, their contributions to the town’s tax base, lot size upkeep, etc.

The who’s who of Lancaster builders addressed the board petitioning for resolution tabling so that they had an opportunity to meet with the town before voting took place.

The builder’s plea on not being made aware of the lot size code change seems disingenuous considering:

The Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York and Chapter 26 of the Town of Lancaster Town Code provide for the adoption and enactment of local laws.
A proposed Local Law of the Year 2022 entitled “SCHEDULE B REVISION”, of the Code of the Town of Lancaster, was introduced to the Town Board of the Town of Lancaster by Council Member Mazur on the 2nd day of May 2022.

The Town Board, acting as Lead Agency under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) had determined the action is a Type I action and had issued a negative declaration.

The Town Board called for, noticed, and held a public hearing on the proposed Local Law on May 16, 2022, where all interested parties were allowed to address the proposed Local Law. No one addressed the board at the public hearing on the zoning change.

Excepting builders, no one from the public addressed the board expressing concerns or requesting resolution tabling at Monday evening's town board meeting.