By Lauren Young
Staff Writer
The DeWitt Town Board is looking to redefine its zoning guidelines to help create a more community-oriented setting and make Dewitt a more vibrant place to live and work.
The town board proposed to update the town code’s definition of “mixed-use” during an informational meeting for mixed-use overlay zoning at the DeWitt Town Hall on Monday. The board is considering this zoning update for certain areas in the town, such as the Erie Boulevard/East Genesee Street corridor, the Thompson Road/James Street corridor and around the New Court Avenue area.
“This evening is the result of many years of work,” said Supervisor Ed Michalenko, who introduced the presentation.
The new zoning classification would blend residential, commercial, cultural or institutional uses into one integrated project, with the overall goal to “create walkable, compact, neighborhoods areas that have street-level activity,” said Director of Planning and Zoning Sam Gordon.
According to Gordon, residential development in downtown Syracuse has experienced an “80 percent growth of population over the last 10 years,” which represents “a tremendous amount of private investment in downtown Syracuse.”
“There is a growing national market segment that’s looking for walkable, mixed-use environments for convenience and a greater sense of community,” he said. “Developers have begun to recognize that they can achieve premium pricing in development projects, especially when you combine some form of multi-family housing.”
In the original “mixed use” definition, as set forth in Section 192-14 of their village code, it was stated that an area must contain a minimum of 10 acres of developable land and only upper-level residential units can be developed if connected to the ground floor. The definition was updated to state that any development that allows for two or more principle uses must also have one residential development, building or lot integrated within.
The zoning would incorporate three districts with differing height maximums — the first with a two-story height maximum, the second with a four-story maximum and the third with a six-story maximum — Shoppingtown Mall being an example of a district where six stories would be allowed. The town also seeks to address its lack of a “traditional” town center.
“There is no place that you might want to go and get out of your car and walk around to shop or go to a movie,” said Gordon. If DeWitt did have a center, Gordon said it would be located around the Shoppingtown Mall location — a 50-acre lot. However, the likelihood of all 50 acres being developed as mixed-use is “quite low,” said Gordon.
Gordon referred to a series of “sample” mixed-use projects to demonstrate their vision, including I-Square in Irondequoit, Mashepee Commons in Massachusetts, College Town in Rochester and Broadway Historic District in Saratoga Springs.
Resident Steve Blusk said he is “very excited” about the project, and hopes to see further development in the area, especially at Shoppingtown Mall. “When you go to an area that’s vibrant, people like to go there, and they don’t want to say, ‘Let’s go entertain there, then let’s go in our car to drive out five miles to get something to eat,’” said Blusk, who has lived in the area for nearly 15 years. “It would be great to go somewhere and know you’ll be there for the day, where you can eat, shop, entertain and get some exercise.”
The board is currently seeking public feedback on the issue. If the idea moves forward, any proposed legislation would be referred to the county planning board for review, and the board would hold at least one public hearing.
“This could take several months, a year, or it could not happen,” said Gordon. “It depends on what the town board decides to do moving forward.”
For comments or concerns, contact Director of Planning and Zoning Sam Gordon at [email protected] and or Supervisor Ed Michalenko at [email protected].
