We strongly support the Town of Windham’s proposed Site Plan Review Local Law moratorium and call on the Town Board to invoke an immediate moratorium on its Subdivision Local Law to ensure that they comply with the Town of Windham’s Comprehensive Plan. 

These Moratoria MUST Pertain to New AND Existing Site Plan and Subdivision Applications. 

We feel this is an appropriate and necessary measure for addressing our long range community planning and land use objectives: 

    (a)    There are several Major projects currently under review that have been under debate and protest, and appear to be in direct conflict with our Adopted Comprehensive Plan.

    (b)    The volume of development that has already occurred this year, combined with the proposed, is already surpassing the growth capacity our Town can support, as determined by our Town’s GEIS Study (Generic Environmental Impact Statement) that concluded: “As many as 1,000 new homes could be constructed over the course of the next 20 to 30 years.” (i.e. 35-50 per year). “In fact, since 2009, the most significant changes in land use within Windham has been the development of new seasonal vacation homes. It is estimated that at least 250 new seasonal homes have been built in the last ten years.” 

The Windham Town Board needs to act on this IMMEDIATELY to protect our town and promote smart, responsible land use decisions!

NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF STATE:    
“Moratoria are designed to preserve the status quo while the community considers adopting changes to its comprehensive plan and/or its land use regulations.” 

“Moratoria prevent hasty decisions that may lead to inefficient and ill-conceived growth; they prevent a rush to development and immediate major construction that may be inconsistent with the provisions of our future plan.”

TOWN OF WINDHAM: 
“The Town Board finds and determines that based upon recent activities, applications and/or inquiries currently before the town, and based on the opinion of the Town Engineer, such applications and/or inquiries, if approved, could have a deleterious effect on the Town’s aforementioned efforts.”

WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT, and there should be no doubt that the review and/or approval of any MAJOR project and/or subdivision applications currently before the Boards should be temporarily halted and INCLUDED in this moratorium.