The Town zoning and land use codes which regulate the use of land in the Town of DeWitt outside the Village of East Syracuse are outdated. In 2000, the Town Board asked an 18 member citizens committee to study and prepare the first Comprehensive Plan for DeWitt since 1961. DeWitt has dramatically changed in these years from a semi-rural Town of 6,000 to a complex suburban Town of 25,000 residents and nearly 50,000 employed in Town businesses. One of the biggest action tasks the Comprehensive Plan of 2002 recommended was the modernization of the Town’s zoning and land use codes since many of these codes were unresponsive to today’s property protection and maintenance needs. In fact, the last major revision to the Zoning Code had been adopted in 1967 – exactly 40 years ago. Consequently, the Town Board adopted several new codes on December 10, 2007. These took effect January 1, 2008.

2. How were the Codes updated?

The Town Board formed a Zoning Update Committee in 2004 to direct and advise the work of the Town consultant - Peter J. Smith and Co. Using the principles and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan for guidance, the committee and its consultant prepared and reviewed several successive drafts of the zoning and property use codes. With this forth and final draft, Public review and comment was being solicited. On the fourth and final draft the Committee and the Planning Board then made their recommendations to the Town Board. The Town Board held two (2) public hearings in November and December after which it adopted the new laws.

3. Will my home (or business) be rezoned?

No property was being rezoned as a result of the new laws. Rather, the Town Board has directed the Zoning Update to restudy zoning map changes and make new recommendations.

Rezoning is the changing of the zoning classification of property such that the use permitted (for instance - residential, industrial, office, etc) is changed.

4. How will the new zoning code affect my property?

It is impossible to say with certainty if and how your property may be affected unless your property is proposed for “rezoning”. (See Question # 3, above.)

IF you do not make changes to your property or the use thereof, THEN the proposed code will not affect your property or your use of it. One of the basic rules of zoning is the rule of “grandfathering” or allowing an existing legal use of the property to continue after a new code takes effect.

One exception to the “grandfather” rule involves signage. In the proposed Code, all signage not conforming to the proposed sign rules will need to conform to the Code or be removed by January 2012.

5. What other codes were being changed?

Eleven related codes were modified (M), deleted (D) or incorporated (I) into the Zoning Ordinance including:

*    Alternate Members – I – (Ch. 3)
*    Planning Board – I – (Ch. 37)
*    Brush, Grass and Weeds – M - (Ch. 67)
*    Excavation, Grading and Filling - I - (Ch. 86)
*    Fireworks – I – (Ch. 97)
*    Junkyards – I – (Ch. 114)
*    Littering – M - (Ch. 118)
*    Nursery Schools and Day Nurseries – D – (Ch. 130)
*    Signs – D – (Ch. 151)
*    Swimming Pools – D – (Ch. 167)
*    Zoning Board of Appeals Rules – I – (Ch. A196)

6. When did the new codes take effect?

January 1, 2008

7. How can I learn more about the zoning and land use updates?

There are many ways to learn more about the proposed Zoning and land codes. You may:

· GO TO www.townofdewitt.com/zoningupdate

8. Questions?

CALL, WRITE or SEND an email to:

James F. Conlon, Director of Planning and Development
Town of DeWitt
5400 Butternut Drive
East Syracuse, NY 13057
446-3910 ext. 3
dev_oper@townofdewitt.com

DeWitt… a town of choice in Upstate New York