(845) 677-3419 ext 112
(845) 677-2085
10 Reservoir Dr.MEETINGS begin at 6:00 PM at the Town of Washington Town Hall (10 Reservoir Drive, Millbrook, NY).
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Regular session on the first Tuesday of each month
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Special meetings may be called by the Planning Board Chair and shall be noticed pursuant to the Open Meetings Law.
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If the date of any meeting is canceled due to inclement weather, lack of quorum, or other conflicts, the meeting will be scheduled for another night and the new meeting day and time will be posted and made public pursuant to the Open Meetings Law.
FORMS
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- Planning Board Application
- Planning Board Checklist
- Short Form Environmental Assessment Form Part 1 - Project Information NYSDEC
- pdf Wetland Permit Form
- Planning Board Fee Schedule revised 1/12/2023
- Owner's Endorsement - Requires a Notarized Signature
- Consent to Inspection
- PB Monthly Schedule with Due Dates 2023
LEGISLATION
DEADLINES - For new Planning Board applications, in order to be scheduled on the Planning Board agenda, complete application packets must be received by the Planning Board Clerk fourteen days prior to the Planning Board meeting. No exceptions.
PB Monthly Schedule with Due Dates
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It is strongly recommended that applicants meet with the Zoning Administrator prior to the submission date to ensure a complete packet is being submitted.
- A site visit by the Zoning Administrator is required prior to the submission date to verify site information and to ensure there aren't any violations on the property.
- The complete application submittal packet must be delievered to the Town fourteen days prior to the Planning Board meeting to be included on the next Planning Board meeting date.
- Failure to submit a complete packet will delay Planning Board review.
- Violations on a property will delay Planning Board review.
ACTIONS OF THE PLANNING BOARD
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Prior to making a decision on the application, the Planning Board shall make a determination of significance under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. The Planning Board may open the public hearing prior to the determination of significance in order to obtain public comment on the issues of environmental concern.
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Decisions of approval or disapproval will be made no more than sixty-two (62) days after the closing of a public hearing on a complete application. The decision of the Planning Board will be filed with the Town Clerk within five (5) business days of the date of the decision.
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Disapproval of an application will require the resubmission of a preliminary application if the applicant wishes to pursue further consideration of the plan.
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Conditional approval of a Plat will expire on the one hundred eightieth (180th) day after the conditional approval granted by the Planning Board. Upon request, the Planning Board may extend the conditional approval for no more than two (2) additional periods of ninety (90) days each, if the request is warranted and received in a timely manner.
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The Plat will be void if it is revised after the Planning Board signature. No changes, erasures, modifications or revisions shall be made on any plat after the plat has been signed by the Board. If the recorded plan contains any changes, the plat shall be considered void, and the Planning Board shall take action to remove the plat from county records.
- When Planning Board approval is granted for anything requiring a building permit, the applicant must provide Building Department a copy of the Planning Board Resolution, a copy of approved plats or plot plans and if necessary, a copy of the notice of filing with Dutchess County.
- In addition to other notes as may be required by the Board, the applicant shall include as notes on the map the following: pdf Driveway Construction Guidelines , pdf Erosion Control Guidelines
FEES
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All fees are due at the time an application is submitted. Application and Administrative fees are not refundable. Fees shall be paid with separate checks to cover the following: (1) Escrow Funds; and (2) Application and Administrative Fee. Recreation Fees are due and payable at the time of Final Subdivision Approval. The signature of the Chair on the final plat will be withheld pending payment of all outstanding amounts. Checks shall be made payable to the Town of Washington.
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Applications that are on the agenda and where applicants or their representatives make an appearance before the Planning Board for greater than four meetings will be assessed $100.00 per month that the application is on the agenda and is heard by the Board. This $100.00 per month fee is to cover administrative costs to process these applications.
Planning Board Fee Schedule revised 1/12/2023
Escrow Funds
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The fee will be used to pay the cost of consultant fees incurred by the Planning Board to review the application.
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The following escrow fees were adopted for any project in front of any Town agency, effective January 12, 2023
- Initial Escrow deposit $1,500.00
- $2,000 for projects under $10,000.00 in development costs
- $5,000.00 for projects with $10,001.00 - $50,000.00 in development costs
- $10,000.00 for projects over $50,001.00 in development costs
Any unexpended funds will be returned to the applicant after all consultant fees have been paid.
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The applicant may be periodically advised as to the need to replenish the Escrow Funds.
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Approval of all applications is expressly conditioned on the payment of all fees, including all escrow fees.
Planning Board FAQs
The Town of Washington Zoning Code requires the following types of projects to be reviewed by the Planning Board:
- Subdivisions of land (Residential and non-residential)
- Lot line adjustments
- Site plans or changes to existing site plans for Commercial projects
- Stables and Riding Academies (Public or private)
- Conversions of Barns and Accessory structures to residential use
- Construction of Accessory Residential Housing (permanent or temporary)
- Signs, except as permitted by right under Section 331 of the Zoning code
- Most home occupations
- Any Soil Mining or Quarrying activity
- Installation of certain Solar Energy or Telecommunications equipment
- Wetlands Permits
- Other Special Permits, as listed in the Zoning code
No. A variance is required when a property owner wants to build structures or use land in ways that are contrary to existing local zoning regulations. The property owner would seek a variance through the Zoning Board of Appeals.
The adopted zoning districts can be viewed on the Current Zoning Map, or by searching Dutchess County ParcelAccess for property information.
Uses and structure limitations (such as setbacks from property lines, maximum lot coverage, and maximum building height) can be found in the Zoning Code.
For any questions or assistance, please contact the Building and Land Use department, or see additional information available on the Building and Land Use home page.
The Town of Washington has a Wetlands and Watercourses Law, which requires that a property owner apply file a seperate WETLAND PERMIT FORM before any work is commenced on or near a wetland area or watercourse. This regulated area ist typically 50 to 100 feet from the edge of the wetland area or watercourse.
The Planning Board meets once a month, on the first Tuesday of the month, usually at 6:00 P.M. See the current Planning Board schedule for specific meeting dates and application deadlines (typically two weeks prior to the meeting)
Planning Board applications can be downloaded from the Planning Board home page of the Town website (above) or can be obtained by contacting or visiting the Building and Land Use department at the Town hall during operating hours.
Yes. Fees and escrow fees for Planning Board applications can be found on the list of Planning Board fees (above). In addition, if a Public Hearing is required as part of your application, notification costs such as postage and newspaper publication are borne by the applicant.
Yes. The applicant or their authorized representative must be present and explain the project to the Board at the public meeting. Often, questions are asked by the Board or members of the public and additional clarification or information may be needed before the Planning Board can make a final decision.
In some cases, where change in use of the home is considered "de minimus" no approval is required. In other cases, the proposed home occupation is permitted by right, and an application for a permit would be directed to the Zoning Administrator. In still other cases, certain home occupations and uses are permitted only by Special Permit and approval of the Planning Board is required. See Section 321 of the Zoning Code . When Planning Board approval is necessary, the applicant must fill out the Planning Board application and any other required documentation and submit this to the Planning Board secretary. A public hearing will be required before the Planning Board votes on your application for a Special Permit. Please contact the Zoning Administrator for any questions or clarification on which situation applies in your case.
The Town of Washington has a Wetlands Law that requires that a Wetland Permit be obtained prior to beginning any modifications such as clear cutting, filling, construction, dredging or excavating in a regulated wetland, watercourse, or within the controlled area of a wetland or watercourse (typically 50-100 feet from the boundary of the wetland or watercourse) This application is available through the Planning Board home page (above)
A lot line change that has been agreed upon by both affected landowners can usually be acheived in a fairly simple way. The parties fill out a Planning Board application and submit that together with a survey showing the property line changes. A proposed lot line adjustment is subject to Article II, Section 20.2 (Minor Subdivisions and Lot Line Adjustments) of the Town's subdivision regulations. However, the Planning Board has historically not treated lot line adjustments (with no new lots created) as subdivisions and generally does not require a public hearing. The applicant (or their representative) must appear before the Board to discuss the application. If no new lots are created and there are no significant environmental impacts, the Board will usually vote on the proposed lot line change at that first meeting.
If an application is approved by the Planning Board, the next step is dependent on the type of application and the type of approval granted. In some cases, conditions are established by the Planning Board in their approval, which may need to be met and confirmed prior to proceeding with the project. It is important that applicants make note of these conditions and/or contact the Planning department for clarification of what is required in order to proceed.