MINUTES
Town of Vienna
Planning Board (PB) - Special Meeting November 13, 2025

Call to order: Orrin MacMurray called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with a quorum of five members.

Attendance:

Board Members: Orrin MacMurray, Bill Shaughnessy, Dave Carpenter, Tammy Crawford, and Mike Piper. Miranda Ward and Martha Link were unable to attend.

Others: Secretary Kathy Pavelock.

Town Council Liaison Darrin Smith and Codes/Zoning Officer Reay Walker were unable to attend.

As publicized, this special meeting was called to continue discussions on possible Zoning Law updates. No other business was conducted.

Orrin MacMurray (Mac) briefly reported on the Campground Owners Information meeting held on November 12, 2025, at 3:00pm. There were 9 out of 15 campgrounds represented at the meeting. Mac, Kathy Pavelock, and Codes/Zoning Officer Reay Walker attended. Overall, the meeting was productive and provided Mac with a lot of good campground-related feedback. Details will be provided later in this meeting. The owners requested another information meeting when the draft zoning law language is prepared.

There are four areas that Mac would like to focus on in this meeting: Short-term Rentals, Overlay Zones, Campgrounds, and Special Use Permit Administration. Mac provided a 61-page handout containing all the possible Zoning Law updates. Secretary Pavelock will provide copies to Miranda and Martha. The handout provided the agenda for the meeting including items requiring no additional discussion.

Lot frontages – no further discussion. Billboards – no further discussion.

Battery Energy Storage Systems – no further discussion needed however, Mac reported that the Town Council (TC) asked how long 600kw would last. Mac researched this and determined that it would cover 20 days. The proposed law will follow NYSERTA Model Law.

Commercial Building Size – no further discussion needed however it was noted that there is a statement in the current law that mentions all buildings meeting the size requirement. Secretary Pavelock found it under the definitions for Retail Sales and Service, Large and Retail Sales and Service, small. Size for “single building or combination of buildings.” This will be addressed in the proposed changes.

Short-term Rentals

• It is proposed to define Short-term rentals as a subset of Tourist Home.

• Dave provided occupancy code calculations from NYS.

• In addition to the number of people sleeping at the rental, there was a discussion on limiting the number of people allowed on the premises.

• If the rental has more than 6 sleeping rooms then it will be defined as a Motel/Hotel. We need a definition for hotel since it is not currently in the Zoning Law.

• Most of the regulations/wording came from Tug Hill Commission (THC) and NYS Dept. of State.

• There was a discussion on parking as it relates to occupancy.

  Ground Water Overlay Zone removal – The consensus is to skip this item for the next revision due to the complexity of identifying stakeholders.

  
  

  
  

  Town of Vienna Planning Board Special Meeting Minutes – November 13, 2025 Page 1

  Campgrounds

• The owners are concerned about properties with less than 5 sites that do not have to follow the same rules as licensed Campgrounds. It was stated that some property owners are renting these sites out. May have to include these as “short-term rentals.”

• The current owners believe it would be fair to grandfather their campgrounds since they have an approved special use permit.

• Setbacks will be front 75, side 40’, and storage 5’with compliance within 1 year for storage only.

• Design requirements:

  • Topography will be generally level to gently rolling.

  • Minimum campground size of 5 acres.

  • Minimum road frontage of 250’.

  • Consecutively numbered campsites.

  • Minimum 1750sf (35’x50’) with off street parking with drainage away from site.

  • Contiguous area on campsite sides of at least 5’ wide.

  • Adequate screening and fencing.

  • Campsites will be accessed by internal roads.

  • Entrance roads including “queueing.”

  • Internal roads surface materials and minimum width of 12’.

• Campground rules and regulations shall be posted.

• Quiet times of 10:00 pm to 8:00am.

• Discussed the process when a campground license is revoked. The current law requires all structures to be removed. This would include campsites, pavilions, sheds, and cabins.

  Special Use Permit (SUP) Administration

• Requiring a sign be posted in front of a property that is being reviewed for an SUP. THC cautions against this practice, It adds procedural steps and can result in court action against the town. This topic will be tabled for future revision.

• Add a new section 680 E. to clarify how an SUP can be revoked.

Not discussed at this meeting – Cannabis, Tier 2 Solar Permit in Commercial Zone, General Aesthetics, Tiny House Definition, Assistant Zoning Enforcement Officer, Manufactured Homes, and Removal of “Town Clerk” in Section 2015.

Mac asked that the planning board members read through the handout and the current Zoning Law. Provide any comments and suggestions to Mac.

Having no further business, the special meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm,

Minutes prepared by:

/s/Kathy Pavelock

Planning Board Secretary

Town of Vienna Planning Board Special Meeting Minutes – November 13, 2025 Page 2