A relatively uneventful Town Board workshop meeting on November 5, 2026, included a good discussion about planning guidelines and potential hiccups for housing development in the Town of Chatham. The majority of the lively and informative discussion came up during the first public comment segment (from time stamp 33:41 to time stamp 1:05:38) accessible in this video, and came in response to a pending draft proposal from the housing committee for “Planned Residential Development” (PRDs). That current proposal was revised from the December 2025 draft, and includes designated “overlay zones” in the town where such development can be located.
The discussion laid bare the complications of any significant increase in housing stock in an area where water, topography, and soil composition issues complicate the installation of necessary infrastructure, i.e., water and sewage / septic systems, especially in the context of competing priorities related to preservation of historic and agricultural lands that are outlined in the 2023 Revised Town Comprehensive Plan. Solutions and planning to create a better supply of housing in the town, including for people with relatively limited incomes, is challenging.
One resident, also a past member of the Board’s Housing Committee, weighed in with specific objections to the draft proposal, with his overall objection being that “due diligence” had not been done in selecting areas of town (AKA overlay zones) where housing development of this kind can occur. His opinion: this lack of careful planning undercuts the current draft proposal for Planned Residential Development and revision is needed.
The discussion was wide ranging. The speaker said he thought the town should move away from a designation of the effort to build “affordable housing” to focus on “average Joe housing” in the Town of Chatham. Other speakers concurred later in the comment segment that “affordable homes” is a misnomer, and it would be more appropriate to target / develop housing in the town that is suitable for “senior homeowners”, “first time home owners”, or “generational home owners.” “Workforce housing” is another label suggested in the past, with the rationale for all of these categories being a focus on the cost of housing, and increasing the availability of housing in the Town of Chatham for people with lower incomes.
The speaker’s major objection to the proposed plan was that some of the identified overlays where the current draft stipulates this type of housing could be located are not suitable for a variety of reasons. He also pointed out that the total acreage included in the overlays is less than 2000 acres in the town, while the town boundaries include an area of over 30,000 acres in total.
He said that one overlay off of County Rte.13 includes land that is in the land conservancy, and would therefore not be available for housing development. A second overlay zone includes his family farm where some of his land is also registered as state and federal historical land, and is listed in the Town’s Community Preservation Plan as a “historic preservation priority” for the town. Furthermore, there are federal wetlands on the property, much of the property is “steep and rugged”, and his deep well only yields two gallons per minute. He said all of these factors suggest the area is likely unsuitable for residential development.
he speaker said that while the Housing Committee initially specified that certain housing development could only occur on State or County highways located within the town, some of the town’s new policies for housing allow for housing development on Town roads. Specifically, the town law related to mobile home parks allows for expansion of such housing in areas that are contiguous to existing mobile home parks located on Town roads. This change could potentially open up other properties and areas of the town as appropriate for alternative overlay zones.
He asked that the overlay zones be revisited, that an accounting of soil conditions and water resources be included in that review, and that other properties that are more suitable for development be considered for PRD housing.
Town Board Member Eaton acknowledged that these comments were “good comments”, and “exactly what we’re looking for.” He said that the planner who identified the overlay zones had selected them on the basis of specific criteria and that more attention to additional criteria needed to occur.
Another speaker, who identified himself as a landscape architect, concurred, saying that much of the land in the Town of Chatham is limited for development because soil and water characteristics of properties in the town often limit drainage, and are not highly suitable for septic systems and wells, especially when dwelling density is high. He said that the topography of much of the land in the Town of Chatham, such as steep slopes, further limits housing development and density.
The speaker and Town Board member Eaton agreed that problems with water and septic can be addressed in two ways: by limiting the density of development in such areas, or with engineering intervention that specifically addresses the problems that arise from soil, water, and topography issues. They agreed that the latter solution likely introduces higher costs for any development, and that would undercut less expensive housing options in the town.
Eaton said that NYS recently announced upcoming grants totalling $50 million for municipalities with less than 3500 residents to provide new technology for septic and water systems that are necessary for development. He said that such a grant would be advisable so that future planning and development in the town can access this technology.
Another speaker requested that the Housing Committee host a public meeting so that the discussion could continue, and lead to the identification of additional resources and solutions to these identified problems with the current PRD proposal and other coming proposals for housing development in the Town of Chatham.
In formal business, the Board:
Passed a resolution to install an small, elevated pavilion near the pump track and the skate park at Crellin Park. The majority of the costs for pavilion would be paid for by the Crellin Park Foundation, which had monies left after they initially raised money for the construction of the skatepark. A small balance for the project will be paid out of the 2026 Parks Building Maintenance budget; with labor provided by Park personnel and donated hours by Supervisor Collins; and will use available and donated materials..
Conducted a public hearing on the 2027 Preliminary Budget and contracts for fire protection between the Town of Chatham and the following fire companies / departments: Trivillage, Niverville, East Chatham , Red Rock, and Chatham Village. There was minimal commentary.
Adopted the Preliminary Budget as the 2027 Budget for the Town of Chatham.
Approved contracts for fire protection between the Town of Chatham and the Niverville Fire Department, the Tri-Village Fire Company, and the Red Rock Fire Company.
Authorized the Supervisor to submit documents and filings to comply with the NYS Comptroller’s Tax Camp filing to stipulate that the town’s 2027 budget does not exceed the maximum tax cap increase allowed by the NYS Comptroller’s Office.
Scheduled several Public Hearings followed by a Board vote on several proposed local laws. The hearings are scheduled on November 19, 2026 at 6:50 pm to hear comments on proposed local laws that would change income eligibility levels for real property tax exemptions for certain tax exempt groups, including:
Low income Senior citizen’s real property tax exemptions
Veterans’ real property tax exemptions
Agreed to formally support the submission of a grant to The Understudy organization by members of the Climate Smart Committee that would be used to develop a plan to bring Town buildings to “Net Zero” energy use. This planning is considered a logical extension of previous environmental work that the Town has completed, including the installation of photovoltaic panels and heat pumps at the Town Hall and the Town Garage.
The video of the full meeting is accessible HERE.
The next regular Town Board meeting is scheduled for the third Thursday of the month, November 17, at 6:30 pm. Attendance in person or online is available, with online options available through the Town Calendar. To that date and click on Google meet or call in to the meeting.