BETHEL – A crowd turned out to the Town of Bethel Town Board meeting last Wednesday night as the board voted on a proposed moratorium that would prohibit new applications for high-density residential development in the town for one year.

The board voted 2-2, prompting a discussion on whether the measure was a tie and can be re-introduced at next month’s meeting or if it’s a “no” vote and, since it’s a local law, must go through the process of introduction and public hearing again.

Town of Bethel Supervisor Dan Sturm told the Democrat they are still awaiting further legal counsel on the matter. 

Town councilmembers Bernard Cohen and William Crumley voted against the moratorium, with Sturm and Councilmember Wendy Brown voting in favor. Councilmember Lillian Hendrickson was absent.

Sturm said he voted “yes” because he worked on the draft language for the moratorium, which was originally proposed by a group of concerned citizens called the Bethel Roundtable, and felt the original was too “drastic.”

“I think we reached a middle ground,” Sturm told the Democrat. “I want to do what is good for the town going forward.” 

The Roundtable and proponents of the moratorium are calling on the town to protect and conserve natural resources, address the impact of projects and protect the rural character of Bethel amid an increase in high-density residential growth. 

After members of the audience implored those who voted “no” to explain their reasoning, Councilmember Crumley responded. 

“I’m a simple man, ok,” he said. “There is no emergency as far as I’m concerned. And I feel [when] a person owns a piece of property, and if they do what the planning board requires and the building department requires, then they can do whatever they want with their property.”

It appeared some members of the board and audience thought that there needed to be an emergency for the town to enact a moratorium. However, according to state law, a moratorium can be passed to allow the town to review and update its comprehensive plan and zoning laws, and must be enacted for a specific, limited time.

The Town of Bethel formed a committee to review and recommend updates to its Comprehensive Plan, which was last updated in 2006. The committee is expected to present its findings to the town board in four months. 

Although a public hearing on the proposed moratorium already happened in October, both proponents and opponents showed up at Wednesday night’s regular town board meeting to speak during public comment, even after the town board voted. 

Rabbi Ben Halberstam, whose name is listed on documents for proposed housing developments currently before the planning board, urged the board members who voted in favor of the moratorium to reconsider if it does come up for a vote again. Representing a large group of the Hasidic community, he said their housing projects should be allowed.

“We’re not doing anything different than what is allowed by the zoning board. We have to go with the DEC regulations, we do apply, we do everything according to the plan,” Halberstam said.

Bethel native Lauren Davis spoke out against the moratorium, saying it “sends the wrong message to both residents and investors.”

Many residents called on the board to pass the moratorium, saying high-density development puts a strain on resources and projects should be carefully considered. 

One resident asked the board to wait until January when a new board will be in place, with Hendrickson retiring and new councilmember Adam Gold joining.