MONTICELLO – Possible development was once again before the Village of Monticello Board as they voted to refer a proposed zoning change to the Planning Board, indicating their preference for it to feature single-family residences instead of two-family residences.

Representing the developer, resident Joel Kohn came before the village board during their regular Wednesday night meeting with a request that roughly four acres currently zoned Economic Growth Business (EGB) be rezoned into an R-2 residential district that would allow for the construction of 12 residential lots.

According to Kohn, the property sits behind existing homes on Nelshore Drive and that residential development would be a more fitting use than the commercial development currently allowed under the existing zoning.

The proposal presented shows that the lots would each exceed 10,000 square feet.

Kohn stated the developer was willing to work with the board and potentially compromise on a single-family layout if the desire was there.

“I understand the board had some reservations to do [two-family homes],” stated Kohn. “If the board is only going to want single-family homes, I guess that’s maybe an option as well.”

Deputy Mayor John Barbarite asked if future roads in the development would eventually be dedicated to the village and therefore become public roads.

While he acknowledged that it was still too early to give an exact answer, Kohn believed that the developer would be willing to dedicate the roads should the village want to accept them.

Voicing support for the residential development, Trustee Gordon Jenkins stated his preference for the property to be rezoned R-1 for single-family residences.

“I don’t have anything against development,” Jenkins said, referencing the board’s earlier discussion that night on the impacts of overdevelopment on local infrastructure. “Sometimes it gets to a point where it’s overkill.”

He pointed to increased traffic congestion in parts of the village, especially near St. John Street and the Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library, stressing that future development and public safety should be considered simultaneously.

“I almost got killed over there twice,” Jenkins reiterated, referring to near accidents he experienced on that street following the Village’s previous meeting. “Someone’s going to get seriously hurt.”

Acknowledging Jenkins’ concerns, Kohn assured the board that traffic safety is an important consideration and stated that a traffic engineer could evaluate whether the proposed subdivision would require improvements as part of the Planning Board review process.

Kohn also pointed to the scale of the project, stating that he didn’t anticipate the project’s relatively small size would significantly impact nearby intersections.

Also among the board’s priorities were concerns over preserving existing trees rather than completely leveling the site before construction.

Barbarite stated that, while he understood development was necessary, he hoped developers would preserve as much of the existing foliage as possible.

“There won’t be a tree left in the village the way it’s going,” he remarked.

Trustee Theodore Hutchins pointed out that landscaping and tree preservation typically fall under the Planning Board review process, though the village board could ultimately make those expectations part of any future zoning approval.

The board unanimously voted to refer the proposal to the Planning Board for review while expressing its preference that the project consist of single-family homes, that all roads be dedicated to the village if appropriate, and that as many existing trees as possible be preserved.

The Planning Board is expected to review the proposal and make a recommendation prior to its return to the village board, where a public hearing and final vote on the zoning change would be required before the project could move on to the next phase.