Welcome to SheldonZoning.com
Facts and Comments on All Matters of Zoning in the Town of Sheldon
What is on the schedule?
- April 15, 2026, 7 pm: Town Board Meeting
- May 13, 2026, 6 pm: Planning Board Meeting
- May 20, 2026, 7 pm: Town Board meeting
County meetings on County Comprehensive Plan
- Monday, April 20, 6 pm, Arcade Fire Hall
- Thursday, April 23, 11:30 am, Arts Council, Perry
- Wednesday, April 29, 6 pm, Ag & Business Center, Warsaw
- Thursday, May 7, 4:30 pm, Farmcraft Brewery, 567 Rt 20A, Strykersville
Also consult the Town of Sheldon website.
News
For news items more than 60 days old, please visit the News Archive.
News from the April 8 Planning Board Meeting
The meeting was attended by Board members Deb Kirsch , Don Pawlak and Thomas Jorgenson and alternate member Kathy Roberts. Kathy Roberts resigned from the Board as of this meeting.
The Board continued its review and amendment of the draft zoning law. The Board decided to:
- Add a provision governing cannabis dispensaries in the commercial districts. A two-acre site with 200 feet of frontage would be required and a special use permit would be required in the Hamlet Commercial District.
- Add a provision governing farm breweries in the Low Density and Commercial Districts. A special use permit would be required for the Hamlet Commercial District.
- Clarify the provisions governing swimming pools and ponds to distinguish between the two and add the Commercial Districts as a location for ponds.
- Amend the provision on Home Occupations to allow one non-family employee in the business and to add a provision on hours of operation.
The Board discussed the addendum to the Zoning Law listing properties in each district. This list could require frequent amendments and might often be out of date. Alternatives were discussed for the properties that could be converted from Low Density to Business Commercial and will be considered further at the next meeting.
News from the March 11 Planning Board Meeting
Mary Kehl and Kathy Roberts both submitted their letters of resignation. Mary left the Board as of the March 11 meeting and Kathy's last day will be at the April 8 meeting.
The Board continued its review and amendment of the draft zoning law.
The Board decided to:
- Simplify the law (Section 500) with respect to small non-conforming cabins and houses to delete the restriction on alterations.
- Add adult use cannabis dispensaries to the list of establishments permitted in the General Commercial District under a special use permit.
- Add farm brewery distilleries as establishments permitted in the General Commercial District and the Low Density District (with a special use permit).
- Expand the requirements (Section 505) for new minimum-sized houses (1,075 sq. ft. for a single-family house; 1,200 sq. ft. for a two-story single-family house; and 1,400 sq. ft. for a two-family house) that do not have a basement to specify that these new dwellings must have an accessory storage unit constructed on site.
- Simplify the requirements (Section 508) with respect to constructing the very small Accessory Dwelling Units.
- Add special use permits (Section 730) for Farm and Garden Supply/Farm Equipment Sales and Service establishments in the Low Density District.
The amendments made to date are shown in highlighted text on the copy of the draft law and also on the same copy of the draft law available on the home page of the Town website.
News from the February 18 Town Board Meeting
The meeting was attended by Supervisor Becker and members Meyer, Fontaine, V. Kirsch and J Kirsch.
The Board received three reports related to zoning:
Boxler: The matter of the Boxler building on Rt. 20 has been sent to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance.
Mills: In the Mills matter, the Town received a letter from Mr. Mills’ lawyer, the content of which was not discussed at the meeting; and no progress has been made in removing anything from Mr. Mills’ property, which is in the same condition as it has been for the last five years.
Invenergy bond to protect the Town: Board member Vince Kirsch reported on the bond matter with respect to windmill decommissioning. Additional information was received from Invenergy to the effect that the request for a decrease in the amount of the bond (and therefore a decrease in the premium to be paid by Invenergy for the bond) is related to anticipated changes in prices for steel. No information was reported at the meeting as to the amount of the decrease in the bond or its premium.
No windmill decommissioning is planned by Invenergy until it gets approval to construct the new 600-ft. windmills it has planned for the Town of Sheldon. The Town has received no information with respect to new windmills other than Supervisor Becker’s prior report that nothing is expected to happen on that front for 5 to 12 years.
Supervisor Becker reported again that the current contract with respect to the existing windmills does not end automatically in 20 years from the date it was entered.
Town website home page large photo of windmills: Deanne Siemer requested from the floor that the windmill photo currently dominating the Town website’s home page be replaced. The windmill photo has been featured on the Town’s website for more than two years and some residents regard it as an advertisement that the Town favors more windmills. Supervisor Becker stated that matters related to the Town website should be referred to the Town Clerk.
What does the County Zoning Officer actually do for the Town?
The proposed new 157-page zoning law raises the questions:
- How much work does the Zoning Officer currently do for the residents of the Town? and
- Is there anything in the current work of Zoning Officer that shows a need for the new 157-page zoning law?
The answer to the first question on the work actually done by the Zoning Officer can be determined by looking at the Zoning Officer’s reports. Current law requires the Zoning Officer to issue a monthly report to the Town Board. Those reports must provide details on all actions of the Zoning Officer, all permits, all complaints, and all violations found. The data showing how many actions actually occurred are listed HERE.
Please note that there are no reports on any activity on the proposed new zoning law. and the proposed new zoning law eliminates entirely the requirement for monthly reports from the Zoning Officer.
- In the most recent 15 months, the Zoning Officer reported zero citizen complaints. According to the Zoning Officer’s official records, no one in the Town was worried enough about any problem to complain in writing.
- In the most recent 15 months, the Zoning Officer handled only one property maintenance violation.
- In the most recent 15 months, the Zoning Officer handled only one special use permit.
The current law allows the Zoning Officer to issue routine permits for common low-impact local activities like single family housing, standard ag buildings, fences, sheds and the like. In the first 3 months of this year, the Zoning Officer issued 4 of these. In all 12 months of 2024, the Zoning Officer issued 41 of these, an average of 3 to 4 per month. No permits were denied.
So that brings on the second question -- whether there is anything in the volume and type of work that the Zoning Officer is currently doing that requires a complete re-write of the Town’s zoning law. The Town’s residents apparently do not raise complaints; there appear to be no regular property maintenance violations that need attention; and the day-to-day workload of the Zoning Officer does not seem to highlight any urgent need for reform.
If a justification exists for an entirely new zoning law that justification must lie elsewhere.
HERE’S WHAT IS GOING ON:
- The Town’s Zoning Officer drafted a PROPOSED REPLACEMENT ZONING LAW which you can read HERE.
- The Town’s Planning Board considered what the Zoning Officer wanted to do and sent the proposed replacement law ahead to the Town Board for its decision.
- You can read the Town’s current zoning law HERE.
- HOW MIGHT THE NEW LAW AFFECT YOU? See examples HERE.