Smithtown board mulls amendments for 'obsolete' code

The Smithtown Town Board is considering several proposed amendments to the town code, including one that ends a mandate for irrigation on commercial property.

At a recent board meeting, town planning director David Flynn presented multiple amendments to zoning regulations that he described as "obsolete." The board held a public hearing to consider the changes, which also included replacing the term "discotheque" with the word "dance club" in town code.

Flynn proposed reducing irrigation on sites examined by the board of site plan review. Currently, all development aside from one- or two-family homes is required to have in-ground irrigation systems adequate to cover landscaped areas. In the interest of sustainability, he suggested minimizing irrigation as opposed to mandating it.

The review board would instead suggest irrigation on a case-by-case basis.

"In order to protect the quantity and quality of our water supply, water consumption should be minimized whenever feasible," Flynn wrote in a June memo.

To amend the town code, the board would have to adopt a negative State Environmental Quality Review Act declaration, and effectively determine that the proposed changes wouldn't have an adverse environmental impact. All of the amendments will be considered together and will likely be finalized in several months, Flynn said.