BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — The town is planning a zoning change to an area along State Route 56 South which would allow small businesses in the area, but give the municipality more say and governance over future developments there.

The area in question, which already contains about 4 or 5 businesses currently, would be switched from From R1 to an RA district, a multifunctional designation. Murray said the switch to an RA district offers the least amount of change to allowances.

The new district would allow residential and agricultural development, along with the small businesses which exist there now and future small business, including home-occupied small businesses.

The new district would prevent big box business development in the area.

The RA district would allow trailer parks and junk yards, but Murray told the board those type of developments would be subject to approval by the town planning board.

“I think it just makes us more business friendly but it still allows us more control over what goes on there. Which I think is what you want,” Murray said.

Murray said the change to RA was recommended by the county planning department and town planning board.

The town is expected to work the recommendation into a local law which will be reviewed by the town attorney.

Letters would then be sent to residents and businesses in the district and those within 500 feet of the new boundary to notify them of the change.

A public hearing on the zoning change is expected to be set for sometime in September.