Planning Board

The Ontario County Planning Board reviews certain zoning and planning actions prior to the final decision made at the village, town, or city level and makes a recommendation to the municipality. Although CPB review is required, the action is advisory in nature and can be overridden at the local level (super majority if a denial).

NYS law spells out the types of actions reviewed by the CPB:

• Adoption or amendment of zoning regulations (text and/or map)
• Site plan approvals
• Special use permits
• Variances
•  "Any special permit, exception, or other special authorization which a board of appeals, planning board or legislative body is authorized to issue under the provisions of any zoning ordinance"
• Subdivisions

NYS law specifies that CPB is required for the above actions to occur on real property lying within a distance of 500 feet from any: boundary of any city, village, or town boundary of any existing or proposed county or state park or other recreation area, right-of-way of any existing or proposed county or state parkway, thruway, expressway, road or highway, existing or proposed right-of-way of any stream or drainage channel owned by the county or for which the county has established channel lines existing or proposed boundary of any county or state owned land on which a public building or institution is situated.

Membership consists of one representative from each of the 16 towns and 2 cities selected by the town board or city council and formally appointed by the Board of Supervisors for terms of 5 years. Members representing a town, also represent any village(s) located with the town.