Proposal to Restructure the Zoning Update ProjectApril 21, 2026
The Zoning Update Project, as originally conceived, aimed to comprehensively revise the entire zoning code in a single effort. We made good progress towards this goal with a draft that went out for public review in 2025. We identified some major changes needed to that draft based on the public input. When it became apparent that our outside consultant had taken the project as far as they could, we chose to revise it with Town staff.
The approach of comprehensively revising the entire zoning chapter all at once has proven to be impractical for a small municipality with limited staff and resources. Accordingly, the Town Board is restructuring the project into a series of smaller, more manageable phases.
The next step is to identify and prioritize the key areas of the zoning code to address first.Priorities will be chosen that advance community goals and the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, as well as some corrections to the code where there are inconsistencies. These may involve chapters of Town Code in addition to Chapter 280 Zoning.
Resources for Identifying Priorities
• Southold Town Comprehensive Plan
• Public Input on the Zoning Update
• Zoning Board of Appeals Code Interpretations
• Town Committee & Town Department Input
The Zoning Update Advisory Committee will be recommending priorities for the Town Board to consider in the next few weeks.