Farmingdale Village officials recently approved a zoning change, eliminating its antiquated Business DD zoning district.
“The uses of the DD [business zone] have become obsolete,” Mayor Ralph Ekstrand previously told The Farmingdale Observer. “It’s past its usefulness.”
Under Farmingdale’s zoning code, the Business DD district allows the use of commercial or professional office buildings, medical centers, financial institutions, telephone or telegraph offices, a library, clubs, fraternity houses a lodge or community center, but does not include retail.
Although several businesses in the DD zone—including the ones located at the Fulton Street Shopping Plaza—had been grandfathered into compliance because retail is not a permitted use, any business that incurs more than 50 percent property damage would need to be rebuilt to conform with zoning requirements.
To try and bring the code up to speed with the existing use, the village has agreed to expand its Business D zone to encompass properties formerly zoned DD.
“It basically takes everything that exists and makes it conforming,” said Building Superintendent Steve Fellman.
Following a public hearing, on Jan. 5, village trustees voted unanimously to approve the zoning change, conforming zoning restrictions to accommodate the current use.
