Municipal Updates in Progress!
Town of Croghan
In January 2024, the Town of Croghan requested assistance in updating its zoning law to incorporate new regulations for solar development, mining, and battery energy storage. Over nine months, our department worked closely with Town officials and Zoning Enforcement Officers to finalize these amendments, including the adoption of a Solar Energy Overlay District, developed in partnership with Clarkson C3G.
Another iteration of the zoning law was prepared and completed, which included compressed air energy systems (CAES) with the assistance of LaBella consulting services.
Town of Denmark- Renewable Energy Zoning Law Update
Town of Diana Zoning Update
The Town of Diana’s zoning update began in Q4 2024 and is also being completed by LaBella Associates. After two unsuccessful attempts at securing grant funding, our department leveraged the Town of Watson’s contract to reduce costs and bypass the need to meet grant-related Smart Growth guidelines. Project funding is shared equally between our department, utilizing community development funds, and the Town of Diana. Completion is expected by Q4 2025.
Town of Greig Housing Zoning Amendment
The Town of Greig has formally requested, by resolution, that the Lewis County Planning Department provide immediate assistance with drafting a zoning text amendment to address short-term rentals and to correct other commercial lodging uses, as identified in the findings of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.
This will be a complex effort, given the high number of existing short-term rentals and other nonconforming uses, as well as the need to balance these realities with the disputed status of Brantingham Lake’s exclusivity. The public access point at the boat launch—located within the Town road right-of-way—adds additional nuance that must be considered as part of this process.
Town of Greig Comprehensive Plan
The Town of Greig partnered with the Lewis County Planning & Community Development Department to secure at $58,258 NYS DEC Adirondack Smart Growth Grant to create the Town’s first Comprehensive Plan. This project kicked off in December 2024 and is on track to be adopted by Q2 2026.
Town of Lowville
The Town of Lowville was recently awarded a Smart Growth Grant to complete a comprehensive update of its zoning code. It’s been several years since the code was last amended, and this update will help strengthen and clarify existing regulations while addressing new challenges—such as the growth of renewable energy projects that can impact our much-valued farmland.
This effort is an important step toward balancing progress with preservation, ensuring that development aligns with the community’s vision for the future.
We’ll share updates as the process moves forward—stay tuned!
Town of Martinsburg Zoning Overhaul
The Town of Martinsburg has requested assistance from the Lewis County Planning Department to revise multiple chapters of the Town Code on eCode360, enabling the Lewis County Building Codes Office to enforce several provisions through an intermunicipal agreement (IMA). This effort includes, but is not limited to, updates to the junkyard law, unsafe structures law, property maintenance regulations, the mobile home law, and zoning provisions.
Town of Watson Zoning & Subdivision Law Update
The Town of Watson partnered with the Lewis County Planning & Community Development Department to land a $90,000 NYS DOS Smart Growth Grant to update their Zoning & Subdivision Laws. LaBella Associates will be working with the Town’s Zoning Advisory Committee to update the laws. The Committee began meeting in June 2024.
Village of Croghan Zoning Law
In response to the Village of Croghan’s request for zoning, our department began developing the Village’s first zoning law in the fall of 2024. A Zoning Commission was established, consisting of village residents, business owners, and other key stakeholders, to provide recommendations tailored to the Village’s unique character and needs. The Commission drew inspiration from neighboring communities, adapting best practices to fit Croghan’s specific context. This project is being completed entirely in-house and is anticipated to be adopted by the Village Board in
2025.
Village of Lowville Zoning Update
Following the Village of Lowville’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award in January 2024, revisions to the zoning code were identified as necessary to streamline development processes within the Village Center, aligning with the DRI boundary. Our department collaborated with Tim Widrick, former Lewis County Codes Officer and current Village Board Member, along with the Tug Hill Commission, to develop strategies for implementation. The revised zoning law was officially filed with the NYS Department of State
in December 2024. A revision has subsequently been adopted in May of 2025 to address items that potentially needed clarification.
The Village of Lowville was awarded the Department of State Smart Growth grant to assist with a comprehensive overhaul of the entire code, including providing standards for all permitted uses.
Village of Port Leyden
The Village of Port Leyden has worked collaboratively with the Lewis County Planning Department to establish and adopt its first Comprehensive Plan, officially adopted on April 20, 2026.
Following adoption, the Village formed a Zoning Commission, which is now actively working to translate the goals and recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan into a modern, enforceable Zoning Code. This work is being completed entirely in-house by the Lewis County Planning and Community Development Team.
The Village aims to have a fully adopted zoning regulation by the end of the year. While this timeline is ambitious, the Village is motivated to build on its current momentum to encourage responsible development, address blight, and continue improving quality of life for the community.
Lewis County Comprehensive Plan
Lewis County recognizes the need for a comprehensive and strategic approach to the complex issues faced in the 21st Century. This collection of small towns and villages needs to be able to effectively leverage its assets and overcome challenges in order to continuously improve the quality of life of its citizens. This County Comprehensive Plan is designed to play a foundational role in that effort over the next 10 to 15 years.
The Plan provides an overall framework for future public and private investment and decision making in the county. Investment can take many forms, such as, but not limited to, financial, civic, and creative resources. It is this collective investment by residents, businesses, institutions, churches, volunteer organizations, and county and local government that will shape the physical, social, and economic character of the community. The Plan articulates an overall vision for the county and the means to achieve the objectives set forth. This Plan will function at two levels. First, upon adoption it will become the primary policy document for Lewis County government that provides a path forward on a host of issues critical to the future of the region, the most significant being the utilization and deployment of resources. County level policies, which are outlined in detail in Chapter 3, are relatively broad statements that provide a framework for the future of Lewis County. This Comprehensive Plan provides a necessary level of continuity and consistency to assist county officials and staff in working towards common objectives on topics such as tourism, recreation, economic development, infrastructure and regional coordination, among others. At the county level, future decisions and investments shall be in accordance with this document, as it is the adopted policy of Lewis County. Furthermore, by state law, all plans for capital projects at the local, county, and state level shall take the contents of this Plan into consideration prior to action or implementation.
The second functional level of this Plan is the provision of guidance and recommendations on issues common to all communities. Plan policies provide recommendations on opportunities for county municipalities to work together in leveraging resources, learning from each other, and solving problems collectively. This Plan uncovers opportunities seldom discussed at the individual town or village level for intermunicipal cooperation or the leveraging of common resources.
This Plan is not a regulatory document at the local level; Lewis County does not have the authority to impose policies presented in this Plan upon county municipalities beyond the jurisdictional areas it currently enforces, such as County highways. County municipalities are not required to approve or adopt this Comprehensive Plan. However, significant effort was taken to provide a level of continuity across the county, especially within the County Character Area Plan (see Chapter 4). This portion of the document has the greatest impact on linking together the County’s 26 municipalities under a common framework. The County Character Area Plan provides recommendations and guidance on land use issues to towns and villages; yet, it does not provide regulations that are enforceable at the county level. However, the towns and villages can utilize this Plan as a starting point in their own discussions regarding the future of their communities, as they work to make Lewis County the premier rural county in New York State.