Municipal Updates in Progress!
Lewis County Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan
Lewis County received a $215,280 NYS Smart Growth Community Planning Grant to update the 2009 Lewis County Comprehensive Plan. Not only will this plan update the 2009 plan, but it will also include a deep dive into economic conditions, LCGH Facilities, and an Energy Audit. The steering committee for this project began meeting in March 2026, and the estimated completion is August 2027.
Town and Village of Lowville Smart Growth Zoning Update
Lewis County was recently awarded a $186,300 NYS DOS Smart Growth Community Planning Grant on behalf of the Town and Village of Lowville to complete joint updates of their zoning codes. This project is expected to begin in Q4 2026.
Village of Port Leyden Comprehensive Plan & Zoning
The Village of Port Leyden worked collaboratively with the Lewis County Planning Department to establish 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 2026.
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 Q2 2026.
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.
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 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 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 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.
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 Village Officials and the Tug Hill Commission to develop implementation strategies. The revised zoning law was officially adopted in December 2024. A revision was subsequently adopted in May of 2025.
Town of Greig Zoning Update
Building on their Comprehensive Plan, adopted in the Spring of 2024, the Town of Greig was awarded an additional NYS DEC ADK Smart Growth Grant of $125,000 to update its zoning to align with its new Comprehensive Plan. This estimated start for this project is June 2026, with an estimated completion of Q2 2027.
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.