NEW CITY, NY—The Clarkstown Town Board enacted a six-month building moratorium at its Sept. 18^th meeting. The local law establishes a temporary moratorium that includes restrictions on the approval of multifamily development, large scale subdivisions, and commercial/industrial development, such as AI data centers.

The newly established pause on development stems from the recent completion of studies on roadway safety and infrastructure, and major policy changes made by the Town Board, including the enactment of the Clarkstown Community Preservation Act. The Preservation Act requires an updated preservation plan to be developed and published by the town. During the moratorium period, a new Clarkstown Community Preservation Board will be appointed and will work with town staff to develop this critical plan, town officials stated.

The town will also review infrastructure limitations and recommendations identified in the Routes 303 and 304 Safety and Sustainability Study, the town-wide traffic signalization and safety study, other various studies of the Comprehensive Plan, and recent changes to the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

During the moratorium, applicants will be prevented from seeking approvals before the town’s land use boards, protecting the public interest and welfare while amended zoning laws are adopted. The moratorium may be extended by an additional period of up to six months by resolution of the Town Board.