Webster's development pause isn't law yet: here's where it actually stands

Despite headlines suggesting otherwise, Webster has not paused new development. The Town Board's April 16 vote sent the proposed moratorium, Local Law No. 2 of 2026, to the Monroe County Planning Board for a required advisory review, a step the law calls a §239-m referral. The Town's own FAQ states that "the specific date that the Town Board will vote on the moratorium has not yet been determined."

In plain English: before the Town Board can adopt the moratorium, it has to ask the county planning board to weigh in. That referral is the next visible step, and the pause does not take effect until the Town Board votes to adopt it at a future meeting.

The proposal did not appear on the county board's April 30 agenda. The next opportunity is its May 21 meeting.

What the law would do

If adopted as written, Local Law No. 2 of 2026 would temporarily halt the processing, review, approval, and public hearings of new applications in specific zoning districts and for specific activities.

Zones covered: Office Park North (O-P), Medium Intensity Commercial (MC), High Intensity Commercial (HC), Commercial Outdoor Storage (CO), and Low Intensity Commercial (LC-1 and LC-2).

Activities covered: subdivisions of more than four parcels; large-scale solar projects; and data centers.

What it does not stop: applications that have already received Preliminary Site Plan or Special Permit approval are grandfathered in. Redevelopment and rehabilitation of existing structures are exempt, as are ordinary repairs, maintenance, and interior renovations.

Property owners who believe the pause causes them undue burden can apply for hardship relief. The application fee is $150, and applicants must meet a "clear and convincing evidence" standard.

The pause would run six months, with the possibility of two three-month extensions, for a hard cap of one year.

The village is not included

The Village of Webster is outside the proposed law. That is not an oversight: the Village governs its own land use and sits outside the Town's jurisdiction on these matters. Village residents and Village property owners would not see their applications affected by a Town moratorium.

Why the town says it's needed

Town officials have offered three overlapping reasons.

Age. Webster's comprehensive plan was last updated in 2008. The proposed law states that the Town's "current comprehensive plan and zoning and planning laws are inadequate to protect and preserve the Town of Webster's unique character and attributes while accommodating appropriate growth." Chapter 350 of the Town zoning code was adopted on June 26, 1969, and parts of it have not been substantially rewritten since: Artuso told the Democrat and Chronicle in April 2026 that "parking regulations have not been updated since the 1960s" and called the existing off-street parking requirements "excessive."

Infrastructure, especially electricity. Community Development Director Joshua Artuso told 13WHAM that "with the amount of building that's been going on in recent years, there's been a shortage of actual power for some of the projects." Development pressures cited in the broader public discussion include the Coca-Cola Fairlife dairy facility (billed as the largest of its kind in the world), the Montante Solar project on the Xerox campus, ongoing cell tower applications, and the rising power demand associated with AI-era data centers. Fairlife's scale is one measure of that pressure: the project's Empire State Development incentive package was tied to roughly 250 new jobs, but Fairlife's Vice President of Engineering for Large Capital Projects, Ed Burger, told WXXI in September 2025 that the company's own operational target for the Webster plant is 335 employees, and WHEC reported on December 17, 2025 that the facility had "nearly 300 hired" with "about 40 jobs left to fill."

Timing. The Town is in the middle of Webster 2040, a comprehensive plan update with a 15-year horizon, funded by a New York State Department of State Smart Growth grant. According to a February 2026 supervisor's column, Colliers Engineering & Design is the consultant and 847 residents had completed the community preference survey at that time. Adoption is expected in summer 2026. In an April 8 column, Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone wrote that the proposal "would give the Town a six-month pause … on some new development applications to update our comprehensive plan, change the necessary zoning codes, and plan for the future."

What happened at the public hearing

The Town Board opened a public hearing on the proposal at 7:46 p.m. on April 2 and closed it at 8:01 p.m. Six residents spoke. None opposed the moratorium.

• John Lagambino supported the proposal and asked the Board to extend it to 12 months.
• Dorothy Fait, in a letter read by Gail Binder, said the moratorium should remain in place until zoning is updated to reflect the comprehensive plan, citing New York State law requiring that "zoning regulations must be in accordance with a well-considered Comprehensive Plan."
• Janice Jackman raised concerns tied to a specific solar project. Board members clarified on the record that the moratorium would not apply to that project. The Montante Solar application on the Xerox campus at 750 Phillips Road, separately heard later in the same meeting, is the on-record example of a project the Town has said would be grandfathered if the law is adopted.
• Kevin Lockart supported the proposal and was critical of how the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee was formed.
• Chris Nacca asked the Board to ensure that any Town-purchased conservation land is not later rezoned for development.
• Sally Baumann, a 25-year resident, cited the loss of natural habitat.

In separate 13WHAM interviews after the hearing, resident Roger Blum said longtime Webster residents "would like to see the growth slow," while resident Dave Blaine said he favored continued development for the employment opportunities it brings.

What to watch

The next procedural gate is the Monroe County Planning Board's May 21 meeting, where the §239-m referral could be taken up. After the county board issues its advisory recommendation, the Town Board can schedule a vote on adoption. Until that vote happens, the moratorium is a proposal, not a law.

A full list of grandfathered projects has not been released. Residents tracking a specific application should contact the Town's Community Development office.

The public comment window is still open while the proposal is pending. Residents can submit input through the Development Moratorium Comment Form, by phone to the Communications Department at 585-910-4087, or by email to communications@websterny.gov.

Webster 2040 materials are available at webster2040.com.

AI tools were used in drafting and research.