and scale of new homes built on the remaining lots as well as expansions of existing houses. In cases where large new residential structures have been erected within the Village, the visual and aesthetic integrity of the local neighborhood surrounding these large homes has been harmed and the individual lots look overwhelmed. PAGE 107 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The current zoning code controls residential development through minimum lot sizes, setbacks for yards and accessory structures, and height controls. The Village should review the appropriateness of these standards in light of the recent trend in housing scale. The Village should also consider instituting bulk controls through a floor area ratio (FAR), bulk setback requirements, and lot coverage percentages. FAR refers to the total floor area of a building on a zoning lot divided by the lot area of that zoning lot. The benefit of using an FAR is that it continues to provide the property owner with flexibility and choice on how the property is developed while providing the village with stricter control over the building’s bulk. Prior to implementing this approach, the Village needs to study the practical effects of instituting FAR and bulk setback requirements on both existing and potential structures in the Village. Home Occupations Croton-on-Hudson’s zoning code includes definitions of customary home occupations and requirements for operating such in residential neighborhoods. With changes in work habits enabled by improvements in technology, including telecommunications and personal computer capabilities, more and more homeowners are in a position to conduct their business from their homes. The customary home occupation regulations should be revised and a new definition of home occupations created to reflect these current needs and current realities. The update should reflect the Village’s priority of protecting neighborhoods against the negative impact of commercial enterprises in residential areas. Rather than specifying particular occupations that are acceptable, it should include standards that must be met to preserve the quality and character of residential neighborhoods. These standards should address the following: • • • • • • • customer, visitor, and delivery traffic volumes parking coverage on-site parking of commercial vehicles signage exterior alterations to the home number of on-site employees permitted equipment Limitations on the size of home occupations should be such that they minimize impacts on the surrounding neighborhood and encourage growing businesses to move to offices in mixed-use areas as more space is needed. There should be an amnesty period to provide an opportunity for existing non-complying businesses to come into conformity. PAGE 108 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Update Residential Off-Street Parking Requirements The Village should also review its residential off-street parking requirements for parking and storage of boats, trailers and commercial vehicles so that these vehicles can be parked without disrupting the appearance or character of a neighborhood. Article VIII, §230-49 of Croton-on-Hudson’s Zoning Code (Permitted Accessory Parking) contains requirements for parking of commercial vehicles and boats in residential areas. Commercial vehicle parking in residential areas is limited to one vehicle of no more than three-fourths ton capacity which can be parked within a private garage or on a lot. A provision should be added that prohibits the parking and storage of large-scale construction equipment (such as backhoes and cement mixers) on residential lots. For boat storage on residential lots, the Code establishes a minimum distance from which the boat must be set from the rear and side lot lines. The provision should be amended to add a front yard restriction. b. Affordable Housing The concept of “affordable housing” relates to making housing available to individuals and families with an income equal to 50% or 80% of the median county income, adjusted for family size, assuming various formulae allocating approximately 40% to 50% of income for housing needs. Ensuring that housing is available for a range of income groups helps preserve the economic diversity and social fabric of the community and allows long-time residents to remain in the Village, even as their financial situation changes. The Village of Croton-on-Hudson has long worked, in a variety of ways, to promote affordable housing in the community. Indeed, the Village has been in the forefront of those few municipalities to adopt and move to implement guidelines suggested by Westchester County for the creation of affordable housing. To that end, 20 units have already entered the marketplace, with four additional units now planned, towards the suggested goal of 32 units for the Village. The Village should build on its successes by continuing to maintain and improve on the existing economic diversity of housing stock The Village, in partnership with the Croton Housing Network, has identified and employed a variety of opportunities to advance the creation of this affordable housing in the Village. These have included: new construction, Village-contributed land, developercontributed land, homes built by developers, use of derelict Village property, and developer-included units.