Wheatfield enacts building size moratorium

By Senior Contributing Writer Benjamin Joe

Buildings with a total height of 16 feet or more, and buildings with walls higher than 10 feet, will not be built in the Town of Wheatfield as per a six-month moratorium voted on by the Town Board at a recent meeting.

Town of Wheatfield Supervisor Don MacSwan said the moratorium was enacted to stop any “adverse affects on surrounding properties.” MacSwan was reached by phone after the meeting at Town Hall during regular business hours as he met with other town officials regarding the moratorium.

“We’re going to reevaluate the law, and that’s what we’re talking about now. What would be best for the residents. So, that’s what we’re doing right now” he explained.

“The issue is that, the way it was written, the total height was 20 feet. So, somebody could have a 16-foot wall in a residential lot and have potentially adverse affects on surrounding properties.”

MacSwan noted privacy was a big factor in the decision to enact the moratorium.

The vote wasn't unanimous, though, with Councilman Curt Doktor dissenting.

Doktor had issue with the language within the law changing slightly during the meeting to put a number on the total height of the building at 16 feet. He said more time should’ve been spent attaining that figure.

“The moratorium, as it was written, was general – that we’re going to put up a moratorium and review the code and make some adjustments,” Doktor said. “There was a condition added in that the height will be reduced to 16 feet. And I felt that the Town Board should think through it a little bit longer before establishing the height; because I’m not sure 16 feet is the right height for a subdivision, a densely populated area. Sixteen feet is pretty high. That’s the reason why I voted no to it.”

Doktor noted he was all for the law being changed to a more acceptable height, and now believes the board will look at the issue “holistically” and the town will land in “a good spot.”

“It’s just we couldn’t see eye to eye during the meeting and that’s the only reason I voted no,” he said.

The moratorium is in place for six months with an option to extend it an additional six months. Structures already built with walls higher than 10 feet or that are 16 feet or more in total height will not be torn down as long as they were built to the former code’s rule.