Trustee Frances Uku Gateway North Zoning Comments — November 17, 2025

Trustee Frances Uku Gateway North Zoning Comments

Nov 17, 2025

WHY GATEWAY NORTH IS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR RED HOOK

• I want to increase the size of Red Hook’s economy

• I want to create economic opportunities for the people who currently or will soon live in Red Hook

• In the most recent Town Comprehensive Plan Visioning Workshop - participants expressed concern about the limited economic diversity in Red Hook - there’s Bard, the RHCSD, Hannaford - otherwise, opportunities to earn a living wage are scarce. Also highlighted were untapped opportunities in tourism (esp. hospitality) - revenue we lose to Ulster and Columbia County.

OPINIONS OF THE PROPOSED LAW

Here are what I understand are two core goals of municipal governance: preserving local character and fostering economic opportunity. I can imagine restrictions on commercial activity, as currently in the proposed law, were intended to achieve qualitative goals - preserving the qualities that make Red Hook Village unique. But in doing so, these sorts of restrictions often limit quantitative economic growth and jobs. Anytime you introduce a rule, there’s a tradeoff. We should understand both sides of the tradeoff.

In that light, based on my reading of the proposed law these are my top concerns:

1. Having a set list of allowable business assumes that we know all possible businesses that might seek to start up in the Village, now or in the future. There’s no way for me to know what kinds of businesses might not be allowed by this list, so I can’t judge whether it’s the right list. A beautiful example already in the Village: VERSE Work/Shop - hybrid art gallery-retail-event space - where would this business fit in the current proposed list of 23 permitted uses for Gateway North? One way to make sure we don’t foreclose economic opportunity is to only exclude based on measurable impact, like pollution - noise, smell, lighting - instead of trying to predict what kinds of businesses might want to set up here in a decade’s time. We can always structure the zoning to require that businesses conform to the Village’s desired aesthetics, frontage, parking, green space, etc.

2. I’m concerned about the limit on formula businesses, and even the definition thereof. I know the code was rewritten in 2022 - in which the Highway District became the more restrictive General Business District. Why? What’s the story behind that? Was there a threat of a big

Trustee Frances Uku Gateway North Zoning Comments

Nov 17, 2025

franchise desiring to enter the Village?

If we do see economic value in our current formula businesses, such as CVS, Stewarts, Williams Lumber, there is no reason to prohibit them outright. Large businesses in general offer more and stronger job opportunities than owner-operated boutiques, which is most of what exists in the General Business District. I definitely understand why we would want to limit formula business in certain contexts - for instance - no dollar stores, thanks. My suggestion would be to replace a blanket ban on formula businesses with an Economic Beneft Test * - for example, you look objectively in the individual case as “ How many jobs will this business create?” We should welcome any business that creates more jobs and keeps revenue in the Village (or should I say in the Town and County, but that’s a whole other story…)

3. Currently, I don’t see a clear strategy for how we create synergy between the businesses in the Gateway North area - meaning, how to get people who come to a business for one reason, go into another in the same trip. Could we encourage the situation where someone drives in - say from the North - for CVS or another area business, parks, and utilizes another co-located business as part of the same trip?

In the General Business District, we facilitate this with the municipal parking lot. Could we replicate this approach in the Gateway North District? Is this something that can be made a key part of the strategy and the law?

And in general, we should be an easy place for a new business to start.

1. We should avoid the imposition of new rules simply because a location has turned over because it’s a huge barrier to entry for a potential new owner if they are not already a large business. And as such one way we could make it easier for small businesses to start is to make sure they don’t have to implement new rules that the previous tenant did not.

2. We should avoid rules that are implicitly or explicitly discretionary. A new business should be able to figure out whether they can start a business without learning the intricacies of planning law or our process and preferences. Larger businesses can handle the legal and procedural effort needed to deal with complex planning regulations and processes. But for new businesses, this might kill the idea before it even gets off the ground.

Trustee Frances Uku Gateway North Zoning Comments

Nov 17, 2025

A SUGGESTION FOR AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT TEST

The applicant for a Formula Business Conditional Use Permit shall provide verifiable evidence demonstrating that the proposed operation will contribute a net positive economic benefit to the

Village that substantially exceeds the projected negative impacts on the local, independent business sector and the Village's unique commercial character.

Local Job Quality and Residency

The applicant must commit to and demonstrate a plan for high-quality local employment by meeting the following sub-criteria:

• A. Local Hiring Commitment: Commit to hiring a minimum of 60% of the full-time equivalent staff from within the Village of Red Hook and Town of Red Hook after the first 12 months of operation.

• B. Wages and Benefits: Offer entry-level wages that are at least 15% higher than the or

• Dutchess County average for the equivalent retail or service sector position provide a comprehensive benefits package (including health insurance and a retirement match) to all non-management, full-time employees.

• C. Specialized/Managerial Roles: Commit that at least 20% of the total full-time equivalent positions will be non-clerical, specialized roles (e.g., manager, master technician, certified baker, visual merchandiser) that provide career ladder opportunities.