The Sennett Town Board will have a public hearing on a six-month extension to a building moratorium Tuesday as work continues on a comprehensive plan.

The town enacted the first six-month stop on most types of building permits in January, around the same time a 13-member committee was appointed to begin work on a comprehensive plan. A relative housing construction boom in recent years inspired the plan, which would create a vision and set goals for the town to follow for the next 20 years or so.

The committee has met four times and about 35 percent of residents recently responded to surveys. Town Supervisor David Sikora said preserving Sennett's rural character has been a frequent concern. “They've brought up how they would like to save green space,” he said.

Creating green space management plans and getting more farmers involved in federal and state preservation programs represent two suggestions. The town will re-examine its zoning codes and ordinances as part of the process. The six-month extension to the temporary building ban will help give proper time to the task at hand.

“We're nowhere near where we need to be,” Sikora said of extending the moratorium. “We want to be at least three-quarters done.”

The committee will meet next month to put a plan to paper.

Also Tuesday, the town board will have a public hearing on a proposal to extend water service to residents on Town Hall Road between Route 20 and Walker Road. The project would be a follow up to a $2 million upgrade to a line along Franklin Street and Pine Ridge roads completed in 2006.

Staff writer Shane Liebler can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shane.liebler@lee.net

If you go

What: Sennett Town Council public hearing on six-month extension to building moratorium

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 3

Where: Town offices, 6931 Cherry St. Road, Sennett