Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media a new zoning law that limits the types of companies and activities permitted on the village of Athens waterfront was adopted March 24. The measure, unanimously approved by the village board, limits mixed-use development on the riverfront and is effective immediately. The second public hearing in two weeks on the measure was held prior to the vote, and added light industry and arts and education to the list of accepted uses, Mayor Stephan Bradicich said. Under the law, light industry is defined as a facility that manufactures its products in a fully enclosed building that does not generate hazardous or potentially offensive materials or lead to more than 10 vehicle traffic trips a day, Bradicich said. Mayor-elect Amy Serrago said, “I think the intent was to get rid of large polluting industry, but if someone wants to design and silkscreen T-shirts in the mixed-use waterfront, I think that’s probably OK.” Annika Vogt, who was on the comprehensive plan committee, said light industry did comply with the spirit of the plan. “Based on the definition [provided in the law], I think it would be a positive thing to allow light industry businesses to operate here,” Vogt said. Village attorney Tal Rappleyea said someone commented at the public hearing, pointing out there had been a longtime business down on the waterfront where boats were manufactured. Rappleyea said, “It wasn’t really a large-scale operation, but it was certainly a light-industrial use and why would we want to effectively zone out something like that that has a long history in the village?” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.