At its most recent meeting regarding possible zoning changes, the Village of Roslyn Estates board of trustees approved of an upzoning proposal, while rejecting the idea of making village residential areas part of an Historic Preservation district. In addition, the BOT decided to get more community feedback on new laws that would give more powers to an Architectural Review Board on matters of residential housing demolition.

The purpose of upzoning is to diminish the number of subdivisions in the village and, in general, to prevent overdevelopment. It is estimated that the new law might affect up to a dozen homes in the village. "We don't want to stop new buildings, only preserve the old buildings," Mayor Susan Ben Moshe has said concerning the upzoning issue.

Earlier, granting the village historic preservation status was considered with the demolition issue in mind. Apparently, the village has decided to tackle that issue through the Architectural Review Board. The purpose of amending the review board on demolition matters would, according to Mayor Susan Ben Moshe, determine "when the village should retain control of the demolition of houses."

That in itself would be another step in helping the village preserve "significant housing," which is also a goal of the upzoning proposal.

The village plans to mail out a questionnaire concerning any changes to the Architectural Review Board to all Roslyn Estates residents before holding their next public meeting, one set for Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Roslyn Middle School on Locust Lane.

The purpose of the meeting is for the BOT to get a general sense of how the residents feel about the issue before taking any action on it. At the December meeting, BOT members will discuss village tree preservation laws. They will also discuss the results of the review board questionnaire. The Roslyn Estates Village Hall is located at 25 The Tulips.

Proposed changes to the village's zoning laws have been debated for several months. Village officials have been concerned that continued development of subdivisions was based only on profit margins and in time, would adversely affect the unique architectural character of Roslyn Estates.

Last spring, the village attempted to get Roslyn Estates residents more involved in the process by creating several subcommittees, all made up of village volunteers. They include the Landmark, Architectural Review Board and Subdivision Committees. Village officials were pleased with the volunteer spirit shown by local residents. Also last spring, the BOT passed new legislation, Local Law 1, which implemented a moratorium on all subdivisions and certain construction and demolition in the village.

Opponents of new legislation point to the number of homes that might be adversely affected by upzoning laws. They have also taken a dim view of Dean Alvord, who has been selected as the village's urban planner. One member of the opposition claimed that Mr. Alvord is "more of a land speculator than a visionary developer." In addition, the opposition contends that the existing set of zoning laws and ordinances provide the village with the necessary leverage to maintain its current architectural character.

Finally, they worry that new zoning laws might mean a round of costly legal action against the village by residents who might be harmed by any such legislation. Throughout the debate, the opposition has said that they share the BOT's desire to preserve the village's unique residential architecture and the general ambience that exists in Roslyn Estates.