Town of Plattsburgh officials were at a housing construction site this morning to highlight a new town law intended to enhance housing development efforts.
Officials stood inside an apartment in the new Emerson Place development on the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Town of Plattsburgh Supervisor Michael Cashman, a Democrat, said Local Law 2 of 2025 marks one of the most significant housing milestones in the town’s history.
“The adoption of the CHAMP Law, which stands for Creating Housing Acceleration Measures for Plattsburgh. The CHAMP Local Law is about building the future. We all know that New York state is facing a housing crisis and the North Country is no exception,” noted Cashman. “But here is the difference. In the Town of Plattsburgh we are not waiting on solutions. We are creating solutions. With CHAMP we are removing outdated barriers and modernizing our zoning to expand housing options.”
Cashman outlined key aspects of the law including adjusting zoning to allow multi-family housing, duplexes and conversions, increasing density, and streamlining the site planning and permitting process.
“These reforms position us to accommodate approximately 2,600 new housing units here in the Town of Plattsburgh. Already supported by our historic $24 million infrastructure investment, this is a smart, intentional development that strengthens our future. It is focused on specific districts, cutting through regulatory clutter. It is based on the real demand and real project proposals. It reduces the need for variances, saving both money and time for our developers. And it also preserves the neighborhood characteristic,” Cashman said.
The developer is building 28 units in six buildings at the Emerson Place site. Kerry Taylor says she and her husband decided to build market-rate apartments after converting a smaller building in the city.
“Three years ago we renovated Langlois Dance Studio and we converted them into apartments. And we got hundreds, I mean hundreds, of inquiries. And the stories that some of these people told are so heartbreaking that they have no place to live,” recalls Taylor. “And I commend the Town of Plattsburgh for being proactive in changing the zoning on some of these areas because it’s going to make it so much easier for developers to come in and build the housing we need. We need all levels. It’s not just the affordable. It’s the medium, the higher, whatever. We had it rented before we built. So that tells you the demand. It’s kind of scary when you think about it.”
The Clinton County Industrial Development Agency recently released a Housing Needs Assessment for Clinton County that notes at least 1,100 units must be built over the next five years to meet demand. Supervisor Cashman said they were not a part of the study and crafted the new local law independent of its findings.
“We’ve recognized that there are elements within that study, specifically for the footprint of the Town of Plattsburgh, that there’s some limitations on the sites that were identified. Not saying that they can’t be developed, but there are limitations. Whereas here the Town of Plattsburgh has identified lots of opportunities, robust infrastructure, upgrades, etcetera,” asserted Cashman.
Taylor noted that tariffs have not yet impacted their construction because they locked in prices, but may affect costs and therefore rents in future construction projects.
