Battery storage proposals in the Town of New Windsor, New York

What the March 2026 change means for an owner

Local Law 1-2026, adopted March 4, added the battery restriction to the town’s prohibited-use provisions. The current published section includes it. Start there when considering a new commercial battery proposal.

Ask the company to identify the exact property, the intended use and the authority it says would allow the project. A general statement that storage is needed in New York does not answer that local question. Neither does a drawing showing batteries on your land.

If the team says a particular approval or other legal route applies, request the supporting document and have it reviewed for this site and design. Do not infer that such a route exists merely because someone is willing to offer an option.

An inquiry to Sunland can help establish what information needs checking. It does not mean the property qualifies for commercial storage, and it does not authorize a filing or work on the land.

Reference: Town of New Windsor: prohibited uses and district provisions · Town of New Windsor: adopted March 4, 2026 Local Law 1-2026

Industrial zoning is not enough

The published restriction applies across the town’s zoning districts. An industrial or commercial designation should not be presented as a general exception for a battery development.

The July 1, 2026 law listed with the code changes a particular parcel from residential to Highway Commercial. It is a parcel zoning-map amendment, not a repeal of the battery restriction. A newer law with the word zoning in its title needs to be read before relying on it.

For your property, ask for the current district, any parcel-specific amendment and the current proposed use together. A district map helps locate the land; it does not replace the rules governing what can be built.

If a proposal uses only part of the property, identify that part on a drawing. Explain the buildings, businesses, access and other uses you would keep. Avoid reserving an entire parcel while the team has not resolved whether its intended project can proceed.

Reference: Town of New Windsor: prohibited uses and district provisions · Town of New Windsor: July 1, 2026 parcel zoning-map amendment · Town of New Windsor: adopted laws awaiting codification

An old application needs its own review

Keep an earlier proposal, application and approval separate. A hearing notice or a referral for review does not by itself establish that permission was granted. Ask for the actual decision, conditions and drawing.

The published code contains provisions addressing certain buildings that complied with earlier regulations. Whether a particular older project has protected rights needs review of its own permits, dates, work and applicable law. Do not assume that an application or a signed land option establishes those rights.

Ask what changed since the earlier filing. Is the company proposing the same equipment, footprint and use, or a larger battery area, new access or a different connection? An older document may not cover the design now being offered.

If a developer claims that its project can continue despite the newer restriction, ask for a written explanation with the relevant records. Have your adviser assess the claim before granting additional rights, paying for a survey or extending an exclusive arrangement.

Reference: Town of New Windsor: prohibited uses and district provisions · Town of New Windsor: adopted March 4, 2026 Local Law 1-2026

A home-battery exception is a different use

The exception in the published restriction refers to qualifying systems designed to accommodate one- or two-family homes under the referenced residential code and its amendments. It should not be used to describe a commercial storage lease as permitted.

Ask what the proposed equipment would serve. A home backup system, batteries for a business and a project that charges and exports to the grid raise different questions. A small-looking enclosure is not proof that a proposal falls within the residential exception.

The March amendment also contains battery definitions and provisions within the solar section. Read those alongside the prohibited-use provision. The presence of a battery definition or safety requirement does not itself establish that the commercial use is allowed.

If there is already solar on the property, obtain the actual solar approval and your land agreement. Ask which proposed battery changes require new permission and new private rights. Do not assume that approval for solar includes any later battery installation.

Reference: Town of New Windsor: prohibited uses and district provisions · Town of New Windsor: adopted March 4, 2026 Local Law 1-2026

Review an option extension before more land is tied up

If you already have an option, gather the signed agreement, amendments, payment records and correspondence about approvals. Identify the expiration date and what the company must do to extend it.

Ask how the current restriction changes the project’s plan and timetable. What specific result is the company seeking during the next option period? What happens if that result is not obtained? Have your adviser compare the answer with the agreement’s actual extension and termination terms.

Discuss what you can keep doing while the land is reserved. Can you renew a tenant’s lease, sell part of the land or pursue another use? The opportunity cost matters even when no construction has started.

Identify entry rights separately. Permission to inspect the land is not the same as permission to grade it, remove trees or install equipment. Ask for the proposed work, responsibility for damage and restoration terms before access is exercised.

If the project company changes, obtain the new company name and an explanation of who remains responsible for payments. A transferred option does not settle the underlying approval question.

What to send if you want to discuss your property

Start with your name, email and phone number, then the property location. Include the Town of New Windsor and Orange County so the reviewing authority can be checked. Acreage and a parcel number are optional.

Tell us whether this is a new inquiry or whether you already have an offer, option, lease or application. Mention any approaching deadline and the current land use. You do not need a finished engineering plan to begin.

If you know the project name and date of an earlier decision, include them. Do not guess at approval status. A short description of the documents you have is enough for an initial conversation.

Explain what you would consider and what you want to preserve. Sunland’s initial review must establish the restrictions and actual project route before there is a battery land deal to consider.