Large plots of land available for development are becoming scarce in the Town of Pittsford.

Over the years, larger properties - which were often old farms - were subdivided and built up, or permanently protected under the town's Greenprint, a farmland and open-space preservation plan.

What are increasingly left are smaller parcels between large-scale housing tracts. Developers have expressed interest in subdividing and developing these parcels, which would create what's known as infill development.

"The question becomes, what effect does that has on that neighborhood character, the community?" says town Supervisor Bill Carpenter.

That question was raised by residents and officials during the town's recently-completed Comprehensive Plan update. During that process, the Town Board extended by six months a moratorium on subdividing lots smaller than 10 acres, to give officials time to examine and revise parts of town zoning laws.

The board initially put a six-month moratorium in place because the town received several applications to subdivide smaller lots, and officials wanted to complete Comprehensive Plan update before they acted on the applications, Carpenter says. That initial moratorium expired early this month.

As for the zoning laws, the likely approach will be to transition to design-based zoning laws, as opposed to the current laws, which focus more on the number and density of homes. Design-based laws would incorporate the size and character of homes and how they compare to neighboring communities, as well as how the homes are arranged on the lot, Carpenter says.

"I think there's going to be some cutback in how many homes you can allow," he says.