ORISKANY — The village Planning Board voted unanimously to change the zoning of the former Waterbury Felt Mill from Manufacturing to Commercial following a public hearing at the Oriskany Masonic Lodge Tuesday.

Adam Kernan of Swift Water Rescue, LLC, requested the rezoning of 107 River St. from M-1 to C-1 during a presentation, with the board voting 4-0 following.

Village officials said the rezoning coincides with neighboring properties of the former mill. According to the village Zoning Laws, a C-1 Commercial District designates an area where retail stores, personal services and offices, recreational, institutional and cultural facilities, and municipal buildings and services are provided for the community. A C-1 district is established to also “encourage new development in the Retail Commercial District by providing for public and commercial off-street parking areas for patrons of the businesses in the district,” according to the law.

Mohawk Valley EDGE received $300,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency to develop remediation plans for brownfields across Oneida County, and the former Waterbury Felt Mill site was selected as one of the sites to focus on.

MV EDGE, along with the village and representatives of LaBella Associates, gathered public comment back in September on the Waterbury Felt Mill Site Revitalization Plan.

The EPA grant provides funding to assess, develop site-specific cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement related to the Waterbury Felt Mill site. Revitalizing the Waterbury Felt site can attract new industries, eliminate blight, and create new spaces for people to live, work, and play in downtown Oriskany, according to the MV EDGE announcement.

A brownfield is a property where the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The term typically describes areas of land that were once used for commercial or industrial purposes, such as factories and warehouses.