Residential subdivisions in commercial zones in Newstead will be banned for the next six months, the Town Board decided this week.

The board took the unanimous vote on the ban Monday after a public hearing, which drew no attendees and was the only item on the agenda at a brief business meeting.

The ban was enacted so that the board can further study the issue of allowing subdivisions in areas zoned C-1 and C-2. Immediately affected would be a 13-lot subdivision planned by Crittenden Road LLC for Crittenden Road at Main Road.

At a work session following the business meeting, Councilman Thomas George, chairman of the Shared Facilities Committee, said the nice weather the past two weeks created optimum conditions for site work for the $3.5 million public works facility being built with the Village of Akron at Clarence Center and Hake roads. He said town and village crews have completed stone and drainage work and will be moving on to install utilities as the bidding process nears.

Town and village public works employees are doing a lot of the site preparation work, which will save the two municipalities money. George said that interior design of the office space is also being worked on and that various kinds of area salt storage facilities are being examined for design ideas.

Scott Rybarczyk of Wendel Duchscherer, town engineers, said New Frontier Excavating and Paving, which was awarded a $236,876 contract for installation of 3,500 linear feet of water line on Scotland Road, is working on getting its permits and insurance in place before starting work. The company was the lowest of 11 bidders on the contract awarded at the board’s Nov. 9 meeting.

The board is likely to vote at its meeting Monday on consolidating the town’s 11 water districts to streamline operations and make management and budgeting easier. About 20 people attended a public hearing Nov. 9 on the proposed consolidation, and no one voiced opposition.

The board also examined the latest proposed layout of a 2,400-square-foot addition to Town Hall. George suggested reducing proposed hallway space to create more office space.

Supervisor David L. Cummings said the committee working on the plan would consider it. No final decisions have yet been made on the design, which, among other things, will create more space for court operations and archives.