TOWN
OF
PLANNING BOARD
DRAFT MINUTES
January 18,
2017
Chairman Ian Murray called
the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
Planning
Clerk Linda McCabe called the roll: Chairman
Ian Murray present, Laurie
Griffen
absent, Patrick Hanehan present, Robert McConnell
absent, Joseph
Lewandowski
absent, Brandon Myers present, George Olsen - absent,
Alternate
Christopher Koval - absent.
Due to the absence of several
Board Members, Chairman Ian Murray elevated Alternate Member Christopher Koval to full voting status.
Also attending: Town Engineer Ken Martin, Timothy Myers,
Christina Scanlon, John Hall and Steve Winney. (Sign-in sheet is on file in the Clerks
office)
Information
for Minor Subdivision
Tim Myers & Christina Scanlon #17-01
1120 Rt. 29
Schuylerville, NY 12871
S/B/L 156.-3-11 Rural Residential
Applicants seek information
and guidance to subdivide their 4.9 acre parcel into two lots. They have 475' of frontage on Rt. 29 as well
as three structures on the property.
Applicants Tim Myers and
Christina Scanlon appeared before the Board.
Tim Myers presented printouts to each Board member, depicting two
different ways he is considering subdividing his property. He stated he is removing the old brick house
nearest the road due to his engineer telling him it is uninhabitable.
Chairman Ian Murray stated
frontage meets Town regulations with both plans presented for subdividing this
parcel, the brick house is being removed, so whichever plan the Applicants
prefer will work.
Patrick Hanehan
questioned if the house will come down before the subdivision.
Chairman Ian Murray
responded the Board can make that conditional prior to any building permits being
issued.
He then told the Applicants
they need to supply the Board with soil engineering (deep hole and perc tests), and to do the perc
test in the geographic area where they think the house and septic might be
located. He then added if it doesn't perc and they have to do a modified design or a built up
design, that will be part of the subdivision approval.
Chairman Ian Murray asked
if there were any Board questions; there were none.
Chairman Ian Murray asked
if there were any questions from the Applicant; there were none.
Chairman Ian Murray then
stated depending on how fast the Applicant gets the soil engineering and survey
completed and back in, it's possible we can hold the public hearing next
month.
(February deadline for submittals
is the 1st of the month and the meeting will be held on the 15th, due to some
Board members being on vacation the week of school break, which would have been
the normal meeting date.)
The Applicants thanked the
Board.
Returning
Steve & Louise Winney
#17-02
1045 Co. Rt. 70
Stillwater NY 12170
S/B/L193.-1-42
Rural
Location: Co. Rt. 70
Applicants seek advice and
guidance on subdividing a 2 acre lot from their 109.4 acre parcel, which has 320' of frontage.
Applicant Steve Winney and brother-in-law John Hall appeared before the
Board. Steve Winney
stated that he wants to subdivide 2 acres so his daughter can build a house
next door to his home. He knows that the
2 acre parcel must have 200' of frontage, which only leaves him 120' of
frontage for the balance of the land.
Chairman Ian Murray
questioned if the Applicant's house is parcel #28.12 and the Applicant
responded yes. Chairman Ian Murray then
questioned if John Hall works the lands of the proposed subdivision.
John Hall stated the house
will go on the edge of the field, so it won't impede his continuance of working
the field. He and his sister own the
land together and there is another 41+/- acres on Nielson Rd. that has 2675' of
frontage. It's in his name, but there
will be no issue with access.
Chairman Ian Murray
responded that, looking to the future, if this is done the Applicant's frontage
is eaten up and they won't be able to do anything with that parcel. But if they merge parcel #47.1 with this
parcel, it gives them in excess of 2600' of frontage.
John Hall responded if they
ever did do anything, they'd combine the two parcels and it gives them the road
frontage they need, correct?
Chairman Ian Murray replied
correct. He then stated that Applicant Steve Winney may
want to give the 2 acre lot the entire 220' of frontage to keep the lot-lines
clean and simple; the Applicant agreed.
John Hall stated there is
an existing shale road going all the way back in there from Nielson Rd.
Chairman Ian Murray responded,
which then gives them access to the fields and if need be, can be tiled
together someday.
John Hall said and it won't
land lock the property either and Chairman Ian Murray agreed.
Chairman Ian Murray then
stated that the Applicant needs to complete soil engineering (deep hole and perc tests). He said
the Board will have to deny this and send the Applicant to the ZBA with a
positive recommendation because it will create a non-conforming lot with the
balance of the frontage, even though there is ample frontage on Nielson Rd.,
because the two lots are not merged together.
John Hall then told the
Board that he thinks John Witt has flagged his land for wetlands, including the
three parcels of wooded lands (about 20 acres) which are all posted. He said one of the blue flags had an LLC on
it; he reiterated that his lands are all posted, so no one should be on his
lands flagging anything. He stated he
just wants the Board to be aware of this.
Old Business:
Highway Superintendent Don Ormsby and Building Inspector/Zoning Officer Gil Albert
spoke to the Board with serious concerns of the proposed cul
de sac road for the Cedar Bluff Subdivision by Witt Construction. They both believe the road should go straight
through and connect to Hill Rd. It is
safer for the Town employees who drive the large plows and salt trucks, for our
firemen/women who drive the fire engines and ambulance drivers as well as being
safer for those vehicles. There are no
hydrants out there and getting a tanker truck in there with the cul de sac will be extremely difficult and a lot of
precious time will be lost.
Chairman Ian Murray
responded that when this project came to him, 2 - 3 yrs ago, he wanted a
through road there but Mr. Witt was opposed to that and the neighbors were
opposed to that. He understands where
both Highway Superintendent Don Ormsby and Building
Inspector/Zoning Officer Gil are coming from.
The Board has to get the best product for the Town with minimal cost.
Building Inspector/Zoning
Officer Gil stated a through road is best; it is safer for the drivers of
emergency vehicles and for the drivers of the large plow trucks. It also makes for quicker access to those properties
with said vehicles. It will be better
for the Town's vehicles and safer for the Town's employees. He said he is looking at this as long term
for the Town, not just a handful of its residents, but for all its residents.
Chairman Ian Murray thanked
them both for coming and speaking to the Board and suggested that they both
attend the Planning Board Meeting the next time Mr. Witt is on the agenda.
They thanked the Board for
listening.
New Business: none
Meeting Adjourned
The next regular meeting
will be held Wednesday, February
15, 2017 at
Respectfully submitted,
Linda A. McCabe
Planning Clerk