Town of Otsego Planning Board
Minutes – January 6, 2009

REGULAR MEETING
Chairman Paul Lord called the monthly meeting of the Town of Otsego Planning Board to order at 7:33 PM, and roll call was taken by Planning Board Clerk Bill Deane.  Members present were Lord, Donna Borgstrom (Vice-Chairman), Doug Greene, John Phillips, and Joe Galati.  Zoning Enforcement Officer John Stucin and Planning Board Attorney Jim Ferrari were also present.  Members absent were Wes Ciampo and Steve Purcell.

The Board reviewed the minutes of December 2, 2008, mailed to the members.  Borgstrom moved to approve the minutes as written.  Phillips seconded the motion and it was approved, 5-0. 

Copies of Zoning Enforcement Officer Stucin’s report (filed) for December-January were distributed.  It consisted of the meeting agendas for the Planning and Zoning Boards.  Stucin said two of the ZBA applications would eventually wind up before the Planning Board, and noted that there had been 54 building permits issued in the Town in 2008.  He also noted that Reid Nagelschmidt had put up his barber shop pole and sign, which meet regulations, therefore should require no further Planning Board review (see October 7, 2008 minutes).  Stucin also asked about the new “heirloom barn” Land Use Law and its intent, so he could explain it to applicants.  Board members explained it to his apparent satisfaction.

Chairman Lord reviewed correspondence received since the last meeting:

·         A compilation of codes, rules, and regulations of the State of New York, dated November 26, 2008.  Copies were distributed to the members.
·         A December 18, 2008 informational letter from the Onondaga County Agriculture & Farmland Board, filed in “general correspondence.”
·         Copies of the Land Use Law amendments adopted by the Town Board on December 10, 2008.  These were distributed to the members with the caveat that they were still a work in progress, thus shouldn’t be incorporated into the master books just yet.
·         Fliers (distributed to members) on a training program, “Law of Easements: Legal Issues and Practical Considerations,” to be held in Syracuse on January 29.  Lord reminded members that they had training obligations (four hours per year) to meet for 2009.  Greene told members he would e-mail them links to other training opportunities.
·         The Fall 2008 issue of the New York Planning Federation’s Planning News, distributed to members.
·         An e-mail from Otsego County, passed around, regarding tutorials available on-line.

The Board moved on to applications.

APPLICATIONS
Edward Walker – Major subdivision – Browdy Mountain Road (#84.12-1-1.01)               
Donna Borgstrom summarized what the Board was awaiting before scheduling a final public hearing and voting on the Walker application.  She then read aloud the minutes of December 2 relevant to the application.

Applicant Edward Walker distributed copies of a December 5 letter (filed) from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).  They found the project would have no adverse impact to properties on the National Register of Historic Places, subject to two conditions with which Walker had agreed to comply.

Walker also distributed copies of a package (filed) he prepared for the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in response to their September 5, 2008 list of questions and concerns with his storm-water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).  He summarized the contents, and said he had met with the DEC in December.  He hopes to have a final response within two weeks.  Walker also distributed copies of his augmented SWPPP (filed), which includes a conservation easement.  He answered questions posed by Board members.

Walker asked to have the final public hearing rescheduled, contingent on the DEC’s approval of his revised SWPPP.  Chairman Lord said that would cause inconvenience to many interested parties, and asked Walker to return to the February 3 meeting.  If the DEC approval were received by then, the Board could schedule the public hearing for March 3.

Walker asked the Board’s thoughts about the application in general.  The consensus was that Walker had done a thorough job, submitting the most comprehensive package of any Planning Board application in memory.

Chairman Lord summarized correspondence relevant to the application:

·         A January 2 letter from Margaret Seaver, citing potential issues with the application.

·         A January 6 letter from the Otsego County Conservation Association, citing potential issues with the application.

·         A January 5 letter from Carol Akin, listing various objections to the application.

·         A January 5 letter from Marilyn Bradshaw, listing various objections to the application.

All correspondence was filed, and copies of the latter two were distributed to the members.  Lord urged members to review the plat and other relevant file material during the next month

Richard Hanna/Eugene Bettiol (Norman Davies) – Site plan review, construction within 500 feet of Otsego Lake – State Highway 80 (#99.00-1-31.03)
                No one appeared on behalf of this application.  Zoning Enforcement Officer Stucin said he had received no contact from any of the interested parties.

David Bertram – Sketch plan conference, lot line adjustment – Cty. Hwy. 28 (#99.00-1-1.22 & - 2.01)
                No one appeared on behalf of this application.

Paul Kokornis (Bob Birch) – Major subdivision, Canadarago Acres – Cty. Hwy. 22 (#52.00-2-10.01)
                No one appeared on behalf of this application.

OTHER BUSINESS
Chairman Lord introduced a letter (filed) from the Department of Health regarding Jerry Miller’s Creekside Cottages project.  It indicated their approval contingent on some 14 conditions.  Lord said this makes the Planning Board’s approval still contingent as well.  Lord said he had also learned that the long environmental assessment form the Planning Board did in December was unnecessary.

Bill Deane noted that he had been e-mailing the Planning Board Word files containing the minutes and agendas to members and other interested parties, in addition to mailing hard-copies of the same documents.  He asked whether he could simply e-mail the documents in the future, saving time, postage, and paper.  The Board members agreed that this was acceptable.  Deane said he would continue to mail other documents, such as copies of applications.

Chairman Lord asked the Board to reschedule the workshop to discuss potential Land Use Law changes, set for January 20 at 7:30, to January 27 at the same time.  The Board members agreed.  Lord also asked that the topic, “Date for multi-tiered elder care facilities workshop,” be included on the agenda.  Deane said he would advertise the corrected date.

Members discussed all the letters to the editor that have appeared in the local newspapers regarding the Walker application, many questioning the impartiality, competency, and/or integrity of certain Planning Board members and other Town personnel.  They asked Attorney Ferrari about responding to these.  Ferrari strongly advised members not to do so, saying “Don’t take the bait.”

Deane discussed the February 6, 2009 agenda.  Walker will be returning.  The consensus was to drop the other three applicants from the agenda unless Zoning Enforcement Officer Stucin hears from them before the next cut-off date (January 20). 

With no further business, at 8:42 Doug Greene moved to adjourn the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Deane
Planning Board Clerk