Town of Otsego Planning Board
Minutes – February 3, 2009
REGULAR MEETING
Chairman Paul Lord called the monthly meeting of the Town of Otsego Planning Board to order at 7:30 PM, and roll call was taken by Clerk Bill Deane. Members present were Lord, Donna Borgstrom (Vice-Chairman), John Phillips, Joe Galati, Wes Ciampo, and Steve Purcell. Zoning Enforcement Officer John Stucin and Planning Board Attorney Jim Ferrari were also present. Member Doug Greene was absent.
The Board reviewed the minutes of January 6, 2009, mailed to the members. Borgstrom noted that the date on the header of the minutes was wrong, though it was correct in the minutes themselves. She moved to approve the minutes as amended. Purcell seconded the motion and it was approved, 6-0.
Copies of Zoning Enforcement Officer Stucin’s report (filed) for January-February were distributed. It consisted of the meeting agendas for the Planning and Zoning Boards. Stucin reported that the Town Board had decided that anyone who wanted to build on a seasonal road would have to accept responsibility for road maintenance before a land use permit were issued. Stucin also brought up the issue of Portabello’s Too. The special permitted use, approved on March 6, 2007, has almost expired, and the building is far from complete. The Board will have to review this situation. Coincidentally, the Board received a copy of a January 22 letter (filed) from the Department of Health to Hans DeWaal, listing concerns about the site of Portabello’s Too.
Chairman Lord distributed copies of other correspondence received since the last meeting: the January/February 2009 issue of Talk of the Towns&Topics, and a flier on a seminar, “SEQRA,” to be held in East Syracuse on March 4. The Board moved on to applications.
APPLICATIONS
Edward Walker – Major subdivision – Browdy Mountain Road (#84.12-1-1.01)
Donna Borgstrom read aloud the minutes of January 6 relevant to the application. Chairman Lord summarized and passed around correspondence (filed) relevant to the Walker application: a January 13 letter from the Clark Estates to the Department of Environmental Conservation, applauding the DEC’s careful consideration of the application; and four e-mails from neighbors, each expressing concerns about and objection to the application: Debra Creedon (January 20), Carl Good (January 29), Mary Nolan (February 3), and Carol Akin (February 3).
Applicant Edward Walker submitted a January 20 memo (filed) including a proposed special note to be added to his application, concerning one of the DEC’s requirements. Walker said he had heard from Carol LaFay of the DEC, saying she was still working on his case and hoped to have a response in about a week. Walker will return for the March 3 meeting.
Mary Jane Ainslie – First lot split – Ainslie Road (#53.00-1-3.01)
Applicant Mary Jane Ainslie was present, along with her daughter, Deb DeJohn. Donna Borgstrom read aloud the minutes of November 11, 2008 relevant to the application. At that time, the applicant had had a lot line adjustment approved. She filed the deed with the County, and her surveyor then gave her a plat for the lot line adjustment for the Town Planning Board Chairman to sign. More than 30 days has elapsed since then.
John Phillips moved that the Board reauthorize Chairman Lord to sign the lot line adjustment plat, based on the Board’s approval on November 11, 2008. Steve Purcell seconded the motion, it was approved, 6-0, and Lord signed the plat.
The current application calls for a split of 3.32 acres (to be given to the applicant’s son, Wayne Ainslie) from a 53.89-acre parcel. The applicant submitted a plat showing the proposed split, and it was examined by the Board. It had previously been determined that there were no other splits on the property since 1987. The Board noted that there were no deficiencies of acreage or frontage.
Phillips moved to deem this a first lot split and authorize the chairman to sign the plat. Joe Galati seconded the motion and it was approved, 6-0. Lord stamped the plat “approved” and signed it, advising the applicant to file it with the County within 30 days.
Peter Loyola/Village of Cooperstown – Sketch plan conference, Cooperstown Gateway Project – Linden Avenue
Peter Loyola, Principal of CLA Site Landscape Architecture, Engineering & Planning, P.C., was present. He distributed packets, and displayed architectural drawings and aerial photos on an easel, showing the Village of Cooperstown’s proposed “Gateway Project.” It will involve various properties on Linden Avenue (encompassing both GB1 and RA2 districts), and include an intermodal center building, a 480-capacity parking facility, sidewalks, a walkway (replacing a current stretch of the railroad), and relocation of the current youth baseball field, Village DPW Garages, and trolley barn. Loyola and the Village hope to start on the project in the spring, but want to make sure it conforms to the Town’s permitted, special permitted, and accessory uses before going forward. He said there would be no impact on wetlands.
Chairman Lord wondered whether this should be under the Village of Cooperstown’s jurisdiction, rather than the Town’s. The Village owns most of the property; couldn’t they just redistrict it to include it within their limits? Attorney Ferrari said it would take a state legislative act to change the district.
Lord expressed concern about the impact of the parking lot, which would add a large amount of impervious surface, and disturb the rural character of the neighborhood. It was noted that this project could constitute an expansion of a non-conforming use. Joe Galati said the Board should get something in writing as to what exactly the applicants were asking for.
Loyola said he may return for the March meeting if he were ready with additional information. He said he would notify the Board if he would not be returning in March.
Afterward, the Board discussed the project further. They noted that the Village does not even own all the properties in question, and should provide letters of representation from all property owners before continuing with this application.
OTHER BUSINESS
Chairman Lord said there was nothing new to report on Creekside Cottages.
Donna Borgstrom distributed copies of her proposed Land Use Law wording concerning adult housing facilities, as discussed during the January 27 workshop. Chairman Lord and Zoning Enforcement Officer Stucin suggested some additions. Borgstrom will retype her draft using these suggestions, and present it to Town Councilman Bill Michaels. The consensus of the Planning Board was to meet with the Town Board sometime in March.
Bill Deane discussed the March 3 agenda. Applicants Walker and Loyola figure to return. There are also two Zoning Board of Appeals applicants who are having public hearings on February 17, and may be ready for the Planning Board in March. No one has heard from the scheduled applicants who failed to show up in January.
With no further business, at 9:45 Wes Ciampo moved to adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Deane
Planning Board Clerk