Town of Otsego Planning Board
Minutes – November 11, 2008
PUBLIC HEARING
Carolynn Abraham – Site plan review, replacement of structure in Canadarago Lakeshore protection area – 220 Bibik Road (#52.11-1-37.00)
Chairman Paul Lord called the Abraham public hearing to order at 7:30 PM, and asked if there was anyone present with questions or comments about the application, but no one responded. Donna Borgstrom moved to close the public hearing. John Phillips seconded the motion and it was approved, 6-0 (Doug Greene was out of the room during the vote).
REGULAR MEETING
Chairman Paul Lord called the monthly meeting of the Town of Otsego Planning Board to order at 7:31 PM, and roll call was taken by Planning Board Clerk Bill Deane. All members were present: Lord, Donna Borgstrom (Vice-Chairman), Doug Greene, John Phillips, Wes Ciampo, Steve Purcell, and Joe Galati. Zoning Enforcement Officer John Stucin and Planning Board Attorney Jim Ferrari were also present.
The Board reviewed the minutes of October 7, 2008, mailed to the members. Borgstrom moved to approve the minutes as written. Greene seconded the motion and it was approved, 7-0.
Copies of Zoning Enforcement Officer Stucin’s report (filed) for October-November were distributed. It consisted of the meeting agendas for the Planning and Zoning Boards, and listing of two land use permits issued.
Chairman Lord passed around correspondence received since the last meeting: a flier on a seminar, “The Purchase and Transfer of Development Rights,” to be held in Cooperstown on December 9; and a copy of the Fall 2008 issue of the Biological Field Station Reporter. The Board moved on to applications.
APPLICATIONS
Edward Walker – Major subdivision – Browdy Mountain Road (#84.12-1-1.01)
No one was present on behalf of this application (Chairman Lord later opened an e-mail from applicant Edward Walker, informing Lord that Walker did not plan to attend the meeting, as he had nothing new to report, but that he expected to have news by the December meeting). Chairman Lord summarized and passed around e-mails (filed) from Carol Akin, Marilyn Bradshaw, and Ted Peters, each expressing objection to the application for various reasons, and a letter (filed) from the State Historic Preservation Office, listing their requirements (previously listed by Walker).
Carolynn Abraham – Site plan review, replacement of structure in Canadarago Lakeshore protection area – 220 Bibik Road (#52.11-1-37.00)
Representative Rob Nixon and builder Wayne Smith were present. Donna Borgstrom read aloud the minutes of October 7 relevant to the application. Bill Deane read aloud from the minutes (not yet approved) of the October 21 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, during which a public hearing was held with no negative comment, and the applicant’s requested area variances were approved.
The Board reviewed the documents submitted at their request during their October 7 meeting. Attorney Ferrari examined the deeds and expressed satisfaction with them. Chairman Lord noted that the Department of Environmental Conservation had deemed this a Type II application, meaning no New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) review is required. Nixon said that he expected demolition of the existing building to start on November 20, and construction of the new building to start November 30, and amended the site plan to include those dates.
Doug Greene moved to approve the site plan as amended. John Phillips seconded the motion and it was approved, 7-0. Chairman Lord marked the site plan “approved” and signed it.
Mary Jane Ainslie – Lot line adjustment – Ainslie Road (#53.00-1-3.01)
Mary Jane and Doris Ainslie were present, submitting an application, tax maps, drawings, and deeds for their proposed lot line adjustment. Attorney Ferrari examined the deeds and expressed satisfaction with them. The Board reviewed the other documents.
Joe Galati moved to deem this a simple lot line adjustment and authorize the chairman to sign the plat. Steve Purcell seconded the motion and it was approved, 7-0. Chairman Lord marked the plat “approved” and signed it, advising the applicant to file it with the County within 30 days.
The Ainslies said they planned to return before the Board to do a lot split. Zoning Enforcement Officer Stucin said that there had been no other splits on the property since 1987. The Ainslies were advised that they would need a survey for a lot split. They will be put onto the January agenda, and said they would call if they were not ready at that point.
David Bertram – Sketch plan conference, lot line adjustment – County Highway 28 (#99.00-1-1.22 & - 2.01)
No one was present on behalf of this application.
Richard Votypka (Dirk Heckmann) – Site plan modification, Harmony House Café – State Highway 28, Fly Creek (#114.05-1-37.00)
Dirk Heckmann has reopened the Harmony House Café owned by Richard Votypka, and requires site plan modification. Chairman Lord explained that the key issue is the parking lot, which was not built according to the original site plan: the lot is not as large as was planned, and spaces are not marked off. Because the Zoning Enforcement Officer’s file cabinet was accidentally locked, the Board could not access the previous documents on this property. Votypka said the restaurant has seating for 24 patrons, requiring six parking spaces. Five spaces have been allocated for Reid’s Barber Shop (during the September meeting), and four for the tenants, making a total of 15 parking spaces necessary for the existing users of the property. The Board asked Votypka to return to the December 2 meeting with an accurate drawing of the parking lot, allowing for at least 15 identifiable spaces.
Paul Kokornis (Bob Birch) – Sketch plan conference, major subdivision, Canadarago Acres – County Highway 22 (#52.00-2-10.01)
No one was present on behalf of this application.
NYSHA (Joe Siracusa) – Sketch plan conference, Native American Interpretive Site – State Highway 80 (#115.00-1-4.00)
Joe Siracusa, Director of Operations for the Farmers’ Museum, and landscaper Michael Haas were present. They displayed architectural drawings of the proposed “Native American Interpretive Site” to be located behind the Fenimore Art Museum, above the existing Iroquois bark house. The complex will occupy about a half-acre of land, and will need no utilities. There may be revisions to the proposed pathways. They will apply for funding, and it may be as much as 18 months before the project is completed.
The consensus of the Board was that this will represent an enhancement, but it will require site plan review. Chairman Lord advised members to consult the Recreational/Educational District regulations in Section 2.08 on page 13 of the Land Use Law.
After discussion, Donna Borgstrom moved to deem this a Type II application per SEQRA Section 617.5, (c)(8). John Phillips seconded the motion and it was approved, 7-0.
After an aborted motion regarding site plan approval, and further discussion, the Board advised Siracusa to return in December with information on construction sequence and erosion control plans.
NYSHA (Joe Siracusa) – Sketch plan conference, Cooperstown Graduate Program temporary accommodations – State Highway 80 (#115.00-1-4.00)
Chairman Lord read aloud a letter (filed) regarding the State University College of New York, Oneonta’s (SUCO’s) Cooperstown Graduate Program. Due to construction on their quarters starting in April, 2009, and expected to take two years, the students and faculty must be accommodated elsewhere. NYSHA proposes to house them in trailers placed in their parking lot. The Board discussed whether site plan review would be required for these temporary accommodations. They asked Joe Siracusa, Director of Operations for the Farmers’ Museum, to return in December to discuss it further.
Richard Hanna/Eugene Bettiol (Norman Davies) – Sketch plan conference, construction within 500 feet of Otsego Lake – State Highway 80 (#99.00-1-31.03)
This application was added to the agenda by the Zoning Enforcement Officer. Norman Davies submitted letters (filed), authorizing him to represent current property owner Richard Hanna and prospective buyer Eugene Bettiol. Bettiol wants to build a garage with an art studio above it, and a deck, on the property, which is about 400 feet from Otsego Lake. The Board advised Davies to go through the site plan requirements in the Land Use Law and return with a complete application and the required documentation at the December 2 meeting.
OTHER BUSINESS
Chairman Lord reported that there was no news regarding the contingent approval on Jerry Miller’s Creekside Cottages project.
Lord distributed copies of the Town Clerk’s minutes of the October 22 joint workshop between the Town and Planning Boards. He said more such workshops would be scheduled. He asked the Board to look over his amended draft of proposed Land Use Law changes, and determine whether they were ready to submit to the Town Board for their meeting the next day. Donna Borgstrom moved to submit the proposed changes to the Town Board as amended. Doug Greene seconded the motion. Joe Galati expressed frustration at rushing though the process, making an on-the-spot decision on something that had been discussed for months. The motion was approved, 5-2, with Galati and John Phillips opposed. Lord said he would submit the draft to the Town Board before their meeting. He also expressed frustration with Town Supervisor Tom Breiten, who was not at the workshop, and who has been less than communicative during this process. After discussion of possible dates, Lord said that the Planning Board would schedule another workshop, not to exceed 90 minutes, on November 18 at 7:30. Town Board members would be invited, and Bill Deane will advertise the meeting.
Deane discussed the December 2 agenda. Returning applicants are Votypka/Heckmann, NYSHA (two), and Hanna/Bettiol/Davies. Walker, Bertram, and Kokornis will be added back on only if Zoning Enforcement Officer Stucin hears from them within the next week.
With no further business, at 9:57 Wes Ciampo moved to adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Deane
Planning Board Clerk