1995-10-25
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QUEENSBURY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
SECOND REGULAR MEETING
OCTOBER 25,1995
INDEX
Area Variance No. 78-1995
Tax Map No. 8-2-6
Ronald Benjamin
1.
Use Variance No. 79-1995
Tax Map No. 23-1-29.1
William Bunting
8.
Use Variance No. 80-1995
Tax Map No. 126-1-60, 61, 62
Glens Falls Kennel Club
13.
Sign Variance No. 81-1995
Tax Map No. 103-1-1.2
GMRI/Darden Restaurants, Inc. 23.
Red Lobster
THESE ARE NOT OFFICIALLY ADOPTED MINUTES AND ARE SUBJECT TO BOARD
AND STAFF REVISIONS. REVISIONS WILL APPEAR ON THE FOLLOWING
MONTHS MINUTES (IF ANY) AND WILL STATE SUCH APPROVAL OF SAID
MINUTES.
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
QUEENSBURY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
SECOND REGULAR MEETING
OCTOBER 25, 1995
7:00 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
FRED CARVIN, CHAIRMAN
CHRIS THOMAS, SECRETARY
THOI'1AS FORD
WILLIAM GREEN
ROBERT KARPELES
MEMBERS ABSENT
DAVID MENTER
PLANNER-SUSAN CIPPERLY
STENOGRAPHER-MARIA GAGLIARDI
NEW BUSINESS:
AREA VARIANCE NO. 78-1995 RONALD BENJAMIN WR-1A CEA OWNER:
SAME AS ABOVE 1261 ASSEMBLY POINT ROAD, AT SHARP BEND APPLICANT
PROPOSES A 588 SQUARE FOOT EXPANSION TO A HOUSE WHICH IS
CURRENTLY 1,176 SQUARE FEET. APPLICANT PROPOSES TO EXPAND AN
EXISTING DECK, WHICH WILL REQUIRE RELIEF FROM THE 75-FOOT
SHORELINE SETBACK REQUIRED BY SECTION 179-60, AS WELL AS THE
SETBACK REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 179-16C. (ADIRONDACK PARK
AGENCY) (WARREN COUNTY PLANNING) 10/11/95 TAX MAP NO. 8-2-6
LOT SIZE: 0.21 ACRES SECTION 179-60, 179-16C
CHARLES JOHNSON, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
MR. THOMAS-"At a meet.ing of the Warren County Planning Board,
held on the 11th day of October 1995, the above application for
an Area Variance for the addition of a 580 square foot. of second
floor to an existing 1,175 square foot single story residence was
reviewed, and the following action was taken, Recommendation to:
Return Comments: No action could be taken since a majority vote
could not be achieved." Signed by C. Powel South, Chairperson.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Is there anything significant that you would
care to add to your applicat.ion?
MR. JOHNSON-You all have the color photograph. I just wanted to
review, the portion of the deck across the front is being
removed, in an attempt to get the house farther away from the
lake than it already is. It currently sits about 11 feet. off the
water line. However, it's a quick 20 feet above the water. So
the applicant is sympathetic to the appearance from the lake.
Trying to remove this deck brings the house further away from the
water, a little less noticeable. The intent with the design of
the second floor, it's going to be a master bedroom and bath.
The concept is to, again, maintain a roof line edge, and begin to
keep the design, again, low scale and blending with the
surrounding scale of the existing houses. That's the proposal.
My name is Charles Johnson. I'm with Paradox Design Architects.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Thank you. Okay. Does everybody on the Board
understand what the applicant is requesting?
MR. FORD-Can we get clarificat.ion on the actual square footage of
the expansion? I have seen 588 and 580.
MR. JOHNSON-There was a typo in the application. I believe the
588 is the maximum that, the 50 percent increase of footprint.
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
That's what the
still a little
588.
588 is. The design IS not set. in stone. It's
gelling, but I just maxed out the application at
MR. KARPELES-What's the relief necessary?
for relief from?
What are you looking
MR. JOHNSON-The existing setback.
MR. CARVIN-Shoreline setback.
MS. CIPPERLY-He's removing a portion of the deck along the front,
but. then filling in corners of the deck.
MR. FORD-With more decking?
MR. JOHNSON-With more decking. What we've simply done is kind of
taken a zig zag deck that follows the profile of the house.
We've taken two points, and just drawn a straight line, a
diagonal line and filled in the remainder. So we're not really
encroaching closer to the lake.
MR. FORD-Is that a large beech? Is that what that is in front of
the house?
MR. JOHNSON-It's a boat house.
MR. FORD-No. The beech. It's a tree.
MR. JOHNSON-In this soil?
MR. FORD-Yes.
MR. JOHNSON-That tree grows up out of some undeveloped shoreline
area, brush. There's no beach there.
MR. FORD-I thought it's a beech tree, like a pine tree.
MR. JOHNSON-I'm sorry.
MR. FORD-Is that going to remain?
MR. JOHNSON-Yes, it IS, and that decking that's around it is
going to be removed as well.
MR. GREEN-That closed in porch that's out there now, that's over
the open space underneath, your addition is not going to be over
that area?
MR. JOHNSON-It will be. I mean, the actual addition, the new
roof area will begin over t.hat portion of the existing home.
MR. GREEN-Over the porch area, you're saying?
MR. JOHNSON-Yes.
MR. GREEN-Because on your drawing here, it looks as though it's
going to come right. up, you know, to the back of that porch area.
MR. JOHNSON-Correct. We're going to put a new roof over this,
but the actual living space will not come over the top of that.
MR. GREEN-Okay.
MR. FORD-What is the height of that peak of the addition?
MR. JOHNSON-Currently, I think the zoning allows 35 feet. We're
going to be below that.
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. FORD-How much?
MR. JOHNSON-I'm estimating right now, again, I don't have the
accurat.e measurements down t.o grade, about 30 feet. It might be
32 when we get all done, but it's right around 30 feet.
MR. CARVIN-How high is the house currently?
MR. JOHNSON-It's about an eight foot exposed basement, eight feet
of first floor, and probably about five feet of roof area. So
it's about 21 feet.
MR. CARVIN-So you're going up by approximately 9 feet, maybe 10,
about. a third, and you classify this as a single story house. Is
that correct?
MR. JOHNSON-Right now?
MR. CARVIN-Yes.
MR. JOHNSON-Correct.
MR. CARVIN-Is that downstairs finished, the basement?
MR. JOHNSON-Yes, it is. He's purchased the house with it
finished as a family room, recreation room.
MR. FORD-So that's living space?
MR. JOHNSON-That was not calculated in the total. I just
calculated the first floor. So there's actually more living
space in the house, but I've only counted the first floor level.
MR. CARVIN-Unfortunately, none of us had an opportunity to get
out to the house, as far as I know.
MR. GREEN-I was out. there.
MR. KARPELES-I went out. I couldn't get in.
MR. CARVIN-Yes. I went out. I couldn't either.
MR. KARPELES-The gate was locked.
MR. JOHNSON-Really?
MR. KARPELES-Yes. So I didn't see it.
MR. FORD-I got there before they locked it..
MR. CARVIN-Okay. The house, does it set in the hill? Is this
the only exposed wall, or are there windows or a wall on the side
that's exposed?
MR. JOHNSON-The grade goes back up on both ends.
MR. CARVIN-And it does appear that there is a door. I guess, is
this a door right here?
MR. JOHNSON-Yes, it is.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Any other questions, gentlemen?
MR. GREEN-So is there going to be any major renovation to the
existing first floor now?
MR. JOHNSON-The kitchen will be remodeled, but that's really the
extent of the first floor.
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(Queensbury Z8A Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. FORD-Same question for the basement area.
MR. JOHNSON-No change whatsoever.
MR. CARVIN-If there's no other questions, I'll open up the public
hearing.
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
ENOCH ZYLOWSKI
MR. ZYLOWSKI-I'd like to review it and see just what it is,
because I couldn't. hear just what he was saying.
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
MR. ZYLOWSKI-Enoch Zylowski, I live right next door. Okay.
MR. KARPELES-Which side do you live on?
MR. ZYLOWSKI-At Bellwood, on the north side.
MR. GREEN-The big white place there?
MR. ZYLOWSKI-Right, and I didn't understand as to how far the
porch has, an extension for the deck. I don't know where t.hat's
at. I really have no idea what's going on.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Have you seen these plans?
MR. ZYLOWSKI-No, I haven't.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Why don't you come up here and we can show them
to you. Okay. As we understand the project, there is, okay,
here's the front. There's the lake. All right. There is an
existing deck here. That will be removed. All right. However,
wherever you see these X'ed in areas, apparently this deck does
go around the house, and this will be squared off. So this would
be new decking here, and then there will be an extension going up
approximately nine to ten feet over the existing house.
MR. ZYLOWSKI-See, originally, this was just a porch.
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
MR. ZYLOWSKI-And then when Eckardt bought it, he closed the porch
in and put bay windows out in t.here. That's what this area' IS.
Originally that was an open porch, when the Whittmers lived
there. So he closed that in, then he added all the decks here.
MS. CIPPERLY-But this deck is coming off completely.
MR. ZYLOWSKI-Okay. That is coming off.
MR. CARVIN-This is coming off, as we understand it.
MS. CIPPERLY-He's filling in this corner.
MR. FORD-Angling across.
MRS. ZYLOWSKI
MRS. ZYLOWSKI-Why we're checking
took our view of the upper part
we just want to question that he
here.
is when this was enclosed, it
of the lake from our house, and
isn't coming out further into
MS. CIPPERLY-The first floor of the house is not moving out.
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. FORD-But that deck might get in your view.
MR. ZYLOWSKI-The deck that's enclosed now, or the porch that's
enclosed now is going to remain.
MR. FORD-But that decking that extends out from that will be
removed.
MR. ZYLOWSKI-How much of an overhang?
MR. CARVIN-I don't know. Sir?
MR. JOHNSON-No more than 12 inches.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. This is the proposed extension.
MRS. ZYLOWSKI-It's just we don't want more of our view cut off.
We want to make sure that they weren't going to come out into
here, but as long as they don't.
MR. CARVIN-Yes. I don't believe that is the case, from the plans
that we're looking at. It would appear that this actually will
be centered more in the center of the house. I just want to make
sure that I understand this also. You're going up in the center
of the house, right, so that you're going to have a slant? This
would be a slanting roof here?
MR. JOHNSON-Correct
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
t.hen.
So that it's not coming out to the front here
MR. JOHNSON-Correct. This was sort of a generic representation,
because at this point, when this was done, there wasn't anything
hard and fast designed. At this point, the second floor does
extend to this edge of the building.
MR. CARVIN-Okay, but what I'm saying is that you're not coming
out to the front here?
MR. JOHNSON-With a new roof we are. We're going to take this
flattened roof off and make it.
MRS. ZYLOWSKI-And you're going to bring that roof all the way
down over where the deck area is now?
MR. JOHNSON-No. See, this section right here is the old porch,
and we're going to put a new roof on it and just align is with
the new section. What's going to happen is we've taken this
space and included it into the second floor. So this wall has no
depth to the edge.
MRS. ZYLOWSKI-We just, originally, before Mr. Benjamin, but
Eckardt, he enclosed that outer deck, and he cut off our view.
We just wanted to make sure that you weren't going to come out
further yet.
MR. ZYLOWSKI-That, originally, was one
Bellwood. The original driveway went in
into Bellwood, and that's the way Frohman
It was a hotel at that t.ime.
of the cottages of
through their gateway
had it in the 1890's.
MR. FORD-Can you see over that, what used to be the porch area,
that roof now?
MRS. ZYLOWSKI-No. See, we used to look out, from our back room
in this house, from here, we could see right up the lake and then
up the road and everything, and then whenever he did it. He
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
closed this all in, what was originally just an open porch. He
closed it in and put like a kitchen or whatever's there. So he
blocked it. Then he added this other deck here. So no~ we just
want to make sure that it wasn't coming out. further into this
area, that it was going to block more than what it already
blocked. Thank you.
MR. CARVIN-Anyone else wishing to be heard in opposition? Any
correspondence?
MR. THOMAS-No correspondence.
MR. CARVIN-Any public comment at all? Seeing none, hearing none,
I'll close the public hearing.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Bob, any thoughts?
MR. KARPELE5-No. My only thoughts are, I couldn't see it, so I'm
going to abstain. If I can't see the place, I can't make an
opinion.
MR. GREEN-No. I don't seem to have any problem with it at all,
as long as you stay under the 50 percent and are not coming out
any farther. My only concern is I didn't want it going over that
closed in porch, because I didn't think it would hold it, and in
order to do it, you'd have to do a lot of renovations underneath
it, but if you're not putting any additional weight over that,
what we now call the closed in porch, I don't have a real
concern.
MR. FORD-I have concerns about expansion on and around the lake,
but this seems like a pretty practical solut.ion. They're not.
coming any closer to the lake. In fact, they're reducing the
deck. 50 I don't have a real problem with it.
MR. THOMAS-I agree with Bill and Tom, that I don't see a problem
with this. It would enhance the building, and I like the idea of
getting rid of part of that deck that extends toward the lake,
also the idea of saving the trees out front. I think will enhance
the neighborhood, and I also believe it'll make the applicant's
very happy.
MR. CARVIN-Nobody has a problem with the height expansion?
MR. HH)MA5-No.
MR. CARVIN-Your height would be about 30 feet?
MR. JOHNSON-Approximately 30 feet, yes,
MS. CIPPERLY-This application will also have to go to site plan
review for the Planning Board, where some of these issues will be
addresseð again.
MR. THOMAS-It would have to go up to APA, just to look at it.
Right?
MR. FORD-Just one general concern, and that is that I would like
to see plans be firmer, when presented, than these are. These
are, they started out pretty generic, and then they got more
specific, but they still are not very specific when we talk about
how high the current building is and how high we're going to go.
I understand we're going to stay within Code, but generally I
like to have greater specificity.
MR. CARVIN-How far back from the lake is this going to be? Is it
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
11 feet plus or minus?
MR. JOHNSON-Yes. That was what the existing survey had.
MS. CIPPERLY-The house is at 11.
MR. CARVIN-Sue, why do we need 179-16C? Are we considering this
a front yard, or are we looking for relief from the 20?
MS. CIPPERLY-Yes, but the 75 really, that is considered a front
yard. This is kind of an interesting parcel. This is the front.
yard because that's the architectural front of the house.
MR. CARVIN-I want to get the relief, if we're going to grant it
here.
MS. CIPPERLY-It would be from the 75 foot.
MR. CARVIN-Okay, but that's the 179-60, right, the 75 feet, but
179-16C has to do with the side yard setbacks.
MS. CIPPERLY-Well, when I originally did this, I was thinking
this was a side yard, but there's no relief needed there anyway,
and I guess this could also need relief from the 30 foot. That.
is the front yard.
MR. CARVIN-Yes,
shoreline.
but on the other hand, we're looking at
MS. CIPPERLY-So he needs relief from the shoreline
the front yard setbacks. That's 11 right there.
setback and
MR. CARVIN-All right. Well, that's what I wanted to
that this is 11 feet. All right. So he needs 30.
19 feet of relief, front yard.
make sure,
So he needs
MS. CIPPERLY-Yes.
MR. CARVIN-How wide is the deck?
MR. JOHNSON-The deck is approximately five feet, the portion that
we're building.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Well, I'm going to limit the height on this to
30 feet., because I think that this is actually a two story
already, with the downstairs. I think we've addressed these
types of issues in the past and got burned very badly. There's
going to be absolutely no changing with the windows or entrances
or anything on that basement level?
MR. JOHNSON-No.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Is everybody comfortable with this? All right.
MOTION TO APPROVE AREA VARIANCE NO. 78-1995 RONALD BENJAMIN,
Introduced by Fred Carvin who moved for its adoption, seconded by
Thomas Ford:
The applicant is proposing to construct a 580 square foot second
floor addition to an existing single story structure. In order
for the applicant to accomplish this, he needs relief from
Section 179-60, and Section 179-16C. 179-60 deals with the 75
foot shore setback. I would grant 64 feet of relief from that
Section. Sect.ion 179-16C deals with the front yard setbacks, a
minimum of 30 feet. I would grant 19 feet relief from that
Section. The overall structure will remain no higher t.han 30
feet from ground level. By granting of this relief, and limiting
t.he height t.o 30 feet, and because the applicant is removing an
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
existing five foot deck, they are in essence actually moving back
furt.her from the lake, which will benefit the applicant, and not
be a detriment to the health, safety and welfare of the
community. Again, by limiting the height to 30 feet, and
limiting the expansion to 580 feet, we will not be creating an
undesirable change in the neighborhood, or a detriment to any
nearby properties. This appears to be the minimum relief
necessary to achieve t.he applicant's desire to increase their
living space. There does not appear to be any other feasible
methods to accomplish this. This relief may appear to be
substantial, percentage wise, but here again, we are dealing with
an existing structure, and the applicant is reducing the setback
from the lake by the removal of the deck. As I indicated, this
would be the minimum relief necessary and adequate to protect the
character of the neighborhood and the health, safety and welfare
of the community.
Duly adopted this 25th day of October, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Green, Mr. Ford, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Carvin
NOES: NONE
ABSTAINED: Mr. Karpeles
ABSENT: Mr. Menter
USE VARIANCE NO. 79-1995 TYPE: UNLISTED RR-5A CEA WILLIAM
BUNTING OWNER: SAME AS ABOVE LOCKHART MT. ROAD, BEHIND GILLIS
FARM APPLICANT PROPOSES TO CONSTRUCT A 17 FT. BY 30 FT. ADDITION
TO THE NORTH SIDE OF AN EXISTING BOAT TRAILER MANUFACTURING
BUILDING, ALLOWED BY USE VARIANCE NO. 82-1990. SECTION 179-79
STATES THAT ANY NONCONFORMING USE MAY BE INCREASED ONLY BY
VARIANCE GRANTED BY THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. (WARREN COUNTY
PLANNING) 10/11/95 TAX MAP NO. 23-1-29.1 LOT SIZE: 6.164
ACRES SECTION 179-79
WILLIAM BUNTING, PRESENT
MR. THOMAS-"At a meeting of the Warren County Planning Board,
held on the 11th day of October, 1995, the above application for
a Use Variance to construct a 20' x 17' addition to existing
building. was reviewed, and the following action was taken.
Recommendation to: Return Comments: Removed from Agenda by
Town on October 10, 1995." Signed by C. Powel South,
Chairperson.
MR. CARVIN-Why was it removed, Sue, from the Warren County?
MS. CIPPERLY-Because it wasn't a Warren County, by accident this
month the secretary sent all the applications up to Warren
County, and there were two of them in there, we had one last week
that was removed, also. There were two of them that didn't need
to be sent. So we withdrew them. Lockhart Mountain Road isn't
County, and this property isn't within 500 feet of the lake or
Route 9L.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Is there
to add to your application?
applicant is requesting?
anything significant that you'd care
Does the Board understand what the
MR. GREEN-I've just got one question on the' application, at least
on the Short Form. It says 20 by 14. On our notes here it says
30 by 17.
MR. BUNTING-Yes. We decided, I think after the
that 20 feet wasn't even really worth putting up,
original thing,
so 30 would be
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
more feasible to us.
MR. CARVIN-What did we advertise?
MR. THOMAS-The advertisement went out at 17 by 30.
MR. GREEN-I think it was just on the Short. Form that it was 20.
MS. CIPPERLY-That does need to be reviewed, because this is an
Unlisted Action.
MR. CARVIN-What Section are we seeking relief of, Sue, do you
know right off hand?
MR. THOMAS-179-79.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Thank you. Okay. Any questions of the
applicant? Sue, do we have a copy of the original use variance?
Is there any stipulations that you know of, in that use variance?
MS. CIPPERLY-No. I did review it. It. was just for that original
building there. This is just an addition to that. The reason it
needs a Use Variance is because it's an expansion of a
nonconforming use for that zone, which is Rural Residential Five
Acre. In my review of it, in going out to the site, the
addition's going to be on the north side. It didn't seem like it
would be visible from the road. We haven't had any comment from
neighbors.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. It looked like there was two buildings out
there, about similar struçture?
MR. BUNTING-The one next door, yes.
originally four stories high. They had
floors qf that building. That belongs to
That one was, that was
to remove the top three
Mr. Gillis.
MS. CIPPERLY-That was a chicken farm that used to be a four story
chicken coop.
MR. BUNTING-When he sold the upper 10 acre lots, it was in the
contract when he sold it. to the guy that. the top three floors of
that building would be taken off, because it was quite large.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. What specifically is the new addit.ion going to
be used for?
MR. BUNTING-Basically storage. The building was (lost words)
when we purchased the spray booth. What we figured out, in
putting this spraybooth inside the building, it was going to take
up so much space inside that we would need some place to store
our tires and wheels and our inventory.
MR. CARVIN-Do you have a spraybooth currently?
MR. BUNTING-Yes, but it's not assembled. It's in a pile. I
wasn't going to put. it up until, I'm not using a spraybooth at
the time, but I paint every night, eight, nine, ten o'clock at
night, getting home. Just can't paint during the day when guys
are working.
MR. CARVIN-This is not a new occupation, or a new facet of your
business?
MR. BUNTING-Seven years I believe I've been in this, going on
seven years, doing the same thing I've been doing.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. So you currently do have a spray area?
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. BUNTING-Area, five inch sheet rock area, fire code sheet
)" oc k .
MR. CARVIN-All right. Any questions, gentlemen?
open up the public hearing.
Okay.
I'll
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
NOELLE GRANGER
MRS. GRANGER-I have a question. I'm not opposed to the
application. My name is Noelle Granger, and we live on the
property adjacent to Mr. Bunting, and certainly the request is a
relatively small one. I guess our concern is that the upper
barn, which is the former poultry farm, which was, the three
upper floors were demolished, seems to be going to be used for
boat storage or something to do with the boat business as well.
It seem to be, anyway, and I guess with addition to it, we're
just wondering how large the business is going to become. I
didn't know if Mr. Bunting could offer any information about
that. .
MR.
hold
BUNTING-The building that we have is just a size that would
about the production that we have now, and my future plans
if the business grows in the next five like it has in the
five, I'd like to like move into an industrial park area and
the business off the mountain, but for right now, I'm just a
kid trying to do it. So, I'd like t.o build a house there
day and just live up there actually.
are,
past
move
poor
som e
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Are both those structures?
MR. BUNTING-The second poultry barn, the second building is not
on my property. I have nothing to do with that anymore, and the
boat business in there, that's Ray Gillis' son working up there.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. So we have two separate and distinct businesses
up there?
MR. BUNT ING-Ye~3 .
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Because I saw the two buildings there and I
wasn't sure if they were the same.
MR. BUNTING-Right.
over there.
I have nothing to do with what's going on
MR, CARVIN-Okay.
MRS. GRANGER-As a matter of fact, we were confused, too. So that
answers that question.
MS. CIPPERLY-When that was a poultry barn, was that used for boat
storage?
MR. BUNTING-The building that I'm in? The other one? Yes.
There's always been boats in there, and Eddy Gillis, he buys
boats cheap that have been damaged or whatever and he fixes them
up on his own and sells them. Basically it's like a hobby
business. It's not really a full blown, hanging a nail up and a
sign.
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
business?
I guess you're more of a manufacturing
MR. BUNTING-Yes.
MR. CARVIN-Okay, and the other building is quite literally
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
storage?
MR. BUNTING-It's a hobby, like on the side. It's not his full
time business.
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
MRS. GRANGER-That was my question. Thanks. Thank you.
MR. CARVIN-Sure. Any public comment at all? Any correspondence,
Chr is?
MR. THOMAS-No correspondence.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. No public comment? All right.
hearing none, I'll close the public hearing.
Seeing none,
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Gentlemen, your thoughts?
MR. THOMAS-I'm still trying to figure out if the addition is
going to be higher than the existing building or not.
MR. BUNTING-No. It's going to follow the roof line. I put a 16
foot door in the center of the building, as you can see there.
That roof line will follow, the ridge will go right across the
back of the building. It will be the same height at that, and no
higher. So it would be like a "T" on the back of the building.
MR. THOMAS-That's the only thing ~ had.
MR. CARVIN-Any problems with it, Chris?
MR. THOMAS-No, none whatsoever.
MR. FORD-Can you tell us about.
because you obviously are storing
st.oring in this new enclosed area.
the painting operat.ion now,
whatever you're going to be
MR. BUNTING-My paints are stored in a paint storage cabinet.
MR. FORD-Right, but you're going to use this expansion for
storage purposes, right?
MR. BUNTING-Yes.
MR. FORD-So that you can construct a special painting area?
MR. BUNTING-Yes.
MR. FORD-But you already have a special painting area.
MR. BUNTING-Yes, but I purchased the spray booth, a legitimate
factory store bought spray booth.
MR. CARVIN-And how is that going to be vented?
MR. BUNTING-It'll be vented through the fan that comes with it
and the duct work and the filters. This is a legitimate painting
facility. It's an OSHA approved spray booth.
MS. CIPPERLY-Yes. That'll all have to be inspected by the Fire
Marshal and the Building Inspectors also.
MR. FORD-Now are you going to simply remove your current spraying
area?
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. BUNTING-No. My current spraying area will become what we
would call a rigging area where the boat trailer gets the wheels
put on, the lights put on, the winch, the jack. There'd be a
finish area. What we'd like to do now is bring the steel on the
road end of the building, where we're storing all our wheels and
tires and stuff, and bring the steel in t.hat. end, and the
finished trailer would go out the other end. Right now we waste
so much time moving stuff back and forth and trying to work
around in there.
MR. KARPELES-I don't have any
he's got a lot of land, and
bother anybody. It's a long
like a pretty quiet. business.
problem with this. It looks like
I don't see where it's going to
way away from anybody, and it looks
I have no trouble with it.
MR. GREEN-My only original thought was I thought the upper barn
was part of your property also, but since it's not, I don't have
any concern at all. My original thought was, gee, you've got all
this space, you know, what do you need another little space down
here, but if that's not available to you, then I don't have any
problem at all. That was my only original thought. I don't have
any problem with the structure itself.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. will this have any impact on your business at
all, as far as monetary, if you didn't get this?
MR. BUNTING-Instead of working 15 hour days, I'd be working 8 or
9 hour days. It would make things run a lot smoother. It'll be
an asset to us.
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
MR. KARPELES-I just have a question about this paint spraying.
You say that tHe, you can't spray during the day now because the
fumes bother the people that work there.
MR. BUNTING-The room that we spray in, it was at the end where
the office is at, plus the doors opening and closing during the
day, with the fan on, okay. You couldn't get a good product out..
You'd have so much dirt in the fenders. These are upper end
trailers. They've got custom made. They've got. to look nice.
So when everything's still at night, I paint at night.
MR. KARPELES-So you'll be able to paint in the day time when you
get this, with a legitimate spray booth, as you call it.
MR. BUNTING-Yes. I can go home early. We don't paint every day,
either, but it will still be much better. In the business time
of the year, in the spring, we've got to paint every day.
MR. FORD-While, I was looking at the site and the expansion, I
couldn't help but see your product, and it is, it's good quality.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. I covered everybody.
with it.
I don't have a problem
MOTION TO APPROVE USE VARIANCE NO. 79-1995 WILLIAM BUNTING,
Introduced by Fred Carvin who moved for its adoption, seconded by
Chris Thomas:
The applicant proposes to construct a 17 by 30 addition to an
existing building whose height will not exceed the current. roof
line of the existing building, and in order for the applicant to
proceed with this project, he needs relief from Section 179-79,
which indicates that nonconforming uses can only be increased by
variance. This use, the original use of this property was
granted by Use Variance No. 82-1990, allowing the applicant to
manufacture boat t.railers. I believe the applicant has
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting
10/25/95 )
demonstrated that a reasonable return cannot be achieved due to
the current set up of his spray booth operation, which limits his
hours of doing business, and does have an impact on the quality
control and number of units that he can manufacture. By allowing
this addition, it would allow him to construct a higher quality
spraybooth, conforming with all the environmental concerns that
might be associated with a spraybooth. It would allow him to
operate a smoother operation. This situation is unique because
this use is allowed by variance. By the granting of this relief,
we will not be altering the essential character of the
neighborhood, and again, this hardship has been self-created, but
again mit.igated by the fact. that the use has been granted by
variance, and certainly this would be the minimum variance
necessary and adequate to address the unnecessary hardship proven
by the applicant, and at the same time preserve and protect the
character of the neighborhood and the health, safety and welfare
of the community. A review of the Short Environmental Assessment
Form indicates a negative declarat.ion.
Duly adopted this 25th day of October, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Karpeles, Mr. Ford, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Green, Mr. Carvin
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mr. Menter
USE VARIANCE NO. 80-1995 TYPE: UNLISTED LI-1A GLENS FALLS
KENNEL CLUB OWNER: PAUL AND SALLY BRANDT CORINTH ROAD, 2 MILES
EAST FROM EXIT 18 APPLICANT PROPOSES TO LEASE A BUILDING IN A
LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ZONE FOR USE AS A KENNEL CLUB TRAINING AND
EDUCATIONAL CENTER. SECTION 179-26 DOES NOT ALLOW THIS USE, SO A
USE VARIANCE IS REQUIRED. (WARREN COUNTY PLANNING) 10/11/95
TAX MAP NO. 126-1-60, 61, 62 LOT SIZE: 2.04, 6.83, 1.97 ACRES
SECTION 179-26
MARK LEVACK, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
MR. THOMAS-"At a meet.ing of the Warren County Planning Board,
held on the 11th day of October 1995, the above application for:
a Use Variance to operate a kennel club with educational and
training courses. was reviewed and the following action was
taken. Recommendation to: Return Comment.s: No action could be
taken since a majority vote could not be achieved." Signed by C.
Powel South, Chairperson.
MR. CARVIN-Do you want to read this letter in, To Whom It May
Concern, or will we read t.hat later?
MR. THOMAS-Which letter is that?
MR. CARVIN-That's from Cathy Cloutier. I've got it dated
September 27th. It's part of the application.
MR. THOMAS-There it is. A letter dated September 27, 1995, "To
Whom It May Concern: We are the Glens Falls Kennel Club, and we
have been in existence for 25 years as a not for profit
organization. We are currently attempting to become a Tax Exempt
organizat.ion. We are currently located on Bluebird Road, a
residential area in South Glens Falls, and have been there for
four (4) years. Before that we were located at St. Joseph School
in Fort Edward. We are trying to find a permanent home as our
present location is too small and the demand for our service has
outgrown our current space. Below you will find a list of what
our organizat.ion does and what our goals are. 1) We train and
educate both the public and their dogs through low cost training
classes discounted for Senior Citizens and for those who really
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(Oueensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
cannot afford our service, we will donate our services. 2) We
promote training of therapy dogs for hospital and nursing homes.
3) We put on an information day at the mall each year. 4) We
teach people how to find the right dog for their lifestyle
through our Breeder Referral Program of Responsible Breeders and
st.ress the importance of making sure people understand the
responsibility of owning a dog in an effort to cut down the
number of dogs that end up abandoned or in shelters. 5) We
support the work of no kill shelters. 6) We promote responsible
ownership of dogs so people will take responsibilit.y for their
dogs seriously so they do not run free. 7) We give scholarship
money to Cornell for veterinary scholarship students who will
come back to our area to practice. 8) We support spay and
neuter programs as well as licensing and vaccination programs.
9) We want to set up a rabies and tattoo clinic for local
citizens. 10) We sponsor the Canine Good Citizen Test. In
closing, it is the objective of this club to promote all aspects
of living with dogs and having dogs able to live with the public
in a harmonious environment. Very truly yours, Cathy Cloutier
Training Director"
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Is there anything significant that you'd care
to add to your application?
MR. LEVACK-My name is Mark Levack. I'm the listing agent on the
property for Sally and Paul Brandt, and Colleen came to me some
time ago looking for some space to house the Kennel Club. We're
here to speak to any issues that you may have regarding the
application and answer any questions that you may have. I have a
couple of points that I'd like to throw out up front, and you can
take them in whatever order or priority you wish. I think that
this use is a good transition use because the adjoining property
is SR-IA, and I just think that it's a compatible use with the
neighborhood, as opposed to possibly some light industrial uses
that might be a little more intrusive to the neighbors and to the
residential zoning. I'd like to point out that this is not a
kennel club. There will be no dogs housed at this complex. This
is simply a class and meet.ing facility. Ninety-five percent of
the business that's going to be conducted there will be held
indoors, and I think the hardship here that we're up against,
that the Brandts' are up against, is just the general economy,
and trying to find manufacturing or light industrial tenant, it
just seems that the tenant that's most likely to occupy this
space under the zoning is least likely to be found out there
today. There's an economic hardship. It's important to have
this tenant in this deal at this time, so that Paul can continue
to upgrade the facility, and that he plans on staining the
property in t.he spring, and dressing up the exterior. I brought
some pictures here this evening to show you that the interior is
in really good shape, recently painted it for the Kennel Club so
they could have a clean environment in which to work. Basically,
they're a not for profit group. I'd like to point out that the
reason I'm sitting here, again, in this situation and having to
have a unanimous Board, due to the super majority necessitated by
a denial at the County level. The main reason why they seemed to
turn us down was that they wanted to prot.ect the integrity of
light industrial zoning out there, and, you know, we have more
light industrial prop~rty listed in this Town t.han anyone. I can
tell you that without a doubt there is really an abundance of
light industrial, LI-1A zoning. So I really don't see that this,
we're not asking for a zone change on the property. We just
simply asking for a Use Variance. So, Cathy's here to answer any
questions, and Paul and Sally Brandt are here to answer any
questions you may have.
MR. CARVIN-Any questions, gentlemen?
MR. KARPELES-Yes.
Is that building on two different lots?
It
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
looks like it is here.
MR. LEVACK-Because the building is a split building?
MR. KARPELES-No. Well, it looks like a lot line goes down
through the middle of the building.
MS. CIPPERLY-Yes, this lot line, but they're both owned by one
owner.
MR. LEVACK-Right. Are you referring to this lot line here?
MR. KARPELES-Yes, right. See, that's more distinct on this, but
I guess my question is, they own both lots?
MR. LEVACK-Correct.
MR. KARPELES-Are they going to use the entire building?
MR. LEVACK-No, just this portion of the building right. here, the
back shop area, and we have a picture of that right there. The
front is an office, a one story office. The back is a little
high bay area. This 2,750 square feet, and this is about 4,000
square feet, and t.hen this is 3,750 square feet right here, and
they're just looking to occupy the back. I brought some
photographs for you.
MR. KARPELES-And this one is still empty?
MR. LEVACK-No. That one is being occupied~ right now, by a Hal
Raven, Raven Industries. He's just simply using it as a material
storage shed, and a shop.
MR. FORD-And the front office space?
MR. LEVACK-Vacant.
MS. CIPPERLY-Mark, could you address the length of the lease?
This is not going to be purchased in the existing situation.
MR. LEVACK-Sure. The lease, I have a copy of it right here.
It's basically a one year lease with a one year option, for just
the 4,000 square foot back shop area, and associated parking.
MR. FORD-What would be the hours of operation?
CATHY CLOUTIER
MRS. CLOUTIER-Well, presently we hold classes starting usually at
six o'clock at night. Our latest class is usually out at nine.
We do have a morning class. We would not be using the building
most likely on Sunday.
MR. FORD-How early in the morning do you start?
MRS. CLOUTIER-We have one ten o'clock class on a Tuesday morning,
and we do hope to use it as an education center for the public,
now that we would have the capability of having space that we had
not had to start re-educating the ones that we haven't.
MR. FORD-So right now you have one morning class, and how many
evening classes?
MRS. CLOUTIER-Right now we have two on Mondays. The last class
is about 8:15, presently, on Monday. We have two on Tuesday,
last class getting out at eight o'clock. We have two on
Wednesday, last class getting out at eight o'clock, one on
Thursday, last class getting out at seven o'clock, but we do have
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(Queensbury Z8A Meeting 10/25/95)
a need, and we've had to
all of our time, if I can
paid for what we do.
turn people away because of that, and
say, is all donated. None of us get
MR. KARPELES-So this will be almost exclusively dog obedience
classes?
MRS. CLOUTIER-It is dog obedience with education. We do
encourage the canine good citizen, which is spay, neuter and
license your dog. I don't know if you have a letter in your
packet from Colleen Kimble, your Animal Control Officer. We've
been in contact with her, and she knows what we do, the
Washington County SPCA, also. There's a lot happening out there
that the public is totally unaware of, and we try and do it in a
different way. There's a very minimum charge for classes,
usually just to cover our rent, and that's about all it does,
because we want. to get as many people as we can. If it's a
hardship, we do it for nothing. I don't know if I answered your
question.
MR. KARPELES-Well, it's dog obedience classes, is why you need
this a~-ea?
MRS. CLOUTIER-Dog obedience and education, exactly.
MR. FORD-Where would the dogs be walked?
MRS. CLOUTIER-Out behind the property.
MS. CIPPERLY-Behind the building.
MRS. CLOUTIER-Right.
MR. FORD-On the property?
MRS. CLOUTIER-On the property behind the building, right, and
that's another thing. In educating dog ownership is the plastic
bag and the pooper scooper, and you take it home with you, and
there is also a petition, and I hope you have that in your file,
signed by where we had been for the last four years, including
people living right over the training center, because there's
apartments over the top of the training center, and nobody's ever
had a problem wit.h this, because we do enforce it.
MR. FORD-Would you address Item Nine, setting up rabies and
tattoo clinics for local cit.izens?
MRS. CLOUTIER-Right. This is something that has been done a lot
in Albany area, sometimes in Saratoga. Glens Falls has never
really done it in a full force, where we get a local veterinarian
to come in and just about donate their time, and the person,
there's a lot of people, I mean, a rabies vaccination can go
anywhere from $15, if there's not an office visit, up to $35 or
more, depending on your veterinarians. So what we want to do is
have low cost rabies clinics. There's too many dogs out there
that do not have their shots because people can't afford it.
It's usually like a $5 cost for basically the serum, and if we
advertise that with the help through the SPCA, and we pick and
Saturday and say this is the day, and these are the hours we're
going to do it, and like I say, try and get as many people in the
area as we can to get the rabies vaccination, especially with the
outbreaks we see now of people dying because they were bit by
dogs that were never, or cats or bats or whatever.
MR. FORD-And the second portion of that, the tattoo?
MRS. CLOUTIER-The tattoo clinic, what, basically, it's a national
registry where if you get your dogs tattooed, which is usually
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(Queensbury Z8A Meeting 10/25/95)
on, there's been a lot of dognapping. There was some in
Queensbury not to long ago, where labs, they snag the dog. They
take it. They sell the dog to a lab. If the dog is tattooed,
protecting your pet is another step, and t.hen taking that dog and
cutting its ear off because the tattoo's gone, and selling it to
a lab. We had the dogs tat.tooed on the inner thigh. It goes all
the way up to their stomach. It's also something that will
appear on the dog licenses, in the Town of Queensbury, wherever,
as other identification remarks, identifying marks, and then
again the national dog registry. You can register your tattoo
there in case your dog does get lost.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Will this be done on premises?
MRS. CLOUTIER-The tattooing?
MR. CARVIN~-Yes.
MRS. CLOUTIER-Yes. It would be.
MR. CARVIN-What other medical or health related services might
)lOU provide?
MRS. CLOUTIER-Well, we'd like to teach them, we have an
education, I don't know if you'd call it. medical or health, but
it has to do with flea control. It has to do with allergies,
nutrition, and we have speakers who come in, and we also have the
first aid, and we have registered people in the Kennel Club who
have first aid certification to teach people if their dogs ever
this or that, and how to protect it, and maybe possibly save it
in precious moments that yoU don't usually have. So we do
educate our classes on that along with nutrition and flea
control.
MR. CARVIN-Okay, but no dogs will be, if I can use the term,
kenneled?
MRS. CLOUTIER-No.
MR. CARVIN-So they're all transitory?
MRS. CLOUTIER-They come in to the class. They leave after the
hour and go home and practice and come back next week.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. What about a noise level?
anxious? Do they do a lot of barking?
Are these dogs
MRS. CLOUTIER-Well, the last place, well, where we are presently,
it's been four years, and the neighbors up above have never had a
problem with us. Sometimes, and I won't say it never happens,
but sometimes when a dog first comes in a class and sees all
these other dogs there, it's like, whoa, they'll give a little,
hello, but that's why the instructors are there, and we teach
them that barking is no problem.
MS. CIPPERLY-Are most of your classes going to be inside, or is
that only during the inclement?
MRS. CLOUTIER-Yes, 95 percent of our classes will be inside.
MS. CIPPERLY-Year round?
MRS. CLOUTIER-Year round.
MR. KARPELES-You confuse me. You said in back of the building.
I assumed they would be inside, but then you said you would be in
the ba,ck of the building. What's in the back of the building?
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(Queensbury Z8A Meeting 10/25/95)
MRS. CLOUTIER-Just the property when the dogs have to relieve
themselves. That's all, the bathroom.
MR. KARPELES-But the classes are inside?
MRS. CLOUTIER-The classes are inside, yes.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Any other questions, gentlemen?
MR. THOMAS-I've got one or two. If you were to move into this
facility, would you increase the number of classes you hold?
MRS. CLOUTIER-We have had them, even in the other building we
were in, based on the need. We might have three classes on a
Monday night, instead of two. We might. That's why I stated
that nine o'clock would be the latest time, because that would
give us the opt.ion to have a six, seven and eight o'clock class.
MR. THOMAS-Could you see this running into a ten in the morning
to eight at night operation?
MRS. CLOUTIER-We all donate our time and have day jobs, no. It
has not in t.he last four years we were at St. Joseph, also.
There has never been more than two Tuesday morning classes.
MR. THOMAS-On the average, how many dogs do you have t.here, per
class?
MRS. CLOUTIER-Fourteen.
MR. THOMAS-So that's fourteen cars coming in and out?
MRS. CLOUTIER-Yes.
MR. THOMAS-Okay.
MR. CARVIN-I guess, I'm counting, there's, what, five structures
on this property?
MR. LEVACK-Five, that's correct, yes.
MR. CARVIN-And they're looking at this specific? Okay. How many
other businesses are on this property?
MR. LEVACK-This is the front of the property. This is the rear
of the property. This building to the right is this building
right here. That's occupied as a storage shop and a carpenter
shop for Raven Industries. The front building has an office in
the front. It used to be West Mountain Tractor Sales, and then
the back shop area, which is everything that you see right here,
and that's the only portion that. they're going to be occupying.
The front portion of the building is an office that has no
tenant.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. So it's currently unoccupied, then.
MR. LEVACK-Correct.
MR. CARVIN-How about, like this frame building here, or this one
here?
MR. LEVACK-That is a cold storage building, and this is a cold
storage building. This building doesn't even have power, nor
does this one, I believe. Actually, this does lights in it.
This one does not. They're just part storage. West Mountain is
storing some parts to the ski lifts in this, and this is vacant.
That building is in not the greatest shape. This is a nice pole
barn building, and that home is being rented, occupied.
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(Queensbury Z8A Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. CARVIN-So this one's occupied?
MR. LEVACK--Yes.
MR. CARVIN-How big of a lot do we have here?
MR. LEVACK-Eight acres, total, plus this site, which was annexed
to the property. It's wooded. It's all trees in there.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. There's no house on that corner then?
MR. LEVACK-No. It's Just a, it's nicely wooded.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Would you anticipate these others being
occupied by businesses at some point?
MR. LEVACK-I would say no. I would say that hopefully we might
be able to get an office tenant in here. It hasn't really proven
itself to be a highly desirable office location. We're hopeful
that we could get a tenant that would occupy it as an office and
a shop, but haven't been able to do that, and I don't see those
two back buildings being anything more than cold storage.
MR. CARVIN-I'm not quite
businesses or occupations
sure, I mean, I don't know how many
or uses we could put on a single lot.
MR. LEVACK-Currently there are two, if you count this and Hal
Raven.
MR. KARPELES-Yes, but that's two lots, right?
MR. CARVIN-It's one lot.
MR. KARPELES-Is it one lot or two there?
MR. LEVACK-Actually, I think there's two deeded, I think there's
two different tax map parcels there.
MR. KARPELES-It sure looks like two.
MR. GREEN-So this one is a totally separate lot?
MR. LEVACK-It does encroach a little bit, but yes. I think if we
look at a tax map, we'll see a different parcel there.
MS. CIPPERLY-I think this shows two.
MR. LEVACK-If you felt that a boundary lot line adjustment was in
order, I could talk to Paul and see whether or not t.hat might
satisfy any concerns you might have.
MR. CARVIN-Well, I'm just wondering, we've got five buildings,
how many businesses we actually could have there.
MS. CIPPERLY-They're all light industrial uses, except for this
one.
MR. CARVIN-I think there's a number of gross square feet.
"Maximum density. One (1) principal building of up to twelve
thousand (12,000) square feet of gross floor areas for single-
story buildings and fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet. of
gross floor area for multiple-story buildings will be allowed for
everyone (1) acre." "For each additional one hundred fifty
(150) square feet for single-story and two hundred (200) square
feet of gross floor area for multiple-story buildings, five
hundred (500) square feet of land area will be required." So I
guess they could build it out quite a bit. It doesn't really say
how many different.
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. THOMAS-No.
feet peì" acr e .
It doesn't say.
It just says number of square
MR. CARVIN-I think you had a good question there, as far as the
traffic. I mean, I don't know what else goes in there.
MR. THOMAS-I think this has to go before the Planning Board
anyway, for a site plan.
MS. CIPPERLY-Yes. Any new, in a light industrial has to get site
plan review.
MR. THOMAS-So I imagine they'll nail it there, but just to give
us an idea of what's going on.
MS. CIPPERLY-The other thing I was going to mention is that this
particular use isn't listed in any zone in the Town. So no
matter where it wanted to go, it would need a Use Variance.
Kennels are listed, but. those are boarding facilities. There's
veterinary, and they're just not really a kennel club
designation.
MR. THOMAS-I have just one more question. Do you plan on putting
up any kind of fences? Have you ever had any problems with the
dogs running away from the owners and, like into roads?
MRS. CLOUTIER-We don't let
You're dog is supposed to be
where we are now, we have no
L>Je can use.
them out unless they're leashed.
on a leash to protect your dog, and
fence, we have an area out back t.hat
MR. THOMAS-Okay. So there's no anticipation of any fence going
up,
MR. CARVIN-Any other questions, gentlemen? All right. I'll open
up the public hearing.
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
TIMOTHY BREWER
MR. BREWER-Tim Brewer, Candleberry Drive. I would be in support
of t.he application. In the past, I attended with this Kennel
Club in Fort Edward, and found it to be a well organized
organization, never had a problem when we went. We have two
dogs. We took both of our dogs separate times. Well maintained.
Like Cathy said, the dogs are on leashes. Naturally, there's
going to be some barking. I don't see a problem with it. I
think it.'ll be an asset to that building. It's been vacant for
some time, and I think a business of this sort would be welcome
in the neighborhood. Thank you.
MR. CARVIN-I think we've got some correspondence.
MR. THOMAS-Yes, we do. "TO: Queensbury Zoning Board of Appeals
FROM: Colleen E. Kimble, Animal Control Officer SUBJ: Glens
Falls Kennel Club DATE: October 10, 1995 It has come to my
attention that the Glens Falls Kennel Club would like to have a
training facility in Queensbury. I am writing t.o give my support
to this idea. I feel the Kennel Club would benefit dog owners in
the Town and surrounding communities. The Kennel Club holds
classes in agility, dog obedience and canine good citizen
behavior. The Club also promotes responsible pet ownership with
support of spaying and neutering of animals and the licensing of
dogs. Additionally, The Kennel Club suggest.s the adoption of
animals from a local shelter, rather than purchasing an animal
from a store. The Glens Falls Kennel Club can help teach
residents to be better pet owners through education and
- 20 -
(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
responsibility. I believe they have a great deal to offer this
community. Thank you for your time and consideration." A letter
dated 10/25/95, addressed to the Town of Queensbury. It was
faxed in, from Thomas H. Condon, 510 Corinth Road, Queensbury,
NY, Subject scheduled Zoning Board meeting for 10/25/95 and the
request of the Glens Falls Kennel club for zoning law change, "1
had planned to attend the above mentioned meeting to voice my
concern and objection to the request before the Board of the
'Glens Falls Kennel Club' for a zoning change to allow them to
locate a dog training facility in an area not zoned for such
activity in the Town of Queensbury. Job requirements
unexpectedly have prevented my attendance. My basic position is
being an affected property owner that there should not be a
further relaxing of zoning laws in the general area of Corinth,
VanDusen and Pitcher Roads. Property owners including myself
purchased property in Queensbury in good faith expecting existing
zoning laws would be upheld. I would ask each of the Zoning
Board members to consider whether or not they would be favorably
disposed to such a development in their immediate residential
area. Has the Board taken the time to survey and study the
existing present site of the Glens Falls Kennel Club and
det.ermined the impact of their operation on the immediate
neighborhood? There is already a dog barking problem in this
immediate area being considered by the Kennel Club as at least
(3) parties have dogs they call pets but keep them tied up
outside the majority of the time if not all the time which has
negatively impacted the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.
Past tenants of mine have complained. So that there is a real
perceived problem to the Kennel Club's request before the Board.
It appears that the Kennel Club is attempt.ing to address a need.
Let them do so in a more appropriate land area and let it be one
which does not negatively impact property values and the peace
and quiet of affected residential areas. I respectfully request
that the Board reject by voting against the Kennel Club's request
for zoning change or variance. Thank you. Tom Condon" A fax
transmittal from M. Mark Levack, subject, Glens Falls Kennel Club
Additional Comments, "Please have this letter read into the
minutes this evening. Thank you, Mark" A letter dated October
17, 1995 "The Washington County Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, Inc. is a private, non profit organization
that provides shelter to stray and unwanted animals until new
permanent homes can be found for them. All shelter animals 6-
months of age and older are spayed or neutered to prevent
unwanted litters. Adopted puppies and kittens have this surgery
when they are 6-months old. In addition, the S.P.C.A. makes
every effort to educate the public concerning responsible pet
ownership and the need to spay/neuter pets. The Tri-County area
cont.inues to face the growing overpopulation problem of unwanted
animals, including litters of puppies and kittens. Since there
aren't enough homes available for these animals, hundreds must by
killed by euthanasia. Others will be abandoned in apartments and
along the roadside, where they often face starvation and death.
The Washington County S.P.C.A. wishes to acknowledge and support
the Glens Falls Kennel Club in its efforts to educat.e the public
on responsible pet ownership, including the need to spay or
neuter pets. In addition, the Kennel Club offers various
programs that help owners train and care for their animals. With
such training, owners are more willing to keep their pets and
work with them on possible problem behaviors, rather than give
them away or abandon them. The Kennel Club also encourages the
public to adopt their pets from area animal shelters. No only
does this provide a home for shelter animals, but it provides
space for others on the waiting list. Efforts such as these
support the on-going activities of the S.P.C.A. and its shelter.
The Board of Directors of the Washington County S.P.C.A. believes
the Glens Falls Kennel Club will continue to benefit the
community and the tri-county area. Board of Directors
Washington County S.P.C.A."
- 21 -
(Cueensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. CARVIN-Ok~y. I think you said you had a petition?
MS. CIPPERLY-Yes.
t.his.
I've got a copy. There are 33 signatures t.o
MR. THOMAS-"G.F. Kennel Club We the undersigned acknowledge that
we have had no problems with the Glens Falls Kennel Club in the
four years that they have resided on Bluebird Road in the Town of
South Glens Falls in the State of New York." And it's signed by
33 residents of Bluebird Road and Gansvoort Road. It should be
stated that it's not the Town of South Glens Falls. It's the
Town of Moreau. That does it.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Any public comment at all? Seeing no
additional public comment, I'll close the public hearing.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Gentlemen, any thoughts, comments?
MR. KARPELES-I think this would be a good use for the land, to
t.ell you the truth. I think a lot more objectionable businesses
or uses than this could move in there, and I've been to dog
obedience classes, never up here, but I think they serve a very
worthwhile function, and I don't remember them being
objectionable to the neighbors at all. So, I'm for it.
MR. GREEN-My only init.ial concern was the noise and the traffic.
I t~hink that's been addressed pretty well. Looking at some of
the other uses that could go in this zone, freight terminal,
extraction of sand, stone or gravel, truck repair, heavy
machinery repair, I think a dog training facility is going to be
a lot less of a both to anyone in the neighborhood than any of
those that are allowed. So I don't have a real problem.
MR. FORD-Can you tell me, on that petition, how close the closest
person is who signed that?
MRS. CLOUTIER-How close? There's two apartments right over the
t.raining center, besides the neighbors in the rest of the street.
MR. FORD-Does the Glens Falls Kennel Club ever initiate any
outreach program to pet owner$ in the immediate neighborhood,
addressing the gentleman's concern that the three that are
chained outside or~hatever? '
MRS. CLOUTIER-I would love to fi~d out if that would be possible.
Because I would like to talk to those people. The sad thing is
when a person gets a dog to be a watch dog and not a pet, they
tie it to a tree, and the dog stays there all day and barks. In
fact, we would be glad, speaking as a training director, to offer
those people a set of eight week sessions free of charge, t.o
maybe educate them to help the neighborhood.
MR. FORD-Thank you, and I too have been through the course and
became well tT~ined.
MR. THOMAS-I have no problem with this. I think it's a great
idea. I think this area has been crying for something like this
for a long time, and as far as Mr. Condon's remarks, if this had
been a boarding kennel, I would take into account his comments,
but since this is not a boarding kennel, and I think he
misunderstood what. the use was going to be, that I don't think
that this comments do apply to this, and like I said, I think
it's a great idea.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Then I would ask for a motion.
- 22 -
(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MOTION TO APPROVE USE VARIANCE NO. 80-1995
CLUB, Int,-oduced by F,-ed Carv'in who moved
seconded by Robert Karpeles:
GLENS FALLS KENNEL
for its adoption,
The applicant proposes to use the property as a Kennel Club
training and educational center. In order for the applicant t.o
accomplish this end, they would need relief from Section 179-26,
which deals wit.h the Light Industrial zones for which a kennel
club, educational facility, training center is not an approved
use. I would grant relief from this section allowing the
applicant to establish the Glens Falls Kennel Club because the
applicant has demonstrated that the property as currently zoned,
they have not been able to rent or lease the facility for any
Light Industrial use. I don't believe that the Kennel Club is a
unique situation. I strongly believe that it will not alter the
essential character of the neighborhood. If anything, it
probably will enhance a piece of property that has laid dormant
now for an extended period of t.ime. The applicant has indicated
that the Kennel Club will not be used as a boarding facility,
that their times of operation will coincide with a normal, and
not an abnormal, business day, and I certainly think by granting
this Use Variance that it will be the minimum relief necessary
and adequate to address the hardship that's been proven by the
applicant, and more importantly, at the same time, preserve and
protect the character of the neighborhood and the health, safety
and welfare of the community. The applicant has addressed the
concerns of this Board, as far as excessive noise, waste removal
problems, and I would look forward to welcoming them to that
particular area. The Short Form EAF has been reviewed with a
negative declaration.
Duly adopted this 25th day of October, 1995, by the following
vot.e:
AYES: Mr. Thomas, Mr. Green, Mr. Karpeles, Mr. Ford, Mr. Carvin
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mr. Menter
SIGN VARIANCE NO. 81-1995 TYPE: UNLISTED PC-1A GMRI/DARDEN
RESTAURANTS, INC. RED LOBSTER RESTAURANT OWNER: QUEENSBURY
PLAZA ILENE FLAUM 750 GLEN STREET APPLICANT PROPOSES TO
INSTALL A 50 SQUARE FOOT FREESTANDING SIGN. SECTION 140-6 ALLOWS
EACH OCCUPANT OF A BUSINESS COMPLEX ONE WALL SIGN. APPLICANT WAS
GRANTED TWO WALL SIGNS BY VARIANCE NO. 44-1995. (WARREN COUNTY
PLANNING) 10/11/95 TAX MAP NO. 103-1-1.2 LOT SIZE: 1.22 ACRES
SECTION 140-6
JON LAPPER & BILL MACRUM, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
MR. THOMAS-"At a meeting of the Warren County
held on the 11th day of October 1995, the above
a Sign Variance for a 100 sq. ft. wall sign.
the following action was taken. Recommendation
Comments: The Warren Count.y Planning Board
Queensbury Sign Ordinance should be followed."
Powel South, Chairperson.
Planning Board,
application for:
was reviewed and
to: Disapprove
feels that the
Signed by C.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Is there anything significant
to add to the application?
that you'd care
MR. LAPPER-Yes. Good evening. With me tonight, again, is Bill
Macrum from Chandler Signs in San Antonio, and Chuck Hodgson, the
restaurant manager, is also here to answer questions. I'd just
like to start out by saying that we were appreciat.ive of the
variance that we thought was a compromise last time. We were
very happy to receive a variance to put the additional sign in
- 23 -
(Cueensbury Z8A Meeting 10/25/95)
back, and we left here after that meeting, I believe, in July,
feeling that we had done our job, we had all the signs that we
needed to properly sign the building. However, when the building
was constructed and we, and most importantly the corporate people
from the restaurant, from Red Lobster, came to Queensbury to take
a look at the new building, they were extremely displeased, and
we all went out. and took a look also, and we were in agreement,
that we didn't expect to be, that legitimately, because of the
style and design of the building, there's a problem with that you
can't see the sign, unless you're standing right out in front of
it, coming on the travel corridors on Cuaker Road coming down
Aviation Road, Quaker Road, and coming south down Glen Street,
you can't see the signs. We think there's a problem. We're here
tonight to discuss this with you, to get your input. We may not
be asking for a vote tonight., but we're coming to you to tell you
that we truly believe there's a problem. We've proposed a
solution, and we'd like to talk about it.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Well, I'd like to bring to your attention that
on t.he previous sign request, that as part of Staff Not.es, as the
ground for argument, I guess for lack of a better explanation,
Staff Notes obviously indicate that feasible alt.ernatives, "we
have indicated that a freestanding sign would provide visibility
from Glen Street, but this is not the applicant's preference, nor
would it be preferable from a visual standpoint", and then later
on I guess Mr. Macrum, "t.ypically we rely on pylon signs or
freestanding signs for Red Lobster Restaurants. With this
situation, we underst.and we can't do that. What we tried to do
is create signage at key points on the building, and again, it's
hard to find these types of architect.s in order to address the
Route 9 Queensbury traffic", and it aþpears that we went through
an extensive situation with the signs back a mere two months ago,
July 19th, or approximately two months ago, and in our motion, I
think by inference, if nothing else, the only feasible
alternative to this particular situation might be a freestanding
sign, but that would also require a variance, and I almost think
that by, I know that my feeling at that time was that this was
the compromise in lieu of t.he freest.anding sign, and I think from
my standpoint, and I'm going to be brutally honest here, you're
going to need a super majority, because I believe this has, more
than likely, been turned down by the County?
MR. THOMAS-Yes. The County disapproved it on Oct.ober 11th.
MR. CARVIN-We have a five member Board. We have,
how the other members feel, but I'm just letting you
think you've got a very tough road to hoe,
conversations t.hat we had a couple of months ago, and
very strongly that anybody that can't find the Red
from the Planet. Mars.
I don't know
know that I
based upon
I also feel
Lobster is
MR. MACRUM-I'm Bill Macrum with Chandler Signs, and I was here
previously, and to go back to the first meeting when I was here,
I had strong instructions from my customers, General Mills, which
I'm an agent for. My understanding of the situation at that time
was through the Design Department and Construction Department,
that Red Lobster was not allowed to have a freestanding display,
period, and that was, my understanding of the information I had
at that time was it. had t.o do with the Queensbury Plaza, and
there was a landlord stipulation, maybe because they have a
freestanding sign at Queensbury Plaza display, voided us an
opportunity of having a freestanding sign. My direction was to
work with walls sign. One of the problems I have in this
particular building, I made a comment, this is a new building.
It's a new t.ype of architectural look for Red Lobster. It was
one of the first five. We had not signed a building like that,
and more specifically, I had not signed a building like that on
that type of property where it's sitting on the diagram. There's
- 24 -
(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
very few areas to sign on that building, architecturally. By
design, you end up having roof signs. There's wall areas with a
front elevation. Off to your right there's another kind of
portable shed that comes out, and then off to the rear there's a
couple of opportunities for signs, which don't address the
situation they have out here, which is the upper Glen Street and
the traffic coming to it from Quaker Road. What I wanted to talk
about, and everyone was here, from what I know, the other day
looking at this building, the final walk through it, and then
after being back up here today, they do have a problem
identifying the building to the high traffic. I'm not talking
about so much about the local market right here. As a lot of
people know, you go down there and there's a lot of people
standing in line t.o eat there. I'm talking about long term, the
people coming in, tourist, and just building for the future, and
we've talked to the landlord. I've gotten permission from
General Mills, as of recent, and the landlord's approved for the
Red Lobster to have a freestanding sign. What we need to do is
to come back in, and I don't like coming back in for another
variance. I didn't expect to have to do this, but seeing it
today, driving by it and looking at it, day and night, I think
that there is a legitimate problem. What we're trying to do is
work through a situation where they've got a sign design, not
asking for a huge display. We're asking for a sign that will
only address the main thoroughfare, which is upper Glen, put some
color to it, and this is basically what it would look like. It's
a monument sign. It's not a pylon sign. It's eight feet high,
and it's there only to address traffic going in either direction,
and it will have some visibility back to Quaker, but it's mostly
for safety sake, for people driving. I know, in talking with
Chuck, the General Manager, there have been some problems. So,
again, it's for discussion. I wanted to talk about it, kind of
where we've been, and get your feel on it.
MR. CARVIN-Any questions of the applicant?
MR. GREEN-Yes. I'm going to jump in here, because maybe the rest
of you have the same problem. This base that the Red Lobster
sits over is going to sit directly on the ground?
MR. LAPPER,,-Yes.
MR. GREEN-So the whole thing from the ground to the top of the
lobster is only eight feet?
MR. LAPPER-Yes.
Queensbury.
This is very different than any other sign in
MR. GREEN-Okay, because on the side view it looks like it's on
posts almost.
MR. MACRUM-It's a double faced sign. It's got some, it's three
dimensional. The critter, the lobster itself stands off a little
bit off the back ground. The copy is channel letters, just like
on the building, and it's got neon inside of it. We have clear
plex over it for safety sake. So someone can't come up and grab
the neon. It's down pretty low, and then the lobster itself has
a plastic (lost word) and it's got vinyl on the surface, and it's
internally lit. So at night, you can see visible neon, as you do
on the building, and then the critter will illuminate, and the
rest of t.he back ground is opaque.
MS. CIPPERLY-Have you considered what this eight foot height,
what it's going to do in t.he winter when there's snow banks? I
believe that'll be, since the corporate people come from Orlando,
maybe t.hey hadn't thought of that.
MR. MACRUM-That's a maintenance issue.
I hear what you're
- 25 -
(Cueensbury Z8A Meeting 10/25/95)
saying. I
northeast,
shovel and
the past.
know we've done a lot of monument signs in the
and we've dealt with that. I know they get. out. the
they keep it clear, but that has not been a problem in
MS. CIPPERLY-Another comment I had, since looking at this again,
since the wall sign issue, where we said that your previous Sign
B that was on your other, you can actually sit facing, if you're
coming down Route 9 south, you can see where that Sign 8 would
have been, if you're sitting at that intersection. I'm, wondering
if that wall sign would, like if you took your Sign C and
eliminated that, and instead took the B. It depends on which
traffic you're more concerned about.
MR. MACRUM-This we're trying to pick up both ways in the simplest
way possible. Again, I'm not trying to come in with a large
pylon sign. It's a minimal monument sign. The sign, which on my
print here says exist.ing lett.er C, that we put up, to me, it's
there (lost words) Bank Street and LaFayette, but the biggest
concern General Mills has, of course today, and I'm sure Chuck
will have in the future in operating a business, is getting
traffic in off of upper Glen, and with this type of sign, we're
picking up both lanes of traffic. I mean, one of the things you
go by it, too, as you're heading toward Quaker, on Glen right
now. The front elevation of the wall sign is the same, until
you're right there. Unless you're looking for it, you just won't
notice it, The opposite direction, all you see is really a big
red barn, and again, you're to the entrance to the plaza there,
actually before you're able to see Red Lobster. Again, we're
dealing with the t.raffic and the people, everyone here's very
aware. We've talked a lot about it. You know it's there. I'm
just talking about the average person coming in to Town going to
a restaurant.
MS. CIPPERLY-Another thought I had is right now the Cueensbury
Plaza sign is really a minimal size, and unless you're looking
for it, you don't see it, and I was wondering if perhaps the
Cueensbury Plaza would consid~3r eliminating that sign, and
putting up a Red Lobster sign instead.
MR. MACRUM-I would be in favor of that.
MS. CIPPERLY-Well, because really the
doesn't seem to, unless you're, I had to
and I sort of do this.
Cueensbury Plaza sign
go out and look for it,
MR. MACRUM-That's certainly something that I would, we could have
that conversation with the owner.
MR, CARVIN-Any other questions or comments?
MR. MACRUM-Again, I didn't expect to be here. Coming back and
looking at it, I think it is a real issue. When we walked out of
here, we felt pret.ty good about what we had accomplished, but
it's there. It's up, but our feeling is that it's not properly
identified.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. If there's no other questions, I'll open up the
public hearing.
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
NO COMMENT
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
- 26 -
........
(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. FORD-The compromise in our last meeting that I proposed has
already come back to haunt me, but I appreciate the fact that you
were willing, and the desire to come in and talk with us tonight.
However, we are not experts on signage. You are, and we try to
apply our local standards in a fair manner. I think we did that
before, and it's my opinion that poor planning and design on t.he
part of the applicant does not constitute an emergency or a need
for us to grant a variance.
MR. LAPPER-I guess if I could just address that quickly. Part
of, there's nothing intentional on our part. We're not trying to
get two bites of the apple, and we would have liked to have
properly addressed this the last time, but in terms of planning
in advance, as Bill said, this is a new prototype, a new design
of the restaurant, and because it's a freestanding building, the
design differentiates it from other restaurants, with the
interesting (lost word) lines and the way this is juxtaposed with
the entrance facing at a diagonal, kitty corner to the property,
to Glen Street, and all these things work visually to make it not
look like your ugly box, or even just what the old Red Lobsters
look like, with the old mansard roof that was kind of rectangular
and boring, that we have an interesting building, but people
don't identify it like McDonalds. Like you look at t.his and you
say, there's a Red Lobster barn. It doesn't look like a
restaurant, necessarily, and we think, legitimately, and we hope
that within the next week you guys drive down, and I'm sure
you've looked at it., but look at it at night. and see what Bill's
saying, is you see this fuzzy red thing, but you don't see a sign
that says Red Lobster unless you're right out front of it. I
really think there's a problem. We're not saying that what we've
proposed is the only way that this can get solved. This is one
way, and we want to just distinguish that we didn't come in with
a pylon. That this is a real attempt on Chandler Signs part to
design something that would be more acceptable, understanding how
Queensbury doesn't like a lot of signs, and it's not a pylon
sign. It's a low monument sign.
MR. MACRUM-If we'd have done this the first time, been here the
first time, if there'd been a clear cut understanding of the
landlord's position, as far as allowing, the landlord allowing a
second sign. Typically when we go in and try to get a variance
from the city or something like that, the landlord (lost words).
MR. THOMAS-I wasn't here at the July 19th meeting, but I did read
the notes, and it seemed to me like somebody almost promised that
they wouldn't be back for any more signs, but I like Sue's idea
of the applicant approaching the owner of the Plaza to replace
the Queensbury Plaza sign, which is hardly noticeable, to replace
it with a Red Lobster sign. I think this would alleviate the
situation. I think it's a feasible alternative.
MR. CARVIN-I was going to suggest a directional sign out where
the road is. They can put that up without a variance, if memory
serves correct.
MS. CIPPERLY-They don't even need a sign permit for that.
MR. THOMAS-Until about the 15th of January when there's 10 feet
of snow piled on top of it.
MR. CARVIN-Then they replace it in the 15th of April.
MS. CIPPERLY-Shop N' Save had something similar. They started
out with a four foot tall directional sign, and now they're, I
think at the limit of six, because of the snow, and you just have
to plan ahead, I guess.
MR. GREEN-I'd have to kind of go along with everyone else here
- 27 -
(Cueensbury Z8A Meeting 10/25/95)
tonight, that I was pretty much under the impression that this
was settled previously. I'm glad it's a monument sign versus a
pylon sign, but again, I've heard some other opportunities here.
I thought the same thing that, gee, maybe you can incorporat.e the
mall sign in with the Red Lobster sign, and make one sign out of
it, and not have this problem. I think there's just too many
alternatives to put another one in there.
MR. KARPELES-Well, I wasn't even in favor of the "C" sign, but I
have trouble with this, because it's not as though this were an
existing building. This building was designed and built by Red
Lobster for this location, knowing what the Sign Variance was in
the Town of Cueensbury, and to me, that's a self-created problem.
You just made your own problem, and I think you've got adequate
~:;ignage the'"e.
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
MR. KARPELES-In fact, I think we've got one too many signs, to
tell you the truth.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Any other comments or questions, gentlemen?
MR. FORD-I do appreciate, I believe, the position you
placed in, when you get the corporate heads here and
appreciate what you thought was adequate signage.
that's an accurate characterization.
have been
the>' don't
I believe
MR. MACRUM-Somewhat. Things have changed from the first time
that we had direction from the legal department. We do signs for
them and have for seven years throughout the United States. This
is a little unusual situation for us. Things have changed from
the first time we came i~ to apply for signs to where we're at
right now. I'm just being honest about it. That's the real
world. I'm just here to t.alk about that, really, and do the best
we can for our customer.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. I would ask for a motion.
MR, LAPPER-We would ask that, we would probably want to withdraw
what we have now, and come back with something else, and talk to
the owner of the Plaza, if we could get this in place of the
Plaza sign or somehow incorporate this into the Plaza, if that
might be something that this Board would consider.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. So you're going to withdraw your application?
MR. THOMAS-Do you want to table it or withdraw it?
MR. CARVIN-I don't t.hink I'm even going
because I think I've got three votes.
t.here's no need to table it.
to move for
I mea n, I
a tabling,
think that
MS. CIPPERLY-If you were to, there wouldn't be any variance
needed if you were going to replace the Queensbury Plaza sign.
There's nothing in the Sign Variance anymore that tells the Plaza
owner what they can put on t.heir sign.
MR. MACRUM-What is the size of directional signs?
MS. CIPPERLY-Four square feet, and it can be illuminated. It can
have the name of the, like you could put a little lobster on it.
It can be up to six feet in height. That may be, as far as
coming west on Glen Street, I think that would help, because you
really don't see that building until you're just about at the
driveway. I think a directional into the entrance there would
help.
- 28 -
'-
--
(Cueensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. CARVIN-Okay. So you're going to withdraw the application?
MR. LAPPER-Yes.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Then the applicant
application be withdrawn. Okay. Is
come before the Board? Yes, sir.
has requested that their
there any other items to
JOHN BROCK
MR. BROCK-Good evening, Mr. Chairman. My name is John Brock from
the Mooring Post Marina. I have an application for a Use and
Area Variance with the Zoning Board, and last night, it's my
understanding that, I'm a layman in this, but the Zoning Board
asked to be lead agency on a SEQRA review.
MR. CARVIN-That's correct.
MR. BROCK-And last night I guess it went to the Planning Board
and they want to be lead agency on the SECRA review. From what I
understood last night, if they're lead agency, you have a lot of
input. It was said last night that they do a lot of SECRA
reviews, a lot more than the other Board. I guess, I don't want
to see any further delays.
MR. CARVIN-I can appreciate where you're coming from, because
what you're telling me is news to me.
MR. BROCK-Okay. They feel that they would like to be lead
agency. I've gone through a year of my life, that I just wish I
had never seen. Okay, but I don't know if it's a major thing for
the Zoning Board to do the SECRA review, as long as it's done and
done right, which I've got to believe, if they do all of these
that they tell me they do, they know how to do them and do them
right. I guess I would be feeling that way. Okay, and if they
do that many, I guess what I'm asking is, I don't know if this
Board would have a problem with them being the lead agency, and
why they would. I would just like to see somebody say, look it,
we're not going to spend months going to DEC, doing this, doing
that.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. I'm more than glad to share with you my
understanding in this context, and I think I shared most of this
information, if not all of this information, with the Board, in
an Executive Session, because there is ongoing lit.igation with
the Mooring Post, obviously.
MS. CIPPERLY-I think the major points were also in the resolution
about SECRA.
MR. CARVIN-Yes, and we also did make the resolution. As I
understand the SEQRA, we have to not.ify the other agencies that
may be involved. Obviously, the Planning Board and also the Park
Commis~:don .
MS. CIPPERLY-And the Adirondack Park Agency whom we have not
heard from yet.
MR. CARVIN-To be very honest with you, I did not expect that the
Planning Board would want to take lead agency status, because,
quite honestly, this Board has tackled and grappled with the
Mooring Post issue for the last year or so. So I think if
anybody is familiar with what is going on out there, it should be
the Zoning Board. So what you are telling me this evening, I was
not aware of. I truly anticipated, if there was going to be a
challenge, it would come from the Adirondack Park Agency. We had
originally slated your hearing for November the 8th, or the 1st,
but because everybody has 30 days to claim lead agency, I didn't
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(Cueensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
feel it was going to be fair to everybody to have a meeting on
the 1st and not be able to do the SEQRA, which would require a
second meeting. So, at. my request, I wanted to try to get, like
you say, try t.o get all the ducks in a row, to t.ry to expedite
this as graciously as possible. With this wrinkle that you've
presented, I'm going to probably defer to Mr. Lapper, because as
far as the Planning Board is concerned, do they or can they
insist on being lead agency, or can we insist on being lead
agency? Because I don't think I've ever seen a conflict in lead
agency.
JON LAPPER
MR. LAPPER-What Mr. Brock is referring to is that there is a
whole procedure, under SEQRA, when there is a conflict, and the
DEC Commissioner decides, which often takes up to six weeks to
get a decision. You submit it, your Board's resolution.
MR. CARVIN-I should point out that Mr. Lapper is counsel for the
Zoning Board with regard to the Mooring Post issue.
MR. LAPPER-What Mr. Brock was referring to is that there is a
SECRA procedure when two involved agencies dispute as to which
agency should be lead agency, and two agencies request lead
agency status, and the DEC Commissioner has the responsibility
for making that decision under the circumstances. I also just
learned about this today, that the Planning Board had also
requested lead agency status, and I guess the first thing would
probably be, I know that, I haven't spoken to the Town Attorney
about it, because it's two Boards within the Town. He should
pass on it first, and I guess it would be nice to know if it
would be possible for one of the Boards to compromise, and I
guess Mr. Brock, since your asking for this Board to compromise,
I'm aware, from talking to the Chairman of the ZBA, that you'd
like to expedite it at this point, after a year.
MR. CARVIN-I, personally, don't have a problem if that is going
to be the path of least resistance, because I think in fairness
to Mr. Brock, I'd like to try to move this along. I mean, I
don't really want to have a conflict here. I mean, as counsel to
the Zoning, would it be advisable for us to step away from us,
and I'm going to put it squarely on your shoulders.
MR. LAPPER-I guess I don't want to answer that tonight, only
because I would see the quickest way to deal with the whole thing
would be for this Board to just have one public hearing, and make
a SEQRA determination and be able to rule on the variance
altogether, and I think that after a year of thinking about this,
to the extent that there may be some modification on what was
proposed, that would be something that, if this Board was going
to do that, it would be able to do that under the SEQRA review,
and then pass a resolution, if that were the way it's going to
go.
MR, CARVIN-Okay. Well, let me ask you this. If we decline to
take lead agency status, in other words, agree with the Planning
Board, when would the, what would be the earliest opportunity for
the Planning Board to hold a SEQRA? Because we have to wait for
APA, right?
MS. CIPPERLY-First of all, we still have to wait for the Park
Agency which, if they have Jurisdiction.
MR. CARVIN-But they have, because we notified them, is that
correct?
MS. CIPPERLY-They have 30 days from last Thursday.
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(Cueensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. CARVIN--Yes.
MS. CIPPERLY-I tried to call them today.
their jurisdictional question yet.
They haven't decided
MR. CARVIN-Well, I guess my question would be, now if we stepped
back from lead agency st.atus, does the Planning Board now have to
go through the same rigamerol of notifying the APA and the 30
days start again?
MR. LAPPER-Yes.
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
MR. LAPPER-When are we going to hear from the APA? When does the
30 days run, Sue?
MS. CIPPERLY-They would have until the, we notified them, the
letter was sent out on the 19th, so, technically, they have until
November.
MR. CARVIN-Yes, but that's us asking for lead agency status. Now
if we step a~<>Jay'.
MS. CIPPERLY-So if the Planning Board, and I think there are some
very valid reasons for the Zoning Board to do it, as we discussed
previously.
MR. CARVIN-But as Mr. Lapper indicates, that that could delay the
whole process up to six weeks.
MS. CIPPERLY-Well, perhaps the Planning Board would like to step
down, especially in view of the fact that they're sort of at a
disadvantage without an attorney, because their attorney, Mark
Schachner, represented this applicant last year. So can no
longer deal with the Planning Board on this issue. So I don't
know if Paul Dusek is going to, I mean, it's very complex, and I
think that the reasons that were put in the resolution that the
Zoning Board, for one thing, has the most, the strongest issues
to consider, and I think you're perfectly capable of answering
those SEQRA questions all at the same meeting.
MR. CARVIN-Well, let me ask
hearing for the Mooring Post
the SECRA stuff later?
you this. Could
variance, and let
we schedule a
them thrash out
MR. LAPPER-Well, you can have a hearing, sure.
MR. CARVIN-And if we have a motion on the variance, make it
contingent upon.
MR. LAPPER-No.
determination.
You can't have a motion until there's a SECRA
MR. KARPELES-Can't we just make a motion that we would be
amenable to the fastest way of resolving this, and if it means us
withdrawing our request to do the SECRA, we'd be willing to do
that?
MR. CARVIN-That's what I'm trying to find out here. Sue is kind
of indicat.ing that maybe the Planning Board should step back
awa)l .
MR. FORD-How does one resolve this?
MR. CARVIN-It goes to the Commissioner.
MR. BROCK-It's my understanding, and I had a meeting with Mike
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
White, the Lake George Park Commission, and it's my understanding
that. the Lake George Park Commission does 'not lI~ant. to gøt
involved in the SEQRA review, and they would want the Town to do
it. Now whether it is the Zoning Board or the Planning Board,
the Park Commission doesn't really care, and I think that if the
APA says they do not have jurisdiction, no jurisdiction is t.he
samø for the Planning Board as it is for the Zoning Board.
MR. LAPPER-Right. Yes.
MR, BROCK-So they wouldn't really have to go back through this
again, if, and correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know, okay. I'm
being honest with you, but what I'm trying to say is, if the APA
says, we do not have jurisdiction, okay.
MR. LAPPER-And if the LGPC says they don't want it.
MR. BROCK-The Lake George Park Commission says they don't want
it, well, there is no more 30 days.
MR. GREEN-I think you'd still have to notify them anyway.
MR. BROCK-Yes.
comfortable.
You may have to notify them, but I feel pretty
MR. CARVIN-Well, if we could expedite that correspondence out of
those two agencies, we'd be all out of the woods.
MR. LAPPER-But that's the answer, and sometimes when you want to
move a project, you try and walk it through the Agency, because
they have 30 days to respond, and if they don't respond, then
their rights lapse. So sometimes instead of wait.ing the 30 days,
and then they don't have it, you can ask them to right a letter
in a week, and in a week that can be det.ermined, but to answer
his question, assuming that both of those agencies don't say that
t.hey want to be lead agency, then it. would only be an issue
between this Board and the Planning Board.
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
Staff basis?
Is that. something that we can follow up, on a
MS. CIPPERLY-Yes. As I said, I did try to call the Park Agency
today, and I would be surprised if they had an answer for me
tomorrow, because a jurisdictional inquiry for them is kind of a
project, both on the part of the applicant who has to complete a
book, and they also have the right to request further information
if they don't. think they have enough, in ordør to determine
whether they even have jurisdiction. So, I don't think that it's
going to be a real complex issue, but I don't think this is
necessarily just a thing between the Planning Board and the
Zoning Board, at this point, and I guess I would just, I would
hate to see the Zoning Board relinquish something, and then still
have a problem with the Park Agency.
MR. CARVIN-First of all, I feel that the SEQRA belongs here.
MR. GREEN-I think we should with that, no matter what the time
takes.
MR. CARVIN-I mean, I can appreciate the Planning Board having
"more expert.ise", but I firmly believe that we have more
expertise on this particular situation.
MR. LAPPER-At the very least, you have a meeting on the eight,
So we could look at the situation.
MR. CARVIN-What I'd like to try to see is, I guess, a two pronged
attack, here. If we can get something out of the APA and the
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(Queensbury ZBA Meet.ing 10/25/95)
Lake George Association, certainly this week if we could get them
to relinquish the 30 day, that would free up our hands. I don't
know if we're going to be successful, probably not. I mean, I'm
just saying that I want to work with you, here, on this, because
I agree with you.
MR. LAPPER-A call between you and the Chairman of the Planning
Board. I mean, there may be a way to just get that settled.
MR. CARVIN-That's the second shoe is that I'd like to see, you
know, I'll try to get a hold of Bob Paling tomorrow, or Paul
Dusek, and find out why the Planning Board feels compelled to be
lead agency here.
MS. CIPPERLY-I think, once Maria has that section of the minutes
typed up, we'll get those to you as soon as possible, and maybe
you can see what went on last night.
MR. CARVIN-Yes, and I'm st.ill going to try to get it on for the
29th.
MR. BROCK-Let me ask. I may be out of line. I don't know. If,
lets say this 5EQRA thing happens in the next couple of days, is
that a possibility that the meeting would be moved back up?
MR. CARVIN-I doubt it. It's more of a scheduling situation,
because we have a pretty full boat. I know that we have probably
10 or 12 other applications which we were going to schedule for
the eighth and the fifteenth. I really did not want to schedule
the 22nd because of the proximity to Thanksgiving, and we were
anticipating a bureaucratic snafu, the 30 days. So we thought
that this thing would all kind of fall into place, so that the
earliest that we could move forward would be at some point after
the 18th or the 20th. 50 at that point, that made the next
available time for this room was the 29th. I also feel that this
is a significant enough of a project that it will probably have
the only issue on the Board, on the agenda, and it's not
something that I'd want to dovetail with, I think four or five
other applications. So that is the thinking behind scheduling it
for the end of November. I still would like to try to adhere to
that time frame, if possible, and barring any unforeseen legal
complications, I'm hoping that we would be successful in holding
to that date.
MR. BROCK-Okay. If you make a decision on that night, I have to
go to the Planning Board. If that thing's approved, is there the
possibility of getting concrete in the ground before it freezes?
MR. CARVIN-Well, I appreciate your dilemma, and my guess is
probably not, I mean, if I was a betting person. It really
depends on what happens at that meeting, and the weather. Okay.
Well, I appreciate that information, and either I or John or
somebody will be in contact with you to bring you up to speed on
this.
MR. BROCK-Okay. Thank yoU for your time.
MR. CARVIN-Thank you. Any other business before the Board? All
right. Do you guys want to do some minutes?
MR. KARPELE5-Sure. Lets get them over with.
MS. CIPPERLY-This is a draft I was doing of the Use Variance
application. So if you gentlemen would take a look at it in your
spare time. One thing I was trying to do is get all the location
and everything mapped on the first page, and if it's not there,
we're going to reject the application. I basically said that on
the first page.
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(Queensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
MR. KARPELES-Good. Thank you.
MR. CARVIN-And if we can't find it, they aren't on it.
MR. KARPELES-If I can't get in, I'm going to abstain. Any place
I can't look at, I'm going to abstain. They ought to be well
aware of the fact that we like to look at these properties, and
if we don't. see them, then that's their tqµgh luck.
MR. CARVIN-I agree with you, Bob.
MR. FORD-We spend a lot of time out there on the road.
MR. KARPELES-Yes. I drove all the way up there to see that
doggone place, and I couldn't even get in.
MR. CARVIN-There was one of them that didn't even tell you which
side of the road, left or right, just drive and stop.
MS. CIPPERLY-So if you can take a look at that, I'd like your
input, and then another thing that's been happening, on the Use
Variance applications, is how much of a site plan do you want for
them, and I think you should have as much information as you
would on an Area Variance. I think that,if there's things you'd
like to see added to that list, I can use that same page in an
Area Variance application.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. This would be for the applicants to fill out,
in lieu of our new one then, right? Okay.
MS. CIPPERLY-I'm trying to make it like so Page One could be for
any of the variances.
MR. CARVIN-Okay.
at.tached to this?
Are we going to have like an agent form
MS. CIPPERLY-Yes. That would be attached to the back, along with
the Short EAF. I realized t.hat. the Use Variance application had
never been updated to reflect changes that were done in 1994, I
guess it was, a couple of wording changes in the Ordinance.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. I think in keeping with Bob's comments, that
any place on here, direction and map must be provided, and also,
those bright orange things, they should be put in a visible spot,
because we are not.
MS. CIPPERLY-They're really helpful when they're there.
MR. CARVIN-Okay. Did you say you wanted to do some minutes?
MR. KARPELES-Sure.
MR. CARVIN-Okay'.
CORRECTION OF MINUTES
July 27, 1995: In motion, page 1~, Use Variance #34-1995, middle
of motion, although in all three cases the applicants are
cLi fferent, the owner of the "problem" in question should be
"property", and also Carvin introduced motion, seconded by Mr.
Ford
~OTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JULY 27. 1995. AS AMENDED,
Introduced by Thomas Ford who moved for its adoption, seconded by
Fred Carvin:
Duly adopted this 25th day of October, 1995, by the following
vote:
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-,
(Cueensbury ZBA Meeting 10/25/95)
AYES: Mr. Green, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Karpeles, Mr. Ford, Mr. Carvin
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mr. Menter
August 16, 1995: NONE
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 16. 1995, Introduced by
Fred Carvin who moved for its adoption, seconded by Robert
Karpeles:
Duly adopted this 25th day of October, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Green, Mr. Ford, Mr. Karpeles, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Carvin
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mr. Menter
August 23, 1995: Page 15, Mr. Stewart, the basement only
requires one outlet near the panel because it's not considered
sib "living space"; Page 16, Mr. Carvin in the middle, and I'm
not totally convinced that this can't be moved back further and
still accomplish your living area because obviously you're
telling me the downstairs area sib "a" redundancy; Page 64, in
motion, that the variance is granted only for Jeffrey Thomas'
occupancy of the proposed revised garage structure, and that if
he should vacate those premises, that any kitchen or continued
use of that structure as a second residential use not allowed by
Ordinance, or the Town of Queensbury at that time the variance
becomes null and void, take out "at that point"; later on, if he
should vacate it or he should move, or you should move, then the
unit loses its variance, take out words "has to its"
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 23. 1995. AS CORRECTED,
Introduced by Thomas Ford who moved for its adoption, seconded by
Fred Carvin:
Duly adopted this 25th day of October, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Karpeles, Mr. Green, Mr. Ford, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Carvin
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mr. Menter
August 31, 1995: NONE
~OTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 31, 1995, Introduced by
Fred Carvin who moved for its adoption, seconded by Robert
Karpeles:
Duly adopted this 25th day of October, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Green, Mr. Ford, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Carvin
NOES: NONE
ABSTAINED: Mr. Ford
ABSENT: Mr. Menter
September 20, 1995: Page 26, Mr. Karpeles, I can't see how a
fishing charter business is not going to have a detrimental
effect on the neighbor, take out "has got", and replace with "is
- 35 -
(Queensbury Z8A Meeting 10/25/95)
not going"; Page 29, I said damn, I meant darn; Page 27, Mr.
Carvin, three quart.ers of the way down the page, I stated this
before, I have no doubt in my mind that Mr. DiPalma, not Mr.
Bleibtrey, has a use to the right-of-way, but I'm not positive
that paying customers, friends, or other folks that are visiting
Mr. DiPalma also have that use of right;
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 20. 1995 AS CORRECTED,
Introduced by Thomas Ford who moved for its adoption, seconded by
William Green:
Duly adopted this 25th day of October, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Karpeles, Mr. Green, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Ford, Mr. Carvin
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mr. Menter
September 27, 1995: Page 4, Mr. Carvin sib 30 days isn't going
to make a "heck" of a lot of difference; Page 9, Mr. Karpeles,
sib is that the only sign, not "they" only sign; Page 33, Mr.
Karpeles, I feel that we have a safety hazard here, rather than I
would feel like we have a safety hazard;
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS CORRECTED
199~, Introduced by Fred Carvin who moved
seconded by Robert Karpeles:
FOR SEPTEMBER 27.
for its adoption,
Duly adopted this 25th day of October, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Green, Mr. Karpeles, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Carvin
NOES: NONE
ABSTAINED: Mr. Ford
ABSENT: Mr. Menter
On motion meeting was adjourned.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
Fred Carvin, Chairman
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