1994-09-20
QUEENSBURY PLANNING BOARD MEETING
FIRST REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 20TH, 1994
INDEX
Subdivision No. 21-1993
Extension request
Garth Allen
Site Plan No. 15-94
Oral Health Care Associates
Site Plan No. 30-94
Garden Time, Inc.
Site Plan No. 31-94
TPI Staff Leasing
Petition for Zone
Change 3-94
Frank J. Parillo
1.
9.
11 .
18.
25.
THESE ARE NOT OFFICIALLY ADOPTED MINUTES AND ARE SUBJECT TO BDARD
AND STAFF REVISIONS. REVISIONS WILL APPEAR ON THE FOLLOWING
MONTHS MINUTES (IF ANY) AND WILL STATE SUCH APPROVAL OF SAID
MINUTES.
'~.,
QUEENSBURY PLANNING BOARD MEETING
FIRST REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 20TH, 1994
7:00 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
TIMOTHY BREWER, CHAIRMAN
GEORGE STARK, SECRETARY
ROBERT PALING
JAMES OBERMAYER
ROGER RUEL
CRAIG MACEWAN
CATHERINE LABOMBARD
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-JAMES MARTIN
PLANNER-SCOTT HARLICKER
PLANNING BOARD ATTORNEY-MARK SCHACHNER
STENOGRAPHER-MARIA GAGLIARDI
CORRECTION OF MINUTES
July 19th, 1994: NONE
July 26th, 1994: NONE
July 28th, 1994: NONE
August 16th, 1994: NONE
MOTION TO APPROVE THE ABOVE SETS OF MINUTES, Introduced by Robert
Paling who moved for its adoption, seconded by Roger Ruel:
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1994, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mrs. LaBombard, Mr. MacEwan,
Mr. Ruel, Mr. Paling, Mr. Brewer
NOES: NONE
MR. BREWER-Okay. The next item.
RESOLUTION:
EXTENSION REQUEST FOR GARTH ALLEN, SUBDIV. 21-1993. LETTER DATED
AUGUST 31ST FROM MORSE ENGINEERING.
MR. BREWER-Have you got that letter, George?
MR. STARK-Yes, I do.
MR. BREWER-Why don't you read that right in.
MR. STARK-Okay. Letter to Mr. James Martin, Executive Director,
Regards Bay Meadows Development "Dear Jim: Please be advised
that as of this date, we have just received final delineation of
wetlands by the Corp of Engineers on the Bay Meadows project. We
are now mapping and prepa,-ing a mitigation plan for Corp review.
Therefore, it is our desire to obtain an extension of this
project for a sufficient amount of time to obtain Corp approval.
If you require additional back-up information, please feel free
to contact me. Very truly yours, MORSE ENGINEERING, P.C.
Richard S. Morse, P.E. President"
MR. BREWER-Is there anybody here for this applicant? Jim, do you
know how much time he needs?
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MR. MARTIN-I would say if he's at the stage of preparing the
mapping and the mitigation plan, they've still got to accept all
that, I would say six months wouldn't be excessive, given what's
ahead of them.
MR. BREWER-How about April 30th, 1995.
MR. MARTIN-Yes, that would be, I think, more than fair.
MR. RUEL-Okay. You want a motion?
MR. BREWER-Yes, please.
MOTION TO GRANT AN EXTENSION FOR SUBDIVISION NO. 21-1993 GARTH
ALLEN, Introduced by Roger Ruel who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Robert Paling:
Until April 30th, 1995.
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1994, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Obermayer, Mrs. LaBombard, Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Ruel,
Mr. Paling, Mr. Stark, Mr. Brewer
NOES: NONE
MR. BREWER-Okay. The first discussion.
DISCUSSION ITEM:
1. DISCUSSION REGARDING CHANGE IN THE DEADLINE DATE FOR
APPLICATION.
MR. MARTIN-We put this on at the request of some of the members
of the community who are before us on a regular basis, and also
the Queensbury Business Association has made known their
disfavor, so to speak, with the change in the deadline date. So,
this came about, to me, in discussions I had last month, and I
didn't, you know, I said, well why don't we just be open about
the issue, and have a discussion before the Board. I don't
recall if there was a, you know, we weren't particularly adamant
about this. It's just that, you know, I think the primary reason
was our Staff Notes weren't getting to you in a timely manner,
and I suggested if there's things that we can do at our end,
meaning the Staff, under the old deadline date, to accommodate
your wishes for getting the Staff Notes earlier, at a regularly
scheduled time, we could look into that as maybe a compromise
si t.uation.
MR. BREWER-I think what our intention was, when we talked about
this the first time, was that when we went on our site visits, we
could possibly get our Staff Notes for the first meeting, which
gives us a week, and then at the first meeting, get our Staff
Notes for the second meeting, was our intention, and that's why
we did what we did. I don't know if anybody wants to speak, and
has any ideas, or comments, you're welcome to comment. Anybody
on the Board?
MR. RUEL-Is it a problem for the Planning Staff?
MR. MARTIN-Well, the only other increased part of the workload
there is, that's somewhat unusual, is the Comprehensive Plan work
has begun, and we're trying to, as best we can, divvy up our
month into, really, two sections. The first being the regular,
month to month business with the Planning Board and Zoning Board
work, and then the second part being work related to the
Comprehensive Plan. That's only going to intensify as next year
approaches, but I would at least like to offer, you know, like I
said the first time through, seeing what we can do to accommodate
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-
a regular schedule for you to receive the notes and see how that
works.
MR. BREWER-Okay. Maybe some of the applicants can tell us what
is the problem with what we did, and maybe a suggestion as to how
we can correct it.
TOM NACE
MR. NACE-Okay. For the record, my name is Tom Nace. I'm here
tonight representing the Queensbury Business Association. Our
main concern is that our members are businessmen, are developers
that are before you on a regular basis. with site plans and
subdivisions. This new submittal date that was prop6sed, if
implemented, would end up, i n ~ estimation, prolongi ng the
review process before the Board, almost double what it is. The
process would mean that any time either a site plan was tabled,
or had to go back for revision or additional review, your
submission date would fall prior to the meeting date, which would
mean that we'd have to wait a month in between. We'd miss the
following month.
MR. BREWER-But don't we, if we table something on a regular
basis, don't we always accommodate that, pretty much, Tom?
MR. NACE-The policy stated that it would apply to tabled items.
MR. BREWER-But if we table an item, we pretty much always say
that it's on the next month, don't we, as a rule?
MR. NACE-In the past, yes. You've been very accommodating, but
for subdivisions, okay, as it is now on relatively simple
subdivisions, it's normally feasible to get ourselves in line so
that we can have the review meeting for site plan, and even if
it's only a couple of days later, the submission date, still be
able to submit preliminary, so that preliminary would be on the
following month. With these revised submission dates, that would
be impossible. So your subdivision process, at a minimum, would
be six months, instead of three.
MR. BREWER-I don't think that was our intention to do that. I
think our intention was, like I said, to get our notes and get
our information so that we can do a bettér job.
MIKE O'CONNOR
MR. O'CONNOR-The notice that you sent out would lead us to
believe otherwise.
MR. BREWER-We didn't send the notice out, Mike.
MR. O'CONNOR-We got a notice that said that there was a fixed
date for all matters, new matters or matters that have been
tabled, and the requirement for submittal of new data, even on
tabled matters, would have to abide by the new guidelines, and in
subdivisions, particularly, it's made it impossible, we're then
talking, like if you had a subdivision on your agenda tonight,
and you gave it preliminary approval, it couldn't come back in
October, under those guidelines.
MR. BREWER-What would be the
submittals?
date, this month, for new
MR. MARTIN-New submissions? It was last Friday. So we miss all
four meetings, Planning Board and Zoning Board. We miss all
four, and the other problem that's going to, and I know the
Board's been very accommodating, and I think will continue to be
so, no matter what happens with the deadline, or the submission
date, but if we have to start keeping track of individual
submission dates for individual applications that are given
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special consideration, it's going to become, it could become very
confusing. Say, this month we have all four meetings falling
after the deadline, any tabled items that want to be on for
October are all going to have to be given a new submission date,
and it could vary with each meeting.
MR. BREWER-So if we put it back to where it was, how
create the problem with us getting our stuff, or how
solve that? It doesn't.
does that
does that
MR. OBERMAYER-What can the Planning Department do to get us our
notes ea,-l ier?
MR. MARTIN-The burden falls on us, so to speak, as the Staff, to
try and get those out in a more timely manner, and I was going to
suggest the Friday prior to the meeting date. So if your meeting
is on Tuesday, you'd have them Friday afternoon. That gives you
four days to review the material, and a weekend.
MR. STARK-It's better than getting them the night of the meeting.
MR. OBERMAYER-It's better than getting them the night of the
meeting.
MR. BREWER-The night of the meeting, I think, is unacceptable.
MR. MARTIN-I agree with you.
unacceptable.
I don't blame you for that, being
MR. BREWER-I mean, it's not fair to the applicant to have us try
to review something the night of the meeting. I mean, that's
just not fair to anybody, I don't think.
MR. OBERMAYER-Friday would be fine.
MR. NACE-If I could maybe make a suggestion, putting on a
different hat, as a consultant doing work in the Town, I would
think that most developers and consultants would be willing, if
it would help the Staff in compiling notes and reviewing
projects, we'd be willing to come in, on an informal basis,
during the Staff Review, okay, on a one on one situation, sitting
down with the Staff and going over the technical issues of the
project, to help bring the Staff up to speed on, say, the more
complicated projects.
MR. MARTIN-I encourage that, and I'd accommodate, anybody asks to
do that. I encourage that, because that's a better understanding
of where they're coming from, and vice versa, and I'll talk to
anybody as much as they want to talk about a project. I'm sure
Scott and Sue feel the same.
MR. NACE-Well, I'm simply saying, on a complicated project, where
it's taking Staff a long time to get up to speed on it, I can
appreciate, looking at a brand new set of plans, it takes a while
to understand what's going on.
MR. BREWER-How about one step further? If we've got a
complicated project, why don't we have a workshop with the Board,
so that everybody can be involved.
MR. MARTIN-I think we, typically, have done that, too, like K-
Mart. I mean, we had probably a half a dozen workshops on that.
MR. BREWER-Many, many.
MR. STARK-You're talking about big projects.
MR. BREWER-Yes.
MR. O'CONNOR-I don't think consultants would have any problem,
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,,-.
--
actually, reviewing ~ set of plans that they put in to you, not
any problems.
MR. MARTIN-I encourage it.
MR. O'CONNOR-Because if that saves somebody a month, by a half
hour conference, it works to everybody's advantage, and also
sometimes the questions the Staff asks are fair questions, simply
because the information isn't on our application form, and it
seems to raise an issue that really isn't an issue if the
question was asked ahead of time, and it can be explained what
we're doing.
MR. MARTIN-Since I've been here, we've been trying to meet with
people even before they fill out the application form, so we can
alert them to what the concerns are, given a specific project,
you know, the nature of a project. Like I said, the more we can
see people, and that goes for our engineering review as well. I
encourage people to submit their, our material, as soon as we get
it, goes out to the Engineer, and once he has it, they're free to
being consultation with the Engineer, because they're usually
technical issues. I just want to be kept informed of it, but
there's no reason for them to wait until the night of the meeting
to begin that consultation.
MR. NACE-Yes, and what I'm suggesting is that, you know, Staff
has always been available to us to come in, prior to application.
Lets reverse the roles and say, we're available to Staff during
their review. If they need help reviewing or help understanding
a project, we'll be glad to come in and sit down.
MR. BREWER-Okay.
MR. PALING-Under the system that we've been using, was there any
problem with the applicant's paper work dribbling in, or were
they always on time? Was that part of the problem?
MR. HARLICKER-Sometimes. Ninety percent of the time, no.
MR. MARTIN-We've tightened that up, pretty much, with the
completeness review, and the checklist that's done with that. I
mean, we kick out, I'd say, on the average, what, about one or
two a month get kicked out for incompleteness.
MR. PALING-But it wasn't a problem that should relate to us, for
getting it late?
MR. MARTIN-No. See, I have, actually, very little input on the
day to day projects. Scott and Sue do most of the review, but I
tell them, I mean, if it's a situation where it's going to create
too much of a burden for them to get their notes done, and in
light of all their other work, if too much information's missing,
we just find it incomplete, and send it back.
MR. PALING-If you could get the information to us the Friday
before the meeting, not the Monday before the meeting, I think
that would be fine, and then you could even give us the second
meeting information a week later. I think that's okay, too.
MR. BREWER-Yes, well, lets play the Devil's advocate. What
happens if we don't get our notes? Then what do we do? I mean,
that's up to YOU guys. That's not up to us.
MR. O'CONNOR-I would hope that you'd look at it on a project by
project basis. Part of the objection, of the groups that we've
talked to, or have talked to us, is the rigidity that appears to
be put into the rule. Like this month's agenda. You've got four
items to discuss. It's not a very heavy agenda. If we go
through seasonal period, here, where you have heavy agendas and
not heavy agendas. Everybody understands that. If you've got a
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heavy agenda, and you don't have everything all lined up before
hand, maybe it is going to cause a delay on that particular
project, but if you have the time to go through it, you've been
good to us before, and you've gone through it on that basis.
We've just saying, don't adopt some rules that are so rigid that
simply by checklist it falls in the crack. Sometimes people,
even on minor projects, have a very, very tight time line.
Everybody tries to abide by them. They try to make the
information available to you if we can. If you're not happy,
then you're not happy. Nobody's going to ask you, force you to
make a decision, if you're all sitting there saying, we're not
too happy with this. We're not sure all our concerns our met. I
don't think you've seen anybody sit on this side of the table and
try and push you to make a decision, if you're leaning against a
project. One comment that's been seriously made by the builders
association, as much as by members of the QBA. When you're
making up rules, we would be glad to give you our input. It's
tough to get a notice and say, a rules been adopted. You're
creating your own headaches by doing that. These two groups, at
least, and probably there are other groups that are willing to
participate and try to give you what they think their side of the
issue is and maybe give you some suggestions. Maybe we've got to
revise the applications a little bit.
MR. MACEWAN-Would it be worthwhile to have some evening that we
could invite these groups to come here and discuss nothing more
than this topic?
MR. MARTIN-I'd be more than happy to, if you want to, on a
regular basis, I don't know, quarterly or semi-annually, or
something like that, sit down for a workshop, just to talk about
Planning and Zoning in the Town in general. It would be
informative for everybody.
MR. MACEWAN-I'm in favor of going back and adopting this change
in plan, here, to having everything to us by Fridays, before the
meetings. That gives us the weekend, at least the opportunity to
go out and revisit a site, if we have some questions regarding
what Staff comments are, and I think that was the whole Board's
problem to begin with, is that when we got those Staff Notes at
such a late time, it didn't afford us the opportunity to go back
out and look at a site, if we needed to.
MR. MARTIN-It was said last night, they brought this up, last
night, at the Town Board meeting as well, and it was said there
last night that it was the feeling of some of the Þlannin9 Board
members that they'd like to have Staff present during site
visits, or Staff Notes to have on site visits. I would be
somewhat uncomfortable with that. I think it's a good idea for
you, as Board members, to go out and see things on your own, or
as a group on your own, without.
MR. BREWER-I think a former Planning Board member said that, and
a Town Board member said that, because I was asked about that. I
don't ever remember Staff going out, even when John was here. I
mean, I don't ever remember that.
MR. MARTIN-It never happened when L was on, and I appreciated the
opportunity for, so to speak, an unbiased view of the project. I
mean, we'll make ourselves available to do that, but you know if
you ever have a question about a project, all you have to do is
stop in, or talk to us, or call us. We'll give you any
information we have, or any thoughts we have on it, but I'd just
as soon leave you, as Board members, to go out and form your own
opinions.
MR. BREWER-I feel the same way.
MR. MACEWAN-I would agree with that policy.
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~
MR. MARTIN-It's up to you.
MR. BREWER-So do we need the Zoning Board's blessing on this,
also, to change the date back?
MR. MARTIN-Well, we'll probably be taking it up
for discussion there, as well, too. They were, I
less following along. I don't know that, Sue?
tomorrow night,
think, more or
SUE CIPPERLY
MS. CIPPERLY-They were following the lead, but they were, they'd
like the notes sooner, if possible, also. I think there's more
that goes into the Zoning Board end of things, the legal ads are
a little more complex, and we have anywhere from eight to twenty
applications, it's difficult sometimes, and, frankly, I was happy
to see the change, absent this tabling problem, because we do
have, say the deadline was the 29th of the month, and we're
supposed to get everything up to Warren County by the next
Wednesday, if it's a Warren County involvement, which means we
have about four days to go through all the projects and see if
they're complete, and judge for Warren County, whether they have
to go to Warren County or not. I would like to be able to get
the legal ads done before they go there, because they're easily
confused, and if possible, I would like to get my notes done
before the following week, when they actually consider them at
Warren. Now that's something to do with Warren County, that
people come back and say they didn't know why I was up there, and
sometimes it's just a lack of their understanding of the local
zoning business, but I can see the point on the side of the
consultants, also, that it may cause a delay, as far as the
tabling goes. So, I kind of welcomed this, at first, because it
gave me more time.
MR. BREWER-Well, what did we change it to the, how did that work,
Jim?
MR. MARTIN-We changed it from the last Wednesday to the third
Friday, and like, in a case like this month, it just turns out
the second half of the week, it's going to fall on September
16th, which is virtually in the middle of the month. There's no
other way we can gain a couple of days and still? I mean, if you
look at a calendar, is there a possibility of doing it?
MS. CIPPERLY-My understanding of
notes just a week before the
difficult.
this was that
meeting, and
you wanted your
that's a little
MR. BREWER-Well, I mean, we get all of our packets a week, a week
and a half before we have, even a meeting, and to not have the
notes or any other information is kind of, why give us the
packets? Why don't you give us the packets on that Friday? And
I think we get the packets so we can look at them when we go on
site visits, and I just think, when we had this discussion,
everybody agreed it would be best to have our notes a week prior
to the meeting, and I don't think we intended to cause any harm
to anybody.
MR. OBERMAYER-I think we could reach a compromise, if we get them
on Friday. Do you see a problem with that?
MR. HARLICKER-No.
MR. OBERMAYER-Okay.
MS. CIPPERLY-I have a question. Since we've already told
everybody, at least for the last part of this year, we've already
had the deadline for October. We've just got November and
December left. I was wondering if it would be possible, maybe,
to just leave it the way it is for the rest of this year, and
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then change it back, if you want, in 1995. So, anyway, as far as
the Zoning Board goes, it was mostly an attempt to match the
deadline, and I did appreciate a little more time.
MR. BREWER-Scott, how do YOU feel?
time or you don't?
Do you think you need more
MR. HARLICKER-I could get the notes to you by the Friday before
the meeting.
MR. BREWER-Okay. Has anybody else got any comments?
MR. RUEL-That's good.
MR. BREWER-As long as we get them by Friday. If we don't, then
we'll just change it, I guess.
MR. PALING-I don't mind getting the packets a little early,
though. That's okay.
MR. BREWER-That's fine, too.
MR. MARTIN-We'll continue getting you your packets in the same
time frame, because you like have those for your visits, and
they're very useful to have the plan right there with you when
you're at the site. We'll just make sure the notes are there by
the Friday prior to.
MR. BREWER-Okay. So what have we got to do, make a motion?
MR. MARTIN-How did you do it before?
MR.. BREWER-I don't even
just, we all agreed to
it.
think we did i~
do it. We can
þy ,motion. I think we
m~ke a m~~ion to r~tract
MR. SCHACHNER-I
think it's just
without a motion.
don't think it's in
an administrative
their Rules or Regs. So I
thing they can do, with or
MR. MARTIN-All right. He says with or without a motion. So it's
the consensus, the Friday before, and we go back to the deadline
date?
MR. RUEL-Yes.
MR. BREWER-Back to the old deadline, and our notes will be to us
the Friday before.
MR. O'CONNOR-I question whether or not the Planning Board has the
right to change.
MR. MARTIN-It might be in the Policies and Procedures.
MR. O'CONNOR-There's a question in there that says that you can't
set your own policies and procedures, but I would think that you
could do it by resolution.
JOHN GORALSKI
MR. GORALSKI-The Policies and Procedures of the Planning Board
were adopted, like, in 1989, and they say that the, they say the
submission deadline date is last Wednesday of the month, and that
was adopted by the Planning Board.
MR. MARTIN-That's true, now that I think about it.
MR. BREWER-So we'll make a motion to change it back to the last
Friday of the month, is that what it was?
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MR. MARTIN-Last Wednesday.
MR. BREWER-Last Wednesday. Well, lets do it. It can't hurt us
to do it, right? Does somebody want to offer that.
MOTION TO CHANGE THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE TO THE LAST WEDNESDAY OF
THE MONTH, Introduced by Timothy Brewer who moved for its
adoption, seconded by Craig MacEwan:
With the proviso that Staff Notes are given the Friday preceding
each meeting night. Effective for the November meetings.
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1994, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mrs. LaBombard, Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Paling,
Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Brewer
NOES: NONE
MR. BREWER-Okay. The next discussion.
MR. MARTIN-She's not here. I don't know what happened.
have to put that off maybe until next week or next month.
We'll
MR. BREWER-Okay.
OLD BUSINESS:
SITE PLAN NO. 15-94 TYPE: UNLISTED ORAL HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATES
OWNER: GUIDO PASSARELLI ZONE: HC-1A LOCATION: RT. 9 AND
ROUND POND RD. MODIFICATION OF APPROVED SITE PLAN.
MODIFICATIONS INCLUDE CHANGES IN THE LANDSCAPING PLAN AND CHANGES
TO THE PROPOSED PARKING LAYOUT. BEAUTIFICATION COMM. - 9/12/94
TAX MAP NO. 67-1-1
TOM NACE, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
MR. BREWER-We have a letter, right?
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MR. BREWER-Scott, did we have any notes from you on this?
MR. HARLICKER-No. I think the letter pretty much sums up, from
Staff's point of view. I think it's an improvement to the site.
MR. MARTIN-We, basically, in support. This is very rare that we
see somebody voluntarily putting their parking to the rear.
MR. BREWER-Does anybody have any questions or comments?
MR. RUEL-Yes. What's the State of New York, Department of
Transportation, making a comment here, negative comment, about
something being unacceptable, maximum grade?
MR. BREWER-Tom, would you care to explain that?
MR. NACE-Are you talking about the engineering letter from Rist-
Frost?
MR. RUEL-No.
MR. MARTIN-No. This is a DOT letter dated August 25th.
MR. NACE-I don't have that.
MR. MARTIN-It was sent to Clark.
MR. NACE-Okay. I don't have it. I Just didn't bring it.
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MR. BREWER-I'll give you a minute to read it.
MR. MARTIN-The first comment there.
MR. RUEL-It's from Logan.
MR. NACE-Okay. That, the' profile we originally sent, or the
grading plan we originally sent them did not show a dip in the
road, in the entrance road coming off Route 9, okay.
MR. RUEL-He was concerned about drainage into the main road?
MR. NACE-Drainage from the driveway back onto Route 9.
MR. RUEL-Right, especially in the winter.
MR. NACE-The intent was there, and there were some spot grades
that should have been interpreted by DOT to indicate that it
would not drain onto the road, but they wanted to see it in big
profile. We shall provide that to them. I think if you'll look
at the Rist-Frost letter, dated today, the first section of that
indicates that they had a conversation with DOT that DOT now
approves the revised data we sent them.
MR. RUEL-Do we need a letter to that effect?
MR. NACE-A letter, I talked to Mark Kennedy at DOT today, and a
letter from DOT is being sent. It's being sent to us and to the
Warrensburg residence of DOT.
MR. MARTIN-The indication of their approval, they need a work
permit to begin the work on the drainage.
MR. NACE-That's correct.
MR. MARTIN-And that should be issued from the Warrensburg office
in the next several days.
MR. NACE-Correct.
MR. BREWER-And, also, do you want to tell us about the trees, for
the members that weren't here?
MR. NACE-Okay. Yes, we will be planting those within the next
(lost). Guido has to get started on it, simply because he has to
get those trees in the ground soon, if they're going to survive,
and we've been pushing DOT to get this drainage permit issued.
They've indicated, as of today, that we need in order to get the
permit is on its way.
MR. MACEWAN-What's the status on the curb cuts?
, .
MR. NACE-That is all inclusive. It's d,-airiageand curb cuts.
MR. PALING-Well, a,-e you goi ng to go to single or double curbs,
curb cut?
MR. NACE-The permit being issued now is a curb cut for Oral
Health Care Associates, okay. There will be, DOT has said they
will, when we come back with a site plan for the site to the
north, they will issue a curb cut for that site.
MR. RUEL-Okay.
MR. BREWER-Any other comments or questions?
MR. RUEL-I have a suggestion for the Planning Staff, that
whenever we have an application for modifications, it would make
the job a heck of a lot easier, I think, for me anyway, if the
plan would show before and after.
- 10 -
',-
--
MR. MARTIN-Okay.
MR. RUEL-We have four drawings here. I had to sit down, four
more drawings here, and I have to compare, all right, every
point, to see where the changes are, and it would be a heck of a
lot easier for us, and we would understand it a lot better, if it
could be done with notes or cross hatch or something like that,
but sort of before and after, so we could see the modifications
right on the plans.
MR. MARTIN-Okay.
MR. NACE-Yes. That gets kind of confusing. What we'd have to do
is maybe take a set of plans and highlight what we've changed, or
something, because the plans that we're looking at are also to be
used for construction, okay, and if we show before and after type
of thing, then a contractor doesn't know what he building from.
So what we would have to do is take a set of plans and highlight
the areas.
MR. HARLICKER-Yes, if you could do that, so we can see it. You
can still have a final plan, for final construction, showing the
new layout, after modifications. I would appreciate it anyway.
MR. NACE-We could try to do that. I don't know that we could do
it, it would be practical to do for all 14 sets of plans we
submit, but we could have one set, for the Planning Department,
that would show on there what's been changed.
MR. RUEL-Okay. That's fine.
MR. BREWER-Would somebody care to make a motion to approve?
MOTION TO APPROVE SITE PLAN NO.
ASSOCIATES, Introduced by Roger Ruel
seconded by Catherine LaBombard:
15-94 ORAL HEALTH CARE
who moved for its adoption,
For modification of approved site plan. These modifications to
include changes in the landscaping plan and changes to the
proposed parking layout, as indicated on the new plan.
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1994, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Paling, Mr. Stark,
Mr. Obermayer, Mrs. La80mbard, Mr. Brewer
NOES: NONE
SITE PLAN NO. 30-94 TYPE: UNLISTED GARDEN TIME, INC. OWNER:
EARL TOWN CORP. ZONE: HC-1A LOCATION: OPPOSITE GARDEN TIME ON
EAST QUAKER SERVICE ROAD. EXPANSION OF A RETAIL SALES AND
DISPLAY AREA FOR GAZEBOS, STORAGE BUILDING WITH PAVED WALKS AND
FIELD STONE RETAINING WALLS. BEAUTIFICATION COMM. - 9/12/94
WARREN COUNTY PLANNING - 9/14/94 TAX MAP NO. 110-1-2.62 LOT
SIZE: 0.16 ACRES SECTION: 179-23 D(l)
FRED TROELSTRA, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
STAFF INPUT
Notes from Staff, Site Plan No. 30-94, Garden Time, Inc., Meeting
Date: September 20, 1994 "PROJECT ANALYSIS: Staff has reviewed
the project for compliance with Section 179-38A, Section 179-388,
Section 179-38C, and to the relevant factors outlined in Section
179-39 and offers the following comments: 1. There is a
potential problem with pedestrians and transportation of goods
across Quaker Road. It is not clear how much interaction there
will be between this property and their main store across the
street. 2. The property is part of a commercial subdivision
- 11 -
done by Earltown. This subdivision is subject to an Army Corps
of Engineers permit. Even though there does not appear that
there are any wetlands on this property, the Corps cannot issue a
non-jurisdictional letter until Earltown comes up with mitigation
measures for the part of the wetlands that was impacted by the
subdivision and the service road that was constructed to access
that subdivision. The project was compared to the following
standards found in Section 179-38E of the Zoning Code: 1. The
location, arrangement, size, design and general site
compatibility of buildings, lighting and signs: The permanent
structure on the site is a 12' x 24' office. The other
structures on the site are temporary buildings, such as storage
buildings and gazebos, on display. No signage or lighting is
proposed. Compatibility does not appear to be an issue. 2. The
adequacy and arrangement of vehicular traffic access and
circulation, including intersections, road widths, pavement
surfaces, dividers and traffic controls: The site is to be
accessed by two curb cuts. This allows customers to drive
through the site to the parking area and allows for an area to be
utilized as a pick up area for merchandise and not interfere with
access to the parking area. 3. The location, arrangement,
appearance and sufficiency of off-street parking and loading;
The parking area is sufficient. There are 24 spaces proposed
with two of them reserved as handicapped spaces. The parking
area is gravel and located off to the side of the lot. 4. The
adequacy and arrangement of pedestrian traffic and circulation,
walkway structures, control of intersections with vehicular
traffic and overall pedestrian convenience; Pedestrian traffic
access is adequate. 5. The adequacy of stormwater drainage
facilities; The applicant is proposing to grade the site and to
utilize the natural drainage so that stormwater will sheet flow
off of the parking and loading area onto the grass and into the
ground. 6. The adequacy of water supply and sewage disposal
facilities; No water or sewer facilities are proposed for this
site. They are available at the main store. 7. The adequacy,
type and arrangement of trees, shrubs and other suitable
plantings, landscaping and screening constituting a visual and/or
noise buffer between the applicant's and adjoining lands,
including the maximum retention of existing vegetation and
maintenance including replacement of dead plants; Landscaping of
the site is adequate. A mixture of trees, shrubs and flowers are
proposed. A row of 6 - 7 foot Austrian Pines are proposed along
the east property line to screen the parking area and five Honey
Locusts are proposed along the front. 8. The adequacy of fire
lanes and other emergency zones and the provision of fire
hydrants; Emergency access is not an issue. A fire hydrant is
,located in front along the service road. 9. The adequacy and
impact of structures, roadways, and landscaping in area with
susceptibility to ponding, flooding and/or erosion. This does
not appear to be an issue. However, appropriate erosion control
measures shall be in place during construction and until the site
has been stabilized."
MR. MARTIN-I have an update on the Army Corps of Engineers
comment. Scott was gone. I talked to Heidi Fierstenstall, last
this afternoon, about five o'clock. She said that Army Corps
would not take a position on this project and does not feel that
it's needing their review. I described the location, and the
fact that there will be a small, permanent building with a
parking lot, and she said due to the presence of no wetlands on
this particular lot, it would not require any, it's not
jurisdictional to them.
MR. BREWER-Okay.
"office/store is
Did this go to
Beautification.
made by Staff?
Warren County approved,
strictly for the sales
Beautification, too?
Okay, Fred, do you want
with the condition that
of gazebos and sheds".
It was approved by
to address any comments
MR. TROELSTRA-I'll answer any questions.
- 12 -
~
~
~
MR. PALING-I'd like to hear your comments regarding the
possibility of people walking back and forth between your two
places of business, across the Quaker Road.
MR. TROELSTRA-The idea is to have two separate entities there,
and the current buildings that are located on Garden Time's
parking lot will be moved across the street. Existing, the only
people that are crossing it is, occasionally, myself, and maybe a
staff member.
MR. PALING-Okay, and that shouldn't be any worse now, if you're
moving all of your buildings over there, and all the rest of the
material will be in the main area?
MR. TROELSTRA-Right. The idea is to have a sales person there.
Currently, there isn't anyone there.
MR. MARTIN-Strictly for the sheds.
MR. RUEL-You have adequate parking in your present facility, so
that it wouldn't overflow and use the parking area across the
road?
MR. TROELSTRA-That is correct.
currently.
We have adequate parking
MR. MACEWAN-Except on Mother's Day.
MR. TROELSTRA-Well, we are seasonal.
MR. MARTIN-I have to say, I have had some complaints about your
ingress and egress from your Garden Time site. That's something
you might want to consider looking at, especially when you shut
down your other entrance there.
MR. BREWER-Yes, why did you shut that down?
MR. TROELSTRA-Because we converted that to sales area.
MR. MARTIN-I mean, from one point it's nice that we're
consolidating curb cuts there, but I've heard several people
almost got in accidents there. The other comment I would have
about this particular location is I think it would be wise to
consider interconnection with the lot to the east, for providing
for that in the future. Y6u have an adjoining parcel, here, on
your eastern boundary, that's owned, I think, by Sport Line
Honda. What we're trying to accommodate, with each site plan
that comes down this service road here is an interconnection
along the rear, between parking lots, so we can facilitate
traffic movement behind buildings, rather than along the front of
the service road.
MR. BREWER-Does this parking lot meet his?
MR. MARTIN-I know we required that of Sport Line Honda, and now
this would, and then if we can piece everyone together as we go
down the way here.
MR. TROELSTRA-So you're looking for traffic flow behind the
individual buildings on those parcels?
MR. MARTIN-Right, or at least it'll allow the opportunity for it.
MR. TROELSTRA-Why?
MR. MARTIN-Because I think the service road, over time, in ffiZ
opinion, I think the service road was placed to close to Quaker
Road, and there's very little accommodate for stacking of traffic
trying to get out onto Quaker Road, and as Quaker Road develops,
which I think we're going to see happen, with K-Mart coming
- 13 -
there, and
occurring on
have t,-affic
help.
the traffic increase, the likelihood of stacking
that service road is going to happen. So if we can
moving alternatively behind the properties, it'll
MR. BREWER-It's in the Ordinance anyway.
MR. MARTIN-Right.
MR. BREWER-So it's almost a requirement, right?
MR. MARTIN-I think the Ordinance says that the Board shall
require it where feasible.
MR. BREWER-This is feasible.
MR. MARTIN-It's not a big deal here. I mean, it's just allowing
an easement there for that traffic to go along an interconnection
there.
MR. RUEL-Jim, I notice there's two curb cuts. Does that meet the
criteria for curb cuts, as far as distance?
MR. MARTIN-I think in this particular case, this was ~ opinion,
I think it's preferred in this particular case. I think it makes
for a nice traffic flow on that site.
MR. RUEL-In and out.
MR. BREWER-You don't have a problem with the accommodation for
the connection between your place and Gary's?
MR. TROELSTRA-Currently, no. It's news to me, though. I think
it would be more of a concern for Gary.
MR. MARTIN-Well, it's on his site plan.
MR. TROELSTRA-His parking lot doesn't adjoin it, as far as (lost
wo r d ) .
MR. MARTIN-It doesn't adjoin, but he made accommodation for an
interconnection.
MR. TROELSTRA-Through the back.
MR. MARTIN-Right.
MR. MACEWAN-About approximately where would it come out onto his
property?
MR. MARTIN-I would say, see where that last notation of a tree
there, Number Six, I would say probably, on this scale, probably
about 40 feet north of there.
MR. MACEWAN-So they could, basically, come in to the top of his
parking lot there, drawing wise speaking.
MR. MARTIN-Right.
MR. MACEWAN-Would that be okay with you?
MR. BREWER-You can show that on a final plan, and we can just
note it on this one?
MR. TROELSTRA-Things are so loosely defined right now anyway, so
to speak.
MR. BREWER-What do you mean?
MR. iROELSTRA-I would have to say that I would like to look at
- 14 -
.-
....'
Gary's, because I don't know.
MR. MARTIN-Yes. We should match it up to see, I think it should
be worded in such a way that it matches up with Sport Line
Honda's existing easement.
MR. TROELSTRA-There's existing trees right there, so those will
have to come out.
MR. BREWER-Not necessarily, even if you went behind them, or
whatever. I don't know.
MR. TROELSTRA-I think it should access that parking lot right
down the center.
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MR. TROELSTRA-It's pretty much to scale, that way, in terms of
where those trees are.
MR. MACEWAN-I agree with you.
MR. MARTIN-You might have to lose one or two of them.
MR. MACEWAN-You want, like, a drive lane or drive corridor in
there.
MR. BREWER-Okay.
comments?
Does anybody else have any questions or
MR. PALING-I understand what you're doing, basically, but I wish
I could see it on here. You're trying to connect parking lots.
MR. MACEWAN-Where he wants to connect is right at the top of the
parking lot, where you see the five poplar trees, right there.
It will come up and radius around and head toward (lost word).
MR. PALING-This is east.
MR. MACEWAN-Yes.
MR. PALING-Okay, and the Honda is over here?
MR. MACEWAN--Yes.
MR. PALING-And their access is behind their building?
MR. MACEWAN-What it would do, something similar to this.
MR. PALING-But the passage goes behind the building that we're
talking about?
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MR. PALING-Is it paved?
MR. MARTIN-It's not there yet.
MR. HARLICKER-I think there's is going to be gravel also.
MR. PALING-We would be asking Garden Time to make some provision,
like gravel, or whatever, you Just can't leave it dirt.
MR. MARTIN-Right.
MR. HARLICKER-So they can tie in.
MR. MARTIN-Right, only up to their property line, obviously, and
then from there, Honda would take it on their property line.
- 15 -
MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. BREWER-Okay. I'll open the public hearing. Is there anybody
he,-e to comment?
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
NO COMMENT
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. BREWER-Okay. We've got to do a Short Form.
MR. MACEWAN-We don't have to do it.
It's already been done.
This is a modification.
MR. BREWER-Garden Time?
MR. MACEWAN-This is Old Business.
MR. BREWER-We've done a SEQRA on this before?
MR. MARTIN-I don't know that we got to the point
as Old Business because the application was in.
you've ever done a SEQRA. The application's been
ago. Short Form.
of, it's listed
I don't think
in once, months
MR. BREWER-Yes. We never did a SEQRA.
RESOLUTION WHEN DETERMINATION OF NO SIGNIFICANCE IS MADE
RESOLUTION NO. 30-94, Introduced by Craig MacEwan who moved for
its adoption, seconded by Roger Ruel:
WHEREAS, there
application for:
is presently before the
GARDEN TIME, INC., and
Planning
Board
an
WHE~EAS, this Planning Board has determined that the proposed
project and Planning Board action is subject to review under the
State Environmental Quality Review Act,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED:
1. No federal agency appears to be involved.
2. The following agencies are involved:
NONE
3. The proposed action considered by this Board is unlisted in
the Department of Environmental Conservation Regulations
implementing the State Environmental Quality Review Act and
the regulations of the Town of Queensbury.
4. An Environmental Assessment Form has been completed by the
applicant.
5. Having considered and thoroughly analyzed the relevant areas
of environmental concern and having considered the criteria
for determining whether a prqject has a significant
environmental impact as the same is set forth in Section
617.11 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and
Regulations for the State of New York, this Board finds that
the action about to be undertaken by this Board will have no
significant environmental effect and the Chairman of the
Planning Board is hereby authorized to execute and sign and
file as may be necessary a statement of non-significance or
a negative declaration that may be required by law.
- 16 -
.-
-
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1994, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mrs. LaBombard, Mr. MacEwan,
Mr. Ruel, Mr. Paling, Mr. Brewer
NOES: NONE
MR. BREWER-Jim, just one question before we gO on.
property owner as Earltown. Did we ever get
straightened out?
It shows the
that matter
MR. MARTIN-Yes. He's purchased the property, I believe.
MR. 8REWER-I know that was an issue before.
was straightened out.
I didn't know if it
MR. MACEWAN-He signed the authorization thing.
MR. BREWER-Okay. We need a motion.
MOTION TO APPROVE SITE P~AN NO. 30-94 GARDEN TIME. INC.,
Introduced by Roger Ruel who moved for its adoption, seconded by
Robert Paling:
As written, with the condition that there be a gravel road
connection with the adjoining property on the east, and should be
shown on the plan submitted.
Whereas, the Town Planning Board is in receipt of site plan
application file # 30-94 to expand a retail and
display area for gazebos and storage sheds; and
Whereas, the above mentioned site plan application dated
7/27/94 consists of the following:
1. sheet 1 site plan, undated, and
Whereas, the above file is supported with the following
documentation:
1. staff notes, dated 9/20/94
2. Beautification Committee comments, dated
9/12/94
3. Warren County Planning comments, dated
9/14/94; and
Whereas, a public hearing was held on 9/20/94 concerning
the above project; and
Whereas, the Planning Board has determined that the
proposal complies with the site plan review
standards and requirements of Section 179-38 of
the Code of the Town of Queensbury (Zoning); and
Whereas,
the Planning Board has considered
environmental factors found in Section 179-39
the Code of the Town of Queensbury (Zoning).
the
of
Whereas, The requirements of the State Environmental
Quality Review Act have been considered; and
Therefore, Let
1 .
3.
it be Resolved, as follows:
the Town Planning Board, after considering
the above, hereby move to approve, deny site
plan # 30-94
the Zoning Administrator is hereby authorized
to sign the above referenced plan
the applicant shall present the above
referenced site plan to the Z.A. for his
signature
The applicant agrees to the conditions set
2.
4.
- 17 -
forth in this resolution
5. The conditions shall be noted on the map
6. The issµancè of p$rmits is conditioned on
compliance and continued compliance with the
Zoning Ordinance and site plan approval
process
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1994, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Obermayer, Mrs. LaBombard, Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Ruel,
Mr. Paling, Mr. Stark, Mr. Brèwer
NOES: NONE
MR. MARTIN-Before he gets away, because Fred's such a hard guy to
get a hold of, when will you have, I need two sets of that plan,
two copies, with that road shown. Whatever works for you, say a
week? A week. Okay.
NEW BUSINESS:
SITE PLAN NO. 31-94 TYPE: UNLISTED TPI STAFF LEASING OWNER:
SAME AS ABOVE OWNERS: SAME AS ABOVE LOCATION: 275 BAY ROAD
PROPOSAL IS TO EXTEND OFFICE SPACE AND ENLARGE PARKING; 468 SQ.
FT. - FIRST FLOOR, 468 SQ. FT. - SECOND FLOOR, AND 7 PARKING
SPACES. CROSS REFERENCE: SP 53-92 BEAUTIFICATION COMM.-
9/12/94 WARREN COUNTY PLANNING - 9/14/94 TAX MAP NO. 107-1-47,
48 LOT SIZE: 50,280 SQ. FT. SECTION 179-23
JOHN MATTHEWS, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
STAFF INPUT
Notes from Staff, Site Plan No. 31-94, TPI Staff Leasing, Meeting
Date: September 20, 1994 "PROJECT ANALYSIS: Staff has reviewed
the project for compliance with Section 179-38A, Section 179-38B,
Section 179-38C, and to the relevant factors outlined in Section
179-39 and offers the following comments: The project was
compared to the following standards found in Section 179-38E of
the Zoning Code: 1. The location, arrangement, size, design and
general site compatibility of buildings, lighting and signs:
Providing the addition matches the existing structure,
compatibility is not an issue. No new signage is proposed and no
new lighting is proposed. 2. The adequacy and arrangement of
vehicular traffic access and circulation, including
intersections, road widths, pavement surfaces, dividers and
traffic controls: Vehicular traffic access will not change and
is not an issue. 3. The location, arrangement, appearance and
sufficiency of off-street parking and loading; The parking area
will be enlarged to accommodate seven new spaces for a total of
35 spaces including 2 handicapped. Off street parking is
sufficient. 4. The adequacy and arrangement of pedestrian
traffic access and circulation, walkway structures, control of
intersections with vehicular traffic and overall Pédestrian
convenience; Pedestrian access is not an issue. The existing
rear entrance will be relocated to accommodate the addition. 5.
The adequacy of stormwater drainage facilities; Stormwater
drainage should not be an issue. Any additional stormwater
generated will have to be contained on site. 6. The adequacy of
water supply and sewage disposal facilities; This is not an
issue. The property is serviced by municipal water and sewer.
7. The adequacy, type and arrangement of trees, shrubs and other
suitable plantings, landscaping and screening constituting a
visual and/or noise buffer between the applicant's and adjoining
lands, including the maximum retention of existing vegetation and
maintenance including replacement of dead plants; No additional
landscaping is proposed. Additional landscaping along the north
side of the addition would screen it from the adjacent property.
8. The adequacy of fire lanes and other emergency zones and the
- 18 -
'-
proVlslon of fire hydrants; This is not an issue. 9. The
adequacy and impact of structures, roadways, and landscaping in
areas with susceptibility to ponding, flooding and/or erosion.
This is not an issue. However, sufficient erosion control
measures should be in place during construction and until the
site has been stabilized."
MACEWAN-Could you enter into the record what the Beautification
Committee's recommendations were for approval of this?
MR. MARTIN-"Site Plan No. 31-1994 TPI Staff Leasing. Request is
to extend office space and enlarge parking. There will be
additional parking spaces in the rear. The Committee would like
to see a stockade fence or evergreen hedge on the south side
(Homer Ave. side). Plans approved - on motion made by Mr.
Lorenz, seconded by Mrs. Wetherbee. Motion carried."
MR. MATTHEWS-My name is John Matthews, Lake George.
MR. MACEWAN-Does anybody on the Board have any questiQns?
MR. STARK-What does he plan on doing with the parking area?
Right now it's just gravel, large stones, small ,stones. They
don't plan on putting rubble in there, or paving it or anything?
MR. MATTHEWS-They don't have any eresent plans for paving it, but
in the process of moving trucks, it will be regraded, and
probably put some crushed stone.
MR. MACEWAN-When the original site plan was approved, wasn't part
of the condition's approval that that lot was going to be paved?
I recall discussion to that. I don't know if it was entered into
formal approval or not.
MR. HARLICKER-No. It's just motion to approve.
MR. MACEWAN-Nothing?
MR. HARLICKER-No. There's no mention of it being paved.
MR. MACEWAN-Okay. Thank YQU.
MR. STARK-I've got one other question. The dumpster, where it's
located, underneath the tree, and there's a stockade fence around
it, but the dumpster's not inside the stockade fence. It's
sitting on the rear of the parking lot. Are you going to
relocate the dumpster at all, or what?
MR. MATTHEWS-Probably going to move it to the far end of the
parking lot.
MR. STARK-Still enclosed?
MR. MATTHEWS-It should be enclosed. Why it's out in the middle,
I think it's just, the garbage man likes it there so he can get
at it easier. Perhaps we could put the dumpster on the far end,
off to one side.
MR. OBERMAYER-Is there any plans to plant any shrubbery around
the parking lot, so that it's more private there, isolated more
from your neighbors there?
MR. MATTHEWS-Well, I think probably what the plan is, is to put a
stockade fence down the southern property line, at least in the
area where the parking lot is.
MR. MACEWAN-Wasn't the Beautification's approval that they wanted
it to the full length of that parking lot, actually?
MR. RUEL.-No.
- 19 -
MR. MACEWAN-What exactly was it that they wanted to do?
MR. MARTIN-It says, "The Committee would like to see a stockade
fence or evergreen hedge on the south side (Homer Ave. side)."
It doesn't reference a distance.
MR. MATTHEWS-Well, right now, there's a pretty high hedge along,
parallel to the front section of the parking lot, meaning the
house that's right on the corner, on Bay Road, and there are some
shrubs and trees and bushes and grape vine and what not on the
rest of the property line, on the neighbors side, I think it
overlaps, but there were some concerns of people using their back
yards and having to look at the cars, or people sitting in their
car looking at somebody sunbathing, and what not. So, they've
more or less to just run a fence, or a row of arborvitae or
trees, or something down a line, as far as the parking lot.
MR. MACEWAN-What about on the northern boundary of the parking
lot?
MR. MATTHEWS-Well, that, right now, it's zoned commercial, and
the fellow wants to sell it as a commercial piece of property,
and has no concerns, at least there wasn't any at the
Beautification Committee, and the dealings that I've had with TPI
and the neighbor there, he has no concerns.
MR. MACEWAN-So if the Board was to approve this tonight with the
condition that you put a stockade fence down the length of that
back section of the parking lot, that wouldn't be a problem for
you?
MR. MATTHEWS-On the south side?
MR. MACEWAN-On the south side, yes.
MR. MATTHEWS-No. They'd agree to that.
MR. STARK-What are you asking for, arborvitae or stockade fence?
MR. MATTHEWS~Either or.
MR. MACEWAN-Either or, the Beautification Committee's asking. My
personal preference, I think I'd rather see a stockade fence,
less maintenance, and you don't have to worry about replanting in
a couple of years, if they die or something.
MR. RUEL-I have a question. It's for Staff. Is there a ratio
between the square footage and parking spaces, and if so, does
this meet it?
MR. HARLICKER-Yes, it does. It's one space for everyone hundred
and fifty square feet, I believe.
MR. MARTIN-Yes. It's 150 square feet for office space.
MR. RUEL-And they have, what, 800, 900?
MR. STARK-They're adding 900.
He's putting seven.
So you need six parking spaces.
MR. RUEL-So it's okay then.
MR. MACEWAN-Okay. I'll open the public hearing.
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
MR. HARLICKER-A letter from Kevin and Donna Smyth, they live on 4
Homer, which is property which abuts this to the south, "Dear Mr.
Martin and Planing Board Members: Due to prior commitments, we
are unable to attend the public hearing to night pertaining to
- 20 -
site plan #31-94, in which the applicant TPI Staff Leasing is
looking to expand. Our present concern with the new proposal is
the extension of the parking lot. The present parking lot has
created a blockage of spring run-off water. This water used to
flow naturally from our property across a depression on TPI's
property to a brook on the adjacent property. We strongly feel
that by extending the parking lot will mean bringing in more fill
and compounding the problem on our property. Our proposed
recommendation is that some kind of drainage system be provided
and maintained by TPI before we can approve of the expansion
plan. Sincerely, Kevin & Donna Smyth"
MR. PALING-Do we know when the original raising of the parking
lot was, that started the problem?
MR. HARLICKER-Well, they were in, was it '92?
MR. MARTIN-I think December of '92, I saw in that file.
MR. HARLICKER-Okay, and they expanded the pa,·king lot to its
present size and location, according to the neighbors here.
Since then, it sounds like they've had a problem of water backing
up on their property during the spring, where it used to flow
across there.
MR. MACEWAN-Could it
removal on the parcel
be
now?
from snow removal? How's the
Is it plowed and just piled up?
snow
MR. MATTHEWS-To the back, just in the rear. We have 100 and some
feet deep there. The parking lot actually has not been raised.
Actually what we did is we removed the topsoil and we replaced it
with gravel. It's level with the property on the north side.
Now, I think there was a depression where the water used to pond
in the back yard of TPI and the neighbor across the street.
MR. MACEWAN-Exactly where is this neighbor's property, with this
p la n?
MR. HARLICKER-It would be the property, it's 4 Homer. So we kind
of figured it wasn't, the house on the corner has a Bay address,
then there's the one with the garage that goes right up to the
property line, and then the next house down is a white one, that
was farther away from the property, and they actually had a back
yard that abutted this parking area.
MR. MACEWAN-Their back yard abutted, the far back portion of
this? Can you show me on the map about where they're located?
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes. I'd like to see, too.
MR. HARLICKER-Yes.
MR. MATTHEWS-These lots, here, go this way, to
evidentally, it's this lot, right in here, this lot
is the house with the garage and the trailer and the
what not. Now the only thing L can think of is the
down through here and goes over into a swamp down in
Homer, and,
here. This
two cars and
wa te,' comes
this area.
MR. OBERMAYER-And you've blocked it off?
MR. MATTHEWS-Well, we've put gravel in there.
MR. OBERMAYER-Graded it, right.
MR. MATTHEWS-I mean, there was grass and what not there before,
but it's level with the lot on this side. It's not really raised
up, and this continues to go up a grade here. So, actually, what
we will do is cut out a little bit, and fill in, so it's level.
Now, like I told the planners, that, in the process of grading
this, we'll just lower this area so that it's at least level with
- 21 -
this lot over here.
MR. MACEWAN-How difficult would it be to install a couple of
drywells in there, in the middle of the parking lot?
MR. STARK-That water table is awfully high in there.
MR. HARLICKER-Yes. It doesn't sound like the problem was run off
from the site. It sounded like the problem was water being
unable to cross the property, not so much the stormwater that was
generated.
MR. MACEWAN-Well, would drywells help alleviate that problem?
MR. HARLICKER-I don't see how that would improve drainage flow
across the property.
MR. RlJEL-It's presently g," ass, the area?
MR. MATTHEWS-Right now, it's grass.
MR. RUEL-All right, and the water does go across the grass?
MR. MATTHEWS-I've never seen any "Jater go across it.
MR. RUEL-But gravel would be able to carry the water even better
than the grass, right?
MR. MATTHEWS-It would permeate.
MR. RUEL-You never saw water there?
MR. MATTHEWS-When we were working there in the spring time, it
was wet, very wet. The water table is very high in there.
MR. MACEWAN-Does Staff have any recommendations?
MR. HARLICKER-His idea doesn't sound too bad, if they can,
there's a swale, right now, towards the end of where the parking
lot ends there. Future grading should . follow the current
contours of the land, and keep that swale there, as opposed to
trying to bring it up to the level of the current parking lot.
MR. MACEWAN-But if these people are having a problem now, not
even discussing this new parking lot that's going to be put in.
MR. HARLICKER-The alternative might be to even enhance that swale
a little bit.
MR. PALING-Put it back in the original position, so that the flow
would continue, and then carry it through.
MR. HARLICKER-Yes, make it a little bit wider.
MR. MATTHEWS-That's what I meant. The lower the height of the
parking lot in this area, so the water will flow across the
property just the way it used to.
MR. MARTIN-Okay. The other thing, I think you should conduct the
grading in such a manner that the water is not, at any rate,
flowing back to the south, because you're going to get sheet run
off, off the parking lot, in a good heavy rain, even if it's
compacted gravel, and it should drain away from that property to
the south. You said there was a swamp in the area, or adjoining
property?
MR. MATTHEWS-The water table is high.
MR. MARTIN-I know it's high in that whole area.
- 22 -
----
MR. MATTHEWS-And I think in the back corner of the northern lot
it's wet.
MR. MACEWAN-So, as far as Staff is concerned, if he just, during
construction, they regraded that swale, that would be okay with
you gUYs?
MR. HARLICKER-Yes.
MR. RUEL-Yes.
MR. MACEWAN-Does anybody else have any questions?
MR. OBERMAYER-I didn't even see the swale when we were out there.
MR. PALING-It's too gradual. I don't think you could see it.
MR. HARLICKER-Yes. I was looking for it because I had the letter
in my hand.
MR. MACEWAN-How do we, as a Board, if we
ensure that this gets done, so that it will
problem with the neighbors?
approve this thing,
maybe alleviate this
MR. RUEL-I'm going to put it in the motion.
MR. MACEWAN-Yes, I know, but I guess from the standpoint of
checking it during construction or whatever.
MR. MARTIN-If it's a condition of the approval, it'll have to be
installed prior to the CO being issued, like any other condition,
or any other element on the site plan.
MR. MACEWAN-And the only other concern that Staff had was that
you follow the erosion control measures during construction, New
York State Erosion Control measures.
MR. MATTHEWS-Whatever you want. I mean, it's flat. The land is
flat.
MR. MACEWAN-That was mentioned in there.
MR. HARLICKER-Yes. It provides, you know, you're going to be
doing a lot of, I don't know how much grading.
MR. MATTHEWS-Very little.
MR. HARLICKER-Silt fence along the property line, or something to
keep it from going over.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. MACEWAN-Okay. Is that it? SEQRA?
RESOLUTION WHEN DETERMINATION OF NO SIGNIFICANCE IS MADE
RESOLUTION NO. 31-94, Introduced by Craig MacEwan who moved for
its adoption, seconded by Roger Ruel:
WHEREAS, there
application for:
is presently before the
TPI Staff Leasing, and
Planning
Board
an
WHEREAS, this Planning Board has determined that the proposed
project and Planning Board action is subject to review under the
State Environmental Quality Review Act,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED:
- 23 -
1. No federal agency appears to be involved.
2. The following agencies are involved:
NONE
3. The proposed action considered by this Board is unlisted in
the Department of Environmental Conservation Regulations
implementing the State Environmental Quality Review Act and
the regulations of the Town of Queensbury.
4. An Environmental Assessment Form has been completed by the
applicant.
5. Having considered and thoroughly analyzed the relevant areas
of environmental concern and having considered the criteria
for determining whether a project has a significant
environmental impact as the same is set forth in Section
617.11 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and
Regulations for the State of New York, this Board finds that
the action about to be undertaken by this Board will have no
significant environmental effect and the Chairman of the
Planning Board is hereby authorized to execute and sign and
file as may be necessary a statement of non-significance or
a negative declaration that may be required by law.
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1994, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Ruel, Mr. Paling, Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer,
Mrs. LaBombard, Mr. MacEwan
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mr. Brewer
MR. MACEWAN-Does somebody want to make a motion?
MOTION TO APPROVE SITE PLAN NO. 31-94 TPI STAFF LEASING,
Introduced by Roger Ruel who moved for its adoption, seconded by
George Stark:
As written, with the following conditions: One, that a stockade
fence be placed on the south side, Homer Avenue side, to extend
in the parking lot to the rear of the building. Two, to lower
the central portion of the parking lot to allow water to flow to
the north. These two conditions to be met before issuance of a
CO.
whereas, The Town Planning Board is in receipt of site plan
application file # 31-94 to construct a 468 square
foot addition to an existing office and enlarge
the parking lot; and
Whereas, the above mentioned site plan application, dated
8/31/94, consists of the following:
1. ~taff notes, d~ted 9/20/94
2. Beautification Committee comments, dated
9/12/94
3. Warren County Planning comments, dated
9/14/94; and
Whereas, a public hearing was held on 9/20/94 concerning
the above project; and
t,.Jher eas ,
the Planning Board has determined that the
proposal complies with the site plan review
standards and requirements of Section 179-38 of
the Code of the Town of Queensbury (Zoning); and
t,.Jhereas, the
Planning
Board
has
considered
the
- 24 -
"-
...--
environmental factors found in Section 179-39 of
the Code of the Town of Queensbury (Zoning).
Whereas, The requirements of the State Environmental
Quality Review Act have been considered; and
Therefore, Let it be Resolved, as follows:
1. the Town Planning Board, after considering
the above, hereby move to approve, deny site
plan # 31-94
2. the Zoning Administrator is hereby authorized
to sign the above referenced plan
3. the applicant shall present the above
referenced site plan to the Z.A. for his
signature
4. The applicant agrees to the conditions set
forth in this resolution
5. The conditions shall be noted on the map
6. The issuance of permits is conditioned on
compliance and continued compliance with the
Zoning Ordinance and site plan approval
process
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1994, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mrs. LaBombard, Mr. Ruel,
Mr. Paling, Mr. MacEwan
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mr. Brewer
MR. MARTIN-If you can get me a couple of sets of plans, John,
I'll stamp both sets. I'll put one in our Planning file, and one
in your building permit file when it comes in.
MR. HARLICKER-Yes, just showing how you're going to do the
grading and with the fence on the property line.
MR. MARTIN-Okay.
MR. MATTHEWS-Thank you.
PETITION FOR ZONE CHANGE 3-94 FRANK J. PARILLO OWNER: SAME AS
ABOVE CURRENT ZONING: CR-15 PROPOSED ZONING: HC-1A PROPERTY
INVOLVED: 17 ACRES, SOUTH SIDE, CORINTH RD. TAX MAP NO. 136-2-1
- 10
JOHN RICHARDS, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
STAFF INPUT
Notes from Staff, Petition No. 3-94, Frank Parillo, Meeting Date:
September 20, 1994 "A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The applicant is
seeking a rezoning of approximately 17 acres from CR-15 to HC-1A.
The property is located on the southeast corner of Corinth and
Big Bay Road. It is rectangular in shape and includes 8 separate
parcels, extends approximately 1,272 feet south along Big Boom
Road and approximately 485 feet east along Corinth Road. The
majority of the land is vacant; there are five residences on the
properties, two mobile homes and three houses. B. EXISTING LAND
USE CHARACTERISTICS The land use in the vicinity is quite
diverse. On the other side of Big Bay Road is a mix of mobile
homes and single family homes. The land use on the other side of
Corinth Road is a mix of vacant land, an auto repair business and
a McDonalds. To the east is a motel and the Northway; the land
to the south is vacant. C, ZONE CHANGE ANAkYSIS: 1. What need
is being met by the proposed change in zone or new zone? The
applicant states that the rezoning would better reflect the
- 25 -
intensive commercial uses in the area such as the McDonalds and
the motel. Staff does not believe that to be an accurate
desc(iRtion of the property. It is in an area, because of the
proXlmlty to the Northway exit, that woulp be suitable for mQre
intense commercial development than what lS currently allowed by
the existing zoning. However, the requested HC-1A zone is not
suitable for this pårticular prope,-ty. The HC-1A zone is for
areas that have already developed intense haphazard commercial
patterns with minimal expansion provided primarily through in-
fill. This purpose reflects a desire not to expand the HC-1A. A
more appropr iate comrrÎe,-cial zone that would also p,-ovide the more
intensive commercial development desired by the applicant is PC-
1A. This zone is for areas where intense commercial development
exists or is anticipated. The applicant's stated need could be
met with the more appropriate PC-1A zone. 2. What proposed
zones, if any, can meet the stated need? Plaza commercial and
highway commercial could meet the applicant's stat~d need. 3.
How is the proposed zone compatible with adjacent zones? A more
intensive commercial zone would be compatible with the adjacent
LI-1A zone. The HC-1A zone and the LI-1A zone require high
accessibility and allow uses that would be in conflict with a
residential zone. Highway Commercial uses generally generate
higher volumes of automobile traffic and the light industrial
uses generate higher numbers of truck traffic. In general, the
uses allowed in both zones compete for property with the same
characteristics with accessibility being the main selling point.
4. What physical characteristics of the site are suitable to the
proposed zone? The site is flat with close proximity to the
Northway. Soils in that part of Town have percolation rates
which would allow for easy on site stormwater management and, if
needed, on site sewage disposal. The site is in a very visible
and accessible location. The depth to water table and bedrock
are also conducive for commercial development. 5. How will the
proposed zoning affect public facilities? The property is
serviced by municipal water but not sewer. The main impact on
public facilities would be on the road system. This 17 acres has
the potential for a very large scale commercial development which
would generate high levels of traffic. It is difficult to see
how Corinth Road could handle the increase in traffic. 6. Why
is the current classification not appropriate for the property in
question? The purpose of the CR-15 zone is for areas that are
transitioning from residential to highway commercial. This
property is not in that situation. Most of the land is vacant,
even though there are several residences included in the rezoning
petition. The character of the area is not residential; it
appears to be underdeveloped commercial which would be better
suited as Plaza Commercial. 7. What are the environmental
impacts of the proposed change? Because of the physical
characteristics of the site the environmental impact of the
rezoning would be minimal. The main impact would result from the
increase in traffic that comes with more intense commercial
development. Because of the site's high visibility aesthetics,
should be a concern with any future large scale development that
will go in here, the proposed rezoning will also have an impact
on the growth and character of the neighborhood. Commercial
development of the site as a result of the rezoning will increase
commercial development pressure on nearby properties that are
currently zoned light industrial and residential commercial. 8.
How is the proposal compatible with the relevant portions of the
Comprehensive Land Use Master Plan? The proposed rezoning will
be in conflict with several portions on the Comprehensive Plan.
The land use goals, polices and strategies refer to limiting the
spread of highway commercial zones. Transportation goals,
policies and strategies refer to restricting strip development
where possible especially along collector and arterial roads.
Rezoning the property to plaza commercial instead of highway
commercial would be compatible with the Comprehensive plan
because it would allow for commercial growth without the
associated strip development typical of highway commercial zones.
The Comprehensive plan identified this area as an area that is
- 26 -
---
undergoing pressure for an increase in commercial and industrial
growth; the plaza commercial zone would allow this without the
negatives associated with highway commercial zones and without
conflicting with the Comprehensive Plan. 9. How are the wider
interests of the community being served by this proposal? There
is no doubt that the interests of the applicant are being served;
however, there is some question as to whether those interests
translate into the best interest of the Town. It is apparent
that this property is well suited to commercial uses. However,
the land use and transportation goals, policies and strategies
were developed in consideration of the wider interests of the
community. If an action is in conflict with those stated
policies and strategies, it is likely that the action is not
serving the wider interests of the community. Q. SUMMARY AND
CONCLUSION~ The proposed zone change for this property will
allow for uses that are more intense than those uses allowed
under the current zoning. These commercial uses will also
generate higher levels of traffic than those currently allowed in
the CR-15 zone. This increase in traffic is a major concern
because of the current condition of Corinth Road and the Exit 18
area. There does not appear to be any physical constraints on
the site. The site is serviced by municipal water. Municipal
services should not be a limiting factor in future development of
the site. The proposed rezoning is both compatible and
incompatible with the Master Plan. It conflicts with several
goals, policies and strategies found in land use and
transportation sections of the plan. It is compatible regarding
the increased pressure for commercial development in this area.
By rezoning the property to PC-1A instead of HC-1A, the pressure
for more intense commercial development could be met and still
comply with the other relevant portions of the Comprehensive
Plan. The area is a high traffic area and the rezoning would
allow for uses that would generate higher levels of traffic than
those allowed under the current applicable zoning. This is the
main environmental factor that requires consideration. This
rezoning could have major ramifications on the future development
in the area. The rezoning, whether to PC-1A or HC-1A would allow
for construction of a large retail center, this would be a major
catalyst for future commercial development in the area.
Properties along Corinth Road that are currently zoned CR-15 and
MR-5 and Big Bay that are zoned LI-1A could be up for rezoning as
the demand for commercial properties increase. Staff believes
that this rezoning could determine which direction future
development will take at the Exit 18 area."
MR. RICHARDS-Good evening. My name's John Richards. I'm the
Attorney for the applicant, Frank Parillo. I've just got a
couple of comments, if I may. This is the result of many
conversations with the Planning Department. I'd have to say that
emphasis on the Plaza Commercial was something that wasn't
mentioned in those, and we would like to, obviously, proceed and
pursue the Highway Commercial designation, because it does allow
the maximum flexibility for the parcel that is one of those
parcels, or areas, in the Town of Queensbury that's ideally
suited for our commercial use, and, certainly, economic
improvement of this area at this time is something I think should
be more welcome in this Town, than that in an appropriate area.
A couple of other comments. Scott noted several of the
residences on the property. I'd like to point out that several
of those residences are, in fact, owned by the applicant. 50 I
would expect the process of purchasing it, and other remaining
residences are owned by people interested and have signed letters
supporting this application.
MR. BREWER-So are all these houses that are on this map here,
shown to be, going to be rezoned?
MR. HARLICKER-Yes. That's ~ understanding. Right?
MR. RICHARDS-This is quite a distinct block, bounded north and
- 27 -
west by roads, east by the Northway, and south by a vacant
parcel. Every residence, residential structure, I should say, on
that property either is owned by the applicant or the people have
approved and supported this petition.
MR. BREWER-On the other side of Big Bay, Jim, what is the zoning
there? Is that Light Industrial?
MR. HARLICKER-Light Industrial.
MR. BREWER-Okay, and the other side of the Northway towards
Ramseys?
MR. HARLICKER-That's CR-15.
MR. BREWER-Okay, and then what would happen is it would come back
to his line, and then it would turn back to CR-15 again, if they
were to rezone this piece of property, going toward the river?
MR. HARLICKER-Going toward the river?
MR. MARTIN-Over here?
MR. MACEWAN-Going south.
MR. HARLICKER-To the south?
Industrial at that end.
That is, I think that's Light
MR. BREWER-I guess what ~ question would be is what kind of a
use does he want to put there?
MR. RICHARDS-Well, when this first arose, we had one particular
use in mind that was only allowed in Highway Commercial zones,
and it doesn't look like that.'s going to happen, but we'd like to
have the maximum flexibility.
MR. BREWER-What was that use?
MR. RICHARDS-Originally, we had thought about some temporary
mobile home sales, but that's not going to happen.
MR. BREWER-Potentially it could happen though, right, if the
rezoning were?
MR.
are
RICHARDS-Potentially, it could,
listed, obviously.
as could any
of these that
MR. BREWER-Right.
MR. RICHARDS-I want to emphasize, also, all these uses are
subject to site plan review, obviously. Any traffic patterns,
anything like that, aesthetics, all those issues would certainly
have to be dealt with by this Board, dealt with an approved by
this Board, before we could do anything. We're well aware of
that. All we're trying to do is take what's just (lost word)
commercial piece and get it zoned to reflect it's actual state.
MR. BREWER-But, it really is a commercial piece. I mean, you can
use a lot of uses that are listed in the Ordinance here and still
do some,
MR. RICHARDS-It's kind of bewildering. I don't really,
not sure anybody could really explain the pattern to
these uses. I don't know if McDonalds got a variance.
CR. I'm not so sure that they didn't need one.
and I'm
some of
They're
MR. BREWER-It's a restaurant.
MR. RICHARDS-Well, it is a restaurant, but then they designate
fast food ,-estaurants as a separate item, and that's D.Q..t.. allowed
- 28 -
~.
-
in a Commercial or Residential zone. There doesn't seem to be a
whole lot or rhyme or reason.
MR. MARTIN-Well, if it was this Zoning Administrator, that would
have required a variance. I can't say what was done when that
was placed there, but I would, as you know me, John, I'm an
Ordinance constructionist, and I take a strict interpretation,
and if it was given a separate definition, then it's a separate
use.
MR. RICHARDS-There's one example right there. There's a banking
facility that's allowed in a Commercial Residential. It's not a
listed use here. I could check. It might be a Plaza Commercial
use.
MR. MARTIN-No, it's not. Somebody had to get a variance for
that, too. That's the only zone in which a banking facility is
allowed under the current Ordinance.
MR. BREWER-CR-15?
MR. MARTIN-Yes, believe it or not.
MR. RICHARDS-So what we're trying to get is the maximum
availability, and I'm quite honest when I say we have no pending
plans, or I'm not aware of any pending plans, for this property
specifically.
MR. RUEL-Then in both the Plaza and the Highway
Type I and II. Does that have to be defined?
it?
zones, there is
Is that part of
MR. MARTIN-No. I think that's a carryover from the '82
Ordinance that, the 1982 Ordinance, that tried to break the uses
down by environmental review, Type I and Type II actions. It
really doesn't have any application to anything.
MR. RUEL-It doesn't?
MF~. MARTIN-No.
MR. RUEL-So if it's rezoned to Highway, both Types I and II
apply?
MR. MARTIN-Right, are permissible under Site Plan Review. The
primary difference with Highway Commercial is that Highway
Commercial allows for auto related uses, meaning auto sales and
that type of thing. I think there's drive-in movie theater
there, whereas Plaza Commercial is more restrictive.
MR. BREWER-Commercial boat storage, farming construction
equipment sales. There's a lot of different uses, and it's the
most intensive use that we have, pretty much, isn't it?
MR. MARTIN-It's the most intensive commercial zone, yes.
MR. BREWER-And I also think about,
his property goi ng south, there f'.i.L.Q..
think the transition is from, where
you go down further that road, it is
when you go past the end of
residences down there, and I
you meet at Corinth Road and
more residential.
MR. RICHARDS-Now, are we going down Big Bay, or down Corinth?
MR. BREWER-Big Bay, either way.
MR. RICHARDS-Yes. It's Light Industrial on Big Bay.
MR. RUEL-Jim, why was this originally zoned as transitional?
Transitional from what to what?
- 29 -
MR. MARTIN-I think it was a transition from commercial, lying to
the east, towards more of a residential use, to the west, and I
think, and I'm n?t sure, but I thtnk the LigQt IDdu~trial zOhning
was expanded agaln, after the orlglnal reZonlng ln 88. I t lnR
that was, again, expanded down Corinth Road in '89 or '90. So,
when this CR zone was put on this parcel, the extent of Light
Industrial zoning that exists today did not exist there.
MR. RUEL-So the anticipation then was, eventually, to be
residential zones west of the property.
MR. MARTIN-Well, the other thing, you've got a conflict here, and
it's very difficult in this end of Town, along this oorridor, in
that, you have a conflict between what the actual land use is and
what the zoning is. A lot of, there's a lot of Light Industrial
zoning down this corridor that hasn't been realized as land use.
It still continues to be used as residential.
MR. RUEL-And should not be?
MR. MARTIN-Well, the obvious thought of the Town allowing Light
Industrial zoning there is they're opening the doors for the
transition to occur, and we're seeing some of that now, like
you've seen, Just down the road, we had Logger's Equipment go in
and, obviously, Native Textiles, but it'll take a long time for
that to come to fruition.
MR. RUEL-I find it difficult to find this side of Corinth Road as
,-esidential, perhaps the other side, but not this side.
MR. OBERMAYER-It is residential, Roge,-. You go up the "oad, it's
all ,-esidential.
MR. RUEL-Much further away.
MR. MACEWAN-There's houses right here.
MR. MARTIN-That's what I'm saying.
zoning, but there's residential use.
There's Light Industrial
MR. RICHARDS-Jim, wouldn't you need a variance to build a
residence in a Light Industrial zone?
MR. MARTIN-Yes. That's a nonconforming use. It should be noted
that, as a technical point, that the residential uses are
nonconforming uses. Residential is not allowed.
MR. BREWER-Because of that rezoning in '90, though, right?
MR. MARTIN-Right. I don't know the extent of the Light
Industrial zoning in '88. I know it did go down Corinth Road,
but I know it wasn't to the extent that it is now. They extended
it, I thought, to the Carey Park, or something.
MR. BREWER-Right. I think what happened was, it was commercial
of some sort, or light industrial. It went to residential, and
then the people wanted it to go back to light industrial, and I
can remember that. It went all the way up to, as a matter of
fact.
MR. MARTIN-I thought it came
like that, being, but I'm not
with the Carey Park, or something
sure, the Carey Industrial Park.
MR. BREWER-Part of it, but on both sides they had battles back
and forth with the Town Board, and it went up as far as Tri-
County Kitchens.
MR. RUEL-So if it's not conforming, how can we consider that as
being residential? It isn't.
- 30 -
'--
-'
MR. BREWER-Because it's just like we're changing the zone now,
Roger.
MR. MARTIN-See, the other thing that should be pointed out
MR. BREWER-Or, not that we're changing the zone.
MR. RICHARDS-It's hardly residential, if you have to get a
variance to build a residence there. I don't see how you could
consider this area residential.
MR. OBERMAYER-Is this area being evaluated under the new master
plan, Jim?
MR. MARTIN-It definitely will be.
MR. 08ERMAYER-And when will you guys be completed with evaluating
this end of the Town?
MR. MARTIN-We're probably a year away, yet, from having it
finalized.
MR. RUEL-That whole area is being looked at, I guess.
MR. MARTIN-Yes. The whole Town is, and if there's, one of the
consistent comments we're getting out of our neighborhood
meetings is that people would like to see more of an economic
base, more jobs, more industry, more manufacturing jobs. So I
don't think we're going to see the Light Industrial zone scaled
back any. I can assure you of that.
MR. RUEL-But the present zoning allows commercial.
MR. HARLICKER-On this particular property, yes.
MR. RICHARDS-Yes, in somewhat of a haphazard kind of a thing.
MR. 08ERMAYER-Why is it haphazard?
tha.t statement.
I guess I don't understand
MR. RICHARDS-Because the drafters of this Ordinance seem to have
picked out, I think it's 11 allowed uses.
MR. OBERMAYER-Well, do you have that specific use that you're
looking to put in here? Is that the reason?
MR. RICHARDS-As I say, originally, we had one. To my knowledge,
is no particular one planned at this moment.
MR. MACEl-JAN-Then what's the urgency to have it rezoned?
MR. BREWER-They want the maximum availability to the i r .
MR. OBERMAYER-I knolrJ IrJhat the)' want.
MR. RICHARDS-There's nothing, and aga.in, unless something's come
up in the last couple of weeks that I'm not aware of or hasn't
been told to me, we're being up front with you. There's no
present plans to develop, but that could change tomorrow. So we
would like to be able to have the maximum flexibility in what is
an entirely appropriate spot for it.
MR. MARTIN-I know for, like, I know Wal-Mart was nearly signed
for the property next to McDonalds. I think that was their first
choice when they came to this area, and something went amiss, and
now they're where they are, but I know they were, because these
parcels like this that are in close proximity to the interstate,
you know, we've heard it time and again. Red Lobster had a, they
have an internal requirement for proximity to an interstate.
I've heard that the Home Depot/Builders Square type of outfits,
- 31 -
they have a proximity concern to an interstate. The closer they
are to the interstate, the more attractive they are, and the
trend seems to be, in retail these days, the bigger the better.
MR. BREWEP-But also you have to consider, I think we have to
consider, what kind of a strain does that put on the Corinth
Road, where the residences are, that have to go through that
mess. I mean, I live out that way, and at five o'clock at night,
you can forget going home on Corinth Road. I mean, you just
can't go that way.
MR. RUEL-The traffic is a problem right now with the motel and
McDona.lds.
MR. BREWER-Right. So what we do is if we change the zone and
make it more intense, we create a problem, and then an applicant
has to come in and straighten the problems out? I think not. I
think we should straighten the problems out before we create more
of a problem.
MR. RUEL-I think we have a traffic problem now.
MR. BREWER-Exactly.
MR. RICHARDS--But isn't that a site plan review issue?
MR. OBERMAYER-That's a master plan issue, to me.
MR. BREWER-That's a planning issue, to me.
MR. RICHARDS-Because without any change of zone, we could put
some uses up there that could put tremendous strains on the
existing traffic.
MR. BREWER-Exactly, and it would still be a site plan review use.
MR. RICHARDS-Right, and this is site plan review.
MR. MARTIN-Yes, but it's a double edged sword, though.
talking about that and I could very easily foresee a
put on this parcel being required to contribute to
improvements at the interchange at Exit 18.
You start
use that's
the major
MR. BREWER-Exactly.
MR. RICHARDS-I could see that, too.
MR. MARTIN-Because all those intersections associated with that
interchange, today, are failing. They are at failure now.
MR. MACEWAN-Then the applicant's always going to come back in
front of this Boa,-d, ~..¡hy a,-e you going to make ~ suffer for
developing this parcel, and why are you going to make tD.Q. be
responsible for all of these improvements at this intersection.
This area is zoned for that, why am I going to be the one to have
to be responsible.
MR. BREWER-Well, I think what we're considering here is do we
want to make a bad situation worse?
MR. MACEWAN-No, L don't.
MR. BREWER-Until we have a plan to somehow foresee what's going
to happen here.
MR. MARTIN-I can tell you, it's on the Transportation Improvement
Program for the Transportation Council, to have this interchange
corrected, widened. It's in the five year plan.
MR. MACEWAN-How far west on Corinth Road would they go and widen
- 32 -
that?
MR. MARTIN-It hasn't been defined as to what the project. It's
only known that it's a problem and that they're going to address
it.
MR. MACEWAN-There was talk, early in the Spring, at one of our
meetings, that the County was looking at widening Corinth Road as
well, all the way down?
MR. BREWER-There's been talk of that for years, going all the way
into the City.
MR. RUEL-Yes. Now,
indicate differences
zoning?
Jim, in your opinion, land values, could you
between Highway Commercial and the present
MR. MARTIN-All I've heard is commercial property in the Town is
demanding a price, approximately $60 to $70,000 an acre.
MR. RUEL-In Highway Commercial?
MR. MARTIN-Yes. I think that's, I heard, was the price with the
K-Mart project, for example.
MR. RUEL-Are you putting together all commercial, Plaza, Highway,
and?
MR. MARTIN-Yes. I don't know if you can distinguish. Highway
Commercial, obviously, is more valuable in that it allows for
more of an intense development to occur. In other words, more
density is permitted. I think it's, like, 15,000 square feet per
acre.
MR. RICHARDS-No. That's not true, I don't think.
density for new construction, Jim.
The one acre
MR. MARTIN-Yes, but one acre density for how big of a building?
Are they the same?
MR. HARLICKER-Yes, 12,000 square feet, I think, per acre.
MR. RUEL-Twelve or fifteen.
MR. MARTIN-Twelve thousand square feet for Highway Commercial.
MR. RUEL-And fifteen for multi story.
MR. MARTIN-Okay. So they're all the same, from that standpoint.
So, in other words, if a retail business comes in, because retail
business is allowed in CR-15, it's probably going to be about the
same value, I would say, roughly.
MR. RICHARDS-And I think that points out, I think there's a
misunderstanding, or at least a misconception, somehow that CR-15
is a mom and pop store type thing, if you don't have existing
dwellings. The densities are very similar with both Highway
Commercial and the CR-15, and it's just the uses that are
different. So you're saying that it's more intense, stricter
zoning, and all these kind of bad connotations. I'm not sure I
really agree with that. There's definitely a wider array of
uses, or we wouldn't be sitting here, but the densities aren't
any different. The traffic issues really aren't any different,
and they all would be addressed at a site plan review, and some
of the points you just made, we couldn't agree with more, and
they're going to have to be, if there's any significant project
proposed, are going to have to be addressed.
MR. OBERMAYER-I don't know. I think the zoning on the property
has a lot to do with the surrounding area, and I would hope that
- 33 -
when the Planning Department is doing an evaluation of rezoning
certain areas, that they'd look at the area that it could be
effecting and the impact that that new zoning would have on that
area. So I don't necessarily agree with that statement.
MR. RICHARDS-Yes,
inappropriate zone
Northway. I don't
15. It's certainly
and I think that CR-15 is a totally
for this area, and that area west of the
think that the McDonalds parcel should be CR-
not Commercial Residential.
MR. BREWER-It's a transition type zone, though.
MR. RICHARDS-It's not in a transition zone, even north.
MR. RUEL-Does this plan need to be updated? It looks like it's
about 10 years old.
MR. RICHARDS-It's a survey that, I put in the application that
we'd ask that any further survey requirements be waived at this
time, and certainly any project that would be proposed and come
back before this Board for site plan review would have extensive
survey work and everything else, but this is a, largely, a self-
contained parcel, well delineated on the tax map, and it's a
separately zoned parcel now, and we're just trying to change that
zoning.
MR. RUEL-Well, I don't know. It would help me a lot if I had a
plan that showed me not only this area, but all the surrounding
areas.
MR. RICHARDS-Well, the tax map, the portion that's in the present
Zoning Ordinance, I think, is quite clear.
MR. RUEL -Yes.
me.
I should have that. I don't have it in front of
MR. BREWER-Any other questions?
MR. PALING-I'm inclined to agree with Staff on this, that if we
can help lessen the traffic problem, we're going to be better
off, and if we do other than Plaza Commercial, we're going to
make the traffic situation worse, and maybe even later on, if
there was a, we can't go, I don't think, on what's going to be
done to the intersection, in years to come, I think we've got to
go on what's, it's just having a renovation right now, and I'm
going to assume that that's the way it's going to be for quite a
long time, and we've got to vote on that basis. Then some time
if it is corrected, we could change the zoning, but right now, I
think I'd be in favor of Plaza Commercial, rather than Highway
Commercial.
MR. RUEL-How does Plaza alleviate the possible traffic problem?
MR. BREWER-It doesn't.
MR. PALING-Some of the uses, the Highway Commercial permits
everything within the Plaza Commercial, that's allowed, plus the
others that are listed there, and there's some pretty, some
heavier traffic items within that.
MR. RUEL-And, apparently, the applicant doesn't think that the
present zoning allows the construction of, or the use of whatever
you have in mind.
MR. PALING-Well, no, I sympathize with them, that they want to.
MR. RICHARDS-We don't have anything in mind at this moment.
Commercial Residential allows for some very intense traffic uses,
and we're all concerned about traffic, and I understand the
Board's concern, but I really think you're misapplying, or
- 34 -
misconstruing some things, here. The density's no different, and
the uses are just as intensive. There's just not as many of
them. Office buildings, hospitals, these kinds of things.
MR. BREWER-They're allowed in both zones.
MR. HARLICKER-Then you've got fast foods, car washes.
MR. RICHARDS-Yes, motels, we could put another three, four motels
up there. You could really make that an intensive traffic area,
and that's going to happen no matter what.
MR. RUEL-Tim, is this a recommendation?
MR. BREWER-This is strictly a recommendation.
MR. MACEWAN-I guess I'm still not sure, or really understand,
what the advantages are of going to Plaza Commercial, really,
from what the zone is currently as it stands. I'm looking
through, and seeing what the uses are from one zone to another
zone, and they're pretty compatible with each other. There's a
few there that are added, but.
MR. BREWER-I don't know why we're searching for another zone to
change the zone.
MR. MACEWAN-I don't either.
MR. BREWER-I think we should consider whether it should be
Hi9hway Commercial, or it should be as it is, and not search for
another zone to change it, just to accommodate somebody.
MR. MACEWAN-I agree.
MRS. LABOMBARD-Mark, the question I had for you earlier is, lets
say we don't take any action on this this evening, and we decide
to wait, down the road, for the master plan. Now that's a whole
year, which is not what the applicant wants, but lets say that
the applicant comes to us, in three or four months, and says,
this is what we would like to do with this property, and it's
really not out of the realm of what it's zoned for right now, but
lets say it's just a little bit out of, you know, it's a little
bit different. So can't he just come in and apply for some kind
of a variance for that specific project that he wants to put on
this land? Is that possible?
MR. SCHACHNER-The short answer to the question of, is that
possible, is, yes.
MRS. LABOMBARD-Is it feasible?
MR. SCHACHNER-Well, I think the issue is, I think the applicant's
counsel is being, my impression, is being candid, in indicating
that there is no specific proposed use at this time. If you
don't have a specific proposed use, you can't go for a variance.
MRS. LABOMBARD-I know that, but I'm saying down the line. Lets
say we don't act at all on this right now, and in four months, he
and his client, his client says, yes, this is what we want to do,
but it's not under what the zoning is now. It's not under CR-15.
MR. SCHACHNER-Right. I've got you. The answer is, yes, an
applicant could do that. One thing I think it's important yOU
all recognize, and I think you do, but just in case, I'll point
it out, you're not really in total control of this situation, in
that it's not our, meaning the Planning Board's, decision v~hether
to rezone this property or not. You're strictly allowed, under
the zoning law, to make a recommendation to the Town Board. If
the Town Board, it's the Town Board that holds the reins here,
and if the Town Board wants to move on this application, then the
- 35 -
Town Board has the right to do so, with or without your
recommendation, so long as 30 days have passed since you've been
asked for your recommendation. I have no idea what the status of
this before the Town Board is, other than to even be here means
that the Town Board has at least moved this along sufficiently to
ask for your recommendation, typically by formal resolution,
which I assume has occurred.
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MR. SCHACHNER-The answer to your question is, yes. If an
applicant has a specific, proposed use, then they can match it to
the zoning law, and if it fits in the zone as exists, then they
don't need a variance, and if it doesn't, then they could go for
a use variance.
MR. BREWER--An example is K-Mart, was rezoned to accommodate K-
Ma ,- t .
MR. RICHARDS-Of course the variance standards, we all know, are
dramatically different than site plan review.
MR. SCHACHNER-Yes, that's certainly true, and ver~ dramatically
so.
MR. MARTIN-In the context of that one intersection, you just saw
two approaches to accommodate the same project. Zaremba took the
approach of having a rezoning requested, and Benchmark took the
approach of having a variance requested. Both were granted, for,
and in that case, was exactly the same project.
MRS. LABOMBARD-Well, I just feel that, as far as we're concerned,
or maybe I'm speaking for myself, maybe the others feel the same
way, is that by opening it up to Highway Commercial, we are
opening up, I mean, there might be something that the applicant's
going to come in with, down the line, that totally has escaped
us, that's not specifically stated in the manual, but, yet, would
be allowed, and then we come up and say, my gosh, you know, we
don't really want this, but we've already let the cat out of the
bag, and I think that's, mainly, why we feel this way.
MR. RICHARDS-Well, that's a fear of the unknown, but the uses a'"e
lists there, and your ultimate protection is, we can come back
here, we have to come back here befo,-e you for any use here, and
get your site plan approval, and I think Mark and Jim would agree
to me that you do have the power, under site plan approval, to
sa y no.
MR. MACEWAN-But it makes it more difficult to deny a site plan
that is a use in that zone.
MRS. LABOMBARD-Yes, it does.
MR. RICHARDS-As opposed to a variance, absolutely. We wouldn't
be here if that weren't the case. We're well aware of that. I
really would ask thi~ Board to consider, when you do anything,
it's very easy to say no to things, particularly when you don't
see a particular project in front of you, but you have to look at
it from both the landowner's viewpoint and the Town's viewpoint,
and although I take issue with some of the things that Scott
said, he's said, repeated, that this is not an appropriate CR-15
zone, and I couldn't agree with him more, because it's not.
MR . MAC E WAN - M y 0 pin ion, and I'll 0 f f e:T it for w hat it's' w 0 r t h ,
when I consider a rezoning application, in my consideration for
it, and voting for an approval or denial of it, is one of, the
applicant to be able to show me a hardship, I guess, for the lack
of a better word, as to why he needs to have that zone change
done.
- 36 -
'~
MR. RICHARDS-Well, I would respectfully say that that's not the
standard.
MR. MACEWAN-Well, maybe hardship is not the right word to use. I
guess you haven't shown me enough of a cause as to why you need a
rezoning change.
MR. RICHARDS-Well, I think we have to show the Town Board why.
MR. MACEWAN-To exercise an option, to me, is not a good enough
cause for trJa nti ng to have ~ vote.
MR. RICHARDS-I think maybe I would respectfully say that you're
putting yourself in the role of the Town Board, and I think, as a
Planning Board, you're here to comment and to recommend on the
planning impacts, not to the merits of the decision as to whether
we have a hardship or anything else like that. That's what we're
here, to concentrate on a highway commercial designation for
this. I haven't heard anything yet that really says it's
appropriately zoned as CR-15, and the concern of the Board, as L
gather it, is primarily traffic, which we agree with you on, and
which has to be addressed, no matter what it's zoned.
MR. BREWER-Maybe when the Town has the
maybe something can come out of that, as
that area think it should be zoned.
neighborhood meetings,
to what the people in
MR. RICHARDS-Well, all I can tell you that the owners of this
parcel all agree that it should be zoned HC-15.
MR. BREWER-Naturally, because that's going to effect the value of
their property. It's going to raise it substantially, I think.
What about the people down the road? The people across the
street? It's going to effect everybody.
MR. RICHARDS-Well, that's why you have public hearings, and I
would remind you that it's zoned light industrial.
MR. BREWER-Well, there is no public hearing tonight about this.
This is just a recommendation.
MR. RICHARDS-No, that will be at the Town Board, and across the
street is zoned Light Industrial. This is not a pocket
commercial use inside a residential area, not by ~ means.
MR. BREWER-But it's not the most intensive zone in the Town,
either, in that area.
MR. RICHARDS-It's probably not the most intensive use in the Town
in that area.
MR. RUEL-I
i nfonnation
haven't heard anything, and I don't have enough
this evening to recommend a change. I really don't.
MR. RICHARDS-If there's more information you'd like us to come
back with, let us know. We have the Staff all that we could all
that we could give them, but if you need more, if you want more
explanation, we'd be certainly glad to come back with it.
MR. BREWER-Does somebody want to make a recommendation, as to
whether to approve or deny?
MOTION TO RECOMMEND TO THE TOWN BOARD TO D~NY PETITIO~ FOR ZONE
CHANGE NO. 3-1994 FRANK J. PARILLO, I nt roduced by Roger Rue 1 t.Jho
moved for its adoption, seconded by Craig MacEwan:
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1994, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Obermayer, Mrs. LaBombard, Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Ruel,
- 37 -
Mr. Paling, Mr. Brewer
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mr. Stark
MR. RICHARDS-Is there any reasoning, on the record, as to why you
recommended this?
MR. BREt.JER-Does there have to be, Mar k?
MR. SCHACHNER-Unlike site plan and subdivision decisions, there's
not really a set of standards governing your recommendation to
the Town Board. So that I am, as you know, extremely in favor of
putting reasoning on the record, there isn't really anything
specific, by way of criteria. If you wish to put anything else
on the record, do, if you don't, don't.
MR. BREWER-I think the minutes speak for themselves, the whole
conversation, or do we have to give a number of specific reasons?
MR. RUEL-It's well documented, by several people.
MR. SCHACHNER-Again, my answer to that is, in all your other
decision making capacities, absolutely, yes, you must. In this
capacity, where you're strictly recommending to the Town Board,
I'm not aware of any specific requirement, because there are no
specific criteria.
MR. RUEL-I agree with you.
MR. RICHARDS-Could we get the minutes before we go back before
the Town Board?
i"1R. MARTIN-Yes. As a matter of practice, we send as a package
the Staff Notes, the minutes from the Board, the resolution of
recommendation or denial, the whole thing.
MR. BREWER-And I'm certain that the Town Board does get all the
minutes of our meetings, right?
MR. MARTIN-I know the Planning Committee does.
MR. PALING-I've got a question. I'm, personally, willing to say
why I voted why I did. I don't know if any of the other members
of the Board want to do that?
MRS. LABOMBARD-I'm willing to do that.
MR. PALING-Then why don't we just go down, if this is what the
applicant wants.
MR. RICHARDS-If I have the minutes, that's satisfactory.
MR. MARTIN-Yes, you can get the minutes. That's not a problem.
Just one more item for the Board. Did you see the letter from
AMG? I went and looked at the site planting plan. It was fine.
I think the building was fabulous. All the trees were there. I
think they did make an appropriate change in that they took some
trees that were going along the rear property line and moved them
to the front. I just wanted to point that out to you.
MR. BREt.JER-O kay . Did I hear you say that you gave Penneys a CO?
MR. MARTIN-No. That's p,-obably coming tomon-ow morning.
MR. BREWER-Are all the elements of the site plan complete?
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
- 38 -
...../
MR. BREWER-All elements of it?
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MR. BREWER-Okay.
MR. RUEL-If Jim Martin, the expert in the planting area, says
okay, it's certainly okay by me.
MR. MARTIN-I was out there today for about an hour and a half.
MR. BREWER-One other question, Jim. A letter from Rich to you.
I know we've had conversation about the erosion control at
Native. Has that been done?
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MR. BREWER-It's done now? Okay.
MR. M(-\CEWAN--A couple of little things that I had in ~ packet,
from the residents of Birdsall Road, the letter, regarding the
asking to re-do the noise study for the roller coaster.
MR. MARTIN-I didn't see that one.
MR. MACEWAN-You don't have that?
MR. MARTIN-No, I don't have that.
MR. MACEWAN-Any comments on that?
MR. MARTIN-I don't know. My first question would be if we have
standing to do such a thing.
MR. BREWER-We can't do anything until next year anyway. How
would we know? It's closed now.
MR. MACEWAN-So I guess that's pretty much a dead issue, then.
MR. MARTIN-Well, no. I don't know.
MR. MACEWAN--In the three yea1-s or so I've been on the Board, I've
never heard or seen anything like that.
MR. MARTIN-The last thing L knew there was an
paper from people saying it wasn't as bad as they
[.oi ng to be.
article in the
thought it was
MR. SCHACHNER-Well, although in fairness, that was written by
people considerably differently located than the Birdsall Road
people.
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MR. MACEWAN-How do we, as a Board, deal with that, though? What
do \lJe do?
MR. MARTIN-Yes. Do we have standing to re-open that?
MR. MACEWAN-Is this something that you would like to mull over
for a few days, Mark, and let us know at our next meeting?
MR. SCHACHNER-Sure. I can do that.
MR. BREWER-We have a right to recall it, don't we? But I don't
think, what are we going to do, make him take it down?
MR. MACEWAN-The other letter that I had in my packet, is there
anything that we should be aware of with the site there for the
Carvel store? I saw the letter that you sent out to them.
- 39 -
MR. MARTIN-What one was that?
MR. MACEWAN-The one to Stephen Powers that you did.
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MR. MACEWAN-Regarding the conditions for the phasing over there.
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MR. MACEWAN-And the other one I had for you, also in our packets,
was the letter to the Planning Board from the Greycourt Motel
regarding Sign Ordinance.
MR. MARTIN-Yes. That's been a long standing problem. The last I
knew, because this was discussed with the Attorney last night, at
the Town Board meeti ng, that ,that sign, now, is in compl ia nce
again. It was out of compliance because it cited a date. The
question has been over the allowability of putting a price on the
billboard, and there is nothing against that in the Sign Code.
However, the sign fell into noncompliance because it cited the
date that the offer was available, and as soon as that offer was
over, as quoted on the sign, it had 30 days to come down. Well,
since that time, it's ~ understanding they've revised it. So
it's now, again, accurate, and I don't know that there's anything
that can be done about it. There's no restriction against
putting the price on the sign.
MR. BREWER-It's not in our realm of responsibility anyway, is it?
MR. MARTIN-Right. You look at off premise signs.
MR. MACEWAN-That was my next question.
lett,er?
Why did we get the
MR. MARTIN-I think they're just trying to appeal to everybody
they can to look into this.
MR. PALING-I've got a question for Staff. Is it my imagination,
or is there really a high percentage of the applicants that come
in here, have not seen Staff Notes?
MR. MARTIN-No. That's not your imagination.
MR. PALING-Why don't they see them like we do?
MR. MARTIN-We make them available. Some people will ask. Like
Tom Nace or Mike O'Connor will ask, a couple of days prior to,
but most of them don't ask.
MR. MACEWAN-Isn't the
Board members with
applicant's benefit.
object of the Staff Notes
your input? It's not so
to supply the
much for the
MR. MARTIN-Right. I mean, if somebody asks for them, I'll show
them to them, but it hasn't been practice to mail them out to
people in advance.
MR. PALING-There are major questions raised
if they had them prior to, and were able to
move the meeting along.
in Staff Notes, and
prepare, it would
MR. HARLICKER-Generally, if there's major problems, I try to get
a hold of the applicant. Like, for instance, next week with
Barrett and Leo's. I've been trying, end of last week, first
part of this week, to get a hold of them and talk to them about
it.
MR. PALING-Tell them what your thinking is? Yes. Because I
don't think, this guy stated tonight that he didn't realize the
- 40 -
-../
zoning.
MR. MARTIN-See, the problem that happens is they come in and they
see us early on, and they show us a plan, and we're seeing it for
the first time, and we say, well, yes, that looks okay, and then
after you sit down and you look at it in more detail, you start
raising questions, and sometimes they feel like they're getting
sandbagged, and that's not the case at all. It's just that you
don't have ti~e to think of it.
MR. HARLICKER-You can't pick up on everything in a little 15
minute overview.
MR. PALING-It wouldn't be good just to drop a copy of your notes
in the mail to them, the same time we get them?
MR. MARTIN-Well, before I commit to that, I'm going to ask Pam
about that, because I don't want to commit her to something, I
mean, you know, mailing the Staff Notes out to applicants.
MR. MACEWAN-Personally, I don't think Staff should be doing that.
MR. HARLICKER-We could maybe call them and say they're available.
MR. MACEWAN-The Staff is here to accommodate us.
MR. PALING-Yes, but we're not trying to put one over on them, or
sneak something in. If we've got an issue, lets bring it out and
let them prepare for it.
MR. MACEWAN-No one's trying to.
MR. BREWER-What will happen, Bob, is Scott gets the Staff Notes
to us on Friday. He gets them to the applicant Friday. So
Monday morning the applicant comes in and says, gee, here's all
the changes I'm going to add to my plan. So then we get a
different plan on Tuesday. I mean, they should see them the
same.
MR. RUEL-I think we better leave it alone.
MR. PALING-You can't take a different plan. All it is is comply
or no comply. We'll do or they'll say they can't do it. This
guy was shocked, tonight, for the zoning thing.
MR. MARTIN-I understand what Bob's saying. We can do something.
We can call and tell them they're ready, or something, or maybe
put it on the application. That's what we could do.
MR. BREWER-Yes, would you request.
MR. MARTIN-Staff Notes are available the Friday prior to the
meeting.
MR. MACEWAN-Absolutely. Then you're putting it on the public,
and you're leaving it up to them to come and get them.
MR. PALING-Now the two guys that you've said that make it a point
to come in and get them are probably two of the better prepared
people that come before the Board.
MR. MARTIN-Well, yes. They know the system.
MR. SCHACHNER-I was a maniac about that. I always had the Staff
Notes before I showed up.
MR. MARTIN-I think that's. it comes a point which it's just being
conscientious on the part of their clients.
MR. SCHACHNER-I think that's right.
I think it's irresponsible
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not to get them.
MR. MARTIN-We can
applications.
start
putting that
notation on
the
MR. PALING-Yes, put something on there that they are available.
MR. MARTIN-Staff Notes are available the Friday prior to the
meeting.
MR. BREWER-One last thing I'd like to mention is when we go on
site visits, people are not putting their signs out, so that we
can find them. The last two months that we went, we haven't seen
any. Maybe we could kind of urge the people to put them up, not
in obvious places, but sometimes, you know how it is up by the
lake.
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
MRS. LABOMBARD-We've been talking about what's going on up there
on Rockwell Road, and, well, YQU know, the development in there.
MR. OBERMAYER-The proposed cluster development.
MRS. LABOMBARD-Jim keeps talking about, instead of half acre
lots, v.Jhy can't v.Je see if v.Je can do QJl.ê. acre lots there?
MR. OBERMAYER-Why is Charlie Adams proposing that development to
be cluster? I understand that the future planning of the Town is
to minimize the amount of road space, and things like that, but,
I mean, why aren't we doing the clustering, in more areas where
the green spaces is (lost word). I mean, why pick on this
development all of a sudden, Jim, to say, lets cluster it.
MR. MARTIN-We're not picking on it. He's proposed doing that.
MR. OBERMAYER-Okay, but you had mentioned that, in the scheme of
things, that the Town is leaning, and in the future, the planning
would be headed in that direction, to minimize road maintenance
and things like that, and I agree with that philosophy.
MR. RUEL-As long as it's done in the right areas.
MR. OBERMAYER-That's one point, yes, and I agree with it if the
property, if the green space around it is, has some value to it,
but if it's on a steep incline, it's undevelopable, what
advantage is that?
MR. RUEL-And no one's going to use it.
MRS. LABOMBARD-That's right. No one's going to use it anyway.
MR. MARTIN-There's going to come a point where people have got to
come to grips with the effect of large lot zoning. You can't
start complaining about your tax bill going up when you have
large lot zoning, because that's what's going to happen. A
single family home on a three acre lot is more valuable than a
single family home on a half acre lot, and that's what we
continually hear. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
MRS. LABOMBARD-I know, but we're talking about a one acre lot,
not a three acre lot.
MR. MARTIN-One acre. A house on a one
more valuable than a half acre lot.
increasing in the tax bills.
acre lot is going to be
That's why the trend is
MR. BREWER-What's wrong with it being more valuable?
MR. OBERMAYER-It should be more valuable.
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-0'"
MR. MARTIN-Yes, but they're complaining about that. They're
complaining that their tax bills are going up, and the reason why
they're going up is because you have more property with houses
now.
MR. RUEL-Maybe we don't have enough ratables in the Town.
MR. BREWER-So what we should do to compensate that is make all
these little lots allover Town.
MRS. LABOMBARD-But then those people that don't want to pay those
higher taxes can go find another lot that's a half acre.
MR. MARTIN-A majority of the space that's available for
development is one acre zoning in the Town of Oueensbury.
MR. HARLICKER-What's wrong with a nicely landscaped smaller lot,
as opposed to a big one acre lot?
MR. BREWER-I think if you asked the majority of the people that
live in the Town of Queensbury why they live in the Town of
Queensbury, is because of the open space and the size of their
lots, has something to do with it, and not being right next door
to your neighbor. That's the appearance that we're going to get
is, everybody's going to be packed in these little lunch-box
sized lots.
MR. RUEL-Just like the mobile homes.
MR. BREWER-Exactly.
MR. RUEL-The same thing.
MR. MARTIN-Yes, but it's all a matter of perception, how you want
to put a spin on it. There's the other spin on that that it
creates a sense of community, and community character, and
neighborhood togetherness. There's that positive aspect of it,
too.
MR. BREWER-But what you're getting though, Jim, is all little
communities. I'm not saying that's bad. You're getting a little
community here, here, here, here, here.
MR. RUEL-That's the way Queensbury is now anyway.
MR. MARTIN-Yes, but in between all that here, YOU have large
tracts of open space that are forever preserved then.
MR. BREWER-Well, not necessarily.
striving for.
I mean, that's what we're
MR. HARLICKER-I mean, you're not going to get everybody coming in
like this. You're still going to get your one acre developments,
but this allows for a more diverse housing stock.
MR. BREWER-Not a lot. We haven't had very many one acre
developments in a long time.
MRS. LABOMBARD-Well, you know the way L look at it is, if
somebody, if a young couple or an older couple wants that kind of
a sense of community, on a smaller lot, do what L did when I got
married, I bought a house in the City, and lived there, and
renovated it. There are so many nice houses in Glens Falls, that
if people would just go down there, and sink their money in those
homes, pump the City of Glens Falls up.
MR. OBERMAYER-There's areas in the Town of Queensbury that are
zoned half acre lots.
MR. MARTIN-There is virtually no vacant land left that is zoned
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half acre or less. A lot of the smaller zoning in the Town
merely reflects what's already there.
MRS. LABOMBARD-What about all those places up off of Aviation
Road, like Eldridge Road and Queen Diana Lane?
MR. MARTIN-It's all SR-l Acre zoning.
MRS. LABOMBARD-But those lots are less than an acre.
MR. BREWER-Yes.
MR. MARTIN-Yes.
acre.
Although it's less, they rezoned them to one
MRS. LABOMBARD-But I'm saying that, you could go up there and buy
a half acre lot and build a house up, there are still lots up
there for sale.
MR. MARTIN-I just, nobody can discredit the character of Bedford
Close, and Bedford Close is half acre at best. If properly done,
I can drive you through Bedford Close, and you have no sense that
those are half acre lots.
MRS. LABOMBARD-The old part, the first phases were half acre,
you're right. They did a heck of a Job.
MR. MARTIN-See, people in Bedford Close is okay, but you start
talking about half acre, Inspiration Park, now, wait a minute,
those people with their ATV's and their loud music, and their
jeeps.
MR. BREWER-No. Nobody said anything against that.
MR. LABO~1BARD-We haven't said anything about it.
MR. MARTIN-I know you didn't, but it was a comment made at a
recent public hearing.
MRS. LABOMBARD-But I think that, I mean, you don't live on a half
an acre lot, or an acre lot. You like lots of land.
MR. MARTIN-No, because I had no other choice available to me. I
would have liked to have had a smaller lot, because I had to pay
a lot of money for all that extra acreage.
On motion meeting was adjourned.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
Timothy Brewer, Chairman
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