1995-12-28
'-"'
QUEENSBURY PLANNING BOARD MEETING
SECOND REGULAR MEETING
DECEMBER 28, 1995
INDEX
site Plan No. 76-95
James H. Fuhrer
Tax Map No. 3-1-2
2.
subdivision No. 16-1995
PRELIMINARY STAGE
Richard Kilmartin
Tax Map No. 51-1-44.1, 44.2
6.
Freshwater Wetlands
Permit No. 6-95
Edward A. Barlow, Jr.
Mar .i.b'n Boggs
Tax Map No. 141-1-2
18.
Subdivision No. 17-1995
PRELIMINARY STAGE
Edward A. Barlow, Jr.
Tax Map No. 141-1-2
24.
Site Plan No. 77-95
John A. Shaffe,-
Tax Map No. 54~5-19.1
29.
Site Plan No. 78-95
Seeds Rest.au ,-a nt Gr oup, I nc .
Tax Map No. 98-4-4.1
62.
THESE ARE NOT OFFICIALLY ADOPTED MINUTES AND ARE SUBJECT TO BOARD
AND STAFF REVISIONS. REVISIONS WILL APPEAR ON THE FOLLOWING
MONTHS MINUTES (IF ANY) AND WILL STATE SUCH APPROVAL OF SAID
MINUTES.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
QUEENSBURY PLANNING BOARD MEETING
SECOND REGULAR MEETING
DECEMBER 28, 1995
7:00 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
ROBERT PALING, CHAIRMAN
JAMES OBERMAYER
ROGER RUEL
CRAIG MACEWAN
GEORGE STARK
TIMOTHY BREWER
MEMBERS ABSENT
CATHERINE LABOMBARD
CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICER-JOHN GORALSKI
PLANNING BOARD ATTORNEY-MARK SCHACHNER
STENOGRAPHER-MARIA GAGLIARDI
MR. PALING-There is one thing. It's election time for the Board,
and there are some questions about it which I want to cover with
Mark Schachner because he will not be with us later in the
evening. Mark, would you just, what I want to do is ask you to
clarify our position regarding the election, and then we'll hold
our discussion of the Board until the end of tonight, and decide
finally what we're going to do, whether we'll go ahead tonight or
not, but would you clarify how we stand, whether we can or we
can't, in December and so on?
MR. SCHACHNER-Sure, Bob, I'll try. I think what we talked about
in the past was that there is a document that exists that's
called the Town of Queensbury Rules and Procedures, and that that
document talks about having an annual meeting, and it says that
the annual organizational meeting of the Board shall be the first
regular meeting in the month of January of each year, and
somewhere else in that document it talks about the annual
election of officers. So I think that the conclusion we drew
from that is that at least as far as this document is concerned,
what it envisioned was having the annual election of officers at
the organizational meeting in January of each year. The issue
then came up as to what extent we're bound by this, or do we want
to change this, and if we want to change this, what do we have to
do to do that, and what I've previously told the Board is that
there is no legal requirement for this document to exist in the
first place. So that, to that extent, I would not be concerned
if you decided to do something different than what this document
said, except that, Number One, it does exist, and Number Two, we
note in our records that in the past, when the Planning Board
wanted to amend the Rules and Procedures, that, in fact, was done
with Town Board approval, and after a public hearing. That was
also the way the document was initially adopted, back in, I
believe, 1988, it was done by the Planning Board and the Town
Board after, you know, public hearing, public discussions at
regular meetings, and that's, I think, exactly what I've told the
Board previously.
MR. PALING-Okay. Questions on that? It says that it has been
approved by the Town Board, previous years.
MR. SCHACHNER-Correct, not every year, but when it was adopted,
it was adopted by the Planning Board on December 20th of 1988,
and adopted by the Town Board nine days later, on December 29,
1988. There were then some revisions, and the revisions
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(Queensbury Planni~g Board Meeting 12/28/95)
themselves were adopted the following November, November 8, 1989
by the Town Board, November 21, 1989 by the Planning Board.
MR. PALING-So are you saying we still have a choice as to whether
we can have an election tonight?
MR. SCHACHNER-I'm
cleanest thing to
seem to say.
saying that by far the easiest, neatest,
do is just do what the Rules and Procedures
MR. PALING-Which is in January.
MR. SCHACHNER-Correct.
MR. PALING-Okay. All right. Then I think that's sufficient.
It'll be in January. We won't have it later on tonight. Okay.
Lets go on with the meeting.
NEW BUSINESS:
SITE PLAN NO. 76-95 TYPE I JAMES H. FUHRER OWNER: SAME AS
ABOVE ZONE: WR-1A, C.E.A. LOCATION: ON RT. 9L, ABOUT 4 1/2
MILES TO ROCKY SHORE ROAD ON LEFT (LAKE SIDE) FOR MATTHEWS, WHITE
ET AL. TAKE DRIVE TO EXTREME LEFT, PAST TENNIS COURT TO PROJECT,
ABOUT 250' FROM ENTRY. APPLICANT PROPOSES TO ADD THREE (3)
BEDROOMS AND BATH TO NEW 2ND FLOOR OF EXISTING STRUCTURE TO
IMPROVE ACCOMMODATION FOR OCCASIONAL SUMMER USE BY EXISTING
FAMILY MEMBERS. PER SECTION 179-79 ANY ENLARGEMENT OR EXTENSION
OF A NONCONFORMING STRUCTURE WITHIN A CEA IS SUBJECT TO SITE PLAN
REVIEW AND APPROVAL. WARREN CO. PLANNING: 12/13/95 TAX MAP NO.
3-1-2 LOT SIZE: .86 ACRES SECTION: 179-16, 179-15
JAMES H. FUHRER, PRESENT
MR. FUHRER-Hi. I am James H. Fuhrer. I'm the current owner. My
father built the place about 33 years ago.
MR. PALING-Okay. Thank you.
STAFF INPUT
Notes from Staff, Site Plan No. 76-95, James H. Fuhrer, Meeting
Date: December 28, 1995 "The applicant is proposing to add 3
bedrooms and a bath to the second floor. The proposal does not
exceed the 50% expansion yule. A visit to the site reveals that
the existing house is set into the slope and is surrounded by
several large trees. It does not appear that the proposed
addition will obstruct any views of the lake from adjoining
properties, nor will it significantly impact the view of the
shoreline from the lake. A note on the site plan states that one
tree will be removed, however, it is not indicated on the plan.
The addition is generally within the footprint of the existing
structure so there should not be any impact on stormwater
drai nage. "
MR. PALING-Okay. "Generally within the footprint", John? No
problem with setbacks?
MR. GORALSKI-No.
MR. PALING-No. Okay.
MR. BREWER-I've got one question. What about the septic, John,
does that have to be changed or not?
MR. GORALSKI-No. As long as the septic system is functioning
properly, it does not have to be changed.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/9$)
MR. BREWER-Even if he's adding three bedrooms?
MR. GORALSKI-Even if he's adding 20 bedrooms.
MR. MACEWAN-What's the status at the County meeting?
MR. PALING-The status of the County is the same as it was last
meeting, Craig.
MR. GORALSKI-I'm sorry, you weren't here last week. The County
didn't have a quorum. So they couldn't vote. So everything is,
there's no action.
MR. PALING-On any County item tonight, as it was last meeting.
MR. FUHRER-As I understood it, the end of that meeting, was a
default approval, although we did check with the Chair of that
meeting and he seemed to indicate that there was no impact that
they would take issue with on this particular item, which was
Number 15 on the agenda. I offer that just for what it's worth.
MR. PALING'-All right . Are there any other questions?
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes¡'Do you live there all yea)- round now?
MR. FUHRER-No. We do not. We are there pretty much from May
through October. :C,am now retired. My wife is now retired. We
will be in residence there more than we have been before, but
there are two of us. This facility is really for, as I think it
indicates in the summary theY'e, some of our children come up, and
when they all come up, as they have in the past, it's nicer if
they can all make use of a little bit more room. It's not to
change the total usage of the septic facility in that sense.
It's just to make the accommodations nicer from that point of
view.
MR. OBERMAYER-Are you going to live there all year round?
MR. FUHRER-Probably not. We are not, at this point, planning
that. One can never be certain of that sort of thing. We
certainly like it. We've been coming here, as my father built
the place, as I mentioned, 33 years ago, and it's our summer
place of choice. Whether we're actually able to consider this as
a year round retirement home, I don't know at this point. We do
have a residence which is close to where both of us worked down
in Westchester County, and at this point, the disposition of that
is unknown.
MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. RUEL-No additional parking?
MR. FUHRER-No.
MR. RUEL-And no additional lighting?
MR. FUHRER-No.
MR. RUEL-And that tree that John mentioned a moment ago is, what,
near a parking area, next to the house?
MR. FUHRER-Yes. The tree is very close to the house. It's a
large tree. We hate to remove it, but it's within one foot of
the existing roof.
MR. RUEL-It extends beyond the roof line?
MR. FUHRER-Yes.
It is a tall tree, and we generally have,
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
actually have Dick Sears come around periodically to take a look
at things I think this is probably the one that must go,
unfortunately. It's just too close to the current roof line, and
it will not handle the proposed, I think it's an 18 inch overhang
back toward the parking place there.
MR. RUEL-You're adding a bathroom, but you don't expect the water
usage to increase?
MR. FUHRER-No, we really don't, because it'll be the same, we
have four sons, and at most we generally have three of them up
there at one time, and some of their families. So that that peak
usage is not going to change. It's never rented out or anything
of that sort. It is just that we're all getting a little bit
bigger, or maybe it's older. I forget which. So, we don't
really expect peak usage to change. If it did, I mean, my father
was in the pump business, and I learned a little bit from him,
and we watched the levels and things of that sort, and if
something is required there, we're going to do it, because we
definitely want that area to be a clean septic area. I mean,
we're going to swim in the water. We don't drink the water, but
we certainly bath in it.
MR. RUEL-Okay. The present structure does not have gutters?
MR. FUHRER-No, it does not. I think there's some indication in
there.
MR. RUEL-AII right, and the addition, you'll have gutters?
MR. FUHRER-Yes. What we were proposing was along the side that's
close to the north side, the Matthews', that may be the
appropriate spot to put gutters. In fact, it may be an
appropriate improvement anyway, because water runoff in heavy
storms from that side impinges a little bit on the pathway that
goes along side of the house, as indicated in the site plan. So
it may be a useful thing to do, and then we will probably, there
is a spot close to the right hand front side of the building
where we can put some place to accumulate and allow to drain off,
the water flow.
MR. RUEL-Would you consider a drywell or something similar to
that?
MR. FUHRER-Something similar to that.
MR. RUEL-If it accumulates in that area.
MR. FUHRER-Yes.
MR. RUEL-Because without your gutters, it was dispersed along the
length of the buildings, and now it will be concentrated in one
area.
MR. FUHRER-That's right. 50, at this point, we're not sure
precisely what will be the right thing to do. The overall
footprint of the roof is not going to change. The runoff from
the roof is going to change a little bit because there is a peak
now that's a little bit closer to the Matthews' side, which will
probably mean a little bit less runoff that way and more to the
other side. We will have to do something in the way of gutters
there, and we will do that. I don't have the specific plan on it
at the moment, but I've been talking with Harry Williams, and
we'll figure out something that makes sense, and it's got to
drain away from the foundation and provide proper water flow.
MR. RUEL-There's no necessity for him to indicate that now,
right, John?
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. GORALSKI-It says the new roof will employ gutters. When we
go out to do a final inspection, we'll look for gutters.
MR. RUEL-I see. Permeability is the same anyway.
MR. FUHRER-Yes, and I think actually John Goralski and I had
discussed, we had talked and that was something that he
indicated. So we will handle that, we'll figure that in the
final plan. I think you're looking at the plans and elevation
views without some of the detailed numbers at present.
MR. RUEL-Thank you.
MR. PALING-All right. There's a public hearing on this. Why
don't we go into the public hearing now. The public hearing will
be opened if anyone would care to speak on this matter.
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
NO COMMENT
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. PALING-And we'll do a SEQRA.
This is a Long Form.
MR. OBERMAYER-Why do we have to do a Long one?
MR. STARK-It's a Type I.
MR. MACEWAN-In a CEA.
MR. SCHACHNER-Yes, because it's 6n Lake George. It's in a
Critical Environmental Area, whic~ for another three days means
it requires a Long Form Environmental Assessment Form.
RESOLUTION WHEN DETERMINATION OF NO SIGNIFICANCE IS MADE
RESOLUTION NO. 76-95, Introduced by Roger Ruel who moved for its
adoption, seconded by Timothy Brewer:
WHEREAS, there
application for:
is presently before
JAMES H. FUHRER, and
the
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:
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
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
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 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel,
Mr. Brewer, Mr. Paling
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
MR. PALING-Now we've got to have a motion.
MOTION TO APPROVE SITE PLAN NO. 76-95 JAMES H. FUHRER,
Introduced by Timothy Brewer who moved for its adoption, seconded
by James Obermayer:
Duly adopted this 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Brewer,
Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Paling
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
SUBDIVISION NO. 16-1995 PRELIMINARY STAGE
RICHARD KILMARTIN OWNER: SAME ZONE: RR-5A
SIDE OF RT. 149, 1,000 FEET EAST OF BAY ROAD.
TO SUBDIVIDE A 107 ACRE PARCEL INTO 2 LOTS
ACRES. APA TAX MAP NO. 51-1-44.1, 44.2
SECTION: SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS
TYPE: UNLISTED
LOCATION: SOUTH
APPLICANT PROPOSES
OF 10 ACRES AND 97
LOT SIZE: 107 ACRES
LEON STEVES, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
STAFF INPUT
Notes from Staff, subdivision No. 16-1995, Richard Kilmartin,
Date: December 28, 1995 "The applicant is proposing to
subdivide one 107 acre parcel into two lots of 10 and 97 acres.
Both lots meet all of the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance
and the Subdivision Regulations. There is an APA designated
wetland on the property which makes this a Class A regional
project and an APA permit is required. This property is also the
subject of an enforcement action because fill has been placed in
the wetland without a permit. In the past the Board has been
reluctant to grant approval until the required APA permits have
been received. Because the public hearing on this project has
been noticed for this evening, I would recommend that the Board
hold the public hearing. If there are no other issues raised
during the public hearing, the Board may wish to consider
granting conditional approval. The conditions being that the
enforcement action be resolved and the APA permit be issued."
MR. PALING-Does anyone on the Board have a problem with that last
paragraph of John's?
MR. RUEL-APA permit must be obtained?
MR. PALING-Well, that would be the condition of approval, but.
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(Queensbury Planni ng Board Meeti ng 12/28/95,)
MR. RUEL-Would that be a condition?
MR. PALING-Yes.
MR. MACEWAN-I'm not in favor of doing any conditional approvals.
MR. RUEL-That's a conditional approval.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, why would we want to do that?
MR. STARK-Bob, maybe things have changed since they made the
application. So why don't we find out first.
MR. PALING-All right. Lets see what happens. That may be a
sensitive area. Would you identify yourselves, please.
MR. STEVES-Yes, I'm Leon Steves, and beside me is Richard
Kilmartin, and we have made application for a two lot
subdivision, and the reason for the conceptual approval request
is because we're waiting for APA to respond to an action there,
and until they do, we're in limbo, and I gbt caught last time
around with a six month extension not being enough time.
Therefore, I would like to have a conceptual approval at
Preliminary.
MR. GORALSKI-Conceptual or conditional?
MR. STEVES-Conditional, and that would give me an open door or a
time frame that I'm not locked into.
MR. PALING-Yes. On the assumption that that's all that's a
problem, can't we go ahead with a conditional approval, assuming
everything else is okay?
MR. SCHACHNER-Yes.' I mean, and in fact, I thi nk that Staff
Comments suggest that asa possibi I i ty. 'i,'
MR. PALING-Yes, right.
MR. BREWER-Are you looking for 'a conditional at Final, Leon?
MR. GORALSKI-No, no. What I'm saying is that you give them
conditional Preliminary, and they can't come back for Final until
everything gets settled at the APA.
MR. OBERMAYER-What's the benefit to even giving a conditional
approval though?,
MR. BREWER-Then they can move on with APA.
MR. GORALSKI-Well, they've got their Preliminary approval here.
They can go back to the APA and get the business done with them
and come back.
MR. OBERMAYER-Is there an issue with the APA that you can't go to
them?
MR. STEVES-We can, but we don't have a time clock that we can
abide by, and get back to you within that six months time when
that Preliminary is normally granted, so that if you grant
Preliminary approval, that's six months.
MR. OBERMAYER-Right.
MR. STEVES-We have to come back with either a Final submittal,
with APA approval, or we have to come back and ask for an
extension of time.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. PALING-I don't see any problem with that.
MR. MACEWAN-What's the status with the APA right now?
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes.
MR. STEVES-We're waiting to hear from them.
MR. OBERMAYER-When did you submit the application with the APA?
Last week?
DICK KILMARTIN
MR. KILMARTIN-No. It's been last August.
and for some reason they're dragging their
dragging their feet. It's a slow process.
It was last August,
feet. I say they're
I do know that.
MR. RUEL-Do you feel that getting a Preliminary approval here
would help your hand, as far as the APA is concerned?
MR. KILMARTIN-Yes. Definitely.
MR. MACEWAN-How's that?
MR. STEVES-They will know the action that you take.
MR. RUEL~So we can make it conditional.
conditional on the Preliminary.
We'll make it
MR. OBERMAYER-What's the reason?
MR. MACEWAN-I don't understand that.
MR. GORALSKI-If I could interject here, I've spoken to Don Smith,
who is the Enforcement Officer. The actual subdivision approval
was proceeding. The problem is the enforcement action because
the wetlands was filled. As soon as that's resolved, I don't
think the APA is going to have any problem with the subdivision.
The Town of Queensbury has no Jurisdiction over the wetland
issue, because we don't have jurisdiction over wetlands within
the APA.
MR. MACEWAN-But what bearing does the Preliminary approval for a
subdivision by us have on them getting a quicker response from
the APA?
MR. GORALSKI-I don't particularly agree with Mr. Kilmartin. I
don't think that it's going to really make too much difference to
the APA what one way or another what we do.
MR. MACEWAN-I mean, it's been kind of policy of this Board where
we're rather reluctant to give conditional approvals.
MR. STEVES-I understand that, but one of the problems here is
that everybody seems to be waiting for the other guy to make a
move, and I was approached by Staff and asked when I was going to
submit this application for subdivision.
MR. MACEWAN-That's what I don't understand.
waiting for everybody else to make a move, what
APA's waiting for us to do that's going to help
their coming to a conclusion on this?
If everybody's
is it that the
them expedite
MR. STEVES-I don't know, but if we can demonstrate to them that
we've been to the Board and sought and been awarded with a
conditional approval of Preliminary, then they can see that we're
on track, and maybe they'll do the same thing.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. OBERMAYER-It seems like, and according to the notes it says
here, Leon, that the APA wetlands exist along the stream, but
have not been flagged. Is that true? The wetlands haven't been
flagged yet?
MR. STEVES-Yes. That's not an issue because the building site
has been spotted on the plan up there on top of the hill. The
true issue here, as John has alluded to, is that the wetland has
been tampered with, filled in or whatever. I have not seen it.
I don't know. It's all on hearsay.
MR. KILMARTIN-May I comment on that?
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes.
MR. KILMARTIN-Okay. I went to DEC, hell, it was way over a year
ago, and I told them what I had planned. I had a man come down
there, Number One, as, I did not know that I was going to be
selling a big chunk of ground, but, hell,if you had a big chunk
of ground and you got the right price for it, you'd sell it, too,
but anyhow, I'm farming this land. Now, I went to DEC, and I
told them what I had proposed on putting a road in, so that I
would not have to go over 149 with my tractors and equipment,
with all that heavy traffic. I was going to cut across lots, and
it was marshy, yes. I don't say it wasn't, but it was dry at the
time when I went to DEC about this. Of course, we had a real dry
summer. Well, we had a real dry summer last year, and the year
before we had a dry summer. Well, this DEC man came down and he
looked at it and he said, look, I'll go to Warrensburg and I'll
tell them exactly what you're proposing to do. He went to
Warrensburg, he called me, and he says, Dick, he says, go ahead
with it. DEC says it's perfectly all right. You're getting that
heavy equipment, slow moving equipment, off the road, every time
you go from one field to the other, and so I went ahead with it.
I've got a lot of bucks in that road way I put out through there.
Since then, I've sold the 97 acres, which the road is on. I did
not know I was going to sell it when I was putting this road in.
I had no idea, but a guy came along, and he made me an offer, and
I accepted it.
MR. OBERMAYER-Is he farming that land?
MR. KILMARTIN-No. He bought it for investment purposes only, to
my knowledge. I mean, my wife and I have life use of the
property. As long as my wife or I live, we have life use of it.
So he can't do anything with it until my wife and I are gone.
MR. PALING-Where is the road you're talking about?
that run?
Where does
MR. KILMARTIN-That road goes pretty near to 149.
and show you?
Can I come up
MR. PALING-Sure.
MR. KILMARTIN-This is not a very big map, but anyhow, I have a
field, now, this road. I have a field up in here, and there's a
field in here, and this road runs from this field to this field.
Instead of me coming clear over here, down on Dream Lake Road,
with my heavy equipment.
MR. PALING-And then where does it cross this property? There's
149, and where will the road come in here, into this piece of
property? Here's 149 here, and you're coming in from over here I
take it?
MR. KILMARTIN-Yes.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. RUEL-You've got a field here, right?
MR. KILMARTIN-There is a field up in here. Yes.
MR. RUEL-All right. You said there's a field over here.
MR. KILMARTIN-No. This is, what's this here?
MR. PALING-That's the boundary line. Coffin lands there.
MR. KILMARTIN-Okay. Now, there is a field in here, and there's a
field up in this way here, see.
MR. PALING-All right. Then the road is here to here, then.
MR. KILMARTIN-No. It doesn't go that far. The road is only six
or eight hundred feet long. There's a spot right in here where
it comes across.
MR. PALING-Just go from one field to the other?
MR. KILMARTIN-Right, but I had a road in here, because I come
out, from where our residence is down here, I've always been able
to corne this way, but I never ~oJas able to go this way. So, built
this road across here.
MR. RUEL-So, you have a road across the wetlands, is that it,
designated wetlands?
MR. KILMARTIN-DEC says it's not wetlands, but APA says it is.
MR. RUEL-Here's the house. There's 149.
MR. KILMARTIN-Right. Okay.
MR. RUEL-All the black stuff is wetlands?
MR. KILMARTIN-Supposedly. Now this road comes across from here
up to, in here somewhere.
MR. RUEL-Yes. You must have crossed a wetland.
MR. KILMARTIN-No, I did not.
MR. BREWER-It doesn't make any difference, does it? It's not our
issue. So let APA figure it out.
MR. PALING-Yes. I have one other question
I'll get off the road thing. What is the
have from this piece of property to Route
that? There's 149 right here.
regarding that and
access your son will
149? How will he do
MR. KILMARTIN-Yes.
tIll right. His
lit~tle.
I've got to show you that on this map, here.
access is going to be in here, right in that
MR. PALING-Show us, here's his lot back here, okay, lands to be
gifted to son. How does he get out to 149?
MR. KILMARTIN-Right here, right out through here.
high ground in here.
This is all
MR. PALING-Okay. So he's going to go out this way then?
MR. KILMARTIN-All right. Here we are, right here. This is where
he's going to propose to build. He's going to come out through
here.
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(Queensbury Planning BOiHd Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. PALING-Okay.
All right, because I just want to get an idea.
MR. BREWER-The property that he's giving to his son, does that
have road access?
MR. GORALSKI-That 10 acre parcel?
MR. KILMARTIN-Yes, it does.
MR. BREWER-Where's the road?
MR. PALING-That's what we just did, Tim.
MR. BREWER-This is just the 10 acres here? Okay. I thought this
was the whole lot.
MR. KILMARTIN-No.
here to here.
See, he's got all this road frontage, from
MR. BREWER-This is just the 10 acres.
MR. PALING-All right. This whole thing is that?
MR. STEVES-That's correct.
MR. PALING-And this, what's this here?
MR. STEVES-That's an adjacent owner. This is the 97 acres.
MR. PALING-So his access is right here, his existing. All right.
MR. KILMARTIN-Now, this is a better map. This road.
MR. PALING-Okay. That I don't care about now.
MR. KILMARTIN-Okay.
MR. OBERMAYER-Where does the guy have access to the 97 acres?
MR. KILMARTIN-He has access to the 97 acres on this side, right
there.
MR. PALING-That's the part his son gets, and he's got access
there, and this guy.
MR. OBERMAYER-Is the guy going to commercially develop that?
MR. KILMARTIN-I have no idea what he's got planned.
MR. OBERMAYER-You used to farm that, didn't you?
MR. KILMARTIN-I still farm it. I have life use of it. As long
as my wife and I live, we have life use of that. I mean, we've
got that in writing. He can't stop us.
MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. STARK-Bob, we have a, after a little discussion here. He
can't do anything with this land until he gets Final anyway. Why
don't we go ahead with the public hearing, leave it open and
then, you know, have our little discussion and everything, and
then any time he gets the permit, okay, table the application, he
can be put back on. We'll do Preliminary one week, the Final the
following week, and he can get it at that point. He's going to
have to wait anyway, to get a Final.
MR. BREWER-But on the same hand, George, this is a Preliminary
subdivision. He can't do anything until he gets Final.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. STARK-Right.
MR. BREWER-If we grant him Preliminary with the condition that
the APA issue is straightened out. He still doesn't have Final
approval. He comes in. Then we give him Final approval. It's
not a site plan that we're giving him a conditional approval on.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes. Why even bother doing that, though? Why are
we even doing it?
MR. BREWER-It's a two step process.
MR. OBERMAYER-It's going to be a two step process no matter what.
MR. BREWER-No, it isn't. If we give him Preliminary tonight, and
the APA issue, why make them come back and then go through.
MR. PALING-He only has to come back one more time for final.
MR. RUEL-He'd have to come back twice.
MR. PALING-I'm inclined to agree with Tim. I don't see what harm
we're doing if we do it that way.
MR. BREWER-Ultimately, he can not go anywhere and do anything
with that land, even if we grant him Preliminary tonight. He
still has to get Final from us, and if the issue's not
straightened out with the APA, then we just don't give him Final
and he's right where he is right now.
MR. PALING-And he doesn't have Preliminary either if it's not
met, that's a condition.
MR. STARK-Bob, lets open the public hearing anyway.
MR. BREWER-If he doesn't meet the condition, he doesn't get the
approval, correct?
MR. PALING-All right, I agree with George. Lets hold this, and
if there's no more input here, we'll have the public hearing.
All right, we'll open the public hearing on this matter. If
there's anyone here that would like to speak.
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
NO COMMENT
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. PALING-Okay. All right then we've got to figure out amongst
ourselves what we want to do now. My inclination is to go along
with the conditional approval. I agree with Tim. I don't know
why it is we wouldn't do that, I guess.
MR. OBERMAYER-Well, it would be
are and what issues the APA has
eve n flagged.
nice to see where the wetlands
with the wetlands. They're not
MR. GORALSKI-The wetlands are on the map.
MR. STEVES-Well, the wetland issue is on the 97 acre lot, not the
10 acre lot.
MR. STARK-It's over here.
MR. STEVES-See, the large portion of that lot is the 10 acres
depicted.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. PALING-This is the part we're talking about here, and this is
where the wetlands are.
MR. MACEWAN-Well, haven't we,
map, asked that any wetlands
be indicated on that?
historically, on any subdivision
be indicated, DEC flagged wetlands
MR. GORALSKI-This is APA.
MR. STARK-·APA.
MR. MACEWAN-Okay. Have we done it with APA on a regular basis?
MR. GORALSKI-There are wetlands indicated on that 10 acre parcel.
You can see where the wetland line is, right through the center
of it. It is shown.
MR. MACEWAN-Aren't they a little bit more definitive than
though? I mean, you don't know how far either side of the
the wetlands go.
that,
brook
MR. STEVES-Well, you read the letter where I've asked the APA to
come in to flag the wetlands on the 10 acre site.
MR. MACEWAN-Could that ultimately be put on the map for Final?
MR. STEVES-No. They came in and flagged up what they thought was
necessary, because they know the house site itself is to the west
end of the lot. Therefore, they didn't make us go to the eXþense
of locating all the wetland flagging which would not be used.
MR. MACEWAN-Then your intentions wouldn't be to put it on there
for that 10 acre parcel?
MR. STEVES-Other than the note that you see on the map, that's
all we would do. At the bottom of the map. you'd say we have
flagged it up, she has verified it, and everyone's happy with it.
MR. OBERMAYER-It just hasn't been verified by the APA yet, right?
MR. STEVES-They won't touch this now until that action's taken
care of.
MR. OBERMAYER-Until what action?
MR. STEVES-The action of the infringement upon the wetlands.
MR. GORALSKI-On the 97 acres.
MR, SCHACHNER-The enforcement action is what he's referring to.
MR. MACEWAN-Mark, what's the worst case scenario they would use
in an enforcement action?
MR. SCHACHNER-Worst case scenario, APA
$100,000 fine, imprisonment.
enforcement action?
MR. MACEWAN-What is the likelihood of what they would do?
MR. GORALSKI-Well, you know, at the Sagamore when they cut down
the trees they gave them that huge fine.
MR. SCHACHNER-Well. except it hasn't been resolved. Some sort of
monetary fine, and sometimes some mitigation that often involves
either, sometimes involves removal of fill. sometimes involves
planting of different types of species, sometimes even involves
creation of artificial or manmade wetlands nearby. It's real
hard to say. I don't know anything about the order of magnitude
- 13 -
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
about the alleged violation.
MR. OBERMAYER-What's the reasoning for going forward, though? I
guess I still don't understand.
MR. STEVES-Well, we don't demonstrate to APA
something, then I don't know that they will
action is in their court right now, and we
until we show them, in good faith, that we are
lot subdivision.
that we are doing
do anything. The
can't do anything
proposing this two
MR. RUEL--Aren't
talking about APA
right?
we talking about two items, though? We're
permit and enforcement action to be involved,
MR. GORALSKI-Right. You've got two issues in front of the APA.
There's one issue in front of the Cueensbury Planning Board.
MR. RUEL-Right. Now if we did not approve this this evening, on
the basis that you should have the enforcement action involved
and that you should get the APA permit, then you would have to
come back again for a Preliminary application. Is that correct?
MR. SCHACHNER-Correct.
MR. RUEL-And then the Final.
MR. STEVES-And another public hearing.
MR. RUEL-Yes, but it seems to me that if it was only APA approval
without enforcement action, I think I would buy going ahead on
that condition, but with an enforcement action hanging.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, there could be some litigation going on.
MR. RUEL-I'm tempted to say that you should resolve these things
before you come back to the Planning Board.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes.
I tend to agree with you, Rog, on that.
MR. BREWER-But what
subdivision, whether
do anything with it,
he gets Final.
harm does it do if we go ahead with the
we don't do anything with the subdivision or
the APA issue still has to be settled before
MR. RUEL-Right.
MR. OBERMAYER-That's right, so why don't we Just table it?
MR. RUEL-It's a matter of principal.
MR. MACEWAN-Historically, our
conditional approvals.
Board has
not granted
out
MR. BREWER-I don't believe that.
MR. GORALSKI-I just want to clarify something. You almost always
have a conditional approval at Preliminary, and you require that
those things be addressed at Final. They're usually not other
agency issues, but you almost always have at Preliminary.
MR. MACEWAN-Okay. In that aspect, yes.
MR. BREWER-That's right.
MR. PALING-What difference does it make if it's APA or whatever
the conditions are?
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting, 12/28/95)
MR. OBERMAYER-Because there's an enforcement action going on.
MR. BREWER-Yes, but we have nothing to do with that, Jim. We
don't have anything to do with that issue.
MR. STARK-Bob, poll the Board and see if we want to go forward or
not go forward.
MR. PALING-All right.
forward with this, or
start with Craig.
Lets ask the Board now, do you want to go
do you want to, I guess, table it? We'll
MR. MACEWAN-Table it.
MR. STARK-Go forward.
MR. OBERMAYER-Table.
MR. BREWER-Go ahead, I don't have a problem with it.
MR. RUEL-I'd like to table it.
MR. PALING-I'd like to go forward with it.
Three to three.
So that's great.
MR. STARK-So, we don't go forward with it, that's all.
MR. PALING-''r'es.
MR. BREWER-I don't see any harm if we went ahead, with the
condition that he meets the APA.
MR. PALING-I don't, either.
MR. STEVES-John, do you know why I was called as to when I was
going to submit this plan?
MR. GORALSKI-Yes, because we received, from the Warren County Tax
Office, a notification of, I think they call it a split,
subdivision, which, based on our Zoning and Subdivision
Regulations, was an illegal subdivision. That's why I called you
and said you need to get a subdivision.
MR. BREWER-So now that means that he can't sell the land, because
we won't go?
MR. PALING-Let me ask this question. Lets say that we went ahead
with this proposition. What's the worst case position that we've
put the Town in or the Board in? What's the penalty?
MR. GORALSKI-You mean if you give a Preliminary approval tonight?
MR. PALING-Yes. With a conditional Preliminary approval, what's
the penalty, what's the worst case?
MR. SCHACHNER-There is no prospective harm or penalty to the Town
or the Planning Board in any situation where all we're talking
about is Preliminary approval.
MR. PALING-Conditional Preliminary.
MR. SCHACHNER-It doesn't matter. Even if it was.
MR. PALING-Okay, even if it weren't conditional.
MR. SCHACHNER-A Preliminary approval doesn't give anybody
particular types of rights, to speak of, especially a conditional
one.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. PALING-This is why I can't understand why we're not letting
this go ahead. Because we're not putting ourselves in any kind
of position of jeopardy. Even if it wasn't conditional,
according to Mark, it's still only Preliminary, and if we wanted
to !îot g,-ant Final approval, ~..¡e're fine. So why should we
perhaps hold the applicant up in what he's trying to do? That's
all we're doing is blocking his way to get it done.
MR. MACEWAN-I don't feel that way. I don't feel that this Board
is blocking his way to get his problems with APA resolved.
MR. PALING-Well, we're sure not helping him.
MR. BREWER-Right.
MR. PALING-And I think in that form we're blocking him, if we're
not supporting and helping him.
MR. MACEWAN-I don't share that view.
MR. STARK-Bob, why don't you just ask the applicant if he'd like
to table it, and help him out as much as you can next month, the
following month, after he gets it resolved. We could debate it
all night.
MR. PALING-Does anybody on the Board want to re-consider their
vote?
MR. RUEL-Yes, I will.
MR. PALING-Okay. What would you like to do?
MR. RUEL-Just the opposite of what I did before.
MR. PALING-You want to go ahead with it?
MR. F~UEL -Yes.
MR. PALING-All right. Then we have now a four to two that says
go ahead.
MR. BREWER-Did we close the public hearing?
MR. SCHACHNER-Yes, you did close the public hearing.
MR. PALING-We did do close the public hearing.
MR. BREWER-Lets do the SEQRA before he changes his mind.
MR. PALING-Yes, okay. Lets do the SEQRA.
RESOLUTION WHEN DETERMINATION OF NO SIGNIFICANCE IS MADE
RESOLUTION NO. 16-1995, Introduced by Roger Ruel who moved for
its adoption, seconded by Timothy Brewer:
I,.JHEREAS, there
application for:
is presently before the
RICHARD KILMARTIN, 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:
1. No federal agency appears to be involved.
- 16 -
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting
12/28/95)
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 28th day of December. 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Paling
NOES: Mr. MacEwan
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
MR. PALING-Okay. Now we'll have a motion.
MR. BREWER-We have to discuss, maybe, the waivers. Does anybody
have a problem with the waivers?
MR. RUEL "'No .
MR. STARK-Include that in the motion.
MR. BREWER-Do we do that in two motions, Mark, or one?
MR. SCHACHNER-It doesn't make any difference, so long as you
account for the waivers.
MR. BREWER-Okay.
MOTION TO APPROVE PRELIMINARY STAGE SUBDIVISION NO. 16-1995
RICHARD KILMARTIN, Introduced by Timothy Brewer who moved for its
adoption, seconded by Roger Ruel:
With the following condition: That the APA permit be obtained,
and the enforcement action to be resolved prior to the Final
Stage Planning Board approval, and also we would grant a waiver
of Sketch Plan and topography, grading and drainage report.
Duly adopted this 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Paling
NOES: Mr. MacEwan. Mr. Obermayer
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
MR. PALING-Okay. So you have conditional Preliminary approval on
this.
- 17 -
(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. STEVES-Thank you.
FRESHWATER WETLANDS PERMIT NO. 6-95 TYPE: UNLISTED EDWARD A.
BARLOW, JR./MARILYN BOGGS OWNER: SAME ZONE: WR-1A LOCATION:
EAST SIDE OF BIG BOOM ROAD, 400' SOUTH OF ARBERGER DR. PROPERTY
INVOLVED: GF-ll APPLICANT PROPOSES TO SUBDIVIDE 13.86 ACRES
INTO 4 LOTS. PER SECTION 94-4 SUBDIVISION OF LAND THAT INVOLVES
ANY LAND IN ANY FRESHWATER WETLAND IS A REGULATED ACTIVITY WHICH
REQUIRES A FRESHWATER WETLANDS PERMIT. TAX MAP NO. 141-1-2
LEON STEVES, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
MR. GORALSKI-These comments are related to both the Freshwater
Wetlands Permit and the subdivision.
STAFF INPUT
Notes from Staff, Freshwater Wetlands Permit No. 6-95, Edward
Barlow, Jr., Meeting Date: December 28, 1995 "The applicant is
proposing to subdivide a 13.86 acre lot into four lots all of
which are well above the 1 acre minimum lot size. Lot 1 has an
existing residence and related accessory structures, and the map
shows proposed single family dwellings and septic systems on the
remaining lots. There are no new roads or utilities proposed for
this subdivision and the proposal meets all of the requirements
of the Zoning Ordinance. Because a portion of Freshwater Wetland
GF-ll is on this property, a Town of Queensbury Freshwater
Wetlands Permit is required. Section 94-4 of the Freshwater
Wetlands Law defines that a portion of a subdivision of land
within or adjacent to a freshwater wetland as a regulated
activity. There is no DEC wetlands permit required for this
proposal because DEC does not consider the subdivision of land a
regulated activity. Based on the condition that no activity will
take place within 100' of the wetland boundary, I would recommend
approval of the Freshwater Wetlands Permit and Preliminary
subdivision approval."
MR. PALING-Okay. For the record, sir.
MR. STEVES-I'm Leon Steves from VanDusen and Steves.
MR. PALING-Thank you. Do we have any questions by the Board?
MR. BREWER-No activity going to happen within 100 feet of the
wetlands, Leon?
I'm. STEVES-No.
MR. BREWER-Is that a problem?
MR. STEVES-No.
MR. PALING-I don't have any questions on it.
MR. STARK-I just wanted to see the distance.
MR. BREWER-They're going to have access to the river, all of
them, right?
MR. STEVES-They'll have ownership to the river. That's correct.
MR. GORALSKI-There'll be no clearing?
MR. STEVES-No.
MR. BREWER-No clearing whatsoever.
MR. MACEWAN-I know we've asked this question in the past a lot.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting
12/28/95 )
What's to prevent someone, five, seven, ten years down the road,
from clearing?
MR. GORALSKI-The only thing that's to preVent t~êm is that ,they
would need, in this case, they would need ð Wetlands Permit to do
that.
MR. MACEWAN-But the average homeowner probably wouldn't have the
knowledge to know that, though, would they?
MR. GORALSKI-Well, what L would suggest is that as a condition of
subdivision approval you either put on the subdivision plat or
require a statement in the deed saying that there would be no
clearing within the designated wetland or 100 feet from the
boundary.
MR. SCHACHNER-Or both.
MR. BREWER-How far is the river from the wetlands?
MR. STEVES-They're adjacent.
MR. GORALSKI-The wetland goes all the way down to the shoreline.
MR. STEVES-To my knowledge. Now all I've got is a broad brush
DEC map of the area. We haven't asked anyone to flag it up
because it's pretty obvious, it's location. We didn't go down to
the river to do much work down there, other than locating the
shore.
MR. OBERMAYER-It really drops off, doesn't it, behind the
p~·operty .
MR. STEVES-Yes, it does. That's correct.
MR. MACEWAN-Are there any plans to make some sort of note in the
deeds or something, as far as clearing the property?
MR. STEVES-I'd be lying to you if I told you there were. I don't
have any objection to putting any note you want on the map.
That's probably a more appropriate spot for it. People, I don't
know if they ever look at their deeds. Of course, you can
probably say they never look at their maps either.
MR. BREWER-It's probably more likely to look at a map, though,
than they would a deed.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes. What size homes are they going to build?
MR. STEVES-I have no idea. They're only going to sell lots.
MR. RUEL-The property is 75 feet from wetlands, the end of the
property?
MR. STEVES-No, the property goes through, they own all the
wetland. They, own right to the river.
MR. RUEL-What's this note, 75 feet from wetlands?
MR. STEVES-That's the setback.
MR. RUEL-The setback.
MR. GORALSKI-The building setback.
MR. RUEL-The building?
Falls?
I see, and there's wetlands by Glens
- 19 -
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. STEVES-That's a designated number, Glens Falls, 19, or
something like that.
MR. SCHACHNER-Eleven.
MR. STEVES-Eleven.
MR. RUEL-And they have a flood zone.
MR. STEVES-Yes, we do.
MR. RUEL-290 feet?
MR. STEVES-Yes.
MR. RUEL-Are the curb cut, do the curb cuts meet the minimum
requirement?
MR. GORALSKI-Yes.
MR. RUEL-It's looking good.
MR. PALING-Okay. There is a public hearing on this. I think we
ought to go right to the public hearing. We'll open the public
hearing on this matter, if anyone would care to speak, for or
against.
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
JOE FIORE
MR. FIORE-Name is Joe Fiore. We live right on the river, in this
area, right down in here.
MR. PALING-Up here?
VIR. FIORE'-Yes.
MR. PALING-The river is right here.
MR. OBERMAYER-No, if you look at this, the river's right here.
MR. FIORE-This is the site you're talking about, right?
MR. PALING-Yes.
MR. FIORE-We live right in here.
MR. PALING-You're one of these properties here.
MR. STEVES-Right at the end of Arberger Drive.
MR. FIORE-Right at the last, Arberger Drive, where the wetland
starts.
MR. OBERMAYER-Right. Do you have a dock?
MR. FIORE-Yes, we put it in and take it out. Is that what that
is?
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, I guess that's it.
MR. FIORE-Okay. This is us right here. We've got 98 feet on the
river.
MR. STEVES-Yes, that's this way right here. Yes.
MR. FIORE-Okay, but this is a wetland that comes into here, the
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(Cueensbury Planning Board Meeting
12/28/9.5 )
flood zone. Now we're not too concerned about the building lots
up here, but we want the protection of this wetland, because of
the people that live in the wetland, the turtles and frogs and so
on and so f01-th.
MR. PALING-Isn't that being done with this designation here?
MR. FIORE-Yes, but you see, it says 75, but in the other piece of
paper, didn't you say 100 feet back?
MR. BREWER-Any activity within 100 feet requires permit.
MR. RUEL-All of these are 75.
MR. GORALSKI-Without a permit.
MR. BREWER-With a permit they can.
MR. OBERMAYER-That's what they're here for, though, to get a
wetlands permit.
MR. FIORE-Right. We're against touching this wetlands.
MR. STEVES-Lets back up a minute. We're here to get a wetlands
permit only to subdivide the wetland, not to use any portion of
it within 100 feet of it.
MR. RUEL-Yes, just the subdivision.
MR. PALING-Yes, this is just a subdivision. Yes.
MR. OBERMAYER-Good. Thank you.
MR. PALING-Okay. John, they would be back.
MR. FIORE-Seventy-five feet from this line here, right? This is
the flood Ii ne.
MR. PALING-We're only subdividing, though.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, but they don't have to come back for any
approval to put homes in there.
MR. PALING-As long as they meet, they've got to stay 100 feet
from the wetlands, though, and that you'll have.
MR. OBERMAYER-Right, and that's required.
MR. FIORE-Because this is an opening where the water, when, hot
in this spring, the water comes in all the way here, and with a
good spring thaw, this land here, right in this area where we
abut, is good until the middle of August. You have a wet August,
and it goes into September, October.
MR. RUEL-Is this vegetation here covered by water at any time,
completely?
MR. FIORE-Well, yes. This is also covered with water.
MR. RUEL-Normally it is?
MR. FIORE-No. Normally, because once the river is down, and this
inlet, the water can't get in any more, then this starts all
drying up, but high water feeds this whole wetland.
MR. OBERMAYER-How high is the river right here, in relation to
the edge of the property? Is it pretty well level there?
- 21 -
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. F:IORE-No.
MR. OBERMAYER-Or is it a steep drop off?
MR. PALING-Two feet, two and a half feet.
MR. OBERMAYER-So these people could, conceivably, have docks
thf:ne, too?
MR. FIORE-No. How about the wetland?
MR. RUEL-Right.
touch this.
You can't get through the wetland.
You can" t
MR. PALING-But that's not the subject of tonight.
MR. RUEL-No, I know, but even if it was the subject of any night,
you can't touch it.
MR. BREWER-Yes, they can touch it. With a permit, they can.
MR. RUEL-If it's within 100 feet.
MR. BREWER-With a permit, yes, they can.
MR. OBERMAYER-Is the dock considered, though?
MR. BREWER-It's a disturbance, I would think.
MR. OBERMAYER-I don't know. Is it?
MR. BREWER-Mark, would a dock be a?
MR. OBERMAYER-Is a dock considered an obstruction for a wetland?
MR. BREWER-Do they need a permit to put a dock in?
MR. SCHACHNER-You might need a permit, but probably not a
wetlands permit, again, depending upon how the dock was
constructed and what type of disturbance is necessary.
MR. OBERMAYER-So you could put a dock in?
MR. SCHACHNER-No. I didn't say that. You do need a permit,
typically. It could be from anyone of a number of entities, by
the way, including, in some instances, the United States Army
Corp of Engineers, for example, but as to whether or not there is
a wetlands permit requirement, I think that depends on how the
dock is constructed and what type of disturbance, if any, is
necessary to build the dock.
MR. BREWER-I doesn't make a lot of sense that they would, Jim. I
mean, they're going to dock in the wetland? I mean, what are
they going to do when they get to the shore?
MR. OBERMAYER-Right along the shore. That gives them access to
the river. What do you think these people are going to buy this
property for right on the river? They want access to the river.
MR. GORALSKI-At a very minimum, a site plan review from'the Town
of Queensbury would be required to construct a dock.
MR. SCHACHNER-I mean, that's the first and main permit that I was
referring to.
MR. OBERMAYER-Right. Okay, but I
attractive part of this property is it
river. Right?
mean, to me, that's the
gives them access to the
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MR. BREWER-Right.
MR. RUEL-Yes.
MR. FIORE-As far as our dock is concerned, we are south of the
wetland line, okay.
MR. OBERMAYER-Right. I'm not questioning your dock, sir.
MR. FIORE-No, no. Well, I didn't realize it was our dock down
here. That dock goes in in the late spring, and we take it out
in the winter. You have to, or it won't be there next year.
When the water comes down, it's gone. The first time we put a
dock out there, we lost everything. Then we knew better, and
didn't do it again. All right.
MR. PALING-Okay. Thank you. Would anyone else care to speak?
Okay. If not, then the public hearing is closed.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. PALING-Now, is this a Short or a Long SEORA?
MR. SCHACHNER-This is a Short Form, and remember that as you
answer the questions, your SEORA review relates to both the
Wetlands Permit and the proposed subdivision.
MR. PALING-Okay. We're doing this for both.
MR. SCHACHNER-Correct. Your SEORA review is for both.
MR. RUEL-Both Wetlands and?
MR. GORALSKI-The Subdivision.
MR. RUEL-The two items here on the agenda?
MR. GORALSKI-Right.
MR. RUEL-Okay.
MR. PALING-Excuse me. I've got another question. If we grant a
Wetlands Permit tonight, what does that do? What are we letting
them do?
MR. GORALSKI-All you're letting them do is subdivide the parcel.
MR. PALING-Okay. There's nothing beyond subdivision, even though
the Wetlands Permit is separate from the Subdivision stage?
MR. SCHACHNER-Right. The reason for the Wetlands Permit is
because the Town Ordinance includes subdivision as a regulated
activity within wetlands, but nothing beyond subdivision within
the wetlands or the buffer is currently proposed.
MR. PALING-Okay. I've got you. Go ahead, Roger.
MR. RUEL-Okay.
RESOLUTION WHEN DETERMINATION OF NO SIGNIFICANCE IS MADE
RESOLUTION NOS. FW6-95 & 17-1995, Introduced by Roger Ruel who
moved for its adoption, seconded by James Obermayer:
WHEREAS, there
application for:
is presently before the
EDWARD A. BARLOW, JR., and
Planning
Board
an
WHEREAS, this Planning Board has determined that the proposed
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
project and Planning Board action is subject to review under the
State Environmental Quality Review Act,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOL.VED:
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
fOT 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 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vot,e:
AYES: Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel,
Mr. Brewer, Mr. Paling
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
MR. PALING-Okay. We'll have a motion.
MR. RUEL-Okay.
MOTION TO APPROVE FRESHWATER WETLANDS PERMIT NO. 6-95 EDWARD A.
BARLOW. JR./MARILYN BOGGS, Introduced by Roger Ruel who moved for
its adoption, seconded by George Stark:
Duly adopted this 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Brewer,
Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Paling
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
SUBDIVISION NO. 17-1995 PRELIMINARY STAGE EDWARD A. BARLOW, JR.
OWNER: SAME ZONE: WR-1A LOCATION: EAST SIDE BIG BOOM ROAD,
400' SOUTH OF ARBERGER DRIVE THE PROPOSAL IS TO SUBDIVIDE A +1-
14 ACRE PARCEL INTO 4 LOTS OF 5.61 AC., 2.61 AC., & 2.90 AC. TAX
MAP NO. 141-1-2 LOT SIZE: +1- 14 ACRES SECTION: SUBDIVISION
REGULATIONS
LEON STEVES, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. PALING-Okay, and,
were before. Okay.
Board?
John, your
Is there
remarks are the same as
any additional comment by
they
the
MR. STARK--None.
MR. PALING-Okay. I don't think we have any additional comment.
We'll go to a public hearing now. The public hearing is open.
Does anyone care to comment on this matter?
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
MR. DEMARS
MR. DEMARS-My name is Mr. DeMars, and I live across from this
project, possibly maybe 300, 350 feet down the road from this.
My only question would be, I guess I would have to ask the
VanDusen and Steves lS, since the whole parcel is maybe 50
percent usable, as far as to be built on, with the layout, my
question was, why would they ask, why would he send a letter to
the Board asking that he request a waiver of the sketch plan, of
the topography below elevation 312 on that drainage map? Is that
because it's going to be non usable land area which has no
bearing on this permit?
MR. RUEL-John, you granted the waiver?
MR. BREWER-No. We have to grant the waiver.
MR. GORALSKI-You have to grant the waiver.
MR. PALING-We haven't granted it yet. That's this letter here.
MR. DEMARS-This is just a request to be granted a waiver?
MR. RUEL-It's a request.
MR. PALING-Yes.
MR. OBERMAYER-We'll have Mr. Steves answer that question.
MR. PALING-Not now, but we'll have him answer it.
MR. DEMARS-Well, I think that was one of my biggest concerns, and
the other one would be, on the description of the house, the one
family, dimensions and feet of the largest, this is under
"Project Description" in 5EQRA. It has a dimension of 32 feet
high. According to the topography of the land, everyone of the
lots will have to be built up to road. There isn't really a
description on whether or not the driveways would go down and
then the elevation off the road, or are they bringing the
property up to road level?
MR. PALING-Well, we're only subdividing tonight. That isn't up
for consideration.
MR. GORALSKI-There's a grading plan shown with finished floor
elevation of 329, 335, and 341, on the subdivision plan.
MR. RUEL-Yes, on the second sheet.
MR. OBERMAYER-There is one here.
MR. STEVES-On your first sheet, there i~ a grading plan shown for
the three houses, and all three hóuses are above, the floor
elevations, is above the road elevations in front of it.
MR. DEMARS-Okay. 50 that was my question. If you bring it up to
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting
12/28/95)
road elevation, that's the way L read it, 30 some feet in the
area, 32 feet high, meaning that'll, everyone of those houses
are entitled to obstruct, full obstruction to the other houses on
the other side of the road, which the people that live right
directly across, I don't live directly across, but that's one of
the things that was brought up, and I just thought maybe I would.
MR. MACEWAN-What would they be obstructing?
MR. DEMARS-Totally obstructing their view out across the road
itself.
MR. MACEWAN-To what?
MR. RUEL-Of the river?
MR. DEMARS-I think the river. I think that's really why the
elevation is being brought up to road, because Mr. Barlow, his
house, his little house has been sitting down in off the road on
that first lot, and he really can't see the river, but the only
reason why the elevation is bringing up to road level would be to
create a view of the river, and I just think that that would be
an objectionable thing to the people that live right directly
across.
MR. RUEL-According to this map, though, his house is at 330 and
332, and then it drops down to 320, and 290, etc., down to the
water level, the water's edge. So what's obstructing it?
MR. STARK-I don't see anything.
MR. OBERMAYER-They're talking about the people across the street.
MR. MACEWAN-If I hit the right place, I mean, they have a view
right now of the woods. They can't see a river.
MR. DEMARS-No.
MR. MACEWAN-So what would, the view be obstructing of what?
MR. DEMARS-Okay.
objection.
I was just thinking that that might be an
MR. MACEWAN-Thirty-two feet high would probably be a typical two
story home to the peak of the roof.
MR. DEMARS-Two and a half story, yes, 32. Okay.
MR. MACEWAN-And even the people that would be building those
houses, hypothetically, if it was a two story Cape, they wouldn't
even have a view of the river.
MR. 08ERMAYER-Yes, it's too far away. It's all wooded.
MR. MACEWAN-If they've got to
wetlands, they're going to see
yard, then nothing but woods.
stay 100 feet away from the
nothing but, maybe a small back
MR. DEMARS-Okay. My other question would be, in granting a
permit of this sort, for this type of project, for these type of
lots, do you, right within the permit, as a Board, state that the
portion of the property, how many, is it 100 foot setback from
the riveT that they cannot?
MR. MACEWAN-One hundred feet setback from the wetlands.
MR. DEMARS-Okay, 75 feet, I see on
designate, 75 feet from what, the
the map. What does that
end of the wetlands to the
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
property that's usable?
MR. GORALSKI-I can clear that up. Okay. There are two separate
issues. There's a setback, a building setback, from any
shoreline, stream or wetland, okay. Then there's also, so that's
at the 75 foot setback. There's also a requirement that if you
do anything within 100 feet of that wetland, you need a wetlands
permit. All right. So that's where you're getting the two
different numbers from.
MR. DEMARS-So, basically the Freshwater Wetlands Permit is what
you've done?
MR. GORALSKI-But that was only for the subdivision. That doesn't
allow them to do anything else within that 100 feet except draw
that line on a piece of paper. That's it. They're not allowed
to cut any trees within 100 feet. They're not allowed to build
any structures, place any fill, anything like that.
MR. DEMARS-Okay. That's fine. That's cleared it up. The only
other thing would be, is if they would address this request that
they sent to you, just to let us know.
MR. PALING-On the topography? Yes, we will.
MR. DEMARS-Okay. Thank you.
MR. PALING-Is there anyone else that would care to speak? Okay.
If not, then we will close the public hearing.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. PALING-Leon, do you want to comment on a couple of things on
this. I think perhaps clarify the letter and raising the ground,
of the land level.
MR. STEVES-Yes. One of the questions he had was the waiver
request. That's a normal, typical thing. When I submit an
application for a subdivision, which is a Preliminary stage, is
to ask for a waiver from the sketch plan. That's the one. The
second is the topography. Since the elevations below 312, I'm
going by memory, is within the wetlands and within the flood
plain, I saw no reason to spend the time and money in developing
contours through a wetland, and that's the reason for the
request, the waiver.
MR. RUEL-That makes sense.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes. I don't have a problem with that.
MR. PALING-Yes. You can't touch it anyway. I understand. Okay.
MR. RUEL-And the drainage report.
MR. PALING-Drainage report. Go ahead.
MR. RUEL-He's here for a waiver, part of the letter. Comments to
that?
MR. STEVES-We aren't building roads or any other major
structures. So we, eventually, we're selling lots only.
Eventually, people will be building houses, and then they will be
putting in eaves trenches in there to handle runoff, so we don't
see any impact whatsoever, and that's the reason for the request.
MR. RUEL-I agree, but I wanted you to respond for the public.
MR. STEVES-Yes, thank you.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. OBERMAYER-Leon, the existing elevations, do you have those
identified here? Is that what I'm looking at?
MR. STEVES-Yes, they are.
MR. OBERMAYER-You have them both, right? You have them dashed
and then you have the other ones, the new elevations, right?
MR. STEVES-That's correct. The
existing boundaries, and then the
proposed grading plan.
long broken
short dashed
lines are
lines are
tl''',e
the
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, so you do plan on bringing in quite a bit of
fill.
MR. STEVES-We're intending to bring the house itself level with
the road, so that they will be above the runoff of the road, and
then having a back yard coming out from their cellar, if you
will.
MR. OBERMAYER-So you do plan on bringing in quite a bit of fill.
MR. STEVES-Along the front and side, yes, but the lot lends
itself to that particular type of planning.
MR. RUEL-The rear of the basement will be exposed, then.
MR. STEVES-Yes, it will.
MR. RUEL-Will that be living space?
MR. STEVES-I don't know. We're not building the houses. We're
only selling the lots.
MR. RUEL-That's not part of the square footage then?
MR. STEVES-I don't know how to answer that question, or if it
pertains to the subdivision anyway. We're not on the lake.
MR. OBERMAYER-You're on the river, though.
MR. STEVES-Well, we're on the road.
MR. RUEL-I brought it up because the new master plan was going to
consider that as living area.
MR. PALn~G-I know. Okay. Are there any other questions by
anyone on the Board?
MR. BREWER--No.
MR. PALING-No? All right. We need a SEQRA.
MR. BREWER-You did it already, Bob.
MR. PALING-Okay. We need a motion.
MOTION TO APPROVE PRELIMINARY STAGE SUBDIVISION NO. 17-1995
EDWARD A. BARLOW. JR., Introduced by Roger Ruel who moved for its
adoption, seconded by George Stark:
Along with the applicaDt's waiver request, Sketch Plan,
topography below 312, and drainage report dated 11/28/95.
Duly adopted this 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: I~r. MacEwan, Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel,
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Mr. Brewer, Mr. Paling
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
MR. STEVES-Thank you very much, and if I could regress a moment.
Craig, would you feel more comfortable with a note on the map?
MR. MACEWAN-Yes. I forgot that. Yes, thank you.
MR. STEVES-No problem. That's why we're here to work together,
right? But I'll put a note on the map that no activity will take
place within 100 feet of the wetland boundary without a DEC
wetland permit, or if needed, a Town Wetland Permit.
MR. OBERMAYER-I think that's great.
MR. MACEWAN-What a guy. Right on the ball.
MR. STEVES-Thank you very much.
MR. MACEWAN-Do we want that notation in the form of our approval?
Can we add that notation as part of our approval, as a formality?
MR. OBERMAYER-I trust Leon to do it.
MR. RUEL-Do you want to add that or not?
MR. OBERMAYER-Do we have to make another motion?
MR. SCHACHNER-Do an amended motion.
MR. RUEL-Do you want a new motion or not?
MR. PALING-Just amend the motion, if you want.
MR. SCHACHNER-Just make a motion to amend the previous motion.
MR. GORALSKI-By adding the statement Mr. Steves just made.
MOTION TO AMEND THE PREVIOUS MOTION, Introduced by Timothy Brewer
who moved for its adoption, seconded by Roger Ruel:
To include the statement Leon just stated on the record, a note
will be put on the map that no activity will take place within
100 feet of the wetland boundary with a DEC Wetland Permit, or if
needed, a Town Wetland Permit.
Duly adopted this 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Brewer,
Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Paling
NOES: t'-lONE
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
SITE PLAN NO. 77-95 TYPE: UNLISTED JOHN A. SHAFFER OWNER:
SOWAMCO XXI, LTD ZONE: SR-1A LOCATION: EAST SIDE OF ROCKWELL
ROAD APPROXIMATELY 900 FT. NORTHERLY OF ITS INTERSECTION WITH
HAVILAND ROAD. PROPOSAL IS FOR A CLASS A FARM WHICH WILL INCLUDE
AN APARTMENT OVER THE MAIN BARN BUILDING. FARM, ALL CLASSES ARE
SUBJECT TO SITE PLAN REVIEW AND APPROVAL. TAX MAP NO. 46-4-19.1
LOT SIZE: 29.78 ACRES SECTION: 179-19, 179-63 A 1
ROBERT STEWART, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
STAFF INPUT
Notes from Staff, Site Plan No. 77-95, John A. Shaffer, Meeting
Date: December 28, 1995 "The applicant proposes to establish a
farm on a 29.78 acre lot in an SR-1A zone. Section 179-63 C
limits the number of horses on a parcel to 1 horse for every 2
acres of land. There are a variety of uses surrounding this lot
which could be in conflict with this use if proper precautions
are not taken. I would recommend that a minimum 50' natural
vegetative buffer be maintained along the property lines. Total
clearing of the lot should be limited to the area shown on the
map and the use of the cleared area should be specified. If this
is to be used to graze the horses some fencing should be provided
to prevent them from wandering onto the adjoining properties. If
there will be trail riding on the property it should be limited
to the owners of the horses and not open to the general public.
If any trails are to be cut through the woods they should not
encroach on the 50' buffer."
MR. PALING-Okay. Would you identify yourselves, please.
MR. STEWART-Yes. My name is Robert Stewart, and I am an attorney
with the law firm of Bartlett, Pontiff, Stewart and Rhodes, and
I'm here tonight representing the Shaffer family in support of
this application, and Leon Steves is also here tonight, who has
done a good deal of the preparation work, and who can probably
answer the more technical type of questions. This is Mr. ShaffeT
ne~o(t to me.
MR. PALING-Thank you. Okay. Have you seen the comments John
made? Have you seen these before?
MR. STEWART-I just saw them a few minutes ago when I came in,
and, frankly, I don't understand them. Let me Just explain why.
First of all, I take it you have seen the application, which is a
faiTly simple straightforward application. We're zoned to have a
faTm. We have just shy of 30 acres of land, and all farm uses
and classifications are included in this zone, including a Class
A Farm. It is a relatively moderate application. The present
thinking now, because the Shaffer family, particularly their
daughter Kristin who's here tonight, aTe involved in horses that
they want to raise and stable and ride horses here. So it's a
relatively modest type of farming operation, at least at the
outset, but the land is qualified a~3 a farm without any limit
whatsoever, and when I got here tonight, I see this suggestion
that we not be allowed to clear the land. Well I never heard of
land that's zoned as a faTm that you couldn't clear, whetheT you
want to Tide horses on it, whether you want to raise crops on it
or hay OT alfalfa to feed the animals or whateveT, that seems
unusual. A 50 foot buffer all the way around, I know of no
requirements for buffer. We're not adjacent to a residential.
We're not using some commercial use prohibited in the zone, and
so we really don't understand it. It seems to be saying, yes,
it's a farm. It's zoned as a farm. You can have a farm, but you
can't have the normal uses that one would have for a farm. Now
the 50 foot buffer, for example, if you will look at the layout,
you will see that the plan that was submitted does fall within 50
feet, the riding paths, the driveway coming into the property,
those are within 50 feet of property lines. The property has a
fairly narrow neck as you come into it. It's not an easy piece
of property for you to go and see. I know that, because there's
no roads cut into it at this point, but I think you can see from
that map that, particularly as you come in the entrance area, and
where the Shaffer's plan to do their initial development, a 50
foot buffer where you can't even ride a horse is going to create
some problems, but I don't know why, I don't know what their
thinking is. The property diTectly to the north, owned by Dr.
and Barbara Brassell, for example, he has horses there. He has
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(Cueensbury Plannihg Board Meeting
12/28/95 )
his fence right to the property line.
property line.
He's cleared to his
MR. STARK-I have a question. Mr. Shaffer, do you object to
having a 50 foot buffer in the front there so much, or what's
your position on this?
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes. What's the issue?
JOHN SHAFFER
MR. SHAFFER-Well, I think that if you look at the way it's drawn
there, if you put a 50 foot buffer, we can't do what we want to
do, because you're talking about that track that goes around the
arena and goes around the paddock area, which is a gravel track,
is within the 50 foot buffer, when you get to the Brassell
property there. It's probably about 20 feet from the Brassell
fence.
MR. RUEL-Yes. How many feet do you have of buffer here?
MR. SHAFFER-About 20 feet.
MR. RUEL-At the southern end?
MR. SHAFFER-At the northern end there.
MR. STARK-Brassell's southeast line.
MR. RUEL-And what about the southern end, the same thing?
MR. SHAFFER-Yes, just about 20 feet. I mean, we're planning to
leave some trees there, but I hate to be restricted.
MR. PALING-When you use the term "track", how do you mean that?
MR. SHAFFER-It's a gravel track.
MR. PALING-Gravel, like a circular, complete track.
MR. RUEL-Well, here it is here. It's a dotted line, right?
MR. SHAFFER-Yes, a dotted line.
MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. STEWART-Yes, and it goes all the way around in a, not a
circle, but it connects. It links onto itself.
MR. RUEL-Yes, around the arena and around the barn and the
parking a~·ea.
MR. SHAFFER-Right.
MR. STARK-So you don't mind the 20 foot buffer?
MR. SHAFFER-Well, I'm not saying that, I don't want any buffer,
really. I mean, it's possible we might want to expand that track
further out.
MR. OBERMAYER-What, right to the property line?
you're saying?
Is that what
MR. SHAFFER-Yes.
MR. OBERMAYER-Why wouldn't you just shift the whole thing back
and, you know, then maybe you wouldn't have any neighbor problems
or anything like that. I don't know.
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(Cueensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. RUEL-Well, some of this is existing, isn't it? Is that barn
there?
MR. BREWER-Nothing is there.
MR. RUEL-The barn's not there?
MR. OBERMAYER-Nothing's there.
MR. BREWER-You're looking at, Brassell's has a barn there.
MR. RUEL-If he moved all of this in the northeasterly direction,
then he could easily gain buffer both sides.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes.
MR. RUEL-Take this and move it.
MR. OBERMAYER-Well, maybe we ought to wait and hear from the
neighbors if they have anything.
MR. BREWER-Why 15 cars, if this is going to be for family use?
MR. STEWART-Well, it's not
farm. It's allowed any use
commercial purpose.
limited to family use. This is a
of domestic animals or horses for any
MR. BREWER-Can I ask this question? Do you intend to make this
into a business, riding stables?
MR. SHAFFER-Possibly.
MR. STEWART-Yes. I think our preliminary thinking, now, is, of
course, the family is going to own horses, and we would probably
stable horses there by the people who would come and ride them.
There may be a time in the future, it's not the present intention
now, where people could come and rent horses and ride for an
afternoon.
MR. OBERMAYER-Is that the zoning?
MR. STEWART-Yes. I think it is.
MR. BREWER-My feeling, then, would be, if that's an intention,
then, Mr. Stewart, I don't have a problem with what you're doing,
but would it be a big problem, like somebody else said, you
shifted this out a little bit, to the, would it be the northeast,
and got it out into the open a little bit more, rather than so
close to that point where Dr. Brassell's land is?
MR. STEWART-Well, of course, the farther you get back from the
highway, the cost of installing roads and maintaining them and
plowing them and all of that gets to be a significant factor.
MR. RUEL-How long is that road now, that gravel drive?
MR. STEWART-Well, the barn from the highway, there's a
measurement there of 270 feet, plus or minus, and the road leads
to the parking area right there. So 250 feet approximately, sir.
MR. RUEL-Probably about 250.
MR. BREWER-Well then, Bob, even if you went the length of the
barn, another 30 feet, then you've shifted everything so that
it's way out in the open. It's like a funnel type of a thing.
You really haven't got to go but probably another 30 or 40 feet
with the drive, because then you're going to end the drive
approximately where it says 15 cars, where that line is. If you
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extended the drive to there, and then made the parking lot about
where the barn is, and all the other activities are out further
into the property.
MR. STEWART-Now
relatively level
the horses IrJil1
starting to cut in
then you have a certain amount of, I'd say,
terrain here. Is that a fair statement? Where
pasture and graze and so on, and now you're
and take that area a~.Jay.
MR. PALING-Okay. I'd like to get a point clarified, John or
Mark, in regard to, if this is a commercial business, well what
does, is this permitted within the zoning?
MR. OBERMAYER-It's SR-1A.
MR. SCHACHNER-We're wrestling with this issue right now, John and
I, because the Class A Farm definition does allow, does include
the language, at the end of the definition "for commercial
purposes", b¡:?:fore that it talks about "land in e:<cess of 10 acres
used for the raising of agricultural products, or the keeping of
poultry, fowl, livestock, small mammals, or domestic animals for
commercial purposes". I think more often than not, what that
definition would tend to mean would be raising of livestock, as
opposed to riding activities. What John and I were just
wrestling with is that Zoning Ordinance does include a definition
for "Riding Stable" is defined as a place, site or building used
for the housing, care and riding of horses or other animals, and
I'm wondering if this doesn't sound at least as much like a
riding stable as it does a Class A Farm.
MR. MACEWAN-Which section was that, Mark?
MR. SCHACHNER-That's
alphabetically under
right
"R" for
in the Definition section, 179-7,
Riding Stables, on Page 17940.
MR. OBERMAYER-So does that fall under SR-1A?
MR. BREWER-Is that an allowed use in that zone?
MR. GORALSKI-No, it's not.
MR. SCHACHNER-So there may be some clarification needed here.
MR. STEWART-Yes. Well, let me make this comment, if I may. The
definition of a Riding Stable is a much more narrOIrJ and limited
definition than the definition of a farm. Now we're allowed to
have any Class farm on this site, Class A, B, C, or D, and they
talk about Class 8, for example, which we're allowed to be, says,
"for raising and keeping of domestic animals, either for
commercial purposes or for personal pleasure or use".
MR. PALING-Raising or keeping I think is what Mark
out, I think is where there might be a difference.
was pointing
MR. STEWART-Well, the point here is, if you look at
take Rural Residential, for example, does not allow
but it does allow for Riding Stables, because that
considered a more minimal.
zones like,
for Farms,
is obviously
MR. GORALSKI-That's not correct.
for farms.
Rural Residential does allow
MR. PALING-Okay, but we have to consider the neighbors in that,
too.
MR. GORALSKI-Could I maybe cut this debate off a little bit? Jim
Martin, the Zoning Administrator, who has the final
determination, unless it gets appealed beyond that, determined,
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
based on the information he was given, that this application was
for a Class A Farm. My understanding at that time was that he
was told that this would not be open to the general public and
only that the people who had horses there would be riding the
horses there. That's my understanding. I don't know if that's
what Jim based his determination on.
MR. STARK-John, I think what Mr. Stewart and Mr. Shaffer said,
that if you board your horse there, you can ride it there, but
that's not like you, if you're not boarding your horse there, you
Just can't go in and say, can I rent a horse to go for a ride.
MR. GORALSKI-Right,
said, yes, this is a
and I believe based on
Class A Farm.
that
scenario,
,] im
MR. STARK-And that's what he intends on doing, not have a public
riding stable.
MR. OBERMAYER-I don't know if he is. Do you intend on doing
that? That's not what 1 heard earlier.
MR. STEWART-No. It is our intention, now, the present intention,
to have horses there, our own and probably to help offset costs,
to board horses of other people who would come and ride and
exercise their horses there. We do not intend, at the present
time, to be open to the public. This is not our intention, but
the difficulty is, you're talking about a use of land for 20, 50
or 100 years in the future. This is what concerns me. This
language in the staff Notes, "no further clearing on the land
that's zoned for farms". Well, what if we want to go into turnip
and rutabaga, raise potatoes there. I don't know what the future
holds in store. We're entitled to a farm of any classification,
and I don't think it's appropriate to tell the owner he can't use
the land for what the Zoning Ordinance clearly says he £Sill. use it
for.
MR. PALING-I think what the intention there is the consideration
of the neighbors, and any effect that any type of animal activity
would have on them, be it from noise or odor or whatever, and I
believe that's what we're talking about in that situation.
MR. STEWART-Well, that may well be, but I think when the Town
Board drew this Ordinance and said in this Ordinance that in this
area you can have a farm, they made that determination.
MR. SCHACHNER-With all due respect, I think the Board has to keep
in mind that when the Town Board wrote the Zoning Ordinance and
amended it several times, they also included a section called
Site Plan Review, and I don't want the applicant to be
misleading, or the applicant's representative, to be misleading
the Board into thinking that because something is allowed, or is
a permitted use in a particular zone, that the Board does not
have the lawful authority to look at, as Mr. Paling said, impacts
on neighbors and things like that, and to impose, if you feel
it's appropriate, conditions that fall within your site plan
review criteria. I think there's a little bit of a stretch being
undertaken here to suggest that we don't have the authority to
even look at these issues because the land is zoned for Class A
Farms, which it definitely is.
MR. STEWART-But would you agree with me, sir, that to say you
can't clear land that's zoned for farming is just the antithesis
of fa)"m land?
MR. SCHACHNER-I think that's neither here nor there, but if you
~.¡ant my opinion, I would flatly disagree with that. That's my
opinion. My opinion on that issue is irrelevant, however.
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MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. STARK-Bob, we know what the issues are. Why don't we open
the public hearing, see what the neighbors say, and then we can
come back and address it after.
MR. PALING-Okay. Are there any other questions by anyone on the
Board before we do go to a public hearing?
MR. OBERMAYER-I'd like to know how many horses you're going to
store, exactly.
MR. STEWART-We're limited to, by the Ordinance, to 14.
MR. OBERMAYER-Fourteen horses.
MR. BREWER-I have another question. I mean, if we're going to
allow them to store up to 14 horses on there, how can we tell
them that they can't have trails?
MR. PALING-No, we're not saying they can't have trails.
MR. BREWER-But then that would be clearing of the land, wouldn't
it?
MR. PALING-Why don't we wait until we get all of the inputs, and
then come back to that kind of a discussion, okay.
MR. OBERMAYER-Well, we haven't determined that they can't clear
the land.
MR. GORAL.SKI--Maybe my statement was, to turn a phrase, "unclear".
I'm not saying they can't cut trails through the woods. All I'm
saying is that in an effort to protect the neighboring property
owner's privacy and other issues, I would recommend that any
trails that are cut be 50 feet from the property line, that's
all.
MR. PALING-Yes, okay. All right. Why don't we, at this point,
unless there's further comment hefe, lets go to the public
hearing, and we'll ask you to come back, okay. Is there anyone
here that would care to comment on this?
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
VINCENT SPIRO
MR. SPIRO-My name is Vincent Spiro. I live up on Ridge Road just
north of Haviland Road, and basically I just have a couple of
questions. This is going to be set as a Class A Farm, and they
want all the privileges of a Class A Farm, such as clearing
wooded area for farming. If they are going to clear the land,
are they going to use it for farming?
MR. PAL.ING-It doesn't appear they're going to use it for farming.
It appears that it's primarily for horses, but we haven't come to
that question of clearing yet, at least the Board hasn't.
MR. SPIRO-Well, my questions would be, how much clearing are they
going to do? Are they going to clear the land and make a parking
lot? Are they going to use this for a commercial venture, such
as a riding academy? You're talking about the increase of
traffic to the area, the noise, the pollution. I mean, I,
myself, we live here because it's nice. It's quiet. It's
basically farm land, not a commercial venture, such as a riding
academy would. I mean, if it's going to be used for keeping
horses and boarding horses, and those people having specific
rights for riding those horses, as opposed to any Joe coming up
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
and renting and riding, I think we're talking about two different
things. So I think the Board and whoever is involved should
think about what this Class A definition is and what they are
definitely going to use it for. There was also something listed
as an apartment going to be put in with the barn.
MR. RUEL-Over the barn.
MR. SPIRO-Over the barn. Is that a single dwelling apartment, or
would that be a multi dwelling?
MR. PALING-We can ask for clarification of that.
MR. SPIRO-And also, I mean, I'm not an immediate neighbor, but I
would think that the immediate neighbors would like to know what
type of animals they would keep on the farm, and how many animals
they would keep on the farm.
MR. RUEL-A maximum of 14.
MR. PALING-Yes, a maximum of 14.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, but they could have pigs, chickens.
MR. RUEL-They've indicated horses.
MR. SPIRO-Right, but what's to stop them, six months down the
road, from saying, we want pigs now and now 200 pigs next door.
MR. RUEL-There must be some limitations on the other animals,
right? No, just horses?
MR. GORALSKI-Yes.
MR. BREWER-We can condition it. There's nothing saying that
we're going to, but there's nothing saying that we can't.
MR. SPIRO-Right. All I'm saying is, I've seen it time and time
again where people buy land and go under the guise of a Class A
Farm, when down the road it's turned into something else, and the
people who live in the area suffer, and are the people who are
building the farm, are they going to be living at the farm, or 1S
this something that's going to be a total commercial venture? I
mean, I Just have all these questions.
MR. PALING-All right.
a nSIrJer ed .
Well. keep asking.
We'll get them
MR. SPIRO-Basically, that's it.
MR. RUEL-Do you want to take a look at this, what they intend to
clear?
MR. SPIRO-Yes, I do.
MR. RUEL-See here on the map, see this area here? This is what
they intend to clear, and we were talking a 50 foot buffer, and
this is about 20 feet. This is the proposed here. They're going
to put the arena here, and the barn here, and the stalls on both
sides, and the parking area, and then the gravel drive.
MR. PALING-Okay. Is there anything else, Mr. Spiro?
I'1R. SPIRO-No.
MR. PALING-Okay. Thank you. Is there anyone else?
DR. ROGER BRASSELL
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
DR. BRASSELL-Dr. Roger Brassell. I'm the immediate neighbor to
the immediate north, and my wife and I have no fundamental
objection to a horse farm on this site, and in fact my wife and I
would welcome it. I would, however, like to request some
buffering along the borders between our south line and our east
line. Mr. Shaffer, we are cleared to the fence, but we didn't
clear it. That's the way it was when we got it. We're open
pretty close to the property line, but that's the way the land
was when we got there, and we didn't clear it to that point. In
fact, it's grown in a bit from our property line, and we would
like a buffer between our land and the cleared portions and the
used portion. If 50 feet is a burden on the Shaffer's, 40 feet
would be fine, anything to secure privacy between yours and ours,
and to make a pleasant separation.
MR. RUEL-Do you have a buffer on your land, sir?
DR. BRASSELL-Our land was cleared to the property line when we
bought it.
MR. RUEL-You don't have a buffer?
DR. BRASSELL-No.
MR. RUEL-8ut you want him to have a buffer.
DR. BRASSELL-Well, I do, but I don't want to impose an undue
burden on them, and I'm sure that some reasonable distance could
be set forth. The only place we're going to be close at all is
in the area around what looks like the parking lot around the
bl.Hn.
MR. RUEL-The southeast corner?
DR. BRASSELL-Right, from the pipe to the barn is 80 feet. So I
would judge the parking lot's about 40 feet, and the dotted line
is, what, 20 or 30 feet.
MR. PALING-Well, that's the same question that's been raised.
MR. OBERMAYER-Right now it's all brush, isn't it, in that area?
DR. BRASSELL-Pretty much. You should know that that land was
largely cleared already by Gary Bowen when he owned it, and
mostly all the trees were cut off and what's there now is mostly
brush, and surely, you know, you've got to clear some. I don't
know who objected to the clearing, but you can't have horses
without open. My only comment is we would like a buffer along
the adjoining property lines, and if 50 feet is an undue burden
on the Shaffer's then find some compromise that would be. Yes,
there's 30 acres of land there, and you've got plenty of space,
so that a buffer shouldn't be a burden, and again, I'd say we
welcome the use of this for normal horses. I think we would
object if they put a neon sign up and said, trail rides, or
something like that, and I don't think that's your intention, and
I'm not worried about it. I mean, you do have to let them clear
it. You can't have a horse farm without cleared land. Those are
my comments.
MR. PALING-Okay. Thank you.
MR. STARK-I have a question for Mr. Steves. You heard a couple
of comments up here about moving this to the northeast, okay.
Other than the cost of, naturally, the driveway being lengthened
30, 40 feet, whatever, do you know of any problem? I mean, the
ground doesn't really drop off there particularly steep there or
anything?
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
LEON STEVES
MR. STEVES-No, but I think what would happen, if you moved it in
that direction, you would encourage traffic through that road to
the south, through that residential road.
MR. STARK-Well, I don't follow you on that.
MR. STEVES-If you look on the map, just to the south, there's a
subdivision and a Town road between the ownership of Bardin and
Pu r tin .
MR. STARK-Where do you see Bardin? Okay.
MR. PALING-Is the boundary line a )'oad?
MR. STEVES-No. This is the road right here.
MR. PALING-This road?
MR. STEVES-Yes, that's a road.
MR. GORALSKI-Clearview Lane.
MR. STEVES-It runs out to Haviland Road.
MR. OBERMAYER-Well, maybe you ought to access the property from
there.
MR. STEVES-Well, that's through a residential subdivision. If
that's your recommendation, we'll be glad to.
MR. PALING-Excuse me. The public hearing is still open. Could
we go back to that? Okay. Is there anyone else here that would
care to talk about this matter? Okay.
JENNY RODRIGUEZ
MRS. RODRIGUEZ-Good evening. My name is Jenny Rodriguez. We own
a lot in Clearview Lane. My concern is if this will be a place
commercial, that is our concern, because there would be a lot of
traffic, and the atmosphere of the neighborhood would be
completely changed, of course, as you can understand. We will be
building there, and that's really our concern, that the
neighborhood will change because of the commercial, and that's
really what I would like to know, and other neighbors as well
should be really notified if this would be case, I think it would
be the fair and the right thing for you to do. Thank you.
MR. PALING-Okay. Thank you. Okay. Would you like to come up?
MIKE STEVENS
MR. STEVENS-Hi. My name is Mike Stevens, and I have property
north of Haviland. So this property will butt up to me, I think,
going to, the back end of their property will butt up against me,
and a couple of concerns, I walked that property before, and, not
when they owned it, and I thought the grade kind of slants, to
me, pretty harsh, and so my first concern is, you're going to
have a lot of horses and stuff, and we all know what they make,
and I just wondered, when it rains and stuff, if I'm going to
have to put up with any of that on !I!L property. I mean, I'm not
against horses or anything like that. It's just a concern. It
may sound kind of stupid, but that's one of them, and the next
thing is, I would like to see the buffer, only because, having
ridden horses before, I find, as time goes on, people get quite
aggressive with them, and I think they may have a tendency to
want to go off a trail or something, or experiment. I also would
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
like to see some sort of fencing, so they can't come on anybody
else's property. For simple liability reasons I think it could
cause some trouble. Also, if there's going to be an arena, is
this thing going to be lit up at night? There's so many
questions I could ask. This is parking for quite a few cars.
This is noise to me. I just bought this property. I had
concerns when I came here, and I talked to, I think it's John
over there, and it's nothing against him at all. To the best of
his ability, he told me he what this was going to be, and it
sounds a little bit different right now. Iim not really sure,
but it's coming out a little bit different, and I don't mean to
lay anything on him. It just sounds like this business is going
to be a little bit larger than 1 certainly thought. I can think
of some other questions. The noise factor I'm concerned about.
Again, I think that's a big issue. When I bought this property
just recently, I was looking for a little pesce and quiet, and I
think it's the duty of this Board here to ensure that people who
buy property around get it, and again it's not the stock horses
and all this stuff. I think that's a great use of the property,
but I think this is pretty touchy when we're doing it. This
sounds like a business to me.
MR. PALING-Are you in the east end of this property?
MR. GORALSKI-On your map, the property says First National Bank
of Glens Falls, that's what he owns there.
MR. PALING-Okay. I'm sorry. Go ahead.
MR. STEVENS-Another question, being an apartment owner myself,
I've got a lot of them. I'm wondering how many apartments? What
happens if this, two years from now, we don't want the horses,
does the barn turn into apartments? I mean, what restrictions,
what are we going to have in there for it? I didn't intend to
develop !Il.l::. property into apartments, although it's a good
thought. My intentions are to put up a big barn in the spring,
and you're tempting ~ to put a nice apartment above it. It's a
nice little, you know, I can pay a little tax and stuff like
that, and it's a nice idea. So you've implanted this seed in me
when you people allowed this. I mean, even though this is a
Class A Farm and all this, you're tempting !Jlê. to do it, and maybe
I want two or three apartments. I do real well in that business,
but that's not what I came there for, and so my questions are, if
we decide the horses don't work, the apartments do. I know they
do, and I think there's a lot of things to go over here. Again,
I'm not against it. I think it's great to have horses, and all
that, but this sounds like a pretty, we're saturating it with as
much as we can get out of it, and I hope that it gets looked into
real close. I'm not saying I'm sorry I bought the property, but
I certainly hope you people do your job to protect what I just
bought. I may have some more questions, but I thi nk that's
enough for right now. Thank you.
MR. PALING-Okay. Thank you.
MR. MACEWAN-John, is that
agricultural use right there?
the only parcel
that's zoned
MR. GORALSKI-No, it's all Suburban Residential in there, which
allows for a farm with Site Plan Review.
MR. OBERMAYER-I can't believe SR-1A is zoned for farming.
doesn't make sense.
That
MR. PALING-Is there anyone else that would care to speak? Okay.
If not, then, the public hearing is closed, and we'd ask the
applicants to come back please.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. STARK-I have some questions for the applicant.
MR. PALING-Okay.
I'll try to fill
George. You go ahead, and what you didn't get,
in. We have various questions for you.
MR. STARK-Well, the last gentleman that came
lights around the arena, or hours of operation.
that please?
up asked about
Can you address
MR. SHAFFER-I think the arena would be lit up at night, and there
could be riding there as late as 10 or 11 o'clock at night.
MR. STARK-Okay, and asking Leon if there's a, you know,
to alleviate Dr. Brassell's concern, either leave a
that northwest corner of the paddock, or else move
thing 40, 50 feet northeast.
in order
buffer on
the whole
MR. STEWART-Well, if I may respond to that, the problem, as a
matter of basic fairness, with Dr. Brassell's proposal is, as the
Board observed, his property, of course, is cleared right to the
line, and there's talk of imposing, 30, 40, 50 foot buffer of our
land that is to be useless. You can't even have a trail through
it, to protect him. I would make a suggestion that there is no
reason why my client and Dr. Brassell cannot get together with a
common boundary line and say, I'll tell you what we'll do. I'll
agree to not use 25 feet of ffiZ land close to that common boundary
line. You do the same, and together we'll create a mutual 50
foot separation between us, but to ask for a barrier, a buffer to
protect Dr. Brassell, when Dr. Brassell didn't put up any kind of
a buffer to protect our land, obviously strikes me as not being
eve n ha nded .
MR. OBERMAYER-You just bought the land just recently, though?
MR. STEWART-We're buying it under contract now.
MR. OBERMAYER-So then you were aware, though, that the property
was cleared before you bought it?
MR. STEWART-As Dr. Brassell was aware that this was zoned for a
farm.
MR. STARK-Mr. Stewart, we require 50 foot buffers in all the
developments, not 50 foot, but buffers in all the developments in
the Town. Over on Corinth Road we require a buffer. So we're
perfectly within our right to ask for a buffer.
MR. BREWER-We do?
MR. STARK-Yes, we do.
MR. BREWER-I don't think that's a fair statement, do you?
MR. GORALSKI-You have.
MR. STARK-Excuse me, Tim. We have the right to ask for a buffer,
period.
MR. STEWART-You're entitled
Ordinance provides for buffers
it doesn't here.
to your opinion. Obviously, the
in certain conflicting zones, but
MR. PALING-Well, 1 think the buffer is the concern of several who
have talked, including the Board, and we're going to have to
address that. George, do you have any other specific questions?
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MR. STARK-Concerning that northwest corner, the paddock is very
close to Dr. Brassell's corner there. Why couldn't the building
be moved back or else respect a larger buffer there? I don't see
any reason why the building couldn't be moved back. So you make
the road 30,40 feet longer, fine.
MR. STEWART-But you also take away from the level grazing or
pasture land, or whatever you might call it, that we have to the
east, or behind the building. As you get farther to the east,
you can see from your contour line, the land slopes down pretty
badly.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, it seems like you've got enough room there,
though, to push it back.
MR. STARK-I have a response to that, also. By moving this back,
you're moving back your arena more. There'd be less light
showing. You just said you're going to be open until 10, 11
o'clock at night with the lit up arena, you know, for these
people south of the property line, the further you get back into
that northwest section, there'd be less lights coming on to their
property at night. I'll tell you, 10 or 11 o'clock at night 1
think is a real imposition on the neighbors.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, I do, too.
KRISTIN S.HAFFER
MS. SHAFFER-Can I say something, please? My name is Kristin
Shaffer. I'm John Shaffer's daughter. I will be running this
property. If we intend, the suggestion here is to move the
property back. I've heard 30 or 40 feet. If you look at the
map, it is not 30 or 40 feet we're talking about. It's more like
70, 80, 90 feet. We have a problem with utilities. We have a
problem with the water level in this particular property. If you
notice the grade on the property is much higher where we have the
barn sitting right now. If we move further east, we're going to
be having some water problems.
MR. STARK-I didn't say further east. I said northeast.
MS. SHAFFER-Okay.
MR. PALING-That would seem to keep you on high ground.
MS. SHAFFER-Okay. Well, we're still talking much more than 30 or
40 feet.
MR. STARK-I said 30 feet? What's the matter with 30 feet? Why
does it have to be more?
MS. SHAFFER-The barn itself is 70 feet long. Thirty feet, we're
still going to be coming in within.
MR. RUEL-Thirty feet would not give the buffer.
MS. SHAFFER-Right.
MR. RUEL-You've got to go further. You've got to go about 70 or
80 feet.
MS. SHAFFER-Right. It's a considerable expense for us.
MR. RUEL-What's this berm?
already? You have a berm.
that there?
Is this man made or is that there
Do you intend to build that, or is
MR. STEVES-We intend to build that.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. RUEL-For what purpose?
MR. STEVES-Containment.
MR. RUEL-Of what?
MR. STEVES-Any possible pollution to the neighbors.
MR. PALING-How tall? That's not very high, I would think.
MR. RUEL-Four or five feet?
MR. STEVES-No.
MR. PALING-Two or three feet. Okay. Jim, go ahead.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes. What about, like, I know you have the arena
plotted right next to the barn and lot. What if you were to
shift it around a little bit and possibly more center the barn,
and place the arena back behind it or something like that, just
to make it a little more elongated instead of wide like that,
just to re-arrange it a little bit?
MS. SHAFFER-Are you saying back behind it, further east?
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes.
then you'd push the
almost shelter the
back.
So you'd have the barn more centralized, and
arena behind the barn, so that the barn would
arena a little bit, and the barn would be set
MS. SHAFFER-Let me make a point that this will be my residence,
and I do not want to look out!!!.:i. windo~" and see an an~na. I
mean, this is also for myself.
MR. OBERMAYER-So what if you were to turn, then, the barn 90
degrees, so that your window didn't look out on the arena?
MS. SHAFFER-Well, isn't it my preference on where my building
should?
MR. OBERMAYER-I'm just making a suggestion.
trying to do.
That's all I'm
MS. SHAFFER-This is the way that I wanted the land to be set up.
MR. OBERMAYER-Okay. I'm Just trying to make it so that maybe it
could be more compatible and more acceptable to the neighbors.
MS. SHAFFER-Right.
MR. OBERMAYER-I'm trying not to, so you don't have an impact on
them.
MS. SHAFFER-Yes. I understand their concerns with the buffer.
MR. PALING-We're heading in that direction. I know that you have
strong preferences, but you do have neighbors, and we seem to be
heading in that direction. So I hope that something can be
"'lor ked out.
MS. SHAFFER-Yes.
MR. RUEL-Would you, if you took the property, the trail, the
arena, the barn, the paddocks, the whole thing, and rotated it
clockwise, 30 degrees that would clear the paddock from the
adjoining property, and it would maintain a buffer on the south
side. Is that possible?
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MS. SHAFFER-I don't see where it would clear, I see Dr.
Brassell's concern, and I don't see where it would, even rotating
the property.
MR. RUEL-Take this and rotate it so that this is more or less
parallel, here. It would take this and move it over here.
MR. STEVES-Okay, but then you're pivoting it, so you're moving
it.
MR. OBERMAYER-Could I just say one thing, too, is that it just,
you know, we're trying to work with the applicant as much as
possible.
MS. SHAFFER-I feel like you're not trying to work with us, like
you're against us.
MR. RUEL-Jim, I want to get an answer here.
MR. PALING-We have to work the entire area, not just one piece of
property.
MR. STEVES-I know what you're saying, but that really is too big
a twist, it wouldn't work.
MR. RUEL-Why, there isn't anything there now, right?
MR. STEVES-No.
MR. RUEL-So what's too big about it?
MR. SHAFFER-You're going to be facing directly east, then. We
don't want to face directly east. We want to face northeast.
MR. 08ERMAYER-Why wouldn't the arena behind the barn work, I
guess? You're totally set against that?
MR. SHAFFER-Yes, definitely.
MR. PALING-Because you don't want to look at it?
MR. SHAFFER-Definitely.
MR. RUEL-It seems like any idea we come up with, you're shooting
us down, and it looks like you want to leave it just where it is.
MR. STEVES-Well, on the south side of the property, between the
berm and the property line there's roughly 30 feet there, okay.
On the north between the path and the property line, the corner
south, there's roughly 20, 25 feet there, and it widens out
immediately.
MR. PALING-To the parking lot you are now?
MR. STEVES-Yes, to the parking lot. It widens out immediately in
both directions. This is the paddock area, and the parking is
all in the front.
MR. PALING-Yes, okay.
MR. 08ERMAYER-What about these people?
MR. STEVES-Well, there's enough land there, there's 30 feet here,
and there's roughly 25 feet there, and it widens out immediately
in both directions.
MR. RUEL-I can't understand why you can't rotate it.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. OBERMAYER-I can't understand why you can't put that behind
there.
MR. RUEL-Just rotate it.
MR. PALING-All right. I'll tell you what, lets move on to
another subject. I'm going to go down the list that I picked up
from the people, and you commented earlier that, you're going to
occupy that apartment?
MS. SHAFFER-Yes, that's right.
MR. PALING-There's going to be one apartment is the initial
intention?
MS. SHAFFER-That's correct, yes.
MR. PALING-And what about containment of the animals or someone
there at night?
MS. SHAFFER-I will be living there at night.
MR. PALING-Okay, and how about containment?
MS. SHAFFER-Now there was a suggestion to have a fence around the
entire property to contain animals?
MR. PALING-I didn't hear that, but if you're only having horses,
the containment, I guess, would be obvious, in the paddock.
MS. SHAFFER--Yes.
MR. PALING-All right, now. Another sticky question we've got
here is, how commercial ~re you going to get? You will be doing
some commercial because people will board horses there. You,
evidentally, are not going to hang a sign out that says, you
know, ride on Sunday afternoon. I don't think you're going to do
that. It's only the people who own horses, who board there,
that'll be patronizing it.
MS. SHAFFER-Okay. Well, my concern with
there is, why you say own horses, that
friend come over and ride my horse on my
don't own a horse on that property.
your statement right
means I can't have a
property, because they
MR. PALING-No. We couldn't stop something like that. It's the
extent to which it, I guess, how extensively does that go, and
where do you draw the line between a commercial endeavor and?
MR. STEVES-Mr. Chairman, if I may. Why don't we draw a five
minute recess and we can all sit back and talk about this a
little bit, and come back and refresh our minds.
MR. PALING-Do you want to have a five minute break. All right.
We'll have a five minute break.
MR. OBERMAYER-Sure.
MR. PALING-All right. I'm going to go, if I can, to the list of
questions I've got here, and one of them has to do with the night
lights. We've talked about the arena being lit up until 10 to 11
o'clock at night. Will there be any other lighting involved?
MR. SHAFFER-No.
MR. PALING-There will be no trail lights, no trail, okay.
MR. OBERMAYER-What kind of lights do you plan on putting up?
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(Queensbury Planning Board Méeting 12/28/95)
MR. SHAFFER-Spotlights, general spotlights, a flood light.
MR. PALING-That kind of thing, yes. Now, you have no intention
beyond horses, I understand, is that correct, for animals?
MR. SHAFFER-At this present time, yes.
MR. PALING-Well, okay, because containment could be a factor if,
depending upon the other type of an animal that you might
anticipate having.
MR. STEWART-Well, I don't disagree with you. I think containment
is critical. I was Joking outside before the meeting began, some
day he may want to raise llamas, because a friend of mine raises
llamas, and says they're a beautiful animal. Again, you don't
want to, never say never as the old saying goes. You don't want
to say, years down the road, you're not going to do anything with
this land. No one is going to put valuable horses or llamas or
anything else on property without fencing and keeping them in,
because they're going to have horses destroyed that are worth
many thousands of dollars, and there's going to be lawsuits and
liabilities, and they'll be responsible if the horses ran out
onto the road. So adequate fencing and containment sort of comes
with the territory, it seems to me. I don't question your
Judgement in asking it, but it seems to me that if we're going to
have animals grazing over in this area, we're certainly going to
have to fence them in in that area, and if the decision is made,
well, lets not have the animals graze over there, then we don't
need fenci.ng.
MR. OBERMAYER-No. One of the concerns. We've had a lot of,
believe it or not, people come up for putting in pigs. Pigs seem
to be a popular thing in the Town of Queensbury, okay. I know
it's kind of funny, where you have to protect the neighbors in
odors and the amount of pigs that you have, and actually pigs are
very clean animals, but they do smell. So do you plan on having
any pigs?
MR. STEWART-Pot bellied or regular pigs? The present intention
is really to have horses and horses only, as far as we know, but
as you get into it, and the more you enjoy it, and you may decide
you want to have some other animals there. You're certainly
going to want to raise, and go back to that question of clearing.
You're going to want to raise a certain amount of hay and alfalfa
and things like that to feed the horses. You're going to want to
have areas for them to graze. That's part of farming. That's
part of having horses.
MR. PALING-John, perhaps you can answer this better. Can the
neighbors, right now, on the south side of this property, see
where the arena, if the arena were there today, could they see
that area, the Purtins, the Church of Latter Day Saints?
MR. GORALSKI-I can't say if, you know, I didn't go out there,
looking at it that way, only because I never thought of if being
lit at night. So I don't know. There've been other places in
town where we've had problems with areas being lit at night
adjacent to residential properties.
MR. PALING-Sure can, and I can't help but note that you said you
didn't want buildings facing a certain direction because you
didn't want to look on a certain part of it. You've got to
consider your neighbors don't want to look at bright lights, and
they don't want to look at, perhaps, a barn or a corral or
something like that.
MR. SHAFFER-I think Leon might be able to address that, though.
He's walked that property. He can tell you what that property's
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
like.
MR. PALING-Okay. Well, I'm just, now the major concerns.
MR. SHAFFER-You
neighbors could
1S.
asked a
see it.
question about whether or not the
He could tell you how thick that area
MR. PALING-Well, I think we're going to have to re-walk it or
something to get a correct feel for that. The major concern
appears to be buffer on at least two sides of this. I think the
second major concern, if I read it right, is what effect you're
going to have on the neighborhood, inso far as noise or lights or
sound or smell kind of thing is concerned, and then comes
commercial use, I'd rank as how far you're going to carry this.
It is a bit of a commercial endeavor, and the way you describe it
tonight, I don't think there's any objection to that kind of
thing that you were talking about, but going beyond that, I think
it should be reconsidered for a lot of reasons, including
traffic, and then containment would be a factor, should you
change the type of animal that you have on the property, and I
think those, okay, but you've clarified, there's only going to be
one apartment. You're going to live in it, and you're the one
responsible for the animals wandering, and I think those are the
major concerns, if you could get them all down to those four. So
I'm going to ask for any comments further from the Board or
suggestions as to what we do here.
MR. STEWART-Well, one thing, if you don't mind, Mr. Chairman,
before you do that, Leon took us outside and yelled at us, and
Leon has convinced us that the Christmas spirit and all that SOì-t
of thing, that we would agree to dedicate 20 feet all the way
around the entire perimeter of this property to a buffer zone
that would not be in any way developed, and my comment there, if
Dr. Brassell, who I've known all my life, or other people would
like a little more protection, they certainly can plant some
bushes and some trees along their side of the line, if they want
to thicken it out a little bit more than that, but that's quite a
bit of land to really just abandon, because that's essentially
what you do. You pay taxes on it, but you can't get any use out
of it, but we would agree to that, 20 foot all the way around as
an untouched wild buffer.
MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. OBERMAYER-I think 20 feet
where you're not going to
definitely closer to where the
50 feet was more the number we
along
have
baT n
~.Jere
maybe the perimeter is
the animals, but I
is and the arena is, I
looking at.
okay,
think
think
MR. STEWART-I don't understand that. How could you have a buffer
zone but it's not along the boundary line of the property?
MR. OBERMAYER-Okay.
propeì-ty.
Well, then, 50 feet all the way around the
MR. STARK-John, you came up with an idea, and I think you said it
more precisely than I could. Could you repeat that, please, to
the wl'''lole Board?
MR. GORALSKI-It wasn't as much an idea as a statement, that if
the question is, what is an allowable use on this property, and
you want clarification on that, by statute, the Board has 62 days
of the public heaì-ing to make a final decision. If you want to
close the public hearing and then get more input from Jim Martin
as to what the allowable uses on the lot are, you can do that.
If, on the other hand, the applicant is willing to state that
there won't be any trail riding, and you can tie that down
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
somehow, it's up to you, but if you have concerns about what's
allowable in the SR zone, for a Class A Farm, you don't have to
make a decision tonight.
MR. PALING-Okay. Use in so far as what animals are there, I have
no problem with. Use in so far as ciHrying it as a comm~:Hcial
establishment, I'm not so concerned with the definition as I am
concerned with the neighbors, and the affect that anything a
commercial establishment, lighting, or lack of a buffer, would
have on them.
MR. GORALSKI-Well, I think the only issue, in my opinion,
regarding the use, is whether or not they can advertise to the
general public, and like you said, you know, come Sunday
afternoon then we'll have a trail ride for whoever wants to pay
$10 for a trail ride. As far as lighting and buffer and all that
stuff, those are all issues that are considerations under the
Site Plan Review section of the Ordinance, that whether or not
this is a Class A Farm or a riding stable, you have the right to
consider those items.
MR. STARK-Bob, I would want Jim to clarify it, and I want more
information about, we should, I think we ought to re-visit the
site, myself, and we didn't, we walked it last year, but we
didn't walk it this year.
MR. PALING-I'd like to walk it from the neighbors. I think I can
visualize Dr. Brassell's, because we've been there before, when
the housing development was on, but down on the south side is
where I have a problem picturing it.
MR. RUEL-Is that land cleared now?
MR. SHAFFER-No. It's impossible to walk through that land.
MR. OBERt-1AYER-Because of all the brush.
MR. STEVES-It's very thick brush.
MR. STARK-Bob, I'd like to go on those two or three parcels of
land to the south of that, Just go to their house and look back
there, and Just see, see what you can see.
MR. PALING-Yes. I think I kind of agree with that, and I wish
that the applicant would reconsider some of the concerns, the
four major concerns we have, and see if there isn't something
else that you would offer. We're going to work this out. I know
we will, because we always do, but I wish you would give more
consideration to the buffer and that kind of thing we've talked
about.
MR. STEWART-On the question of time, I'm not going to give you
any legal advice, obviously, as to how much time you do or do not
have under the law, but I will tell you that Mr. Shaffer has an
option that expires on February 1 to buy this property. So, if
you want to take longer than that.
MR. PALING-Okay. We re-convene the third and fourth Tuesdays of
each month, and there's no trouble with getting you on the third
Tuesday in January, so that, if we table this matter, that we
bring it up again.
MR. STARK-I want Jim's opinion, and I want to re-visit the site.
MR. PALING-All right, Craig, how about you?
MR. MACEWAN-Agreed.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. PALING-Yes, and I feel that way, too, and what I think we're
heading for is if we get your permission to table this motion,
and it'll be on the next meeting. It'll be on the third Tuesday
of January, and then hopefully we'll come to a final agreement
then, but again, I would urge you to consider the four items of
concer n .
MR. STEWART-Which is buffering, lighting.
MR. PALING-The buffering, the lighting, the containment, and the
potential ultimate or whatever commercial use, however we're
going to address that.
MR. STEWART-Well, maybe I didn't make myself clear. There's no
question that we will agree that any animals that we maintain on
this property will be adequately contained. I mean, that's a
given. I guess that's what I'm trying to say. Of course we
will. These are going to be valuable horses. There's no
argument there on containment.
MR. OBERMAYER-The lighting, what's the reason for the lighting?
Are you planning on operating I guess in the evening hours,
riding at night?
MR. STEWART-If you're engaged in
you are, or skiing or anything
during the day, sometimes about
is, like night skiing.
a sport, I don't ride horses, if
else, and you work long hours
the only time you can enjoy it
MR. OBERMAYER-Okay.
MR. STEWART-Husbands and wives work these days.
MR. RUEL-How many months of the year do you expect to use?
MR. SHAFFER-Twelve months.
MR. STEWART-Twelve months, because
exercised on a regular basis.
the horses have to be
MR. RUEL-And the arena?
MR. SHAFFER-Twelve months.
MR. RUEL-The horses need lights?
MR. SHAFFER-The riders need lights.
MR. STEWART-No, the horses don't, but the riders do, and if the
riders can only come out and exercise the horses in the evening
because they work during the day, that's where that comes up.
MR. RUEL-The lights will be on early in the winter.
MR. OBERMAYER-What time at night will the lights be on until?
MR. PALING-Up until 11 they said.
MR. SHAFFER-Ten, eleven.
MR. OBERMAYER-Ten, eleven o'clock?
MR. SHAFFER-Yes.
MR. PALING-Okay. Do we have any other comments from the
applicant or the Board?
MR. BREWER-Lets write down or send a note to Jim as to what
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
clarification we want from him.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes. I really don't need a clarification from Jim.
MR. BREWER-I don't, either.
MR. OBERMAYER-I think it's more concern of the buffering.
MR. BREWER-They're proposing something. We know what they're
proposing. We can either approve it or deny it.
MR. OBERMAYER-Right.
MR. BREWER-Now what clarification do we need, George, or do you
need?
MR. MACEWAN-Whether this is an agricultural use.
MR. STARK-We're approving it for
approval for a Class A Farm. That
horses tonight.
covers pigs.
They want an
MR. PALING-Well, we can limit it, however, whichever we choose.
MR. STARK-Yes, we can limit it, but I don't know whether they'd
accept it.
MR. GORALSKI-Under, once again, not under this Farm section, but
under the Site Plan Review section of the Ordinance, you can put
whatever conditions you feel are reasonable.
MR. BREWER-We can limit it to just horses.
just llamas. We can limit it to sheep.
We can limit it to
MR. GORALSKI-As long as you have a reason for that limit.
MR. OBERMAYER-Well, we can limit it and say that if you had these
other animals, you'd just have to come back in front of the Board
again, that's not shutting you out.
MR. BREWER-To me, I don't think that's an issue. I mean, we can
limit it if we so desire.
MR. STEWART-Yes. I don't know how relevant it is. For example,
someone talked about, if we had 50 cows there, you're going to
have a lot more effluent than having 14 horses.
MR. OBERMAYER-No question about it.
condition on.
So cows we'll put a
MR. STARK-Bob, the
limited to horses
there, and I want a
feet.
only way I would be for this tonight is it's
and put a condition on anything else back
buffer around the whole place, more than 20
MR. PALING-All right. Want a buffer of more than 20
want some limitations put on the lighting as far as
intensity and all are concerned.
feet, and I
directional,
MR. STEWART-Well, as to the lighting, let me make a suggestion.
I have been through some of these before, when this Board was
with different members, and several times we've worked it out
with an agreement that whatever external lighting is put on the
property will be designed in such a way that it shows directly
down, or lights directly down, and will not be aimed or light
directly onto adjacent properties. Now, obviously, if you're on
an adjacent property, you're going to look over there and notice
that's a lit area, but you won't have light shining in your eyes
if you understand what I'm trying to say.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. RUEL-If your light was beamed to the next door neighbor's
property, it wouldn't do you much good, would it?
MR. STEWART-No. We just want a light straight down where the
horses are walking, but we would take care that the lights are
guarded in such a way or shielded in such a way that they don't
shine directly onto adjacent properties.
MR. OBERMAYER-Okay.
touchy.
How about the buffer? That seems to be a
MR. STEWART-It's awful expensive land, and I just feel badly if
there's a feeling that protection is needed between a neighbor's,
all of whom, incidentally, are zoned to have the same use for
horses that we are, that all of the protection must come off our
property, and no contribution by them. Frankly, it's not fair.
This is valuable land.
MR. BREWER-Let me just make mention of, when we did Animal Land,
the neighbors wanted a buffer. We made a compromise with the
neighbors and Animal Land? Does everybody remember that?
MR. PAL ING--Yes .
MR. BREWER-We probably should do the same thing here?
MR. PALING-Could be.
MR. MACEWAN-Will you be charging a price for people to come and
ride horses?
MR. STEWART-We aren't charging a price, at this point.
MR. MACEWAN-Will you be charging a price for people to come and
ride horses?
MR. STEWART-We will be charging a price for boarding the horses,
and with that comes the right to come and visit your horse and
ride it and exercise it.
MR. MACEWAN-That's not what I asked.
MR. STEWART-Okay. We do not intend, at the present time, to have
anyone from the outside come in and ride a horse, with the
possibility of a friend of the owner, who might want to come and
)- ide.
MR. SHAFFER-Right. The charge would come for boarding the horse,
and the people who board the horse have a right to ride their
horses. We're not going to charge outsiders to come in and ride
horses.
MR. BREWER-If I wanted to call you up on a Saturday and say, I'd
like to take my daughter and my wife up there to ride a horse,
could I do that?
¡VIR. SI·-{AFFER-No.
MR. BREWER-So you wouldn't have a problem if we limited your use
to that?
MR. PALING-To boarding only.
MR. STEWART-I would, as a lawyer. The problem is your definition
of Riding Stables.
MR. BREWER-Not open for the general public to come in and be
charged a fee to ride horses.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)'
MR. PALING-Or could we just say boarding only?
MR. GORALSKI-Well, they're asking you to at least allow the
owners to ride their horses.
MR. PALING-Well, that doesn't stop anybody from riding a horse,
but the only commercial endeavor you have is boarding.
MR. GORALSKI--If
to do is board
that people are
them permission
you tell me that the only thing
horses there, and someone calls
riding horses there, that's not
to do.
they're allowed
up and complains
what you gave
MR. BREWER-In other words, if somebody's got a horse and they
board it there, they're going to pay a fee naturally.
I'm. PAL_ING--Yes.
MR. BREWER-That's the fee they're paying to ride their horse and
to board it there, but what I'm saying is, I kno~.J Bob Stewart,
and I call him up and say, Bob, can I bring Robin and Ally up to
ride a horse, he says, sure, come on up. It'll cost you $10.
That's what I want to prevent.
MR. PALING-That's your commercial endeavor.
MR. BREWER-Right.
MR. PALING-That's not boarding a horse.
MR. BREWER-No. I know that. What I'm saying is, condition the
approval so that that kind of an affair doesn't happen.
MR. MACEWAN-Based on all the information we've taken in tonight,
I would like to table this and have Jim Martin review the minutes
of this meeting and determine whether this usage is going to be
an agricultural use or a riding stable use.
MR. BREWER-I disagree.
MR. PALING-Yes. I don't have a hang up on that_
MR. BREWER-I think we know what they're going to do. I just
think we have to put it into words and say, look, they're going
to board horses. Your tenants that board the horses there can
come up and ride them. If their daughter or friend comes home
from college and they want to go up and ride, that's fine.
That's ~ opinion.
MR. PALING-Okay. We have left now, buffer, and we have, to Tim's
point, I'll call it boarding only. I know I'm not saying it
right, but to your point, we've got to clarify that, and to me,
we've got to clarify the lighting. I'd say now we're down to
three points. The lights, the buffer, and the clarification of
the business that'll be done there.
MR. BREWER-I think the major point is the buffer.
MR. OBERMAYER-The buffer.
MR. BREWER-That's the big hang up.
MR. PALING-Yes. I would say buffer's Number One.
MR. OBERMAYER-Now, do you plan on planting, this might help, do
you plan on planting any buffer or just leaving it shrubs.
MR. SHAFFER-I think if you look at, well, Leon can address the
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
area there, but it's all honeysuckle. It's very, very thick.
There's not very many trees because it was cleared, but the
honeysuckle is probably, you know, sometimes 10 feet high.
That's going to stay in that 20 foot. You can't, in the spring,
you can't look through that, once it fills in.
MR. OBERMAYER-But in the winter time you can see right through
it, though.
MR. SHAFFER-Not much. It's pretty thick. It's really dense.
MS. SHAFFER-There's a deer run through that. That's the only way
we can get to the property. That is the only way.
MR. PALING-Okay. I think we're getting to that point, but there
has been quite a bit of conversation since the public hearing.
So I'm going to re-open the public hearing for some very brief
statements by anyone that would like to comment.
PUBLIC HEARING RE-OPENED
DR. ROGER BRASSELL
DR. BRASSELL-We're satisfied with a 20 foot buffer. I think that
they're use is appropriate, in that they're intentions are
appropriate.
MR. PALH~G-Okay.
buffer?
You said you are satisfied with the 20 foot
DR. BRASSELL-Yes, and there's already a buffer. Roger Brassell.
I'll be very satisfied with a 20 foot buffer. I already have
better than that on my side of the property line, and I think
that would be adequate. It's very thick growth there, and we'll
have adequate pTivacy in that respect.
MR. OBERMAYER-Okay.
DR. BRASSELL-Further, I think the use to which they intend to put
this, if I understand them properly, is a common use for horses.
You build a stable. You keep your own horses there. You board
maybe train or exercise other people's horses, perfectly
legitimate business, and I'm in favor of the project.
MR. PALING-I would think so.
MR. OBERMAYER-Well, then do you have any objection, Dr. Brassell,
to shift the whole thing over a little bit more toward your
property to allow a little more buffer on the other side?
DR. BRASSELL-There isn't any need to do that, if you look at the
map.
MR. BREWER-He's got the 20 feet there.
MR. OBERMAYER-He's got 20 feet already. It shows 80 feet to the
barn.
DR. BRASSELL-Yes, it's about 20 feet.
MR. GORALSKI-Yes, but there's only 20 feet left after you take
out the paddocks and the track.
MR. OBERMAYER-Okay.
MR. BREWER-He may have to do a little bit of adjusting, but not a
lot.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
DR. BRASSELL-There's about 20 feet there.
MR. PALING-Okay. Thank you. Is there anyone else?
JENNY RODRIGUEZ
MRS. RODRIGUEZ-My name is Jenny Rodriguez. I am the owner of one
of the lots in Clearview Lane, and I'm going to be right in back
of the arena. I am very, very concerned about our property.
This is our investment, a large investment that we have there.
We bought it because it was nice and quiet. The neighborhood is
really nice. We are very concerned about the traffic, about the
light that is going to be right in back of our home, about the
smell and about the environment. It will completely change all
our neighborhood. It's not only me that's going to be in
Clearview, but it's going to be others as well as our family.
None of them are here tonight, but that's really my concern.
MR. PALING-Okay.
MRS. RODRIGUEZ-Thank you.
MR. PALING-Thank you. Anyone else?
t-lIKE STEVENS
MR. STEVENS-Mike Stevens. I think the 20 foot buffer's good. My
only big concern is for all the neighbors is still the lights.
If it's a suggestion, I don't know how high they're going to be.
I mean, all I can think of is West Mountain Ski Center, every
time I think of lights, and I'm thinking of everybody around
them. I'm just not sure how much light is going to emanate from
this arena, and I thought if we had a height of how high they
actual were in relation to how high is the buffer, maybe that'll
help some of the neighbors, you know, on how they feel about, the
lighting really seems to be an issue. You've got the buffer
straightened out, and again, I'm certainly not against these
people putting these horses in there. I think it's a great use
for the property. However, I am very concerned about the lights,
and I think other people are too, and maybe somebody can shed
some light as to how high they're going to be, because I think
that, I don't care how you shine them, when they're up high, it's
going to illuminate an awful lot, and I think that would help.
MR. STARK-I want Leon to answer that question.
MR. PALING-Okay. Is there anyone else that would care to speak?
VINCE SPIRO
MR. SPIRO-Vince Spiro. On the statement that this was just going
to be a non commercial venture, that they were just going to
allow family and friends to come over and ride.
MR. PALING-Not non-commercial.
perhaps train horses there.
They're going to board and
MR. SPIRO-What's to stop them from saying, anyone who comes there
to ride is their friend? I mean, is there a limit on the amount
of people that we could have there at one time and vehicles at
one time on the site for this.
MR. BREWER-Fourteen horses. There's only so many people can get
on 14 horses.
MR. SPIRO-Right, on the horses at
you from having another 20, 30
horses?
one time, but what's to stop
people waiting to ride those
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. PALING-Well, if that were the case, then it could be turned
back to the enforcement people and there would have to be
questions asked.
MR. SPIRO-Well, could be, but what we're trying to do is fix
something before it becomes a problem, and the other thing I
wanted to say is, nobody rides horses eleven o'clock at night.
MR. PALING-Okay. Is there anyone else who cares to speak about
this?
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. STARK-Leon, do you have any idea of the type of proposed
lighting, or candle power that the lighting puts out, or anything
like that at all?
MR. STEVES-No. I can research the question for you, but I don't
have the answers.
MR. PALING-I've seen a few of these, and the lights aren't that
bright. The poles aren't that high. If it's like what I've
seen, I don't think it's going to carry it very far.
MR. STARK-How high are the poles?
MR. PALING-I'd say they were like 20 feet.
MR. STEVES-I think you'd have to have them about 18, 20 feet
high, the light itself.
MS. SHAFFER-Is anyone on the
Brown, and their boarding
Queensbury?
Board familiar
establishment
with Glen, Sandy
in the Town of
MR. PALING-No. I'm afraid not.
MS. SHAFFER-Okay.
that's on Corinth
Mountain Road.
That's
Road,
where I board my horse currently, and
the intersection of Corinth and West
MR. OBERMAYER-Okay. Right there. Yes.
MS. SHAFFER-They have a lit arena, and there are residents that,
back to their property, they have approximately 22 acres with
trails, their lighting is, I'd say maybe 12 feet off the ground.
It's the intersection of West Mountain and Corinth Road. It's
called White Oak Stable.
MR. PALING-White Oak Stable. Okay.
take a look at, as compared to what
you're saying?
That would be a good one to
you would do here, is what
MS. SHAFFER-Similar. Their lights, I
because they're projecting toward woods.
have that. Ours would be more in.
think, do project out,
I don't think we would
MR. PALING-Yours would be to the arena only.
MS. SHAFFER-Yes.
MR. PALING-Are they on at night?
MS. SHAFFER-Yes, they are.
MR. SHAFFER-To address the question right now, I would really
like to get the thing done tonight if we could because of the
option. I'm afraid of losing that property, and that's going to
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
be a big problem for us, because the property, there's another
owner waiting to take that property, or another person that wants
to take that property, and if I lose that option, then I'm out of
luck, and that option does expire pretty soon, and if we get tied
up in a lot of, you know, going back and forth, I'm going to lose
the property. The lighting, we will be willing to put some
restrictions on the lighting, if I say the lights can't shine on
other adjacent properties, just shine down.
MR. OBERMAYER-How about the height?
MR. SHAFFER-The height, sure.
height.
We can put restrictions on the
MR. STARK-Ms. Shaffer, where you board your horses now, what's
the latest that those lights are on there?
MS. SHAFFER-Four o'clock in the morning. There is no limit. I
work during the day. So the only time I can ride is usually nine
o'clock or later. So sometimes I'm there at midnight and the
lights are on.
MR. BREWER-That's a more secluded area, though. I know exactly
where it is. I don't have a problem going forward, as long as we
can pin down the conditions.
MR. PALING-Yes. Okay.
MR. STARK-Fine.
MR. PALING-Roger, are you okay? We've got to put some condition
on it.
MR. RUEL-Well, I'm a little disappointed in the applicant's
reluctance to compromise on a few areas.
MR. PALING-Well, I think they're willing to do some compromising,
and don't forget, now, the buffer thing has changed as we speak.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, but not from the south. Mrs. Rodriguez isn't
satisfied.
MR. RUEL-I haven't seen anything yet.
MR. PALING-All right. Any comment? Okay.
MR. STEVES-I think perhaps if we stipulate that we will not use
Clearview Lane as an entrance to the property, that would give
you that buffer you're seeking there. The 20 feet is more than
adequate at that particular spot.
MR. MACEWAN-But there was never any consideration of using
Clearview as an entrance to begin with.
MR. STEWART-But there could be, because the road comes right to
the bounda)')l.
MR. GORALSKI-Well, there is if the site plan is approved as it's
presented herø.
MR. STEVES-That's correct, but if you move the building, then
you're moving it and changing the conditions that are presentød
to you, and we would have to counter with a change as well.
MR. BREWER-Leon, I think you're opening a can of worms.
MR. STEVES-I understand that, but we're talking not using this so
that we'd have a buffer at the B:nd of it.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. BREWER-I think our intention is to make
Stewart offered, 20 feet all the way around,
therefore you couldn't use that anyway.
the buffer, as
undisturbed.
Mr.
So
MR. STEVES-Right, including that end.
That's exactly right.
\0(e8..
MR. GORALSKI-On this lighting thing, if you want to somehow come
up with some conditions on this lighting, I'm asking you to
please be very, very specific.
MR. PALING-I don't think we can.
MR. BREWER-Five feet high, and 75 watt bulb.
MR. GORALSKI-Well, that's what I mean. That's how specific yoU
have to be, because if you're not, I'm going to have people in my
office, from Clearview Lane, every morning, complaining about the
lights. I have people from Greenway North complaining about Wal-
Mart's lights. I have people from Mr. Rudnick's property
complaining about the Mall. I can go through a list of places
allover town where people are complaining about lights, when the
condition that was put on by the Planning Board was, the lights
don't shine on the neighboring properties.
MR. BREWER-That's comparing apples and oranges.
MR. OBERMAYER-But the people are complaining. I mean, are they
shining on their property?
MR. GORALSKI-Well, when you go on Greenway North, it looks like
Yankee Stadium in their back yards. I'll tell you right now.
MR. PALING-We've got to avoid that.
MR. GORALSKI-If you just go on that side, and you look at what
they have on at night.
MR. BREWER-How tall are those lights, John?
MR. GORALSKI-They're like 30, 40 feet tall.
MR. BREWER-So if we restrict them to 12 or 15 feet.
MR. GORALSKI-That's what I'm saying. Whatever you do, Just make
sure it's specific.
MR. PALING-Well, could we reverse it, and ask the applicant to
submit a lighting plan, and then we know how many, and we want to
know the direction, the intensity, the height and so on, and then
we can make a judgement on it. Then I think we can say we think
it's nice or not nice.
MR. STEWART-But until you saw it up and lit, would you really
know? I'm not an electrician.
MR. PALING-I think you've given
other riding establishment, which
night some time.
us a way there, to visit this
has lights, we hope to see at
MR. BREWER-They're completely different than what they want to
do, though, Bob. They're shining out, outward.
MR. RUEL-It's not similar.
MR. PALING-I also think you'd have a feel for it, though, when
you knew the wattage and so on.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. GORALSKI-The other thing that might help, because I think the
only place that the arena is going to be impacting neighboring
properties is on Clearview Lane. I mean, every place else you've
got quite a distance, and Dr. Brassell has already agreed that
the 20 foot buffer along his property line is sufficient.
MR. PALING-We could request shielding on that end of it.
MR. GORALSKI-Well, what I was going to say was, you've got a
berm. It says, provide berm here. What if you limit the
clearing from, say, the point along that berm, to where, see
where this property line turns here, well, basically here, don't
clear this area here.
MR. OBERMAYER-All right, from the berm all the way around.
MR. PALING-You're saying don't clear that.
MR. OBERMAYER-Right. Don't touch anything from the berm over.
MR. PALING-Okay. Yes. I see what you're doing.
that as not to be cleared.
Okay. Label
MR. BREWER-Fifty feet.
MR. GORALSKI-No. I would say that whole thing.
MR. PALING-All along the berm. Right along here.
MR. BREWER-If we could limit them to 15 feet, and that ceiling
is, what, 10 feet, three feet higher than that ceiling in here,
Bob. That gives you an idea of how high that's going to be.
MR. PALING-I don't even know if Leon can tell us that tonight, if
he has a preference for pole height?
MR. BREWER-No higher than 15 feet a problem?
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes, that's what you said.
MR. SHAFFER-Yes, that's no problem.
MR. STEWART-Now would this no cutting zone be due south of the
berm?
MR. STARK--Yes.
MR. PALING-Leon sketched it out on here.
MR. STEWART-Again, I agree on this idea of being specific so that
we don't get in trouble, or get cross wise to you. I want it
clear that my client knows what he can and can't do. Due south I
can understand. Are we going to have an angle of some kind?
MR. PALING-See the corner of the arena?
where I started my drawing.
Due south of that 1S
MR. RUEL-He's marking it off.
MR. GORALSKI-The lights themselves, then, you're talking about
where it says. Dennis and Jane Purtin?
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes.
MR. GORALSKI-The lights themselves, I assume
along the arena and not on the outside of
correct?
the lights
the tn3ck,
IrJill be
is that
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. SHAFFER-That's right.
MR. GORALSKI-It will be on the inside of the track area.
MR. SHAFFER-Yes, inside the arena.
MR. GORALSKI-Right. So that, at that point, the lights will be
70 feet from the property line.
MR. BREWER-Right.
MR. PALING-And the poles will be in the ground in the outer track
line.
MR. SHAFFER-Outside of the fence, around the arena.
MR. PAL.ING-Outside of the fence pointing in.
MR. SHAFFER-Right, pointed down.
MR. PALING-In and down, yes.
MR. GORALSKI-The closest light would be 70 feet from the property
line.
MR. PALING-Yes. Okay.
MR. STEWART-I Just wanted to comment on that. An awful lot of
people have security lights on their property, on or near garages
and so forth, and they have these bright lights, and nobody
restricts them, and one comment on timing of lights, too. I
think we should be careful between lights on the arena, to assist
in exercising of horses and just a security light somewhere on
the property, because there's going to be valuable animals here,
and I expect that they're going to want some security lighting to
hear a noise in the middle of the night and take a look out and
see what's going on, just as any property owner would.
MR. BREWER-Right. We're talking strictly to light up the arena.
MR. STEWART-Right.
MR. BREWER-That's the condition that we're going to put on.
MR. STEWART-Okay.
MR. STARK-Bob, in the interest of expediting this, would you list
the conditions that we would impose to the applicant, and lets
get it going, either yes or no.
MR. BREWER-Yes, that's what I said five minutes ago.
on with it.
Lets move
MR. PALING-So far, the conditions, we're down to three conditions
right now. Number One, that there be a border, a minimum of 20
feet, around the entire property.
MR. OBERMAYER-I'd like to see 20 feet just on the south. Twenty
feet, the doctor said that's fine, but on the south part.
MR. PALING-All right. So far, 20 foot. The way I'd term the
lighting is that the lighting for the arena area will be on poles
no more than 15 foot high, with all lighting directed in and
down, and that a lighting plan be submitted to the Planning
Staff, that they can give a final look at and okay, too.
MR. OBERMAYER-I don't know about that.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/2$/95)
MR. STEVES-If I could, one of the problems we have with in and
down, the down is fine, but where is in? On some side, you're
going to be looking at a light. Just say down.
MR. GORALSKI-Just say down.
MR. STEWART-See, if I aim the light away from my neighbor on the
south, it's going to aim it at the face of my neighbor on the
north, if you start angling the light. As Leon says, if you say
the lights go straight down.
MR. STEVES-Right. Then it isn't aiming at anyone.
MR. PALING-All right. Then the lights will all be pointed down,
meaning vertical to the ground.
MR. OBERMAYER-How many lights? That's a big area.
MR. PALING-Well, that's why I would like to see a lighting plan
submitted and the judgement call made. I don't think there will
be a problem, but a final lighting plan submitted.
MR. BREWER-Suppose he doesn't like it?
MR. PALING-Then they've got to change it, or they've got to come
back to us and tell us how cruel he is.
MR. STEWART-And lose the property.
MR. BREWER-I think we just tell them that he's got to aim the
lights down, and be done with it.
MR. OBERMAYER-How about the hours?
the lights?
How about the time frame on
MR. BREWER-Eleven o'clock curfew.
MR. STARK-If she wants to go riding at one o'clock in the
morning, so what? If the lights don't bother anybody at 10
o'clock, how are they going to bother them at one o'clock?
MR. OBERMAYER-That's true.
MR. PALING-We talked eleven before.
MR. OBERMAYER-Unlimited lights.
MR. BREWER-No. I don't think that. I think we should have some
kind of a cut off.
MR. STEWART-Could we agree at midnight?
MR. PALING-All right.
We've done buffer.
Midnight.
All right.
DOIrHJ midnight.
MR. BREWER-I would say no trail lights.
MR. PALING-Okay. Yes. No trail lights. I think you agree with
that. That's okay. Now, Tim, do you want to word, tell us,
expound on your definition of the commercial.
MR. BREWER-I would just say that
the venture wouldn't be open
commercial riding stable.
borders, well, I would say that
to the general public as a
MR. GORALSKI-Yes, I think the definition of Riding Stable in the
On::Ji na nee may.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. PALING-May do that for us, yes. All right.
look at up and go to George's point.
L(~ts let John
MR. STARK-Horses fine, any other animal has to come back.
MR. PALING-Horses only. Okay.
MR. OBERMAYER-Do you guys have a problem with that one?
i"1R. SHAFFER-No.
MR. BREWER-I would only say, Bob, that it's not open to the
general public, for a fee, to ride horses.
MR. GORALSKI-The definition of a Riding Academy says, "Any
establishment where horses are kept for riding, driving, or
stabling for compensation". So why don't you just say, the
horses cannot be kept.
MR. BREWER~The stable is not open to the general public for a
fee. They have to charge a fee to their clients.
MR. GORALSKI-Right.
MR. PALING-Say that again?
MR. BREWER-It's not open to the general public for a fee to ride.
MR. RUEL-It's open to the public for a fee to board.
MR. BREWER-Right.
horses.
Now we're going to set a number, too, 14
MR. PALING-That's already set. All right. Then, at this point,
we should do a SEQRA, I think, okay. All right.
RESOLUTION WHEN DETERMINATION OF NO SIGNIFICANCE IS MADE
RESOLUTION NO. 77-95, Introduced by Roger Ruel who moved for its
adoption, seconded by James Obermayer:
WHEREAS, there
application for:
is presently before
JOHN A. SHAFFER, and
the
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:
1. No federal agency appears to be involved.
2. The following agencies are involved:
r~ONE
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.
~'
,;) .
Having considered and thoroughly analyzed the relevant areas
of environmental concern and having considered the criteria
for determining whether a project has a significant
- 60 -
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/9~)
'!
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 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Paling
NOES: NONE
ABSTAINED: Mr. MacEwan
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
MR. PALING-Okay. Now we'll go to a motion.
MOTION TO APPROVE SITE PLAN
Introduced by Robert Paling who
by Timothy Brewer:
NO. 77-95 JOHN A. SHAFFER,
moved for its adoption, seconded
With the following conditions: Number One, that there be a
buffer a minimum of 20 feet around the perimeter of the entire
property, with the exception of the driveway. That there be a no
clear area measured approximately from the south corner of the
arena 80 feet, as depicted, and the northwest boundary the same
as depicted, and will be covered with a revised drawing submitted
to Staff. Number Three, first, there will be no trail lights.
That the lighting will be limited to 15 feet off the ground, and
that all lights will be directed down, and that the lights will
be turned off by midnight. That the animals on this property be
limited to horses only, with the exclusion of domestic animals,
and that the intent of this endeavor is for boarding and training
of horses only, and that there will be no general public
activity, for example, no horses for hire, under any conditions
to anyone in the general public.
Duly adopted this 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
MR. STEWART-As you know, I feel very strongly that, as a point,
in this area where you allow other uses, you allow day care
centers, schools, churches, hospitals.
MR. PALING-If you want another use, come back.
MR. STEWART-Our application's for use as a Class A Farm, if you
want to impose the limitations, obviously, you have the
authority, you will do that.
MR. STARK-No problem.
back next month, then.
We'll let Jim do it and we'll bring it
No Pì·ob.l.em.
MR. STEt.JART--But I hated to come across as though this is what we
want, 0\- thi~3 is what ~ agreed to.
MR. BREWER-Those are our conditions.
MR. OBERMAYER-Those are OUT conditions.
MR. STARK-Bob, in that case, there's no ~..Jay I'm going to Vot~3 for
this tonight unless Jim clarifies that, then, next month.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. SHAFFER-I think that we can restrict it, and that's no
problem, as far as we're concerned.
MR. PALING-All right. I think the motion is complete.
AYES: Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Paling
NOES: Mr. Stark, Mr. MacEwan
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
MR. STEWART-Thank you very much for your time and attention.
MR. PALING-Thank you. Good luck.
SITE PLAN NO. 78-95 TYPE: UNLISTED SEEDS RESTAURANT
INC. OWNER: PETER BALTIS ZONE: PC-1A LOCATION: 3
ROAD, FORMER PAPA GINO'S RESTAURANT. PROPOSAL IS TO
EXISTING RESTAURANT WITH A DRIVE-THRU WINDOW ADDITION.
USES IN PC ZONES ARE SUBJECT TO SITE PLAN REVIEW AND
WARREN CO. PLANNING: 12/13/95 TAX MAP NO. 98-4-4.1
1.001 ACRES SECTION: 179-22
GROUP,
AVIATION
REMODEL
ALL LAND
APPROVAL.
LOT SIZE:
ROBERT HEATH, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
STAFF INPUT
Notes from Staff, Site Plan No. 78-95, Seeds Restaurant Group,
Inc., Meeting Date: December 28, 1995 "The applicant is
proposing to utilize the existing structure as a restaurant which
is an allowable use in the Plaza Commercial zone. They are
proposing to add a freezer, a tower structure, and a drive-thru
window. The existing access to the site is a signalized
intersection aligned with the easterly access to the Aviation
Mall. This access also serves the Pearle Vision Center to the
east and is the optimal access location. Per Section 179-66.1, a
twenty foot wide paved connection should be provided from the
parking area in the front of the building to the common property
line with Warren Tire. The Warren Tire driveway currently has no
left turn signs at the exit which are typically ignored. By
providing access to the signalized intersection, vehicles could
safely make left hand turns from the Warren Tire site. Related
to the issue of site access is the attached plan for a proposed
connector road prepared by Transportation Concepts in 1993. It
does not appear that the implementation of this plan to alleviate
congestion at the intersections of Route 9 and 254 would
negatively impact the site plan as proposed. The reduction in
the number of parking spaces caused by the drive-thru aisle
results in 50 spaces, which is well above the required number.
Even if the connector road is built in the future, there would
still be more than the required 31 spaces. On a technical note,
the access aisle required between handicapped accessible spaces
is required to be 8' by the New York State Building Code. There
does not appear to be a significant impact on stormwater
management facilities as a result of this proposal. In fact,
there will be slightly more permeable area on the site than there
is currently. I would recommend a slight swale be provided along
the west property line so that any runoff from the drive-thru
aisle does not discharge onto the adjacent property. No
landscaping plan has been provided. The plan indicates two new
landscaped islands, but no details are provided. All other
standards listed in Section 179-38 appear to be adequately
addr essed . "
MR. HEATH-My name is Robert Heath.
MR. PALING-Okay. Have you seen these comments by John?
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. HEATH-I've reviewed them. Yes.
MR. PALING-Okay. Do you want to talk about them?
MR. HEATH-We have no objection to putting a 20 foot right-of-way
to our property line for the Warren Tire.
MR. PALING-Access.
Okay.
MR. HEATH-As far as
have a drawing which
point. I'm not sure
concerns about that.
the issue of the proposed connector road, I
really doesn't really fit our site at this
if this will ever come about, and I do have
MR. GORALSKI-That's a very conceptual thing. That's just
something that was discussed. It's not, i~ my opinion, it's not
something that should hold up this proposal;
MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. STARK-I must have missed something. John, where are you
proposing the access from Warren Tire, the people to come out,
right here in the front?
MR. GORALSKI-Yes.
MR. STARK-Well, is there still room for a drive-thru lane over
that way?
MR. GORALSKI-Yes. Just continue this right there.
MR. STARK-That's 20 feet right now?
MR. GORALSKI-That's 20 feet, okay. So you just pave that area
1- ight there.
MR. OBERMAYER-So you're saying the people from Warren Tire can
come over that way?
MR. GORALSKI-No, but there's a requirement in the Zoning
Ordinance that they do that. If this plan gets approved, then I
will let Warren Tire know that that is going to be done. I would
think that they'd be thrilled to have that.
MR. STARK-Yes. He doesn't have
drive-thru lane? What distance
building, in the front?
any parking.
will that
I,.Jhat about
be out 'hom
the
the
MR. GORALSKI-It's right here. This shaded area is the new drive-
thru lane.
MR. OBERMAYER-Yes. It's 18 feet.
MR. STARK-And it would not exit over these? It would come out to
her e?
MR. GORALSKI-Right.
MR. STARK-I can't see anybody parking here, myself. They really
don't need to park in there.
MR. PALING-What are your concerns with the proposed road way?
MR. HEATH-Again, it's only conceptual. It doesn't, that drawing
doesn't work, there would have to be an access ramp from the
drive-thru on to this new access road.
MR. STARK-I can't see that road ever going through, myself.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. PALING-It might go through, but he's working
property, too, and it's been there for a long time.
to be some kind of.
with existing
There's got
MR. GORALSKI-I don't think it's an issue. I just wanted to bring
up to the Board that this type of planning was looked into, and
there is the potential that in the future, that's one of the
solutions that somebody came up with for alleviating congestion
at 9 and 254. Because this property is involved in that, I
wanted to show you people what it was.
MR. BREWER-This is what the building is going to look like when
you get don(~?
MR. HEATH-Yes. That is a proposal. That's kind of a staired
building, but, yes, there is that tower that we will build, and
there will be some awnings. That roof line might not look
exactly the same.
MR. PALING-The height of the tower, we talked about that?
MR. GORALSKI-That's all set.
MR. PALING-That's okay?
MR. GORALSKI-It meets the requirements.
MR. PALING-All right. That was one of my questions.
MR. BREWER-How about a landscaping plan?
MR. HEATH-Our architect will add those two areas. It'll be low
yews, and maybe a deciduous tree, one tree in the middle, and
we'd be glad to submit that to John.
MR. MACEWAN-Has any plan been submitted to the Beautification
Committee?
MR. GORALSKI-The Beautification Committee didn't want to look at
it because it was an existing building.
MR. MACEWAN-Really? That doesn't make sense.
MR. BREWER-Well, if we let him submit a plan to John, we
it's not going to happen until spring anyway. So John
problem with it, he can always bring it back to us.
know
has a
MR. HEATH-What's not going to happen until the spring?
MR. BREWER-The plantings.
~1R. HEATH-Yes.
MR. STARK-You're not going to plant from now until May?
MR. HEf-\TH-No.
MR. BREWER-Yes.
wouldn't think.
You're not going to put any trees in now, I
MR. OBERMAYER-Are you going to do what's shown in the picture
here, is that what you're going to do?
MR. HEATH-Basically. Again, it's only a conceptual drawing, but
there will be a tower, and there will be some awnings. The roof
line might change, because we'll probably use most of, we will
use this roof line.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. RUEL-This is what it's going to look like?
MR. HEATH-Yes.
MR. RUEL-The reason I'm asking, these lights that shine right
into the road, blind the drivers.
MR. HEATH-Okay.
existing lights.
Those, right now we have plans to use the
MR. GORALSKI-The plan shows all the existing lighting.
MR. BREWER-When do you anticipate to open?
MR. HEATH-March 23rd.
to sati~3fy.
We have some legal documents that we have
MR. PALING-All right. Just so
permit modification used in there?
you got to go through?
there's no kick back, define
What permit modification have
MR. OBERMAYER-Do you guys have another one of these somewhere?
MR. HEATH-Yes. This is a chain. There's probably 100. Nothing
in New York.
MR. PALING-"As a result of proposed action, will existing permit
approval require modification? Yes."
MR. GORALSKI-Probably what he means is that there was a site
approval for this site previously.
MR. PALING-Okay. So there's nothing that'll kick back later.
That's all I'm concerned with. Fine. All right. Lets see. We
have a public hearing on this. We'll go right to the public
hearing. The public hearing is opened. Does anyone care to
comment, pro or con, on this matter?
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
NO COMMENT
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. PALING-The public hearing is closed. All right. Then we
need a SEQRf';.
RESOLUTION WHEN DETERMINATION OF NO SIGNIFICANCE IS MADE
RESOLUTION NO. 78-95, Introduced by Roger Ruel who moved for its
adoption, seconded by Timothy Brewer:
l.JHEREAS, there
application for:
is presently before the Planning
SEEDS RESTAURANT GROUP, INC., and
Boa 1"<1
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:
1. No federal agency appears to be involved.
2. The following agencies are involved:
NONE
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
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 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Brewer, Mr. MacEwan,
Mr. Stark, Mr. Paling
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
MR. PALING-Okay. We'll entertain a motion.
MOTION TO APPROVE SITE PLAN NO. 78-95 SEEDS RESTAURANT GROUP,
INC., Introduced by James Obermayer who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Timothy Brewer:
Type Unlisted, the only condition being that he submit a
landscape plan to John.
Duly adopted this 28th day of December, 1995, by the following
vote:
AYES: Mr. Stark, Mr. Obermayer, Mr. Ruel, Mr. Brewer,
Mr. MacEwan, Mr. Paling
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: Mrs. LaBombard
MR. STARK-When do you plan on starting work?
MR. HEATH-As soon as we get a building permit.
somewhere the end of January.
I would say
MR. STARK-You plan on being open by April?
MR. BREWER-March 23rd.
MR. HEATH-I would say probably April 1st.
MR. STARK-I just wondered.
MR. PALING-I just have one additional comment. We have never
been caught without a majority here, but it can happen, and one
of the ways to avoid this is, if you're not going to be here, to
call in. Last meeting, there were two of you who were not
present, who did not call in, and it makes it tough, if we are
stuck we can, perhaps, call somebody out of the shower.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. MACEWf-'ìN- I'm
personal crisis.
guilty. It'll never happen again.
I'll never do it again.
It was
a
MR. PALING-All right, and, Roger's already said he will never,
ever do it again.
MR. RUEL-No. I was sitting there peacefully at home. All of a
sudden I was watching NYPD Blue and I said, how come I'm watching
this? I always miss this program. It must be a Planning Board
night, and I looked on the calendar, and sure enough it was. Bob
says I should have been here, 10 after 10.
MR. PALING-That's right. The minute you realized it you should
have come and, we still had three applicants to go. That's all I
have to say.
MR. MACEWAN-I've got a question. Why were we in such a rush to
approve that horse thing tonight?
MR. BREWER-Why were we in such a big rush to delay it?
MR. MACEWAN-I wanted to get more information.
reluctant to, A, cooperate anything.
They ~.Jere very
MR. RUEL-They were bad.
MR. MACEWAN-I certainly got the sense that they gave in to
conditions, and reluctantly did so, but I think we left some
issues that were not even address or even answered?
MR. BREWER-Why didn't you bring them up?
MR. MACEWAN-I was running into a defeatist attitude, here. I
mean, you guys had your, I think the very least we should have
gotten some more input from Jim Martin. I mean, like John said
in the very beginning of this thing, that when he reviewed the
application and the information that he had at the time when he
made his determination that it was for farm purposes only, he
didn't hear all the stuff that we heard tonight. I think, at the
very least, we don't want to hold this guy up, but I felt that
everybody kind of crumbled to the guy's pressure of his bank
waving this, you know, he's going to lose the property if he
doesn't jump on it quick. I mean, if the bank is really
interested in doing business with him, they'll grant him an
extension.
MR. STARK-This guy Shaffer was an arrogant bastard, period. I'm
on record for that. No problem.
MR. RUEL-He was uncooperative.
MR. STARK-He was an arrogant bastard.
MR. BREWER-I think his personality doesn't have anything to do
with what he's doing.
MR. STARK-The hell it doesn't. We approved this project
year, no problem. We're willing to go along with everybody.
willing to go along with everybody more than most people,
this guy here was obnoxious tonight.
last
I'm
but
MR. PALING-On the point that Craig is making, I felt
whatever Jim said wouldn't have influenced anything I
tonight, regarding buffer activity.
that
did
MR. MACEWAN-This is an open
how come nobody discussed
handicapped parking access?
to the public activity up there, so
anything, asked him anything about
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MR. BREWER-Why the hell didn't you bring up the issues during the
public hearing?
MR. MACEWAN-Because I felt at the time, and the way things were
going, the way the information was being put to us, that I was
getting real confused as to what this person's endeavor really
truly was, and I wanted to have Jim give us a better definition,
is this a farm, or is this a riding stable, and all you guys felt
very comfortable that the information they were giving you was
fine. So what am ~ going to do? I still would have been out
voted four to two or five to one.
MR. BREWER-Not necessarily. Not
have brought those points up, and
five of us, maybe we would have
information.
necessarily at all.
discussed them with
said no. Hey, lets
If you'd
the other
get this
MR. MACEWAN-I tried to.
MR. BREWER-I didn't hear you say anything about it.
MR. MACEWAN-Three times I said, gee, I think we ought to maybe
send this back to Jim and ask for a better definition.
MR. BREWER-Yes, but you didn't say for what. Send it back to Jim
for what?
MR. MACEWAN-I did. I said for
this was an actual agricultural
going to be a riding stable.
a better definition of whether
farm use, or whether this was
MR. PALING-Well, I think you were heard, Craig. I heard you, two
or three times, but I disagreed, in that I didn't think that it
would impact anything I was thinking about.
MR. MACEWAN-Maybe I got it all wrong. Did you feel like you were
being pressured to give a decision tonight because this guy was
waving this thing over your head about the bank?
MR. PALING-Well, I think that we get that from all, a big
percentage of applicants, but I brush that aside totally, and I
don't let it speed me up or slow me down either way, I try not
to.
MR. BREWER-I think at one point we were right to the point of
tabling it, and then something was said.
MR. STARK-Yes. Leon said lets have a five minute break, and he
went out and calmed those people down.
MR. BREWER-No. I think we got the issues, like Brassell said 20
foot was all right. Then somebody else said something else was
all right, and it Just worked in together.
MR. MACEWAN-But, you know, in the zoning book, 20 foot is what's
required for the zone. So they didn't give you any big deal.
MR. GORALSKI-No. That's a building setback.
right to the property line.
They could clear
MR. BREWER-It's not required. That's the point.
MR. MACEWAN-I stand corrected.
MR. RUEL-Right to the line they can go.
MR. BREWER-That's not required.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
MR. OBERMAYER-And the south part of the property did get the
additional buffer.
MR. PALING-That's right, where that berm
1, "".
"" ,
yes.
MR. RUEL-Okay.
Next subject.
MR. GORALSKI-I
a nS~.Jer , so you
LaJant to ask..
subdivision that
had to come back
just have one thing, and I think I
all don't have to jump out of your skin.
Do you remember Mr. McCotter, his
he got approved, and he never filed
and get it approved allover again?
know the
I just
bJO lot
it, so he
MR. OBERMAYER-Right.
MR. MACEWAN-Is this the guy over there, off Main Street in West
Glens Falls?
MR. GORALSKI-Right.
MR. OBERMAYER-He didn't send out the public notices.
MR. GORALSKI-He didn't send out the public notice, so we had to
table him until the next meeting. Guess what he didn't do?
MR. MACEWAN-He forgot again? You're kidding me?
MR. GORALSKI-I'm not kidding you.
MR. PALING-Forgot to send out the public notice?
MR. GORALSKI-No. He forgot to file his map again.
MR. STARK-So what happens now?
MR. GORALSKI-I'm asking you.
MR. BREWER-It's expired, John.
there. Done it.
We've been through it.
Been
MR. STARK-It's not our fault he forgot it, it's his.
MR. GORALSKI-You're right.
MR. PALING-John, what are the alternatives?
MR. GORALSKI-Well, the alternative, do you want to put him on for
Preliminary and Final in the same month?
MR. STARK--Yøs.
MR. PALING-Yes, that could be all right, sure.
MR. GORALSKI-The same night?
MR. PALING-I don't see why not, in that case.
MR. STARK-The same night probably wouldn't be a problem, in this
case.
MR. GORALSKI-Okay.
MR. STARK-But tell the guy, you know, he ought to have a
checklist.
On motion meeting was adjourned.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 12/28/95)
Robert Paling, Chairman
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