08-28-2012 (Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
QUEENSBURY PLANNING BOARD MEETING
SECOND REGULAR MEETING
AUGUST 28, 2012
INDEX
Site Plan No. 33-2012 Glenn Durlacher 1.
Tax Map No. 296.9-1-13
Subdivision No. 6-2012 Pierre Rawlins 9.
PRELIMINARY STAGE Tax Map No. 308.12-1-8
FINAL STAGE
Subdivision No. 4-2012 DKC Holdings 16.
PRELIMINARY STAGE Tax Map No. 308.12-1-7.1
Site Plan No. 49-2012 Royal Hospitality 21.
Tax Map No. 288.8-1-5.2
Site Plan No. 50-2012 Executive Park West, LLC 22.
Tax Map No. 301.8-1-31, 29
Site Plan No. 51-2012 C.R. Bard Catheter& Instrument Division 25.
Tax Map No. 302.8-1-3, 4, 5; 302.7-1-43
Site Plan No. 52-2012 PW Campbell/TCT Federal Credit Union 29.
Tax Map No. 289.15-1-6
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.
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
QUEENSBURY PLANNING BOARD MEETING
SECOND REGULAR MEETING
AUGUST 28, 2012
7:00 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
CHRIS HUNSINGER, CHAIRMAN
DONALD KREBS, SECRETARY
PAUL SCHONEWOLF
DONALD SIPP
THOMAS FORD
STEPHEN TRAVER
BRAD MAGOWAN
LAND USE PLANNER-KEITH OBORNE
STENOGRAPHER-MARIA GAGLIARDI
MR. HUNSINGER-I'll call to order the meeting of the Town of Queensbury Planning Board on
Tuesday, August 28, 2012. We have three tabled items on the docket this evening. The first
one is Glen Durlacher.
SITE PLAN NO. 33-2012 SEAR TYPE II GLENN DURLACHER OWNER(S) JOHN MILLER
ZONING CM-COMMERCIAL MODERATE LOCATION STATE ROUTE 9-VACANT PARCEL
NEXT TO 1048 STATE ROUTE 9 APPLICANT PROPOSES WOOD CARVING SCULPTURE
AND DISPLAY. NEW RETAIL USES IN A CM ZONE REQUIRE PLANNING BOARD REVIEW
AND APPROVAL. CROSS REFERENCE NONE FOUND WARREN CO. REFERRAL YES
LOT SIZE 1.06 ACRES TAX MAP NO. 296.9-1-13 SECTION 179-9
GLENN DURLACHER, PRESENT
MR. HUNSINGER-Keith?
MR. OBORNE-Yes, this is Site Plan 33-2012, Glenn Durlacher is the applicant. New retail uses
require Planning Board review and approval. Location is Route 9, vacant parcel next to 1048
Route 9. Commercial Moderate is the zoning. This is a Type II SEAR. Parcel History, none
found at this point. Project Description: Applicant proposes wood carving sculpture and display
fronting on State Route 9 south of the Adirondack Audio building. Staff comments: The
applicant proposed to utilize the front portion of the 1.06 acre parcel for display, sale, and
creation of stump carved sculptures. Access as well as on-site parking appears to be adequate.
Waivers for stormwater requested. What follows is site plan review basically focusing in on
vehicular and pedestrian safety. There's a spotlight on the plan, but I think Glenn can talk about
that. Existing landscaping also, and I know that Glenn plans to erect, if approved, eventually a
tent, but that will require an area variance in the future, and with that I'd turn it over to the Board.
MR. HUNSINGER-Okay. Thank you. Good evening.
MR. DURLACHER-Good evening.
MR. HUNSINGER-If you could identify yourself for the record.
MR. DURLACHER-Glenn Durlacher.
MR. HUNSINGER-Did you have anything that you wanted to add?
MR. DURLACHER-Basically, well, I am a wood sculptor. I was at 894 State Route 9 for two
years. I am looking to set up a display of sculptures. Most of my work, probably 90% of my
work, is on site stump work, where I go on location and create different works of art, whatever,
for customers, a lot up on Lake George and Lake Placid and in the Adirondacks. So my display
there is mainly to show kind of the variety of what I do and the quality of what I do. I am not a
chainsaw schlepper that sits there and does bears. That's not really what I'm into doing. I was
just written up by the Post Star Post Standard, old Post Star, about a stump carving I did up on
Assembly Point. So that's mainly what I do, like a painter. I go around and do work. Also my
advertising is for, I advertise in The Chronicle and also in the Lake George Mirror for stump
work. As far as, I was not able to come last time because I had a death in the family and I heard
that some of the neighbors in the area had concern about noise, and wanted to fully address
those issues. Should I do that now?
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
MR. HUNSINGER-Yes.
MR. DURLACHER-Well, mainly, and I brought a saw outside. The saws that I use are smaller
saws, to start with. They're a little under 90 btu's. I don't use the big heavy saws because
mainly they're too heavy and they really make too much noise, and I really don't plan to be there
that much. Most of the time I'm going to be working on site, and as far as, what I also did, after I
heard there was some concern about the noise, I went and started two of my saws that I use
most of the time, and I had someone start them right about where I was and I went up on
Twicwood and couldn't hear anything. The saws are like lower decibels, did I say btu's before?
Decibels, I'm sorry, lower decibels than really the traffic noise on the road. Also, what I did was
show, and I have these drawings, not drawings, but I mapped out like there's at least 400 feet of
woods between where I'm, and a high fence between my location and the closest existing
house, and I also want to note that, in the two years that I was on 894 State Route 9, where
there were houses and businesses all around, I got not one complaint, and I called the Town
today and spoke to Sue to see if there were any complaints about noise or, and there was none
whatsoever, and these, and there were businesses within 100 feet with no trees.
MR. FORD-Glenn, I have a question. You say you had a representative start up a couple of the
saws, were they actually cutting into anything, or did they just, they were just running the saws?
MR. DURLACHER-No, he just revved them. He revved the saws while I was on the phone. I
could hear nothing. You can't, because it's so, there's 400 feet of woods. You couldn't hear
anything. I did have him start up the large saw and you could hear it a little bit, but I never use it.
MR. FORD-Would you agree that it makes more noise when you're actually cutting into wood
than not?
MR. DURLACHER-No. It's the revvs on the chainsaw, not the wood.
MR. SCHONEWOLF-What would your hours of operation be?
MR. DURLACHER-I would not have any standard hours. Mainly, I would probably be there, it's
mainly there for display. I'll probably, I might carve like, like now, I might carve like 11 to 3, a
couple days a week.
MR. KREBS-You wouldn't mind having a restriction that said that you couldn't run the saws after
5:30 in the afternoon?
MR. DURLACHER-Well, the problem is, too, the issue is not that it's, they don't make enough
noise to, I won't, let's see, I mean, sometimes during the summer I might work until seven, but if
they're not making the noise, I mean, you couldn't hear it at all.
MR. KREBS-The only thing I'm going to tell you is that I lived at 38 Twicwood for 12 years, and I
could hear The Great Escape, and there were acres and acres of woods behind my house going
to, so the sound does travel, even through.
MR. DURLACHER-Well, maybe because it was higher, you know.
MR. MAGOWAN-Well, that was the concern of really the neighbors here in the last meeting,
because I had all the comments that I wrote down.
MR. DURLACHER-Right.
MR. MAGOWAN-And also growing up, I was even further out on Greenwood, it was basically
looking over Great Escape, all right, and I still could hear the go karts and the noise going up
Route 9, the speakers in the play land. So I know how the sound travels because you are up
higher.
MR. DURLACHER-Right.
MR. MAGOWAN-And I'm further back, and I'm not talking The Great Escape noise. I'm talking
the Route 9, and I'm the furthest away, you know, was the furthest away when I lived there, you
know, my folks still are there, so I know the concerns that the neighbors have had, you know,
with the noise, and, you know, it's easy to say that it's only 90 cc and it's not loud, and this is not
what I'm going to do, but to sit there, you know, it's really for the people in the neighborhood, it
just, they're bombarded by all sides, and it they have been for many years because there's
always sound people up there taking sound checks for the noises all around, and I know that
was their main concern, and a chainsaw does have, you know, even though it's a lower decibel,
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
90 cc, it still has that, you can hear that, you know, far, far away. So that's my, you do beautiful
work. When you were up there, well, you were down across from Wal-Mart, right?
MR. DURLACHER-Right.
MR. MAGOWAN-For a long time, too. That's not as dense as development. There might be a
house or two, but you are further back. You're also right on a major thoroughfare of Route 9
where you have four lanes, you know, in both directions. So there's a lot of other drowned out
noise in that, and then you were up at Blue Moose.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes,just for display mainly.
MR. MAGOWAN-But like I said, once again, you weren't in a dense neighborhood, and I know
that Twicwood has taken a pounding on noise for years, and it's just not the saws. Like I said,
you've got the go karts, you've got the Pirates Cove. You've got, you know, and all those noises
just come up over the hill.
MR. DURLACHER-Well, I mean, like, again, most of, like last summer when I was at 894 State
Route 9, 1 probably was there, out of the whole summer, I was probably there maybe like five
days, you know, so out of those five days how many days did I work until seven? Maybe one.
So, could I come up with some kind of restriction as to how many days, maybe a month, I hardly
ever work that late, but.
MR. MAGOWAN-Well, no, I understand that, but like I say, probably, and then what happens if
things take off and then the next thing you know it does happen? Not that I want, but, you know,
it's kind of a delicate, you know, what do you do? We don't want to cut into your business, but
we also don't want, you know, the neighbors calling the Town constantly complaining.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes, well, all I know is like, I mean, I have it, there's at least 300 feet of
woods, and maybe I could put up a, you know, a higher fence, like a soundproof fence or
something, but, again, I have a big, big saw that if I have to like on location cut a log and use for
five minutes, I started that, and you could hear that. The other ones you could not hear at all.
So, that's.
MR. SCHONEWOLF-I don't know what size saws you were using, but I live about 100 yards
away from where you just finished up on Assembly Point, with that bear that you carved, okay.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes.
MR. SCHONEWOLF-And I could not tell the days you were there and the days you weren't.
You were in and out of there for about three weeks or longer.
MR. DURLACHER-Right.
MR. SCHONEWOLF-Because that was a, I can't imagine those saws would bother anybody.
Nobody complained that I know of.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes, well, that's what I'm saying. I mean, like when I was even on State
Route 9, 1 mean, 894, 1 had businesses right there, right next to me, and the largest saws almost
make twice the amount of noise, you know.
MR. SCHONEWOLF-Were you using small sizes?
MR. DURLACHER-Well, I have one out there. I mean, I can bring it in and show you, put it right
by the door. Would you like to see it?
MR. SCHONEWOLF-No. Whatever you were using.
MR. MAGOWAN-I'd say crack it open.
MR. FORD-I'd like to hear it.
MR. DURLACHER-I don't know, Keith, do you think that's allowed?
MR. OBORNE-Of course.
MR. HUNSINGER-That would be all right with me.
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
MR. DURLACHER-I'll just show you anyway. I mean, this is the size. This is what I use, like
90% of the time, you know, and it's literally probably 1/3 of the noise that a large saw makes.
Like with the large saws, if you were 100 feet away, you'd still be, I won't start it up in here.
MR. FORD-Could you start it up outside, please?
MR. MAGOWAN-Keep the door closed so we can just get a.
MR. DURLACHER-I'll go to the end of the parking lot.
MR. MAGOWAN-Okay.
MR. OBORNE-Once he gets it going, I'll pop the door open.
MR. HUNSINGER-Yes, good.
MR. SIPP-He's cranking it up.
MR. SCHONEWOLF-If that bothers you, you've got something wrong with you.
MR. TRAVER-Well, I think he's closer now than the property.
MR. KREBS-When I was reviewing this information today, I thought of something that's kind of
funny, because I was going to accuse Glenn of providing us false information because the
person in this picture is one third today of what he was then.
MR. DURLACHER-How was it?
MR. SIPP-Is the large saw a steel also?
MR. DURLACHER-That's a Husqvarna.
MR. SIPP-A Husqvarna.
MR. DURLACHER-Trying to give what's his name some business.
MR. SIPP-Swedish.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes, it's a Swedish saw, but a lot of what I do involves hand carving with
chisels and these electric grinders, you know, to get the detail, because I don't really actually
like using chainsaws.
MR. MAGOWAN-So, on a worst case scenario, what do you think the maximum amount of
cutting that you'd be doing on the site?
MR. DURLACHER-Like a week or a month?
MR. MAGOWAN-Well, no, like how many carvings do you think you'd do? Like I said, I don't
ever remember seeing you at the other places, you know, because I've always looked at over
and looked at your different sculptures.
MR. DURLACHER-Let's see. This summer I've done like, let's see, four, three or four carvings.
MR. MAGOWAN-All right. So on a worst case scenario, seven carvings at the most?
MR. DURLACHER-Yes, probably. I mean, I hate to limit it, but, what, over like just the
summertime?
MR. MAGOWAN-Yes, because, I mean, what is your season? Because, you know, sounds
going to travel more once the leaves are down.
MR. DURLACHER-Right. Well, again, most of what I do is on site work, that's what I prefer to
do.
MR. MAGOWAN-Well, it's easier to move them that way, too. I mean, get the stump there and
then carve it.
MR. DURLACHER-No, the stump is already there, the stump is already in the ground. I mean,
like this carving here, which was done, do you have these?
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
MR. MAGOWAN-Yes.
MR. DURLACHER-Which was done up in Bolton Landing, and I have one up by the Sagamore.
That's usually what I do, but as far as, it's hard to put an actual number on it. Because
sometimes they're smaller and I don't use the chainsaw but for five minutes. So there's actually
a, there's this horse sculpture and it's 90% by hand.
MR. MAGOWAN-But you'll say the majority of the large projects will not be on site then?
MR. DURLACHER-Correct. I don't make big bears for people to take away.
MR. HUNSINGER-So you said you prefer to use electric grinders and shapers. Is there
electricity on site?
MR. DURLACHER-I have a, there's no electricity on site. I'm going to be working with the
landlord to get a line to come in, but I also have a little generator.
MR. HUNSINGER-How loud's the generator?
MR. DURLACHER-Not loud, just one of those little quiet things.
MR. HUNSINGER-Because that was the other thing we kind of talked about at the last meeting,
you know.
MR. MAGOWAN-Is it a Honda four stroke?
MR. DURLACHER-What's that?
MR. MAGOWAN-A Honda four stroke?
MR. DURLACHER-It's a Honda. I don't know what, you know, but I'm planning to just have a
line brought in so I can have lighting and once I get approval for the tent I want to put some
lighting out on the sculptures so that you can see them at night.
MR. SCHONEWOLF-What was the hand tool you were using for the fine carving, was that a
Dremel?
MR. DURLACHER-Sometimes Dremel hand chisels, mallet and chisels, because you have the
control. Dremel's are good, too. It just really depends what you're using it for. I have to use like
dye grinders and these other, like a circular grinder which is good for like making muscles.
MR. SIPP-How old are these saws? What's the age on them?
MR. DURLACHER-How old are the saws? They're about, like one's a year old and the other
ones are a year or two old.
MR. SIPP-After three or four years.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes, they kind of seize up after, you know, because the ones that I have are
not made for what I do. They're not professional saws.
MR. SIPP-Yes, the only thing that the EPA is after is that anybody operating a saw has ear
protection.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes.
MR. SIPP-Because the newer ones are quite, they get into the 75 decibels.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes, well, I wear ear protection. I have these, actually stuff like sawdust, like
big painters masks to, you know, to prevent, you know, I don't want to inhale sawdust.
MR. HUNSINGER-Other questions, comments from the Board? We do have a public hearing
scheduled this evening. Is there anyone, were you here to speak at the public hearing? Yes.
Anyone wishing to address the Board, I would ask that you direct your comments to the Board.
If you could state your name for the record into the microphone. We do tape the meeting and
then the tape is used to transcribe the minutes. So if you could speak clearly into the
microphone and address your comments to the Board. Ma'am do you want to be first? Good
evening.
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
PUBLIC HEARING OPEN
LINDA MC NULTY
MRS. MC NULTY-Good evening. I'm Linda McNulty. I have one more page of signatures to go
with the petition that we have.
MR. HUNSINGER-Okay. Why don't you start it down there. We can all look at it and we'll give
to Staff for the record.
MRS. MC NULTY-We live at 14 Twicwood Lane. We also own the Lot 16 Twicwood Lane. I
would like to have you keep in mind that there were comments at the June 21St public hearing
regarding the fact this should be going into an industrial area not next to a residential area. The
fact that there's 400 feet of woods is incorrect. There may be, on that particular lot, I don't know
how much clearing is going to have to be done on that lot in order to accommodate this project.
We have approximately 100 feet behind our two lots, and the businesses on the back side of our
lots. We abut the Sutton's property and the Audio sound place. It really is not something that I
want to listen to, whether it's from eleven o'clock in the morning until three o'clock in the
afternoon or however many hours. They're hours that I would like to be out in my yard
gardening or sitting on my deck reading and not have to listen to this noise. It's absolutely
ridiculous the amount of invasion we've had and the lowering of our property values because of
the noise in there. This would be just one more, and as far as working on large sculptures, he
does. He had a crane that brought in probably about a 10 foot high log and worked on it across
from Wal-Mart. I had often wondered how he got the large ones in there, and I happen to by
going by one day. So he does do extensive carving. It's one thing to listen to it for a part of a
day, for one day only. It's another thing to have it frequently or even infrequently but on a
regular basis. So I really would like to see the Town direct him to a non-residential area. Thank
you.
MR. HUNSINGER-Thank you. Anyone else? Anyone else that wanted to address the Board?
Any written comments, Keith?
MR. OBORNE-Yes, I do have a citizen's petition. "This petition signed by residents in the
Twicwood neighborhood in the Town of Queensbury, the area most affected by the proposal
under review, respectfully request the Queensbury Planning Board to reject the business plan
embodied in `Site Plan No. 33-2012 SEAR Type 11 Glen Durlacher' because of the threat it
poses to the level of peace and tranquility expected and currently enjoyed within their
community." (lost word) that portion of the citizen's petition I count 58 signatures on this, and
then you'd add whatever is there to that. Let me make sure I don't have any others. I believe
this is it, and that's all I have.
MR. HUNSINGER-Okay. Thank you. If no one else wants to comment, I will then conclude the
hearing for this evening.
MR. DURLACHER-Unfortunately I wasn't here to address the concerns before, but how did they
know what chainsaws I use and so they're getting, acting on a petition that they don't really
know what size saws that he used. There's so many, you know, again, there's probably, it looks
to me like 300 feet of woods, and so they got a petition together without really having any
knowledge as to what I was using. What if I used, I happen to use these grinders all the time,
you know, a lot. So if I was, you know, I could see if there were houses right behind it and I was
using the big saw all the time, and still, like the businesses, you know, reiterate that when I was
at 894 State Route 9 there were businesses all around me that were there all the time without
really ever being a complaint, and the gal, I forgot her name, but she talked about this big tree
that I used. In fact, that, the tree doesn't mean you're using a large saw. In fact, that tree that I
carved was with that saw there. It was a face on, you know, so.
MR. FORD-Glenn, could you address the issue of, will there be clearing on the lot at this point?
MR. DURLACHER-There will be absolutely no clearing on the lot. There's no clearing on the
lot. I'm going to make a display in the front, just decorate it nice so you can set the sculptures
out.
MR. FORD-No brush will be cut, no trees will be cut?
MR. DURLACHER-No trees will be cut, unless I run out of wood. No, but, I mean, but the front
area will be a display like in the picture where it was on Route 9, just landscaped with some
rocks and plants and mulch and so forth.
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
MR. SCHONEWOLF-I don't have a problem, but I would suggest that we do put a condition in
that carving on, I don't want to say on site, because on site to him means at a customer's house,
but on that site, be restricted, be ended by five p.m. I think if you did that, nobody, he's running
a business just like everybody else is up there and he's entitled to run it and I know he doesn't,
from experience, just luck that I saw what was going on this summer, so I know he doesn't make
a lot of noise, but I think that kind of business I think five o'clock, normal business hours would
probably be a good time to end.
MR. DURLACHER-I really wouldn't have a problem with that.
MR. SCHONEWOLF-That's just my opinion.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes, okay.
MR. HUNSINGER-Any other comments from the Board?
MR. TRAVER-Would it be possible, on this particular site, for you to avoid having to use the
large saw? Could you restrict your work to the small saws on the site?
MR. DURLACHER-I bet I would use the, if I were to use the large saw, it would be maybe five
minutes every two months. It sits in my truck in case I have to like level or if I have a large tree
that I have to lop off on location, but.
MR. TRAVER-I'm not talking about on location. I'm talking about the area that you're talking
about here, the display area. Not location, but the display area. Can you avoid using a large
saw and restrict your tools to the small saws only and the electric equipment that you mention?
MR. DURLACHER-I can. I mean, would it be unreasonable like to do it like I might, I would say I
would not use it at all, then.
MR. TRAVER-Thank you.
MR. HUNSINGER-Any other comments, questions from the Board?
MR. DURLACHER-Another thing, the motorcycles going up and down make more noise than,
you can't stop the motorcycles and, you know.
MR. HUNSINGER-What's the feeling of Board members?
MR. SCHONEWOLF-I think you put those two conditions to it I think it's fair.
MR. FORD-Approve with conditions.
MR. MAGOWAN-Glenn, just so you understand. It's really not, you know, the motorcycles
noise, the chainsaw, like I stated before, it's really the constant noise that Twicwood has heard
over the years, and like I said, it's frustrating a lot for the people on Twicwood.
MR. DURLACHER-Right.
MR. MAGOWAN-That is, you know, that's always had to endure, you know, it's just frustrating.
You're coming in, you know, with a little bit more noise.
MR. TRAVER-It's a cumulative.
MR. MAGOWAN-The motorcycles are one thing. That's something, you know, that just
happened. The constant, like I said, especially with the go karts and that across. They ended
up changing some mufflers in the go karts at one time. I don't think they've come out with a four
stroke chainsaw yet.
MR. DURLACHER-Right. Well, I understand, you know, what, I'm about being polite and
considerate. Again, I was up across from Wal-Mart there and there were people all around. I
don't do it at nine o'clock, I wasn't carving at nine o'clock in the morning or eight o'clock in the
morning or, and what I'm proposing to do is I'm mostly likely going to be hardly there anyway.
So, I can certainly restrict.
MR. MAGOWAN-It's not, like I say, a day to day thing that you're going to be out there doing.
MR. DURLACHER-No, that's what I'm saying.
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
MR. MAGOWAN-As I understand you're just out there to present your wares.
MR. DURLACHER-Right, I'm not a chainsaw schlepper that sits and does 9,000 bears. That's
really not what I'm about. I'm more about displaying work so I can get on site jobs.
MR. HUNSINGER-Any other comments, questions from the Board? Did you want to put forth a
resolution? It's a Type I I SEAR. I didn't close the public hearing, did I?
MS. GAGLIARDI-No.
MR. HUNSINGER-I will close the public hearing.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
MR. HUNSINGER-It's a Type II.
RESOLUTION APPROVING SP #33-2012 GLENN DURLACHER
A site plan application has been made to the Queensbury Planning Board for the following:
Applicant proposes wood carving sculpture and display. New retail uses in a CM zone require
Planning Board review and approval.
A public hearing was advertised and held on 6/21/2012, tabled to 8/28/2012;
This application is supported with all documentation, public comment, and application material in
the file of record;
MOTION TO APPROVE SITE PLAN NO. 33-2012 GLENN DURLACHER, Introduced by Donald
Krebs who moved for its adoption, seconded by Paul Schonewolf:
1) Pursuant to relevant sections of the Town of Queensbury Zoning Code-Chapter 179-9-
080, the Planning Board has determined that this proposal satisfies the requirements as
stated in the Zoning Code;
2) Type II SEAR;
3) Waiver requests granted: stormwater management;
4) Carving is limited to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and only small saws will be used on 1048 State
Route 9;
5) Final approved plans, in compliance with the Site Plan, must be submitted to the
Community Development Department before any further review by the Zoning
Administrator or Building and Codes personnel;
6) The applicant must meet with Staff after approval and prior to issuance of Building
Permit and/or the beginning of any site work;
7) Subsequent issuance of further permits, including building permits is dependent on
compliance with this and all other conditions of this resolution.
Duly adopted this 28th day of August, 2012, by the following vote:
AYES: Mr. Schonewolf, Mr. Sipp, Mr. Ford, Mr. Krebs, Mr. Traver
NOES: Mr. Magowan, Mr. Hunsinger
MR. HUNSINGER-You're all set.
MRS. MC NULTY-I have a question. Shouldn't something have been put in that resolution to
address no clearing?
MR. OBORNE-No, I don't believe so. The site plan doesn't show any clearing.
MR. HUNSINGER-Yes, and he said there wouldn't be any.
MR. TRAVER-Yes, it is part of the record, the applicant stated there would be no clearing.
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
MR. KREBS-And for him to do any clearing, he would have to come back for a change to the
site plan.
MR. DURLACHER-Thank you.
MR. HUNSINGER-Yes, you're welcome.
MR. FORD-And, Glenn, our condolences to you for the loss of your family member.
MR. DURLACHER-Yes. No, thank you very much.
SUBDIVISION NO. 6-2012 PRELIMINARY & FINAL STAGE SEAR TYPE UNLISTED
PIERRE RAWLINS AGENT(S) VAN DUSEN & STEVES OWNER(S) SAME AS APPLICANT
ZONING MDR-MODERATE DENSITY RESIDENTIAL LOCATION WEST & EAST DRIVE
APPLICANT PROPOSES SUBDIVISION OF A 0.71 ACRE PARCEL INTO TWO LOTS OF 0.34
AND 0.37 ACRES. SUBDIVISION OF LAND REQUIRES PLANNING BOARD REVIEW AND
APPROVAL. CROSS REFERENCE AV 31-12 LOT SIZE 0.71 ACRES TAX MAP NO.
308.12-1-8 SECTION CHAPTER A-183
MATT STEVES, REPRESENTING APPLICANT, PRESENT
MR. HUNSINGER-Keith?
MR. OBORNE-Yes. This is subdivision basically now on East and West Drive. This is
Preliminary and Final subdivision, Subdivision 6-2012 for Pierre Rawlins. Moderate Density
Residential is the existing zoning. SEAR status is Unlisted. Long Form should be part of your
application there. Project Description: Applicant proposes subdivision of a 0.71 acre parcel
into two lots of 0.37 and 0.34 acres respectively. Subdivision of land requires Planning Board
review and approval. Staff Comments: Highway Superintendent has commented on the
proposed West Avenue extension, see attached memo for the Rawlins subdivision. The
applicant has requested waivers from Sketch plan, landscaping, clearing plan, topography,
erosion & sediment control and grading plan. Additional Comments: Location of leach-field on
Lot 1 should be denoted, if they haven't already. Endangered Species and Historic Preservation
documentation required. I think we'll discuss that, and house site location and drive should be
discussed as comments at previous meeting by the applicant's agent suggest changes are
required. Area Variance 31-2012 resolution is attached and that has to do with the lot size relief
that was required, as well as road frontage relief, and both were approved at the July 18, 2012
meeting, and with that I'd turn it over to the Board.
MR. HUNSINGER-Thank you. Good evening.
MR. STEVES-Good evening. Matt Steves, again, representing Pierre Rawlins on this
application. It's been before the Board a couple of times. We've gone through this. Nothing
has really changed. He did give me the information on his existing septic, and with any other
conditions that this Board may wish to impose on the application. We will have that on for the
final mylar for signature. It does comply with the setbacks of the existing lot line and proposed
lot line, and as far as Staff has commented on, we did get the okay, as we discussed with this
Board before, with the Highway Superintendent for extending the road. We set that distance at
that particular, I think it was 20 feet, wasn't it, Keith?
MR. OBORNE-Yes, that's my understanding.
MR. STEVES-And we went through, one of the questions last month, we were trying to get into
SEAR, and I don't know if Keith brought that up or not, was the fact of the State Historic
Preservation Office. We did get a hold of them. I forwarded the e-mail and the phone call
directly to Keith, that their position has been and always will be that they do not respond to our
letters if it's only for SEAR. Only if there's another State agency involved, because otherwise
they said that the thousands, when they get in, they would never have time to get through them
all, and that's what SEAR is about, supposedly, for the Board to make a determination, and they
said for a two lot residential surrounded by a mobile home park, they wouldn't even respond to
the Town at that point, that was quote unquote.
MR. SCHONEWOLF-That's how important they thought that was.
MR. STEVES-Correct.
MR. HUNSINGER-That was the big issue that we tabled it for.
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
MR. STEVES-1 mean, you can ask Keith just to make sure he agrees with my statement that's
exactly.
MR. OBORNE-It's anecdotal to a certain extent because I didn't hear it, but obviously this is the
surveyor for the project. I mean, he's representing the applicant and I have not had any
discussions, but it is consistent with what we deal with on other Planning Boards. They don't
respond. They just don't respond.
MR. HUNSINGER-Yes. Well, you said there was an e-mail.
MR. OBORNE-Well, there was an e-mail between, well that was for DKC, though.
MR. STEVES-That was for both parts.
MR. OBORNE-It was for both, which is in the same neighborhood, it's on the same road.
MR. HUNSINGER-Yes.
MR. OBORNE-So, I mean, we're kind of doing this joined at the hip so to speak.
MR. HUNSINGER-Right.
MR. OBORNE-And, yes, it basically states that, you know, we're not going to respond, and I
think it was commonsense, something along those lines.
MR. STEVES-Correct.
MR. HUNSINGER-Suggests we're not going to respond?
MR. STEVES-No, and I don't want to stay on the subject for too long. I sent them an e-mail. I
called them, they called back. They sent an e-mail to me so that I had something to forward to
the Staff, and what she said, it was a lady that's in charge of Warren/Washington/Saratoga
Counties for the State Historic Preservation Office, and said when they go through SEAR, the
way they look at SEAR is that the Board is supposed to use their approach of commonsense to
say that if you're, and this is quote unquote, if you were doing a two lot subdivision next door to
Fort William Henry, you probably want to have somebody come up and take a look. If you're
doing a two lot subdivision that is surrounded by existing residential and/or commercial
properties and the disturbance has already been in place, you probably aren't going to have any
reaction or action at all from State Historic Preservation and she said one of the things that they
see a lot of is that the structures over 50 years old, they're looking for primarily structures over
50 years old in the vicinity of the site, and she said that does not include older mobile homes
and/or industrial properties, and that was, again, a quote unquote.
MR. OBORNE-And what I do have, also, is a sign off from Jeff Hayden on the DKC parcel with
concerns to endangered species. So that's taken care of. The way that we're approaching this
is that they are adjacent to each other.
MR. HUNSINGER-Right.
MR. FORD-Right.
MR. OBORNE-So that's where we're at.
MR. HUNSINGER-Okay.
MR. OBORNE-1 mean, I would recommend, if you're going to go forward.
MR. FORD-How did you come up with this for DKC?
MR. OBORNE-What, the endangered species?
MR. FORD-Yes.
MR. OBORNE-Matt made a, he asked if there were any endangered species on the DKC
property up in Warrensburg, and that was responded to.
MR. HUNSINGER-Yes.
MR. STEVES-And the general vicinity, because we told them we're working on both properties.
(Queensbury Planning Board 08/28/2012)
MR. HUNSINGER-Yes, DEC's different than SHPO, obviously. I just find it kind of comical
because we had a situation with another project recently where, because of the SWPPP, it
mandates a response by SHPO.
MR. OBORNE-It does.
MR. STEVES-Correct.
MR. HUNSINGER-Which I always kind of thought was a backdoor way for them to require a
response.
MR. OBORNE-Yes.
MR. HUNSINGER-And then when we actually ask for it they won't give us one, saying use
commonsense.
MR. STEVES-And I agree, and like you said, I sat here in front of this Board last time and I said
I'm in the same position you're in. So I finally just said, you know, I've sent, over the last two
years, I can't tell you how many countless requests to them for SEAR determination and I've
never heard anything back because of the fact that they do not respond, and that was the quote
unquote do not respond to SEAR, only if it is sent by the municipality to them, and then very
rarely because of the fact that they only, really only get involved if other State agencies or
Federal agencies have to permit the project. Then they're mandated to look at it, then they'll
look at it.
MR. HUNSINGER-Right, and that is consistent with what they did on the Owl's Nest.
MR. OBORNE-Yes.
MR. HUNSINGER-They basically said unless you're using Federal money we don't care.
MR. OBORNE-Right.
MR. STEVES-Correct.
MR. HUNSINGER-1 paraphrase.
MR. OBORNE-The SPDES permit obviously deals with disturbance over an acre.
MR. HUNSINGER-Right.
MR. OBORNE-So that kind of makes commonsense kind of.
MR. STEVES-And that's what they were alluding to, basically.
MR. HUNSINGER-Yes. Okay.
MR. TRAVER-So for the questions relating to that on SEAR, we just say we don't know or we
were unable to get the information from the?
MR. OBORNE-Well, from a historic and archeological point of view, if you don't have any issues
with this, from that point of view, then, you know, you're fine. If you have issues, then the Board,
as a Board, should request that documentation from SHPO.
MR. TRAVER-Well, I guess I'm just wondering. How can we report that there's not an issue if
there's, you know, an archeological site there and we just don't know it? We just want to say we
don't know the answer to that question, basically.
MR. OBORNE-They're non-responsive.
MR. STEVES-I'm not going to tell you how to answer the question, but what they're telling me is
that what Keith just said. If there's an acre or more of disturbance that's going to be associated
with the site, then they want to look at it. Under that, they won't even look at it.
MR. TRAVER-No, I understand the procedural, I understand them not wanting to invest the
resources or whatever, but when we're asked a question for SEAR review, we cannot say, I
don't see how we can say well, no, there's no archeological, for example, issue there, because
we don't know. We'd have to say we don't know, we're unable to answer that question.