Loading...
2004-01-19 SP MTG4 232 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 1-19-2004 MTG. #4 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING MTG. #4 JANUARY 19, 2004 RES. 70-72 7:00 p.m. TOWN BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT SUPERVISOR DANIEL STEC COUNCILMAN ROGER BOOR COUNCILMAN THEODORE TURNER COUNCILMAN JOHN STROUGH COUNCILMAN TIM BREWER GUESTS: MR. BILL BROWN WARD I COUNCILMAN CITY OF GLENS FALLS I. HOWARD JOHNSON REZONING PROPOSAL Attorney John Lapper-Representing Hanif Khimani owner of a parcel of land between Queensbury School and the Adirondack Northway approximately three acres. Proposal-64 Room Hotel current zone RR-3A Requesting rezoning of parcel to allow for hotel. Noted he did not feel that this site is appropriate for a single family home. Hotel would be limited service, serve breakfast to guests, no other food or bar, would include two meeting rooms. Supervisor Stec-What is the elevation of the building? Attorney Lapper-Three stories. The proposal would generate sales tax and bed tax, it is not the type of use to put pressure on the school like a residential development. It would be a small traffic generator. Councilman Strough-I think that this is an incompatible use with the adjacent school and with the Northway being right next to it, I think you have traffic configuration problems. Not accounting for buffers or anything else I just don’t think you can fit anything like this in there. Supervisor Stec- Questioned if they had spoken to the Queensbury School and to DOT? Attorney Lapper-Noted that they had not spoken to Queensbury School Officials. Regarding DOT, the curb cut will have to be relocated, that will require a DOT permit. Councilman Strough-Noted that the school looked into putting an access area in that general area and they also looked at the State property and the State said no way. Attorney Lapper-With a school the school busses would be a major traffic generator a sixty four room hotel without a restaurant would be looked at differently. Councilman Boor- Where is the septic going to go? Attorney Lapper-On site. Councilman Boor-I believe that if you put a hotel next to a school you have prostitution and drug issues because you have kids right there and then you have right next door people that can come off the Northway get a room set up shop and do whatever they are going to do. I just think when you put them that close you run a risk of hurting our kids. Attorney Lapper-I can tell you compared to a motel style facility where you have doorways to every room from the parking lot this is a hotel style so you have a lobby so everyone that goes in has to go by the front desk. I would think that if someone wanted to commit crimes they would probably pick a more remote location than something that is so public as this. Noted the Ramada Inn is around the corner and I do not think they have those kinds of problems. Councilman Turner-How long has your client owned the land? Mr. Khimani-About twelve years. Attorney Lapper-I am wondering if John and Roger’s issues are the kind of issues that 233 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 1-19-2004 MTG. #4 we can talk about, talk about with conditions, talk about how the property would be managed get to the next stage, to talk about buffering and maybe present traffic numbers to try and convince you this is a low traffic generator. Councilman Turner-Spoke about the possibility of sewers in the area. Councilman Brewer-Questioned what the distance would be from the School and how it would be buffered? Asked that, that be plotted to show the Board. Councilman Boor-It is quite possible that this serves as a buffer as it is and nothing should be done with it. Attorney Lapper-This is a better opportunity to create a nice tax base on a parcel that really doesn’t impact anyone. Supervisor Stec-I certainly have concerns about any traffic to that intersection, I am not saying that I think residential is a very good idea either. You have a long way to go to convince the Board that rezoning this is a good idea, you would have to go through the Planning Board and certainly a negative recommendation from them would certainly for me, kill it. The very first thing if you haven’t done so and I gather you haven’t, the school is your neighbor and of course the school doesn’t want to be inconvenience by what happens with this parcel. That is where I would say then some onus is on the school to consider buying that and then it is a dead issue. I think you are going to have State DOT issues and I would like to know what the State says before we entertain rezoning this. You need to know where you stand with the State and with the School. Councilman Boor-If the school were to give a glowing endorsement I might reconsider but I do not think this is the first stop that you should be making. Attorney Lapper-I hear the issues, traffic, buffer and compatibility, we will talk to the State and the School District. Supervisor Stec-I will try and keep an open mind but John is trying to point out, again, at your own risk. Councilman Strough-I have been at it long enough and know something that is not going to fly. Attorney Lapper-I understand how it works we will get some answers and get back and talk about it. 2. DISCUSSION ON SOAP BOX DERBY Mr. Bill Brown Ward I Councilman for the City of Glens Falls - Spoke to the Board regarding the Soap Box Derby, …looking for a new site other than Murray Street Hill … We are required to have a track length of start to finish line of six hundred and fifty feet to twelve hundred and fifty feet maximum. We still need length beyond that depending upon the grade for run out for safety, a run out of about two hundred feet. The logistics of doing the race, the cars go down the track they are physically loaded on a trailer brought back to the top and in a sequence they will go down again up to four times. We need the ability to have a parallel access to bring the vehicles back to the top without interfering with the race. The wider the better for the lanes. Last year we had thirty seven cars, we had forty +- executing the race we had a team of six people from Rochester New York who had operated over a hundred races, they assisted us. The race last year lasted eight hours. We expect the thirty seven cars to return with an additional thirty or forty cars. Need room and time for setting up starting ramps and finish line with electric eye. We have generators, and we are financially and physically a sound organization. Noted the grade is as flexible as the length of the track, we do not want a car going over thirty five miles per hour. The national organizational sends out a representative to check for safety, if they feel we have created a unsafe 234 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 1-19-2004 MTG. #4 environment they stop the race and ask for our franchise certificate. The national organization we pay a fee for franchise they in turn give us a certificate of insurance. That certificate covers every driver, every spectator, every person on the team the Town of Queensbury, the County of Warren anything you ask for, for coverage. Would like to have twelve hours th blocked off. We have picked the 5 of June, we are flexible to go from mid May to near the end of June. We do not want to conflict with school being out. Noted all cars must come to a reasonable distance of the race site. We would have to store all the cars near the site the night before and they are put under lock and key, we have to make sure that nothing is tampered. They are all inspected prior to the race for safety and for certain physical requirements. Noted last year we had twenty five hundred people. Discussion held by Town Board-Councilman Brewer-Questioned if there are th any conflicts with the date of June 5? Councilman Boor-Noted the first locations that come to mind are County Roads, …other locations noted Bay Road in front of College, Jenkinsville Road that runs down to a Town park…Sweet Road… Queensbury Avenue by the Airport…The Board agreed that the Bay Road site would be the most conducive…Mr. Brown noted that if this site is selected that they would contact all business that might be affected. Supervisor Stec-Noted they will be looking at other sites… Mr. Brown-Would the Town give consideration to the use of one of your Recreation Areas for a permanent site? We would build a permanent track. Councilman Strough-Questioned if Mike Brandt would accommodate it at West Mountain? Supervisor Stec-Keep in touch with me, we will be talking with the County about Bay Road, how quickly do you need to know for this year? Mr. Brown-The end of February. Noted that they want to expand the program for Prospect School, build two seater cars… 3. DISCUSSION HEALTH OFFICER Supervisor Stec-We have not appointed a Health Officer for the year. Councilman Boor-Questioned if they could get a physician to volunteer for the position. Councilman Strough-Requested that our Attorneys provide us with the New York State requirements for a Health Officer. Supervisor Stec-Are we using the position effectively or as well as we should? We will meet on this at next weeks meeting. . DISCUSSION OUT DOOR FURNACES 4 th Councilman Boor-Is the discussion on for February 9? The health officer might be used on this situation. 5. GOALS Supervisor Stec-Requested that the Board Members each have a list of three large and three small goals to be reviewed at the next meeting. 235 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 1-19-2004 MTG. #4 Date for Interviews for County Supervisor Position and Planning Board th Position Wednesday January 28. Sent letters out to all four County Chair people of the four major parties soliciting a recommendation for County Supervisor and also to Town Chairmen for the Democrats and the Republicans. Noted had received letters from individuals that wanted to be considered. RESOLUTION CALLING FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION NO. 70.2004 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Roger Boor WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. Tim Brewer RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby moves into an Executive Session to discuss personnel issues and contract negotiations. th Duly adopted this 19 day of January, 2004 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Turner, Mr. Strough, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Stec NOES: None ABSENT: None RESOLUTION ADJOURNING EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION NO. 71.2004 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Roger Boor WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. Tim Brewer RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby adjourns its Executive Session. th Duly adopted this 19 day of January, 2004 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Turner, Mr. Strough, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Stec NOES: None ABSENT: None 236 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 1-19-2004 MTG. #4 No action taken Councilman Boor-Questioned when the presentation will be from Warren County Supervisors and Mr. Lamy regarding the North Queensbury Sewer. Supervisor Stec-That will be a workshop in March. Councilman Boor-Spoke with Mr. Huntz President of the Sunnyside Association also on the Environmental Committee Will promote the Hazardous Waste Cleanup and wants to get involved in roadside pickup around Sunnyside. Need to give these committees a function. Councilman Strough-Proposed a Community Development Committee where all the different committees get together as one, lets say four times a year…need coordination…I am working on this the details and philosophy and mission statement, I would like to see this done. Supervisor Stec-Would like to see on the web site when the committees are meeting and a list of their current projects…also would like all letter head and bills to state Town of Queensbury, Telephone number and web site address Discussed newsletter: quotes are being solicited for printing of the newsletter… RESOLUTION ADJOURNING SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING RESOLUTION NO. 72.2004 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Roger Boor WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. Tim Brewer RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby adjourns its Special Town Board Meeting. th Duly adopted this 19 day of January, 2004 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Turner, Mr. Strough, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Stec NOES: None ABSENT: None Respectfully submitted, Miss Darleen M. Dougher Town Clerk-Queensbury