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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.27.2015 Planning Board Minutes.pdfVillage of Cayuga Heights Planning Board Meeting #54 Monday, April 27, 2015 Marcham Hall – 7:00 pm Minutes Present: Planning Board Members Chair F. Cowett, S. Cunningham, G. Gillespie, D. Hay, and R. Segelken Code Enforcement Officer B. Cross, Attorney R. Marcus, Trustee M. Friend Members of the Kendal at Ithaca Facility and Construction Team Item 1 – Meeting called to order • Chair F. Cowett opened the meeting at 7:00 pm. Item 2- December 22, 2014 Minutes Motion: R. Segelken Second: S. Cunningham RESOLUTION No. 153 APPROVING MINUTES OF DECEMBER 22, 2014 RESOLVE, that the written, reviewed and revised minutes of the December 22, 2014 meeting are hereby approved. Aye votes – Chair F. Cowett, S. Cunningham, G. Gillespie, D. Hay, and R. Segelken Opposed- None Item 3- Public Comment • No members of the public present for comment. Item 4- Review of Revised Grading Plan for Kendal Expansion Project • Code Enforcement Officer B. Cross informed the Board that he has reviewed project excavations during the winter months during which the contractor stockpiled excavated materials on the meadow owned by Kendal south of the expansion site. In mid to late March, the project became aware of an excess amount of excavated materials which needed to be accommodated and another look was given to the proposed grading of the south meadow. A referral has therefore been made to the Board to determine whether the proposed revised grading plan constitutes a minor or major change. • Attorney R. Marcus suggested to the Board that it should first consider whether the proposed revised grading plan requires the Board to revisit its previous SEQR finding. The Board should then consider whether the revised grading plan is a minor change and therefore does not require an amendment to the site plan approved by the Board, or, if the Board determines that the revised grading plan is a significant enough change to require an amendment to the site plan, whether to approve the plan as submitted, disapprove the plan, or approve the plan subject to modifications. • Kim Michaels of Trowbridge Wolf Michaels Landscape Architects informed the Board that there are currently four soil stockpiles on the south meadow. Three piles are topsoil and one pile is subsoil. Half of the topsoil will be replaced on the construction site and half will be spread on the meadow along with the subsoil. 16,000 cubic yards of soil were initially planned to be spread on the south meadow. Previous estimates underestimated excavation amounts by 13,000 cubic yards. The revised plan calls for an additional 5,000 cubic yards to be spread on the south meadow. 8,000 cubic yards of subsoil have already been trucked offsite. • Ms. Michaels additionally informed the Board that at least one neighbor living on Spruce Lane adjacent to the south meadow had complained about a wet backyard and questioned whether construction onsite has exacerbated historic water issues. • Code Enforcement Officer B. Cross told the Board that in his judgment construction has had no impact on the neighbor’s wet backyard. • David Herrick of T.G. Miller Engineers & Surveyors stated to the Board that a drainage swale near the neighbor’s backyard has been modified to increase channel capacity for rainfall events. • Ms. Michaels additionally stated that the revised grading plan would reduce the watershed area from the south meadow draining to this swale. • R. Segelken, commenting as someone who lives nearby, told the members of the Kendal construction team that the meadow is cherished by its neighbors and that the soil stockpiles onsite have been visually distressing to many. He suggested that informational posters including renderings might have allayed neighbors’ concerns. • The Board discussed the revised grading plan, its impact on stormwater management, and whether the proposed changes would require amending the Board’s previous conclusions contained in its October 28, 2013 SEQR review for this project. Motion: D. Hay Second: R. Segelken RESOLUTION No. 154 CONCLUSIONS OF PREVIOUS SEQR ARE NOT CHANGED BY REVISED KENDAL GRADING PLAN RESOLVE, that the proposed revised grading plan for the Kendal expansion project does not significantly impact the existing stormwater management plan (SWPP) nor increase surface runoff, and therefore the conclusions of the previous SEQR are not changed. Aye votes – Chair F. Cowett, S. Cunningham, G. Gillespie, D. Hay, and R. Segelken Opposed- None • The Board next discussed the degree to which the proposed revised grading plan would result in changes to the site. • R. Segelken stated that he was very nearly persuaded that the revised grading plan would cause no significant environmental changes. • S. Cunningham agreed that the revised grading plan would cause minor changes and might even improve conditions, but wondered whether, as the Board had previously approved a grading plan in site plan review, any change to that plan should be considered significant. • Attorney R. Marcus reminded the Board that the grading plan previously approved by the Board as part of its site plan review was a comparatively minor component of the overall construction project. Motion: R. Segelken Second: S. Cunningham RESOLUTION No. 155 REVISED KENDAL GRADING PLAN DOES NOT SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER THE PROJECT RESOLVE, that the Board recognizes that the proposed revised grading plan for the Kendal expansion project does constitute change, but the Board concludes that this change does not significantly alter the project and therefore no amendment of the site plan approval is required. Aye votes – Chair F. Cowett, S. Cunningham, G. Gillespie, D. Hay, and R. Segelken Opposed- None Item 5-Other Business • The next scheduled meeting for the Planning Board is Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at the Cayuga Heights Fire House. • Code Enforcement Officer B. Cross informed the Board that a possible purchase by a sorority of a single-family residence in the multi-housing district would constitute a change in use and trigger a site plan review by the Board at its May meeting. • Chair F. Cowett informed the Board about progress made by the Zoning Task Force in revising the Village’s zoning. Item 6- Adjourn Chair F. Cowett adjourned the meeting at 8:40 pm.