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Home My WebLink About2026-03-03 PB Final MinutesPlanning Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 4 March 3, 2026 Planning Board Zoom Hybrid Meeting Meeting Minutes March 3, 2026 Approved: March 17, 2026 Board Members Present: Chair Karl Klankowski, Linda Liddle, Jeff McDonald, Mo Klein Quorum Present Applicants Present: Andy Sciarabba, John Driscoll, Katelin Olson (on behalf of the town) Applicants Present on Zoom: Lindsey Dennington Public Present: None Public Present on Zoom: Brian Richardson, Andrew Yale, John Susek, Jyll, Marvin Pritts, Tom Richard Town Staff Present: Niels Tygesen, Lori Asperschlager Town Board Present: Elizabeth Weatherby Proceedings Chair Karl Klankowski called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM at Town Hall. Approval of Agenda Motion: Klein motioned to approve the agenda; McDonald seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, aye. Motion Carried. Board Member Reports Weatherby shared updates: •The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee is still accepting comments from the planning board. There are two meetings remaining before making a recommendation to the Town Board. •Town Board voted in the last meeting to work with the town attorney to develop a definition around data centers. •On April 11 there will be a State of the Town event at the fire hall. Approval of Past Minutes (February 17, 2026) Motion: Liddle motioned to approve the February 3, 2026 minutes; McDonald seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, abstain. Motion Carried. Privilege of the Floor No members of the public spoke during the privilege of the floor. Motion: McDonald motioned to close privilege of the floor; Liddle seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, aye. Motion Carried. Old Business Items MNSUB2512-01: Pritts 2 Lot Minor Subdivision, Final Plat Review & Public Hearing The applicant, the Town of Ulysses, on behalf of the owners, Marvin and Allison Pritts, applied for a minor subdivision for the subject site to subdivide the existing 16.58 acre lot into two lots, Parcel A approximately 1.37 acres and Parcel B approximately 15.21 acres. Planning Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 March 3, 2026 Motion: McDonald motioned to open the public hearing; Klein seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, aye. Motion Carried. No members of the public addressed the Board during the public hearing. Motion: Liddle motioned to close the public hearing; McDonald seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, aye. Motion Carried. Motion: Klankowski motioned to discuss Planning Board Resolution No. 2026-006. No discussion from the board. Motion: Liddle moved to approve the Planning Board Resolution No. 2026-006 A Resolution of Final Subdivision Approval of the Pritts Two Lot Minor Subdivision Located at 5230 Cold Springs Road, Town of Ulysses, Tax Parcel 12.-4-19.2; McDonald seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, aye. Motion Carried. SPR2601-01: Dennington-Helgren New Single Detached Dwelling Unit, Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit, and Site Improvements, Final Plan Review & Public Hearing The applicant and property owners, Lindsey Dennington and Kane Helgren, propose to construct a new ‘single-family’ residence, detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU), and associated site improvements. Andy Sciarabba spoke about updates to the elevation grading and site plan: •Adding a stacked stone retaining wall along the driveway at the base on Taughannock. •Cobblestone edge drain on the roof to take the runoff under the house to limit erosion. Will get these plans approved by DOT since it is in their right of way. •Site plan updates – ADU moved south, 41’ off property line. Sheds were moved 12’ and ~14’ off the property line. Motion: Liddle motioned to open the public hearing; Klankowski seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, aye. Motion Carried. Brian Richardson, neighbor to the applicant property, raised the concern that the notice mailers noted the date of the public hearing was incorrectly noted as Wednesday, March 3, not Tuesday. There were others who were unable to attend the public hearing event. The committee spoke and said that they would be extending the public hearing to the next meeting. Tom Richard, neighbor property owner, spoke about the 488 tax agreement they entered in with the state DEC to maintain the forested land. Mentioned to say there wouldn’t be an increased runoff from upslope because of those protected lands. John Susek, neighbor to the applicant property, provided written comments ahead of the meeting. Attached. Committee addressed driveway, no recognized stream, lot width and depth is grandfathered in, and a potential bald eagle nest nearby. Planning Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 March 3, 2026 Tygesen mentioned Single Detached Dwelling units or ADU are type 2 actions and do not require more review from an environmental assessment standpoint. He will contact the DEC to find out any additional steps to be taken regarding the bald eagle nest ahead of the next PB meeting. Motion: Klein moved to table the public hearing until the March 17 planning board meeting; Liddle seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, aye. Motion Carried. Klein mentioned the letter from the department of planning about the recommendation to limit the removal of trees to the property. Sciarabba spoke on the grading of driveway to eliminate the removal of trees and keep the slope safer and help with more natural runoff. Motion: Klein moved to table the discussion of Planning Board Resolution No. 2026-007 A Resolution of Final Site Plan Approval of the Dennington-Helgren New Single Detached Dwelling Unit, Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit, and Site Improvements Located at 1102 Taughannock Boulevard, Town of Ulysses, Tax Parcel 31.-1-7; Liddle seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, aye. Motion Carried. ZCA2601-01: Open Development Area Code Amendment Board members discussed Open Development Area amendments previously approved by the town. Klankowski recommended using those as a good starting point. McDonald wondered if it was best to wait until the revised comprehensive plan and potential new zoning. After some discussion, the committee agreed: •A blanket ODA resolution for the entire town for existing landlocked (both lakefront and non- lakefront) parcels that already have a residential dwelling on it and an existing right-of-way agreement. o The board could then define if a change to a property needs planning board review, or does it just need to meet criteria for easement access for EMS. •No new subdivisions should have any land locked portions with a right-of-way. •Based on a previous resolution from the Town Board in 2025, requiring the homeowners to have signs to direct emergency vehicles to the correct address and height clearance from trees for larger emergency vehicles. o A cluster of landlocked properties would make the required changes in the ODA, not just the individual property owner who is making changes to their property though a permit. Klankowski will put together more information on the landlocked properties and work with Tygesen ahead of the next planning board meeting. Board Member Reports Klankowski will send the committee members the current draft of the Future Land Use Map for review. Motion: Klein motioned to adjourn; McDonald seconded. Vote: Chair Klankowski, aye; Liddle, aye; McDonald, aye; Klein, aye. Motion Carried. Planning Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4 March 3, 2026 ADJOURNED at 8:03PM Respectfully submitted by Lori Asperschlager, Planning Board Secretary March 17, 2026 John Susek 1110 Taughannock Blvd Ithaca, NY 14850 February 26, 2026 Town of Ulysses Planning Board 10 Elm Street Trumansburg, NY 14886 Re: SPR2601-01: Dennington-Helgren New Single Detached Dwelling Unit, Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit, and Site Improvements, Final Plan Review & Public Hearing Dear Members of the Planning Board, I live immediately north of this parcel at 1110 Taughannock Boulevard. I ask the Board to address three threshold issues on the record before acting on this application. First, the Conservation Zone requires a minimum lot width of 400 feet at the front lot line and a minimum lot depth of 450 feet. Section 212 -160 may allow use of an undersized lot for a single-family dwelling, but it does not appear to waive minimum lot width or minimum lot depth requirements. Section 212-160(A) expressly requires compliance with all other provisions of Chapter 212. I ask the Board to determine whether this application requires zoning variances for lot width and lot depth. Second, I ask the Board to determine whether the drainage feature on the parcel is an intermittent stream. In the Conservation Zone, buildings, structures, paved areas, and construction equipment may not be within 50 feet of the bank of any perennial or intermittent stream. Finally, there is evidence of a bald eagle nest under 660ft from the project area. I ask the Board to determine whether further investigation is needed regarding the presence and status of the nest, potential construction impacts during the breeding season, and whether consultation with NYSDEC or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required before any approval or site disturbance. Thank you for your consideration and for addressing these threshold issues on the record. John Susek John Susek 1110 Taughannock Blvd Ithaca, NY 14850 February 28, 2026 Town of Ulysses Planning Board 10 Elm Street Trumansburg, NY 14886 Re: SPR2601-01: Dennington-Helgren New Single Detached Dwelling Unit, Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit, and Site Improvements, Final Plan Review & Public Hearing Dear Members of the Planning Board, I ask the Board to exercise its discretion to count the proposed parking area and the unnecessary bend in the driveway as part of lot coverage. These are not incidental features of a minimal access drive, but part of the project’s eﬀective development footprint. The enlarged parking area and curved driveway design increase disturbance to the site through additional clearing, grading, and surface coverage that do not appear necessary to provide direct access to the house. Given the purpose of the Conservation Zone to limit development intensity and protect sensitive land, these areas should be included in the lot coverage analysis. Thank you for your consideration and for addressing this request on the record. John Susek John Susek 1110 Taughannock Blvd Ithaca, NY 14850 March 4, 2026 Town of Ulysses Planning Board 10 Elm Street Trumansburg, NY 14886 Re: SPR2601-01: Dennington-Helgren New Single Detached Dwelling Unit, Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit, and Site Improvements, Final Plan Review & Public Hearing Dear Members of the Planning Board, Thank you for taking the time to address my concerns and for allowing discussion of the comments from my prior letters. I now have more precise information regarding the potential violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The evergreen tree with the suspected nest is located at 42°28’53.3”N, 76°31’58.5”W. Based on this location, if a bald eagle nest were conﬁrmed, the proposed building site would appear to fall outside U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service guidance recommending a 660-foot radius for permitting considerations. The only work that would occur within that radius would be driveway grading, which I understand is unlikely to be considered disruptive, given existing road noise in the area. John Susek March 3, 2026 Via email: planner@townofulyssesny.gov Town of Ulysses Planning Board Re: Project File SPR2601-01 Project Name: Dennington-Helgren New Single Detached Dwelling Dear Planning Board Members: We own 1099 Taughannock Boulevard, just down the hill from the proposed house at 1102 Taughannock Boulevard. We just received notice of the planning board meeting yesterday (March 2). We will not be able to attend the planning board meeting in person, so are submitting these comments by email. We agree with the comments submitted by John Susek at 1110 Taughannock Boulevard. In addition, we have the following questions and concerns: * Because of the steep slope, runoff and erosion are a concern. There is also an intermittent stream on the property. We worry that the house and the driveway will increase runoff and erosion downhill, especially in large storms. The board should consider a larger runoff pipe and drain to mitigate these problems. * No construction or personal vehicles should be allowed to park in the pull-offs on the east side of Taughannock Boulevard across from 1102 or in areas north and south of 1102 on the east side of Taughannock Boulevard. This is a direct concern because of the joint driveway between 1095 and 1103 Taughannock Boulevard. * There are two proposed sheds. One would be very close to the Black Diamond trail; the other would be very close to the property line owned by NYS Parks. We recommend that the two sheds be moved in 10 feet farther from the property line. * The narrative and the site plan for the project state that the house will be one story. However, the proposed rendering of the house appears to show two ﬂoors, not one. This inconsistency is a concern. If you have any questions, please email us at or . Please email us the board’s decision. Thank you, Steve and Amy Yale-Loehr