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Home My WebLink About2005-02-07 • 1489 TOWN OF DANBY SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD FEBRUARY 7, 2005 PRESENT : Supervisor Fredric Dietrich Town Board Members : Joel Gagnon, Norbert Nolte, Naomi Strichartz, Gladys Varona-Lacey Planning Board Members : William Farrell , Linda Hansen, Dave Mastroberti, Robert Roe, Olivia Vent Others Present : Crystal Buck - Tompkins County Planner Susan Beeners - Code Enforcement Officer Carol Sczepanski - Town Clerk Attorney Richard Stumbar Members of the Public : Donna and Ed Inman, M . Taras, Ronda Roaring, Mary Woodsen, Henry Peterson, Richard Ehrhardt, James Sczepanski , Carl Steele, Nancy Medsker Supervisor Dietrich called the Special meeting of the Town to order at 9 : 05 p . m . The meeting was called for the purpose of authorizing the Code Enforcement Officer to contact Tompkins County Planning expressing that the Town of Danby is interested in an Interagency Quality Communities Grant Application. Susan Beeners described a possible Quality Communities Grant Project that the Town of Danby may be eligible for. She asked for authorization to contact Tompkins County, the Town of Dryden and the Town of Caroline that the Town of Danby is interested in application. RESOLUTION NO. 28 OF 2005 AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO CONTACT TOMPKINS COUNTY REGARDING AN INTERAGENCY QUALITY COMMUNITIES GRANT APPLICATION By Councilperson Gagnon : Seconded by Councilperson Varona-Lacey RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Danby authorizes the Code Enforcement Officer to contact Tompkins County, the Town of Dryden, and the Town of Caroline that the Town Board of the Town of Danby has an interest in an Interagency Quality Communities Grant Application with the Town of Dryden, and the Town of Caroline for the Protection and Management Planning for "The forest Lands" Natural Features Focus Area. A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows : Gagnon : Aye Nolte Aye Strichartz Aye Varona-Lacey Aye I t 1 1 ■ Ja . . ! i I I 1 1i it . , 1 1490 2 Town Board Minutes Special Meeting February 7, 2005 Dietrich Aye Carried Unanimously Support for Town Clerks Supervisor Dietrich reported to the Board that the Tompkins County Town Clerk ' s Association has submitted a letter to the Ithaca Journal and to our State and Federal Legislators regarding the Help American Vote Act (HAVA) . He asked the Board to consider a resolution of support for the Tompkins County Town Clerk ' s Association . RESOLUTION NO. 29 OF 2005 LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE TOMPKINS COUNTY TOWN CLERK' S ASSOCIATION OF THE LETTER SENT TO THE ITHACA JOURNAL AND OUR LEGISLATORS By Councilperson Strichartz : Seconded by Councilperson Varona-Lacey WHEREAS, Tompkins County Town Clerks Association has sent a letter to the Ithaca Journal regarding the centralization of the voting process at the county level by transferring ownership of the voting machines and some responsibilities of the election process from the towns to the counties ; and WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Town Clerk ' s are concerned that a centralization of Election Day responsibility in New York will result in problems like those experienced in Florida, Ohio, and Nevada where elections are run by the counties, NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Danby supports the Tompkins County Town Clerks Association in their concerns about the aspect of the proposed New York State legislation to implement the Help American Vote Act (HAVA) and the centralization of the voting process at the county level A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows : Gagnon : Aye Nolte Aye Strichartz Aye Varona-Lacey Aye Dietrich Aye Carried Unanimously ADJOURNMENT On a motion the meeting adjourned at 9 : 45 p .m. 6beet0 avult) spm-2-7 -05 Carol W. Sczep . 's I , Town Clerk . 1491 Joint Meeting PLBD & TB February 7 , 2005 TOWN OF DANBY MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD and PLANNING BOARD FEBRUARY 7, 2005 PRESENT : Supervisor Fredric Dietrich Town Board Members : Joel Gagnon, Norbert Nolte, Naomi Strichartz, Gladys Varona-Lacey Planning Board Members : William Farrell, Linda Hansen, Dave Mastroberti, Robert Roe, Olivia Vent Others Present : Crystal Buck - Tompkins County Planner Susan Beeners - Code Enforcement Officer Carol Sczepanski - Town Clerk Attorney Richard Stumbar Members of the Public : Donna and Ed Inman, M . Taras, Ronda Roaring, Mary Woodsen, Henry Peterson, Richard Ehrhardt, James Sczepanski , Carl Steele, Nancy Medsker Supervisor Dietrich called the meeting to order at 7 : 05 p . m . and announced that the presentation is for the Town Board and the Planning Board to receive information on the Proposed Subdivision Revisions that have been presented by the Comprehensive Plan Task Force. The public may also make comments and ask questions . The end result is to move this process along. Crystal Buck reported that the Task Force has been working on the revisions since May 2004 and there is still a lot of work to do . The additional work will include : an affordable housing ordinance, a stormwater ordinance and the hamlet strategic planning . Crystal gave an overview of the proposed amendments and described the zones that would be impacted by the proposed changes, lot area descriptions and how parcels could be subdivided. The subdivision regulations were described by types of subdivision in all zones and included what would be required for application for standard subdivision and ministerial subdivision. Susan Beeners said that the major change that she and Crystal recommend (this was a unanimous opinion of the Planning Board) was to remove the medium density zone from the 60% conservation area and also from that formula. Some of the reasons are that the Comprehensive Plan ' s objective is to concentrate development in and near the hamlets . What is on the work plan is to conduct some sort of studies of the hamlet. Virtually none of the land in the medium density zone has any real frontage . The boards discussed the proposal as presented and made suggestions for a few changes . 1 . To increase the hamlet area to allow for both low income housing, businesses , etc . 2 . Bob Roe, Planning Board Chairperson said that there were two issues that the Planning Board was unanimous about . 1 . Concerns that the medium density and the fact that by disregarding the medium density it basically sets Comprehensive Plan as it is now organized and fractures the hamlet approach . 2) By micro managing the development in the Town we are creating a burdensome load of work . Currently the Town Board is prevetting applications before they come to the Planning Board . This will continue under this new set of regulations so that the workload becomes manageable . (You are working with a board of volunteers . ) 3) The next topic on the Task Force is low income housing and how to provide for a low t I ilkk._, i 1 1 : ( H . ; HI l 1492 2 Joint Meeting PLBD & TB February 7 , 2005 income community. 4) Somebody is going to have to pay for 60% conservation zone. 5 ) If you have to buy a certain number of acres it decreases your chances of affordability. 6) The need for more input from the public to decide where the hamlet would be . 7) Notification of public hearings by applicant or Town. 8) Move along as recommended or change to what the Zoning Officer and County Planner have suggested. (Suggestion is that we exclude the medium density zone . Councilperson Gagnon commented on what the Town is trying to accomplish and the impacts on affordability and on land owners equity. The overall objective is to try to reduce the density further on the perimeters of the Town and focus the development in the middle of the Town. That objective has a cost in terms of reducing the availability of land and that has an effect on affordability. It will make lands in those parts of Town over time more expensive than it is now . What we are proposing to do is to meaningfully expand the opportunities in the hamlets and to do what we can to come up with a strategic plan for the hamlets that will enable higher densities with smaller lots for affordability. Crystal asked the Boards if they could take what is currently proposed by the Town Board and move it forward. Attorney Richard Stumbar reported to the board on possible legal issues with the proposed changes should the ordinance be challenged in court. He suggested that the Town propose a larger hamlet area. The Town Board at this time is taking no action on the proposed revisions to the Subdivision regulations . Susan Beeners said that Task Force needs direction from the Town Board as to where we should go from here. Should this be referred back to the Task Force for a recommendation on the medium density issue, public notification, and affordable housing. You are looking for a further revised draft . The meeting ended at 9 : 05 p . m . and the Board moved to a Special Meeting of the Board. It was the consensus of the group that the Task Force take up issue of the medium density zone at its February 9 , 2005 meeting and try to develop a compromise that would put part of the existing medium density zone into low density but keep part of it in areas where it might become part of hamlet growth zones . (ail) a ski Carol W . Sczepa ski, Town Clerk plbd-tb2 - 7 . 05