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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 08 August Newsletter August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 1 Danby Town News Public Hearing Monday, August 4, 2025 at 6pm In person or by Zoom The town board is requesting feedback on their recent vote ordering the demolition of the deteriorating house at 1840 Danby Road. More information is on the next page. West Danby Picnic Saturday, August 16th at 4:30 pm Details on p.6 After the mighty storms that hit Danby on Sunday, July 13th (during which our lifeguard had to close) our water sample had a high bacteria count. We posted caution signs as a result. The new sample we took later was okay. If we have to close swimming, signs will be posted on the bulletin board near the restrooms, except for closing due to rain which should be obvious. Otherwise, enjoy fishing, picnicking, boating and birdwatching at Jennings Pond! Jennings Pond News Mary Ann Kozak Jennings Pond Swimming up & running Jennings Pond, right off Bald Hill Road, is open for free swimming on Wednesday through Sunday from 12 to 6 pm until Labor Day. August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 2 Notes from the Town Supervisor Joel Gagno n For what is normally a fairly quiet time of year there is quite a lot happening! Town Board Seeks Public Comment on Joint Safety Action Plan Danby is one of several Tompkins County Municipalities participating in a study of transportation hazards and their potential for mitigation. The result of this study is a Joint Safety Action Plan. Two priority sites were selected for each municipality. In Danby they are the intersection of Station Road and Maple Avenue with 34/96 and Danby Road from Miller Road to Michigan Hollow Road. Even though the report is now in its final form, the details of the recommendations for these locations have only recently been made available to the public. The Town Board would welcome your comments on the recommendations. The report is available on the town’s website. The Board will make note of the comments and use them to help decide which recommendations to try to implement. A vote is scheduled for the August 18 meeting. Policy Adopted to Encourage Deconstruction Over Demolition Maintaining buildings is the most environmentally benign use of resources and preserves both the embodied energy it took to build them and their contribution to the historic character of the town. When they are damaged beyond the point of economic repair o r there is a desire to replace them for some other reason, the next best thing is to salvage useable material rather than simply to demolish and landfill. The Board passed a policy in July encouraging disassembly and salvage over demolition. There is nothing mandatory about it. Salvage is often more expensive than simple demolition and takes longer, so doing it is a conscious choice to save instead of destroy – a choice we are encouraging. Town Board Orders Demolition of House at 1840 Danby Road. The house is next door to the town hall property. It has deteriorated greatly – to the point that the roof is collapsing. All agree that it is beyond reasonable rehabilitation. The Board voted in July to serve the property owner with an order to demolish. That triggers a public hearing, which will be August 4, at which both the owner and the public will be given an opportunity to address the Board on the appropriateness of the action. The owner has 60 days to complete the demolition, unless there is a good reason to take longer. This is the first of what the board anticipates will be a series of such orders to address numerous derelict buildings. It is sad to see it come to the point where demolition is necessary. Repair would be preferable. The town has been successful in helping residents get funding to make repairs. Petition Urges Action on South Hill Cider At the July 21 meeting, the Town Board was presented with a petition by nearby residents of South Hill Cider pressing for action to rein in what they allege has come to be more than a tasting room for the cidery. A commercial business of this kind, as alleged, is not allowed under Danby’s zoning, so its existence is only by virtue of agricultural activities in an agricultural district being exempt from zoning. There is well spelled out guidance from the State Department of Agriculture and Markets for what is regarded as agricultural activity. The town could respond in several ways and the Town Board will focus on them in August or September. August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 3 Committee Created to Assist in Evaluating Shared Wastewater Options The Town Board recently contracted with Hunt Engineers to create a map, plan, and report for wastewater treatment solutions for the Danby and West Danby hamlets. Before engaging them in that, a review of the recommended solution is wanted. That was supposed to have been a part of the original report but was not done because of time constraints. We have asked the County Health Department to comment, as well as the engineer for the town, TG Miller. In addition, a committee was created by the Board at the July 21 meeting to address the question: are the recommended options the best fit for our needs, and if not, what else might we pursue? We have some flexibility to modify the plans within the scope of the Water Quality Improvement Grant that we received. This review phase might well take until September to accomplish Gladstone Conservation Easement Accepted Andi Gladstone has donated a conservation easement to the Town of Danby for her Comfort Road property. Approximately 20 acres, it is lovely mix of woods and meadow with a rich and diverse range of plants on a gently sloping site. The donor has chosen to designate almost all of the forested portion an environmental protection zone, the most restrictive option available. Such a zone is basically a “leave it alone” zone. There are 4 possible zones in Danby’s easement template – residential and active use, agriculture and forest management, restricted forest, and environmental protection, in order of increasing restriction. The main thrust of Danby’s conservation easement program is to help keep land undeveloped. Donors give up most or all rights to further develop and the land is protected “in perpetuity”. Thank you Andi! Gladstone Conservation Easement Signing Ceremony At 5:30pm on Monday, August 4th, (just before the town board meeting), there will be a ceremony at which the Gladstone conservation easement will be signed and celebrated. All are welcome to attend. There will be light refreshments. Danby Youth Commission Patty Van de Bogart The Danby Youth Commission Cordially Invites You to Happy Hour with the Commission Thursday, August 21, 2025 | 6:00–7:00 PM Danby Food and Drink Join us for an informal evening of conversation, connection, and community engagement. Meet members of the Danby Youth Commission, learn about our goals and upcoming programming, and share your thoughts on how we can better serve the youth in our community. ✔ Discuss future plans and programs ✔ Share feedback on community needs and service gaps ✔ Sign up for email updates ✔ Children welcome! The Danby Youth Commission serves as the official planning body for Danby Youth Programs and oversees Rural Youth Service's activities. While we’re always seeking new members, this event is especially focused on gathering informal feedback and ideas from the community. If you’re passionate about supporting youth, we’d love to hear from you. We look forward to seeing you there! August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 4 Notes from the Planner's Desk Greg Hutnik I will be on paternity leave for four weeks starting in late July or early August. During the time that I am away from my office, John Czamanske, a former interim planner for Danby, will be covering for me. John will be working on a part-time basis, so if you need to meet with him, please schedule an appointment by calling the Planning cellphone at 607-592-0417 or email planner@danby.ny.gov. Planning Board On July 15, the Planning Board reviewed three development cases. First, the Board approved a minor subdivision of the 104-acre property at 64 Valley View Road. The subdivision parcels off a vacant 7-acre portion of the property that is bounded by Route 34/96 and Brown Road – this property will be sold while the owner retains the balance of the property. Second, the Planning Board continued their review of a proposed minor subdivision of the 3.8-acre property at 365 Troy Road. One of the lots will be less than the required 2 acres of the Low Density Residential Zone District, and the owner received approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) for a variance to allow for a smaller lot. A public hearing is scheduled for the August 19 Planning Board meeting to consider approval of the minor subdivision. The third case was to review an amendment to an approved Site Plan for the siting of a single dwelling unit at 175 E Miller Road. The owner proposed a change to the approved location of the single dwelling unit from 125 feet from the north property line to 90 feet. The Board approved the change. Lastly, the Planning Board reviewed proposed amendments to the Hamlet Zoning Districts, as recommended by the Town’s Regulatory Review Committee. After discussion about the proposed amendments, it was agreed that more work will be done on them before they are brought back to the Planning Board. New Youth Program Educator Jorin Clougherty I am over the moon to be the new Danby Youth Program Manager! I grew up on Yaple Road and was a participant in the program throughout my youth. I come from a background of theatre and creative writing, and am excited to create programs that provide opportunities for kids to try something new! In my free time, I like cooking, reading, gardening, and finding ways to be more like a happy little frog. Programming will begin in September. Any questions can be directed to jc3842@cornell.edu Be safe!!! When walking, pushing a stroller, walking a dog, or running on any roads, remember to wear reflective clothing and/or a light to help drivers see you. Thank you. August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 5 Notes from the Town Clerk Mariah Dillon Greetings Danby! Change is coming to the Town Clerk’s Office! It has been an absolute pleasure serving as your Town Clerk these past 18 months. My term will end on December 31, 2025. Blake Savoy, who many of you have met, is currently working part time in the clerk’s office, has attended NYS Town Clerk training (first of many trainings), and will be running for Danby Town Clerk in the November election. (Voter registration forms are available in the lobby of town hall.) I find it ironic that just as a new clerk comes into the position, property tax season goes into full swing. I will certainly stick around to assist in the clerk’s office in any way they might need. You will see my name on the ballot in November, running for a one-year term on the Town Board. I’m looking forward to working with a great team of board members. Change is hard, but a lot of preparation, good communication, and training can minimize disruption and make for smooth transitions. Dog Enumeration Here’s a word: Enumeration! The action of establishing the number of something. That word was new to me, until I learned about Dog Enumeration! Dog enumeration refers to the process of identifying and licensing all dogs within a specific geographic area. As we run our dog reports each month, we are finding that many of our wonderful dogs of Danby have lapsed in their mandatory annual licensing. (NYS, Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law mandates that all dogs over four months old be licensed.) Just this week we received news of a postal worker who was bitten by a dog in Danby! Unfortunately, we did not have a record of the dog’s rabies vaccination (sad situation for all parties involved). We commonly get calls from the Tompkins County SPCA asking about dogs they’ve picked up in Danby - and we have no record of such dogs! It’s upsetting to be unable to unite a dog with their owner. This brings me back to dog enumeration. It’s an expensive process and involves people going around town looking for unlicensed dogs. A fairly unpopular process. Let’s not go there - Responsible dog owners of Danby – please license your dogs! This will keep you, me, our postal workers and delivery folks, and all our beloved dogs safe. Thank you! Here if you need us. Please let me know if you have any questions. August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 6 Tompkins County Legislature News Dan Klein Roads Maintenance of roads in Danby is divided between the Town of Danby, Tompkins County, and NY State. This year, the County will be chip-sealing Comfort Road from route 96B to Jersey Hill Road, and all of Hillview Road, Troy Road, and South Danby Road. The roads that will be newly-paved are Comfort Road from Jersey Hill Road to Gunderman Road, and all of Nelson Road, It is always possible that plans for these projects will change due to emergencies on other roads, weather, and issues with getting supplies on time. The cost for chip-sealing a road is $15,000 per mile. The cost for full paving is $200,000 per mile. Both of these costs have risen sharply in recent years. Countywide, we will be chip-sealing 58 miles of roads, and paving 25 miles. The County also maintains 106 bridges and 302 lane-miles of road countywide. Revenue Despite the turmoil in the economy, Tompkins County’s sales tax revenue has started off 2025 surprisingly well. Revenue for the first quarter is up 9% over 2024. That translates to about $1 million extra. I have heard that the explanation for this might be that people are stocking up on goods in anticipation of the higher prices that tariffs will cause. We do not know for sure what is causing this phenomenon, and it will be the full-year’s numbers that will matter in the end. West Danby Community Association Peter Fraissnet WEST DANBY PICNIC August 16th, 4:30 PM Round out the summer at the annual old- fashioned West Danby Picnic on Saturday, August 16, 4:30pm, in the pavilion at the intersection of Brown and Short Roads in West Danby. Rain or shine (hopefully, shine!). All are welcome. So bring your friends, family and/or guests as well. This is a dish-to-share event, and already Tod S. has told us he'll be bringing his (now- famous) smoked pork. If you can, please bring a main course, side dish, salad, or dessert. Drinks will be provided. Also, if possible, bring a chair and your own place setting. If the weather is good, there will be badminton set up in the field. We're hoping to have an Appalachian music session happening on-site too... Especial thanks to Mike McLaughlin for use of the site! This event is organized by the West Danby Community Association with assistance from the Danby Community and Park. . August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 7 Conservation Advisory Council Margaret Corbit The Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) met on Tuesday, June 10 at 7 pm. Here are the highlights of the meeting. After working through the first agenda items, Anne Klingensmith gave us an update on the Community Science Institute’s creek monitoring work in Danby. Danby volunteers have begun monitoring and collecting samples from three Danby creeks: Michigan, Sulfur Springs, and Willseyville. We then reviewed progress on developing conservation easements at four locations, including one in Deputron Hollow. The Gladstone easement has progressed to legal review. Don Schaufler and his committee are working out details of the Timber Harvest Law with the Town Lawyer. After talking at length about the need to recruit monitors for existing and future easements, we decided to draft a handout that will be available in Town Hall as well as online. It will introduce a reader to the straightforward nuts and bolts of annual monitoring and provide contact information. Please note that monitors do not necessarily have to be CAC members and will not be expected to attend meetings, etc. The rest of the meeting was focused on prioritizing properties as we reach out to landowners. There are many qualities to consider such as proximity to other protected areas, size, landscape features, potential for protecting important wild plants and animals… the list goes on. And each of the members has their own interests. All of them are important to consider. Greg Hutnik is helping us by generating maps that provide as much information as possible. Our next meeting is on August 12 at 7 pm in the Town Hall. Community members are welcome to attend in hybrid fashion or in person, and a link for Zoom will be posted on the Calendar. Environmental Management Council (EMC) Peter McDonald As Danby looks to approve various significant construction projects within the town, it is good to remember that Tompkins County is rich in biological and ecological natural treasures, many unique. To this end, the Environmental Management Council (EMC) of the county has made a thorough assessment and an inventory of unique natural areas (UNA) throughout the county. This effort not only intends to promote conservation of these UNA, but it also serves to educate developers and property owners to the UNA that might be impacted by new construction. It is thus tailored to help people prepare State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) forms. These UNA otherwise have no regulatory designation. A copy of the UNA is available at the Danby Town Clerk's office (607- 277-4788). A brief presentation will be given on the UNA project at the Town Board meeting on August 18th, by EMC Danby rep Peter McDonald (6pm town hall). August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 8 Danby Community Groups Danby Community Library Contact: Cindy Parlett library@danby.ny.gov Open Tue 1-3pm, Wed 6-8pm Thu & Sat 10am-12pm Danby Food Pantry Danby Community Church Contact: Joan Barber Open: 3rd Thur 4-6 pm Danby Food Scraps Pickup Every Sat 9am – noon behind Town Hall Danby Community And Park (DCAP) Website: dotsonpark.org dotsonpark@gmail.com Thu 12/7 at 7pm Danby Rural Cemetery Contact: Sharon Boda Sharonboda@gmail.com West Danby Community Association (WDCA) Contact: Pat Curran pc21@cornell.edu Danby Seniors Contact: Pat Phelps patriciaphelps2.0@ gmail.com Luncheons: 1st Thur at noon Danby Tosspot (Open Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting) Wed 7pm - virtual Danby Library News Cindy Parlett . A new selection of Adult Fiction books have arrived from TCPL: Leaving Coy’s Hill- K. Sherbrooke Man’s 4th Best Hospital-S.Shem The Library Thief-K.Shenje A Stranger on the Beach-M. Campbell Basil’s War-S.Hunter Danby Seniors Pat Phelps The monthly meeting of the Danby Senior citizens will be held on Thursday, August 7 at noon at the Danby Community Church. Please bring a generous dish to pass with a serving spoon and your own utensils and place settings. Drinks are provided and volunteers for setup and cleanup are very much appreciated. We have confirmed music to be performed by “Patrick and Gary“. September 4 will be the next meeting. . The summer is half over! There is still time to challenge yourself to start a new series or read something from one of our talented local authors August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 9 Monthly Meeting Schedule At-A-Glance Group Day Date Time Call-in by Phone Meeting ID Town Board* Mon 8/4 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 882 2697 6101 905098 WDWD Wed 8/6 5:00pm In person West Danby Fire station CAC* Tue 8/12 7:00pm 1-929-205-6099 835 4940 5296 879507 FD Tue 8/12 6:30pm In person Danby Fire Station DYC Thur 8/14 7:00pm Online- kshanks@tompkins-co.org Town Board* Mon 8/18 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 847 9505 5187 308958 PB* Tue 8/19 7:00pm 1-646-876-9923 893 3897 1114 956288 BZA* Tue 8/26 7:00pm TBD 817 1432 4705 398041 FD Tue 8/26 6:30pm In person at the Danby Fire Station See the Danby calendar for the final, most up-to-date details. (Acronyms in the above schedule are identified below.) *These meetings are hybrid (i.e. both online and in -person at the Town Hall) Boards & Committees Planning Board (PB) Chair: Kelly Maher planningboard@danby.ny.gov Meets: 3rd Tuesday at 7pm Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Chair: Earl Hicks bza@danby.ny.gov Meets: 4th Tuesday, as needed Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) CoChair: Anne Klingensmith Jonathan Zisk cac@danby.ny.gov Meets: 2nd Tuesday at 7pm Danby Youth Commission (DYC) Contact: Kate Shanks-Booth kshanks@tompkins-co.org Meets: 2nd Thursday at 7pm Fire District (FD) Secretary: Sharon Gaden, secretary@danbyfiredistrict.org danby.ny.gov/depts/danby-fire-district Meets: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 6:30pm Danby Volunteer Fire Company (DVFC) Chief: John Gaden, jgaden@danbyfiredistrict.org danbyfiredept.org West Danby Fire Department (WDFD) Chief: Robert McCray rmccray@danbyfiredistrict.org westdanbyfire.com West Danby Water DIstrict (WDWD) Contact: Scott Wendt, swendt@danby.ny.gov August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 10 Meets: 1st Wednesday at 5pm Town Officials Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon supervisor@danby.ny.gov Town Board Meets 1st Mon and 3rd Mon Leslie Connors H Katharine Hunter James Tyler Stein Pat Woodworth townboard@danby.ny.gov Town Clerk Deputy Town Clerk Hours: Mon–Fri 11am–4pm Mariah Dillon Cindy Katz clerkoffice@danby.ny.gov Highway Superintendent Deputy Highway Superintendent Hours: Mon–Thu Keith Shipman highway@danby.ny.gov Jack Shawley jshawley@danby.ny.gov 6am–4:30pm Town Justices Court Clerk Hours: Mon-Wed 8am-11am Garry Huddle Theresa Klinger Diane Gair dgair@nycourts.gov Town Planner Hours: Mon–Fri by appointment Greg Hutnik planner@danby.ny.gov Code Enforcement Hours: Mon-Fri by appointment Steve Cortright code@danby.ny.gov Documents/ Historian Mary Ann Barr mbarr@danby.ny.gov Danby, New York From: 1830 Danby Road Ithaca, NY 14850 PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No.428 Ithaca, NY 14850 Phone: 607-277-4788 https://danby.ny.gov Welcome to the Danby Town News! Questions? Email us at townnews@danby.ny.gov August 2025 Town of Danby, New York 11 Bookkeeper Laura Shawley lshawley@danby.ny.gov