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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-09-29Conservation Board September 29, 2015 Page 1 of 3 Town of Dryden Conservation Board 1 September 29, 2015 2 3 Members Present: Bob Beck (Chair), Gian Dodici, Nancy Munkenbeck, Charlie Smith 4 and Jeremy Sherman 5 Liaisons: Linda Lavine (Town Board), David Weinstein (Planning Board), Steve Bissen 6 (TC EMC) 7 Town Hall Staff: Ray Burger, Planning Director 8 9 The meeting was called to order at 7:45PM. 10 11 Review and approval of minutes: 12 No minutes for approval. July, no quorum, August, no meeting (picnic). 13 14 Citizen’s privilege: 15 No guests 16 17 Reports and Updates 18 Town Board: Linda Lavine 19 The Pinckney Road property purchase is moving forward. The owner has agreed to a 20 price and the sale is now under contract. If the Town had moved quicker, the cost 21 would have been lower. 22 23 Town Planning Board: David Weinstein 24 902 Dryden Road proposed development is still being evaluated by the Town Board. 25 There is concern that the proposed density (14 to 16 units) is too high considering the 26 unique natural area directly behind the property (Fall Creek and Park Park). The 27 official flood plain maps show part of the property in a flood plain. More modern maps 28 show the property is not in a 100 year flood plain; more information will be 29 forthcoming to verify the location of the flood plain. 30 The corner of Freese Road and Route 366 (Mt. Varna) is a dirt storage area right now. 31 The owner of the property pointed out that the soil comes from the Town and thus 32 should be kept within the Town plus the weight of the soil is helping to stabilize the fill 33 below the pile. The lower fill site is coming from ditching in the Town. Concerns were 34 expressed that the Japanese knot weed seems to show up wherever the Town dumps 35 fill. 36 The current laws require a SWWPPP if more than an acre is being disturbed. At Mr. 37 Burger’s request, the County Health Department and the DEC have visited the site but 38 neither found anything they could change. 39 Ms. Lavine said she has asked municipal lawyers what laws the Town has to adopt to 40 have control over fill sites. She was advised that the Town already has that power via 41 site plan reviews but the Board doesn’t feel the current laws/regulations permit the 42 Town’s intervention without construction on the site. 43 Conservation Board September 29, 2015 Page 2 of 3 Asbury Road has proposed 8 duplexes on one 5 acre lot. The Town’s zoning had a hole 44 that did not cover that kind of population density. The County Health department was 45 holding up the application but now the developer has withdrawn his application in 46 anticipation that the Town is going to change the zoning law. 47 The Planning Board has determined that they do not yet have enough information to 48 make significant changes to the Comprehensive Plan. 49 The Storage Squad wants to build a large storage facility north of NYSEG on Route 50 13/366. The buildings will be built into a slope and the applicant will have potential 51 water run-off issues. The Town Board is waiting for a SWPPP (Storm Water Pollution 52 Protection Plan). 53 54 Dryden Ag Advisory Committee: Nancy Munkenbeck (Craig Schutt was not present) 55 The Ag Committee is reviewing the survey results from last spring. 56 57 DRYC: Rick Ryan (not present) 58 59 TC EMC: Steve Bissen 60 They are working on a postcard to be sent to residents that have an UNA (Unique 61 Natural Area) on their property that has had its information or boundaries revised over 62 the last 3 years. The postcard will have a website that they can connect to for more 63 information but the website will not stay up past a couple of months due to concerns 64 that folks will use that information to find the location of rare plants or collector’s 65 species. After the website has been removed, the residents will have to go to their 66 Town for information. 67 The Sapsucker Woods UNA has been in controversy with Cornell but a discussion 68 meeting has been set up to hopefully resolve the situation. 69 The NYS Association of Environmental Management Conference will be held in Ithaca 70 on October 16-17. 71 There is a SEQR training on October 29th in Ithaca. 72 HeatSmart, Solar Tompkins new program, will have a series of meetings in each of the 73 Towns. 74 75 Other Boards and Commissions: 76 77 New Business: 78 Freese Road Bridge: David Weinstein 79 Mr. Weinstein presented a resolution on behalf of Chairman Beck. The County 80 Highway department has proposed replacing the single lane Freese Road bridge with a 81 two lane bridge. This bridge is one of the oldest bridge in the Town (possibly pre-1900 82 and has been rated by historicbridges.org as an 8 out of 10 for National Historical 83 Significance) and works well as a traffic calming device as drivers enter the hamlet of 84 Varna. In the Varna plan, the bridge is identified as a desired single lane structure. 85 Conservation Board September 29, 2015 Page 3 of 3 The Varna Association has passed a resolution requesting the bridge remain as a 86 single lane. 87 The bridge does not need to have two lanes; heavier traffic can cross the river within a 88 few miles. Experts have indicated that due to the high quality construction and 89 materials of the original bridge, a quality repair job will be better, longer lasting, and 90 less expensive than replacing the bridge. 91 Concerns were expressed about the lack of information available. Can the bridge be 92 adequately repaired? And the resolution does not address the cost of repair or the life 93 expectancy of the repair, only the cost of a new two lane bridge. 94 C. Smith moved to approve the motion, G. Dodici seconded the motion which was 95 unanimously approved. 96 97 Continuing Business: 98 Natural Resources Conservation Plan 99 R. Ryan is working on a trail guide. Tompkins County is creating an interactive 100 website for the trails (biking, walking, etc.) in the County. 101 Referring to the attached document: The Board agreed to review the Recreation 102 Resources goals and the ranking in general as presented by D. Weinstein. 103 104 Update on the Rails to Trails program: 105 Gordon Batchellor has retired and the Town is now waiting for the new person to get 106 up to date on the situation. The Town Board has not endorsed or supported the 107 Design Connect plan (Freeville to Varna) nor have they addressed the Conservation 108 Board’s resolution regarding the Freeville to McLean section of the trail. The Town 109 Board has not actually, formally charged the Conservation Board with the creation of 110 a Natural Resources Conservation Plan. 111 Suggestions: Contact the leaders of the South Hill trail and the Jim Shug trail to find 112 out the steps necessary to move ahead with the parts of the Varna to Freeville trail. 113 114 There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00 PM. 115 116 Respectfully Submitted, 117 118 119 Erin A. Bieber 120 Deputy Town Clerk 121