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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-02-26Planning Board February 26, 2015 Page 1 of 6 Dryden Planning Board February 26, 2015 Members Present: Joe Laquatra (Chair), Tom Hatfield, John Kiefer, Marty Hatch, David Weinstein, and Craig Anderson Liaisons: Craig Schutt (Conservation Board) Guests: none The meeting was called to order at 7PM Review and approval of meeting minutes from January 22, 2015: M. Hatch moved to approve the minutes, J. Kiefer seconded the motion and the minutes were unanimously approved. Review and approval of the Planning Board’s 2015 Goals: please see attached. M. Hatch presented the revised Planning Board Goals for 2015. The Board reviewed the goals and determined that they agree with the document M. Hatch presented. D. Weinstein offered the following motion: Resolution #2 The Dryden Planning Board approves the revised Planning Board Goals for 2015 as presented and refers the goals to the Town Board for approval. C. Anderson seconded the motion and the resolution was unanimously approved. Comprehensive Plan Review: Last month, the Board approved the idea of creating a subcommittee to discuss the Comprehensive Plan. During their email conversation, the suggestion was made to create a single list of comprehensive plan goals the Planning Board decided needed attention, ask each member to pick 2-3 goals that they have an interest in working on, and pair those with similar interests into subcommittees. T. Hatfield commented that he was interested in economic development – something that is not included in the Comprehensive Plan. D. Weinstein did some research and found several plans that discuss how to implement goals of sustainability into economic sections of the Comprehensive Plan. He will be forwarding those examples to T. Hatfield. J. Kiefer commented that after looking at the STAR scoring system that was used by Nick Goldsmith, he looked at whether the area of consideration has effected change over the past ten years consistent with what the Comprehensive Plan recommends. The higher score does not necessarily mean the area of consideration has actually succeeded. He would like to know whether the plan and the subsequent update to the zoning has actually affected the way the Town is developing. T. Hatfield commented that we might not have enough data to get an honest sampling. He doesn’t think there has been as much building in the past 10 years compared to prior decades. D. Weinstein said that people have been choosing to move out to more rural parts and we don’t want to write the plan to force them into the nodal areas. T. Hatfield pointed out that we haven’t had much large scale building projects (other than Poet’s Landing), in a long time which means there are a lot of one and two building projects. Planning Board February 26, 2015 Page 2 of 6 J. Kiefer pointed out that there is a difference between the plan saying important things and the plan causing important things to happen. Finding this information will provide the Board with more perspective. M. Hatch questioned whether or how the Planning Board can put “incentives” in the Comprehensive Plan. J. Laquatra responded that one of the considerations is water and sewer. M. Hatch wants to find a way to encourage development via the Plan. T. Hatfield returned to his belief that the IDA can be the vehicle to assist businesses to build in Dryden. An IDA has the ability to work with developers to bring more economic growth to the area. An IDA can encourage development by targeting certain businesses, lobbying for them, provide them with funding help, help with the permits, etc. The Town cannot do those things. J. Laquatra and M. Hatch advocated passing a resolution to request the Town board reauthorize the IDA. T. Hatfield pointed out that there is work to do before an IDA will be viable. Supr. Sumner is in favor of bringing the IDA back as well. The problems right now are getting someone to run the IDA, funding, and staffing. Tompkins County’s IDA and TCAD have not been supportive in the past. M. Hatch said the Comprehensive Plan is “gee it would be nice” but he would like to see more in the Plan to demonstrate the Plan’s vision. Some way of saying that this is what we want to happen and this is how we are going to do it. The current plan encourages folks to settle near the villages but there isn’t any incentive. J. Laquatra pointed out that part of the Comprehensive Plan dictates where people and industry cannot build – the Conservation Zone. (The Board concurred that this is happening any way). Supr. Sumner said that she receives phone calls from two businesses in the Town that cannot expand without assistance. They are sustaining but not growing. D. Weinstein thanked T. Hatfield for the use of certain words, including the idea that we want to maintain the long term goals of this community. This Town doesn’t want just any development but rather development that fits with what the people said they want – maintain the rural character of the Town. Supr. Sumner referred to an article she has recently read in which they explain that not all economic development is about creating jobs, sometimes there are other benefits. T. Hatfield pointed out that the Planning Board needs to look at the underlying infrastructure: sewer, water, fuel, energy…. We should be encouraging a mix. Solar is too unpredictable, and natural gas and oil won’t be here forever. A mix of sources is optimal. Climate and Energy – D. Weinstein and M. Hatch Economy and Jobs – J. Laquatra and T. Hatfield Built Environment – J. Kiefer and C. Anderson Education, Arts and Community – part of Economy and Jobs Equity and Empowerment – part of Climate and Energy Health and safety – ?? Natural Systems – C. Schutt and D. Weinstein Planning Board February 26, 2015 Page 3 of 6 J. Laquatra asked the members to bring back a draft with their information to the next meeting. If members have information to share before the next meeting, they are encouraged to contact the rest of the Board. D. Weinstein asked how many Board members can gather together without having to put out a public notice. 3 or less. It has to be less than a quorum. Reports: Rural Water Association: John Kiefer No information yet. Conservation Board: Craig Schutt The Conservation Board met on Tuesday. A lot of their discussion was regarding trails. They have a group called Design Connect through Cornell to work on the NYSEG to Varna section. Eileen Munch, the leader of the group working on the trail, came to the meeting to share her expectations and plan. They are considering holding a public meeting for anyone interested but specifically the property owners whose land the trail abuts, around 35 landowners. The Conservation Board has shifted their focus from an Open Space Plan to a Natural Resources Conservation plan. Ag Committee: John Kiefer The last Ag meeting was focused on getting the surveys out to farmers and discussing the public meeting to be held on March 11th. Planning Department Search: Marty Hatch The applicant for the Planning Department Director position will be interviewed tomorrow. At this point, only one person has applied but Supr. Sumner said that may be due to the job description which requires rather high qualifications. Date and Time for the Planning Board meeting: The Board decided to keep their meeting time and date the same. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:45PM. Respectfully Submitted, Deputy Town Clerk Planning Board February 26, 2015 Page 4 of 6 Town of Dryden Planning Board Duties and goals Date: 26 February 2015 1. Duties of the Planning Board: a. The Planning Board is responsible for reviewing and taking action on site plan review applications and most land subdivision applications. During the review process, the Planning Board is required to use the Town’s Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Law, Design Guidelines and SEQR as the criteria in forming their decisions. b. The Planning Board works on other land use issues including reviewing and when necessary revising the town Comprehensive Plan. The Planning board pays consistent attention to promoting development consonant with the Comprehensive Plan. 2. 2015 Planning Board goals: January – July 2015 a. Assist the town board in developing access to adequate planning resources for the Town of Dryden; b. Finish reviewing the Planning Department’s evaluation of the Comprehensive Plan with a focus on sustainability; c. Finish reviewing the Comprehensive Plan’s goals and objectives. d. Determine if the current Comprehensive Plan will meet the Town’s 5-7 year planning needs or if the current plan needs a partial update or a complete rewrite; e. If the PB determines that an update or a rewrite is in the best interest of the Town, the PB needs to first establish a time line for implementing the chosen plan and then request from the Town Board a budget to accomplish updating or rewriting the Comprehensive Plan. This should be completed no later than 1 July because the 2016 town budget needs to be formulated beginning in July and adopted by November 2015. August - December 2015 a. Ask permission from the Town Board to review ZBA variances, Town Board SUP waivers and Planning Board SPR waivers issued over the past 3 years; b. Then, if needed, make recommendations, to the Town Board for any necessary changes to the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Law or the Design Guidelines. (This would help reduce the need for future variances and waivers); c. Develop a plan for addressing gaps that have been identified in the Comp. Plan; d. Develop a plan and bid documents for implementing projects concerning the Comp. Plan and other planning initiatives in the areas discussed above that are authorized and funded by the town Board. 3. 10 year goals (2016-2026): First quartile (2 ½ years): Planning Board February 26, 2015 Page 5 of 6 a. Develop a process and a funding proposal to the Town Board for disseminating information on the Comprehensive Plan to the public and gathering and evaluating public responses; b. Review ZBA variances, Town Board SUP and Planning Board SPR waivers; c. Hold a public hearing for updating the current Comp. Plan, (if an update is deemed necessary). Second quartile (2 ½ years): a. Update the Zoning Ordinance to make it compatible with the updated Comp. Plan; b. Hold a public hearing for the completed Comp. Plan. Third and fourth quartile (5 years): a. Update Zoning Ordinance to make it compatible with the Rewritten Comp. Plan; b. Review ZBA variances, Town Board waivers, and Planning Board waivers. 10th year: Start a review of the Comp. Plan. 4. Chairperson: ___ Joe Laquatra Vice-Chair: Marty Hatch 5. Training plans: Each member of the Planning Board will earn 4 CEUs through training programs available from the NYS Planning Federation, online programs, planning-related seminars, lectures, and workshops approved by appropriate Town Board officials, and those available from the Board Chair. 6. Scheduled calendar of meetings: 4th Thursday monthly 7:00 – 9:00 (current); 2nd Thursday monthly 5:30-7:30 (proposed) Standard agendas items: a. Welcome; introductions of guests and public (if any); b. Review and adjust agenda; c. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting; d. Public comment (at the discretion of the chair); e. Reports from liaisons to the PB from other boards and committees; f. Old business; g. New business; h. Adjournment. 7. Meeting notes taken and distributed by: Erin Bieber 8. Web page for committee: www.dryden.ny.us/board-commission-list/planning-board 9. Town board liaison: Joe Solomon and Greg Sloan 10. Staff /public members of committee: Joe Laquatra, Chair 2017 Planning Board February 26, 2015 Page 6 of 6 Tom Hatfield 2021 Heather Maniscalco 2015 David Weinstein 2016 Craig Anderson 2018 Marty Hatch 2019 John Kiefer 2020 Craig Schutt Alternate