HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-08-26PB 8-26-21
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TOWN OF DRYDEN
PLANNING BOARD MEETING
August 26, 2021
Present: Craig Anderson, Tony Salerno, Daniel Bussmann,
Joe Wilson, Linda Wagenet (via Zoom), Alice Green (alternate), Simon St Laurent
(alternate) (via zoom)
Absent: John Kiefer
Staff: Ray Burger, Planning Director
Liaisons: Craig Schutt (Conservation Board), D Lamb (Town Board)
Due to John Kiefer’s absence, the meeting was chaired by Tony Salerno who called the meeting
to order at 6:00 p.m.
Public Comments
Shirley Lyon, Mineah Road, read the attached letter. She shared photos of gyro boards. A
Green thanked her for bringing this information; she is on the Rail Trail Task Force and was not aware of
these gyro boards.
Is this a different location than the Route 13 bridge project? Yes
Can gyro board tires move on the stone trails? Yes
Is your primary concern the trail location in general? Yes, she is concerned about kids getting
into the industrial park area.
Jolene Lyon read the attached letter.
J Osmeloski said he has sent this board two emails (dated 7/31/2021 and 8/24/2021) that he
asked be entered into the record and is attached). He thinks the Town Board and Planning Board have
become ends justify the means boards. They put out misinformation and lie to the public and violate
open meeting laws repeatedly. He believes no matter how many violations they have or will have, if
they want it, they’re going to get it. He gave several examples such as the solar fields, the stretch code,
building and energy committee, and now he thinks it’s happening with the bridge. He guarantees there
will be violation after violation. The public is sick of it. It’s gotten to the point where it’ll get ugly for
everybody. Follow the laws.
Craig Schutt agrees the trail crossing at Pinckney Road is going to be a problem, as well as the
trail going through the industrial park. Who is going to mitigate the problems this is going to cause,
splitting it down the middle with a trail? This makes no sense. Kids are not going to mind everything they
are told; they’re just kids. He hopes the Town Board and Rail Trail Committee comes back and asks the
Planning Board for input. They keep talking about safety at Route 13, but they aren’t talking about
safety anywhere else.
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There was a thread of emails from the Conservation Board going around about the solar panel
projects. There were supposed to be tall trees and most of those are dead. The Town Board acted like
they didn’t care. He thinks the Planning Board should be thinking about this, because we all got
bamboozled.
J Wilson asked if there was missing screening toward the George Junior side of the solar field.
Yes.
T Salerno said this has been brought up at the Planning Board several times. He agrees this
screening is not what it was supposed to be. It has been brought up to the Town Board and the
Planning Department. R Burger said the plantings are not performing. C Schutt said it didn’t appear that
they planted what they were supposed to.
Village of Lansing has a developer fund the Village can dip into for situations like this. This is
something that could be looked into.
Approval Of Minutes of July 22, 2021
J Wilson emailed a short list of typo corrections to B Avery, R Burger and J Kiefer for the July 22
minutes. C Anderson also provided corrections as well. He also asked that the email thread be added in
as an attachment. The board decided to wait to approve the minutes until these changes are made.
May 27th Minutes
There was a discussion about email threads attached to the May 27th minutes. There was a
motion by T Salerno to amend the May 27, 2021 minutes by removing the email threads and reference
to them in the minutes, make a note in them that the emails were not discussed at the meeting were
removed, and amending the second sentence to read: C Anderson noted that pricing information
provided at the meeting by one of the consultants was later acknowledged by them to be inaccurate.
All in favor.
T Salerno states they are not trying to cover anything up, the email thread just should not have
been put in the minutes.
Town Board
The census bureau numbers came in. The Town of Dryden population from went down 530
residents between 2010 and 2020 according to the census bureau. There has been development in the
town over the last 10 years so it’s surprising the numbers went down. D Lamb and J Leifer were going to
take issue with the number but they need solid data before they can. Enrollment in TC3 and short term
rentals could affect these numbers. The census bureau did not adjust for Covid, so that could be
affecting these numbers as well.
D Lamb would like to see voting numbers from 2010 to now.
The city of town of Ithaca increased by almost 4000 people.
Planning Department Updates
Even though their schedule was light on project reviews this month, they expect a couple for
next month at the September meeting. There will be 2 special use permits coming before the Town
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Board in October. R Burger will be looking for site plan review recommendations in September. He was
asked about the Trinitas project and said he has not heard formally from Trinitas that they are not
pursuing a new proposal, and the property owner has advised him that they do not intend to proceed
and the owner may be bringing a new project forward.
C Anderson brought up the safety issues with Pickney Road and the industrial park. He believes
it would be negligent if it’s not talked about. This issue will be put on the agenda for the next meeting.
Route 13 Pedestrian Bridge
D Bussmann said that he has been asked by members of the public, as a Planning Board
member, about the controversial Rail Trail crossing that people have been picketing. He has had to tell
them that he appreciates their concern, but the Town Board hasn’t asked the Planning Board to weigh in
on this. D Lamb says they have a task force that is more than capable to weigh in on this type of thing,
but he also says that the Planning Board can look into anything that is in interest of them.
The Planning Board is going to ask Bob Beck to come talk with them.
S Lyon says she would like to see the Planning Board discuss the Rail Trail along with the
industrial park.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
Transcribed by Emily Banwell