HomeMy WebLinkAboutAAC 2025-03-12AAC 2025-03-12
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AGRICULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
March 12, 2025
In-Person
Present: Evan Carpenter (chair), Doug Antczak, Steve Foote, Kim LaMotte, Brian Magee
Absentees: Austin Beck
Liaisons: Craig Schutt (Conservation Board)
Staff: Allison Kjellander-Cantu (Deputy Town Clerk)
The meeting was called to order at 7:37 p.m.
Update Planning Board Special Zoning Meeting on March 6, 2025:
D. Antczak distributed a handout attached for review, which included his notes and the
agenda from the initial meeting of the Planning Board Special Zoning Committee. The
committee will meet on the first Thursday of each month for the next five months. The focus of
the meeting was to review the status and scope of phase one, which is expected to take the rest
of the year. Committee members discussed Nan Stolzenburg’s proposed work, with several
feeling it lacked sufficient detail. The Planning Board ultimately voted to proceed with the
contract with Nan for phase one of the zoning rewrite.
D. Antczak is scheduled to attend the next Planning Board Special Zoning Committee
meeting on April 3rd. It was also noted that all communication with Nan has occurred
exclusively via email, with no other forms of communication that pertain to this committee.
According to the provided timeline, the agricultural section is expected to be nearing
completion around July, which coincides with the busy farming season. Several members
expressed concerns about ensuring the comments made by this committee are not overlooked.
There were concerns about the proposed large battery storage facility and data center.
One fear is the fire hazard associated with the chosen location for battery storage. There are
worries about the potential loss of agricultural land due to the solar project, as owners do not
want to sacrifice farmland for this development.
S. Foote, a member of Dryden Ambulance Inc., provided insight into fire management
based on his experience. When a lithium-ion battery, roughly the size of a shipping container,
catches fire, responders use a wrecker truck to lift the battery and place it in a portable pool to
cool it down. This process helps control the heat and manage the fire hazard, thereby
mitigating the fire hazard. There could be roughly several hundred of these batteries onsite.
There was discussion among members regarding potential crypto mining and data
centers. Committee members felt it should be in an industrial district. Mining uses a lot of
electricity; it was commented that it could increase the cost for all the residents in Dryden. The
consensus among the planning board and other committees seemed to be against these
facilities, with potential restrictions on kilowatt usage being considered if any were allowed in
the limited industrial zone. Another concern is that a large amount of water will be drawn to
cool down the machinery, possibly using the lakes, like on another mining site on the other
side of Seneca Lake.
After reviewing sections of the Agriculture and Markets Law, the potential impact of
zoning for farm employee housing was briefly mentioned as a relevant consideration. The idea
that "employee housing should be exempt" was raised. Two zoning issues that could come up
again would be agriculture and preemptive farm protection. The committee briefly discussed
the agricultural districts in the county, noting there are two areas (east and west of Cayuga
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Lake) and that the section on the map is forever changing. While a map was visible during the
meeting, it was noted that it didn't clearly show the actual agricultural district boundaries.
The large conservation districts have prompted some planning board members to
consider reducing the zone, as it is currently too restrictive and does not allow for adequate
land use. The zone should be “opened up.” However, this has raised concerns from the
committee, especially since a significant portion of the conservation district overlaps with the
agricultural district. There is a belief that too much land has been designated as a conservation
district. Additionally, there was a lack of specific details regarding which areas of the
conservation district might be targeted for reduction.
One member is currently getting their farm under protection within the county,
ensuring that the land remains dedicated to agricultural use for future generations.
There being no further business, on motion made by S. Foote and seconded by K.
LaMotte , the meeting was adjourned at 8:26 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Allison Kjellander-Cantu
Deputy Town Clerk