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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB 2025-05-27 att CB 2025-05-27 Final 1 CONSERVATION BOARD May 27, 2025 Hybrid Present: Gian Dodici (chair), *Steve Bissen, Anne Clark, *Jeanne Grace, *Andrew Miller, Nancy Munkenbeck, Craig Schutt, *Naomi Cator-Szymanski (alternate) Absent: Kate McKee, Tim Woods Liaisons: *Spring Buck (Town Board) Staff: Loren Sparling (Deputy Town Clerk) “*” denotes attendance via Zoom The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m. Review and Acceptance of Minutes RESOLUTION #5 – ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM MARCH 25, 2025 C Schutt offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that the Conservation Board of the Town of Dryden hereby accepts the meeting minutes of March 25, 2025, as written. 2nd S Bissen Roll Call Vote G Dodici Abstain S Bissen Yes A Clark Yes A Miller Yes C Schutt Yes G Dodici clarified line 119 in the draft minutes to reflect that the discussion centered around the planting of pollinator-friendly seed (e.g., milkweed and wildflowers) to help slow the establishment of non-native invasive plants (e.g., garlic mustard and knotweed). A Clark suggested that line 56 be modified to read that the Climate Smart/Clean Energy Communities Task Force will elect a new chair at its next meeting. RESOLUTION #6 – ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM APRIL 29, 2025 A Clark offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that the Conservation Board of the Town of Dryden hereby accepts the meeting minutes of April 29, 2025, as amended. 2nd C Schutt Roll Call Vote G Dodici Yes S Bissen Abstain A Clark Yes A Miller Yes C Schutt Yes Report: Agriculture Advisory Committee C Schutt distributed the following report via email to Committee members prior to the meeting: CB 2025-05-27 Final 2 The AAC met on May 14. A member of the Planning Board was in attendance to ask Ag Committee members their thoughts on any zoning changes they might like to see from the updates that are being considered as they relate to the designated Ag Districts in the town. Much of the discussion centered around densities for development. The consensus for smaller lot sizes is better to curb sprawl across rural areas of the town. When all is said and done, ag landowners prefer less control over their property by the town. He added that Committee members were concerned that large lot sizes and subsequent sprawl would chop up agricultural fields; farmers are trying to keep their fields as contiguous acreage. S Buck relayed that Zoning Advisory Group discussions have focused in part on providing more housing opportunities while preventing urban sprawl. The core idea discussed was densification by way of cluster housing. Instead of splitting a large parcel (e.g., 10 acres) into many smaller building lots (e.g., 10 one-acre lots), the houses would be clustered together on a smaller portion of the land (e.g., two acres), leaving the larger portion (eight acres) as open space or agricultural land. This model was noted as being heavily used in England and France to maintain open land for agriculture and nature while still allowing for development. The concept of buffer zones on waterways being counted towards open space in this model was briefly mentioned as an interesting question. Challenges to implementing such density were raised, including the need for sewer and water infrastructure, which is not widespread in the Town. The Ag Committee’s potential preference for this approach (more houses on a smaller footprint to preserve more agricultural land) was mentioned. The Board agreed to add cluster housing to a future agenda for discussion. Report: Town Board S Buck reported that there have been ongoing efforts related to Dryden Fiber, noted as being very active and time-consuming. But with a change in company, things will be moving much faster than they had been. In addition, a long-term member of the Broadband Committee is stepping down, and they are seeking a replacement. Bids have been received for the construction of the Rail Trail bridge over Route 13, but there is uncertainty about whether they are actionable or if further assessment is needed to ensure compliance with DOT. The Town is building the bridge with significant state grant money, and DOT involvement is necessary due to the bridge being over a state road. G Dodici inquired if Jason Leifer (Town Supervisor) had discussed a letter received from the DEC three weeks ago regarding the Dryden Lake dam. The DEC informed the Town that the design for the new dam is complete, but the new price tag is $3.4 million. The DEC invited the Town to discuss options. The previous estimated cost was significantly lower ($1-1.5 million). Two landowners on Dryden Lake have separately contacted Board members, stating they were told the DEC will not replace the dam due to cost, potentially opting to decommission it instead (some Board members expressed no issue with decommissioning). The DEC Division of Fish and Wildlife, which manages the dam, reportedly does not have the money for the rehabilitation, despite other DEC branches having grant funds available (highlighting the silos within state agencies). It was recommended that the Town Board openly discuss these rumors both among themselves and with landowners on Dryden Lake. CB 2025-05-27 Final 3 There was discussion about the dam’s original purpose (likely for a mill, not flood risk) and the potential environmental impact of its removal. The possibility of a different entity coming up with funding and directing it to the DEC for the work was raised, but the feasibility and potential red tape were uncertain. It was suggested that it would behoove the Town to reach out to the DEC to understand the situation and potentially explore funding options, especially if a majority of Town residents wish to keep or replace the dam. S Buck agreed to follow up with J Leifer and also inquire about how the Town’s existing recreation fund was set up, suggesting a potential model for a conservation fund to accept donations. Report: Environmental Management Council (EMC) S Bissen was unable to attend the May meeting of the EMC, which consisted of the meetup of Tompkins County conservation groups at Stewart Park. Other Board members were also unable to attend. New Business: Climate Smart Grants An email was sent out regarding the opening of Round 8 of DEC’s Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Grant Program. The grant would require a 50% match for larger projects (up to $2 million out of $21 million available), meaning the Town would need to contribute half the project cost. Smaller grants ($10,000 to a couple hundred thousand dollars out of $1 million available) for assessment work are also available, but the match requirement for these was less clear. The application deadline for this round is July 31. The Dryden Lake Dam rehabilitation was discussed as a potential project that could utilize these funds, but the Town would need to find $1.7 million in matching funds. Another idea that was mentioned was wetland protection to reduce flood risk. G Dodici asked Board members to bring up any further project ideas before the next meeting. The Town’s Silver Certification status was noted as potentially providing points in the grant scoring matrix. The Board discussed the possibility of a subset of the Conservation Board attending the next Climate Smart Task Force meeting (scheduled for June 17) to discuss potential grant proposals. The conversation then touched on the relationship between the Conservation Board and the Climate Smart Task Force, suggesting intermittent joint meetings to find areas of shared interest despite differing foci. Old Business: Zoning Rewrite Update and Cluster Housing Discussion N Munkenbeck raised concerns about trying to control how people do things and protecting good agricultural land. Discussion centered on what protecting agricultural land truly means, especially when retiring farmers may need to sell their land to developers. The challenge lies in balancing a farmer’s asset value with conservation goals or the farming tradition. From a conservation perspective, the Board generally supports clustered housing, as it allows more land in larger plots. Currently, as a general rule, the Town allows one house per 10 acres. Cluster housing (where you can develop a 10 acre lot with multiple houses clustered within 1-3 acres and the rest left as open space) is possible through variance applications. N Munkenbeck wondered who would monitor the conservation easements associated with cluster housing. Shared driveways and septic systems are also issues to be considered. CB 2025-05-27 Final 4 The Zoning Rewrite Team has asked its consultant to provide language on all of this; the Town Board will ultimately vet these recommendations. The Board welcomes the opportunity to provide input on clustered housing and its implications for open space. Old Business: Memorial Garden J Grace reviewed the proposed plan and budget for planting memorial trees at the von Engeln preserve in honor of Bob Beck. The location under consideration is a 0.1 acre section between the gravel parking area and kiosk. The plan involves planting 6’ tall trees approximately 20 ft apart along the edge of the grassy area (see attached). The plaque would be placed at the corner tree. Proposed native tree species include red maple, sugar maple, serviceberry, and swamp white oak. Swamp white oak and serviceberry were highlighted as potentially more unique choices than the common maples. Cucumber magnolia was also mentioned, but these are sold only in ball and burlap (as opposed to with gel) and are a pain to move and plant without equipment. The estimated budget for trees, mulch, fencing/stakes, and a bronze plaque is approximately $1500-$1800; affixing the plaque to concrete, granite, or natural stone will cost an additional $300-$500. This was considered a manageable fundraising target for the fall. The possibility of including a bench (potentially a simple, easily built Leopold bench or a more expensive composite plastic bench) was discussed, either as part of the initial plan (if enough funds were raised) or as a future addition. The history of the planting site was mentioned, with the possibility that it was previously a graveyard for farm vehicles. Fundraising ideas included notifying the Rail Trail Task Force, utilizing the Town website, a potential poster at Dairy Day, and ensuring clarity for donors on how to designate funds for this project if writing a check. Old Business: DRYC Update C Schutt explained the two concepts being considered for locating recreation fields on Town-owned property near the Highway Department, one that does not take into consideration the wetland buffer (Concept 1) and one that does (Concept 2). Both presented concepts involve adding a parking lot with approximately 25 spots. The estimated cost for Concept 2 is $1.7 million. A more thorough discussion is planned for next month after Board members have had a chance to review the study documents. There being no further business, on motion made by G Dodici, seconded by C Schutt, the meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Loren Sparling Deputy Town Clerk Species: (3)Red maple – Acer rubrum- $123 (1)Sugar maple – Acer saccharum- $123 (1)Service berry (A canadensis or A laevis) shrub form- $91 (1) Swamp white oak – Q. bicolor - $131 Mulch – no cost Fencing & stakes - $150 Plaque – bronze plaque - $500 Affix to stone? Concrete? Estimated cost : $1500 -$1800 total