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TOWN OF GROTON PLANNING BOARD
Minutes of Regular Meeting - Thursday, 21 April 2016 - 7:30 PM
Town Hall Court Room – 101 Conger Boulevard – Groton, NY
Members, Groton Planning Board (*Absent) Others Present
Edward Neuhauser, Chairperson Don Scheffler, Town Supervisor
Lisa Maloney Hahn, Vice-Chair Sheldon Clark, Town Councilman
Monica Carey April Scheffler, Town Clerk
Barbara Clark Robin Cargian, Deputy Town Clerk
Mark Baxendell W. Rick Fritz, CEO
Bret Wyllie Joan Fitch, Board Secretary
Leon Brockway, Jr.
Applicants & Public in Attendance
None.
REGULAR MEETING
The Regular Meeting of the Town of Groton Planning Board was called to order by
Chairman Ed Neuhauser at 7:30 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 17 MARCH 2016
A motion was made by Member Monica Carey to approve the Minutes of the 17 March 2016
Planning Board meeting, as submitted. The motion was seconded by Member Bret Wyllie Hahn,
with the vote recorded as follows:
Ayes: Chairman Neuhauser Nays: None
Member Carey
Member Clark
Member Baxendell
Member Maloney Hahn
Member Wyllie
Member Brockway
Motion carried.
This becomes Action #15 of 2016.
OLD BUSINESS - NONE
NEW BUSINESS - NONE
OTHER BUSINESS – CONTINUATION OF PROPOSED TOWN CODE CHANGES
Board’s Response to Proposed Town Code Changes by Town Clerk April Scheffler
At the Board’s March meeting, Town Clerk April Scheffler and Deputy Clerk Robin Cargian handed out
an annotated Land Use Table, Edits to Section 120. Definitions, and Edits to Section 406. Fees thru
441.18.Modification of Approved Site Plans, with all suggested changes indicated in red. The Board
was asked to review the proposed, with any additions, revisions, etc. to be brought back to this
meeting for discussion/submittal to the Town Clerks. Comments made were as follows:
Land Use Table – Member Carey brought up the N/A (not allowed) appearing on the table.
April explained that the N/A was added to “clarify the blank space” and did not necessarily
mean “not allowed.” May want to add electric charging stations to land use. What about
(T) Groton Planning Board Minutes of Regular Meeting 21 April 2016
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micro breweries; where does this go—maybe Ag/Commercial or Light Industrial. Maybe
another category? Definition? Could expand a category to include micro breweries.
Dryden and Freeville have something for this. Look to see what other counties have done
with micro breweries—Seneca, Tompkins, Cayuga. May want to add a separate category.
Chairman Neuhauser thought this should be put on the next agenda.
Definitions – Add “kennels.” Include other pet services under this? Pet facilities? Domestic
animal enterprises? Look up under Ag & Markets.
Section 4 – Change Review – Board liked what was done. Member Carey thought “site
improvements” should be made more clear. Discussed Site Plan Review. Don’t sign until
after Public Hearing/Final Site Plan Review completed. Process order discussed/confusing?
Paper trail is not functional (Member Baxendell). 441.16 – Expiration of approval – use
“one additional year” for any good reason (CEO judgement – Board doesn’t want to deal
with this). 441.18 – change of “modification” to “deviation” is OK. Okay with rest of this.
Site Plan Application Checklist – All okay.
Site Plan Review Checklist – All okay. Maybe check “signing/public hearing” order.
Boundary Line Changes – Robin and April commented on definitions – call it what the
County calls it—consolidation, the combining of two lots. Then would have to change
subdivision section. Board liked using the word “consolidation.”
Lot Size – CEO Fritz handed out a sample rough sketch of a 1-acre lot (202 ft. sq.),
indicating placement of well, septic, house, leach field, with required setbacks, etc., for the
Board to use in discussing size of lot. Depends on percolation rate for leach field location.
Layout indicated difficulty in siting septic/leach field if an installation fails (usually only
good for 20± years). Owners also add garages, pools, sheds on their lots. Using required
separation distances for wells/septic tanks can sometimes extend into neighboring lot. Lot
size should be increased to accommodate potential problems. Some towns use 2-acre
building lots. Lot size required by County depends on lot itself; we’re restricting ourselves
to one acre. Neighboring towns do not have it in their code that “it has to be a 2-acre lot.”
CEO Fritz stated that the Cortland Co. Health Department, and the State, are pushing “it’s
2.3 acres for a discharge.” Danby and Newfield went to 5 acres.
No Action Required.
ADJOURNMENT
At 8:50 p.m., a motion was made by Member Baxendell to adjourn the meeting. The motion was
seconded by Member Maloney Hahn, with all members present voting in favor.
Joan E. Fitch, Board Secretary Emailed to Supv., Town/Deputy Clerks, CEO Fritz,
Attorney Monty & Board Members on 4/27/16.