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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-06-20Planning Board Minutes June 20, 2024 Page 1 of 5 MINUTES - TOWN OF GROTON PLANNING BOARD THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024 AT 7:30 PM AT THE TOWN HALL, 101 CONGER BOULEVARD, GROTON, NY Planning Board Members Present: Planning Board Members Absent: Mark Baxendell, Chair Leon Brockway, Jr. Vice -Chair Monica Carey Dan Cerretani Lisa Maloney Hahn Edward Neuhauser Sam Rose Also Present: Alan Wilkinson, Applicant Andrea Wilkinson Brian Klumpp, Town Councilperson Old Business: RESOLUTION 24-004 – APPROVE MINUTES OF ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING MOVED by Member Rose, seconded by Member Brockway RESOLVED, that the Town of Groton Planning Board approves the minutes of the January 18, 2024 Organizational Meeting Ayes - Baxendell, Brockway, Carey, Cerretani, Neuhauser, Maloney-Hahn, Rose Nays - None Resolution Passed New Business: Purpose: Alteration to previously approved site plan for Rt 34B Self Storage LLC Applicant/Owner: Alan Wilkinson - Rt 34B Self Storage LLC Property Address: 974 Peruville Road (State Route 34B) Tax Parcel: 35.-1-25.2 Chair Baxendell asked Mr. Wilkinson what was going on. Mr. Wilkinson said that he is trying to meet a need. He has had requests for smaller units and feels the best way to meet that need is with portable, preassembled storage units. He wants to install three buildings that will set above a pad and are 50’ by 100’. Planning Board Minutes June 20, 2024 Page 2 of 5 Chair Baxendell asked what was being replaced. Mr. Wilkinson said that nothing was being replaced; this is an addition to the plan. The Board looked at the maps provided with the proposed buildings shown in red. Member Maloney-Hahn asked that since they are portable, what will happen with them should they no longer be needed? Mr. Wilkinson said that he couldn’t imagine not needing them, but they could be sold if he had to. They are built in a factory and brought here on a truck and set off with a forklift, so they could be removed the same way. Member Rose asked if there were tornado tie-downs or anything to anchor them. Mr. Wilkinson said the manufacturer doesn’t have that recommendation. Member Carey asked how many storage units there would be. Mr. Wilkinson said each one would have ten 5’ by 10’ units, which seems to be a very popular size. He was asked how many of the units from the original plan have been built and he said five. The Board again looked at the map and discussed where the current buildings are and where the proposed smaller units will be. They asked again if any of the buildings from the original plan are being replaced by the portable units and the answer was no. Mr. Wilkinson said that based on the letter from the engineer, Timothy Buhl, the portable units will be placed where there is already existing crusher-run gravel, and will be only 375 square feet of new impervious cover. There will be no change to any driveways. Member Rose asked again how big the structures will be. Mr. Wilkinson replied that they will each be 10’ by 50’. Member Neuhauser asked if there would be utilities to them. Mr. Wilkinson said no; they are just storage. Member Brockway asked the size of the permanent buildings compared to the proposed portable buildings. Mr. Wilkinson said “C Building” is 30’ by 200’. So, that is three times as wide. Member Cerretani asked if there will be exterior lighting. Mr. Wilkinson said he didn’t think so simply because they are moveable. Also, the lights on the backs of the larger buildings will provide adequate lighting. Member Neuhauser asked if there was any attachment to the ground and Mr. Wilkinson said no, they just sit on the ground. Chair Baxendell said like a tractor trailer storage container. Member Rose asked how much they weighed. Mr. Wilkinson was not sure, but he thought around 6,000 pounds. Member Rose asked how tall they were. Mr. Wilkinson said roughly 7 ½ feet tall with a slight gradient to the back. Member Brockway was looking at the plans that had been submitted with the packet and said it looked like they were 8 feet, 4 inches tall. Member Neuhauser asked what kind of door they would have. Mr. Wilkinson said they would have roll-up doors like the ones on the existing units and they would be the same colors. He also said they would be 5 feet wide and 10 feet deep. Discussion took place based on the plans that Planning Board Minutes June 20, 2024 Page 3 of 5 had been submitted that showed 10’ by 10’ sections with 8’ doors. Mr. Wilkinson said, no they were 5’ wide with a door approximately 4’ wide. It soon became apparent that the drawing of the storage units did no match what Mr. Wilkinson said they were going to be. He said he submitted the drawings from a different company to show an example of the type of portable buildings he was getting. The company where he is buying the buildings would not give him plans until after he made a purchase and he didn’t want to purchase them until he had approval from the Planning Board. Planning Board Members expressed the opinion that they could not approve based on the plans that were submitted because they were not for the right buildings. Mr. Wilkinson checked in his car to see if he had any other drawings. Board Members continued to discuss their inability to approve the application without the correct plans. Chair Baxendell told Mr. Wilkinson that he would have to contact the company and get the correct plans. Mr. Wilkinson asked if it would be possible for the Board to give tentative approval pending the submission of the correct plans. Chair Baxendell said they can’t approve it the way it stands. Mr. Wilkinson asked for some kind of assurance that it would be approved with the correct plans as it is an allowable use and they will meet Code. Chair Baxendell said they could not do that until they see the actual plans and he had never heard of a company that wouldn’t give you the plans for the buildings they are selling. Member Brockway said that since they are prefabricated, they should just be able to send their design standards and their recommended installation instructions. Mr. Wilkinson showed the Board an actual drawing of the buildings that he had saved on his phone. Mr. Wilkinson said that he didn’t recall ever having to provide building plans to the Planning Board for any of his previous site plan reviews; that the Board had simply approved the size and number of units and where they were placed but that the actual blueprints were not required. He asked why this was different. Chair Baxendell said they are approving a land use and the placement of three additional buildings to the existing site plan. The blueprints would go to Rick Fritz (Code Enforcement Officer) for review with the building permit. He understood what Mr. Wilkinson was saying: the Planning Board doesn’t require the building plans for a use that is allowed. It’s up to the Code Enforcement Officer to make sure it passes the Codes. The Board agreed with this and felt that the building plans that were a part of the site plan packet should never have been submitted and all they needed were the dimensions of the buildings and where they were going to be put. Chair Baxendell said that their job was to decide whether to approve the size and use of the buildings. He then addressed the letter from the engineer that stated “After reviewing the changes to the site plan, it is my professional engineering opinion that there will be no difference in peak stormwater runoff leaving the site, no increase in peak 100-year storm runoff onsite, and there will be no impact on the existing Storm Water Management practices installed.” Discussion continued about the building plans that were submitted and although it caused some confusion, the Board agreed that they should never have been part of the site plan submission because the building plans are not part of what the Planning Board approves. After this discussion, the Board felt these plans should be excluded from the application. The actual plans will come with the building and the Code Enforcement Officer will be responsible to make sure that they meet Code. Planning Board Minutes June 20, 2024 Page 4 of 5 RESOLUTION #24-005 – EXCLUDE BUILDING PLANS FROM APPLICATION MOVED by Member Rose, seconded by Member Maloney-Hahn WHEREAS, building plans for portable storage buildings had been submitted by Alan Wilkinson, and WHEREAS, the Planning Board does not review building plans, only allowable uses and plans for such uses, therefore be it RESOLVED, that Chair Baxendell will strike through those sheets in the site plan application and make notes that the Planning Board did not need said plans. Ayes - Baxendell, Brockway, Carey, Cerretani, Neuhauser, Maloney-Hahn, Rose Nays - None Resolution Passed RESOLUTION #24-006 – APPROVE ALTERATION TO APPROVED SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR RT. 34B SELF STORAGE, LLC MOVED, by Member Cerretani, seconded by Member Maloney-Hahn WHEREAS, the application submitted is recognized as an alteration to an already existing and approved site plan for Rt 34B Self Storage, LLC, and WHEREAS, a letter from the site plan engineer, Timothy Buhl, P.E., states that “there will be no noticeable change to the site hydrology for any storm event” and therefore the Planning Board sees no additional environmental impact, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Town of Groton Planning Board has determined that the original SEQR review stands unchanged, and no additional SEQR review is required, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Town of Groton Planning Board approves the alteration of the existing approved site plan for Rt 34B Self Storage, LLC to include the addition of three 10’ by 50’ prefabricated, portable storage buildings pending the submission of all required plans and documents to the Code Enforcement Officer for a building permit. Ayes - Baxendell, Brockway, Carey, Cerretani, Neuhauser, Maloney-Hahn, Rose Nays - None Resolution Passed Chair Baxendell informed the Board that a Dryden Planning Board Member told him about a proposed solar array in the Town of Dryden on Caswell Road. The energy produced will go into battery storage, which creates a whole different problem. This Board Member had gotten the solar company to agree to provide the Dryden Fire Department with the specialty equipment needed to fight the type of fire that might erupt. The company would send a specialty team but they wouldn’t arrive for four hours, so they need the local guys to keep it under control until they get there. There is also a problem with toxins in the event of a fire that could cover a large area and who would be responsible for that. It’s still in the planning stages, and there will be upcoming meetings. Planning Board Minutes June 20, 2024 Page 5 of 5 There being no further business, Member Brockway moved to adjourn, seconded by Member Carey, at 8.23 pm. Unanimous. Transcribed by April L. Scheffler, June 22 , 2024 Emailed to Planning Board, Clerk’s Office, Code Enforcement, Town Board, Applicant