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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-03-21 TOWN OF GROTON PLANNING BOARD MEETING Thursday, 21 March 1996 Board Members (*present) Others Present *George Totman, Chairman Joan E. Fitch , Recording Secretary *Monica Carey George Senter, Sr. , CEO *Sheldon Clark Ron & Carol Beck *Jeff Lewis Clara Travis Verl Rankin Virginia Munson Cecil Twigg Gary L. Wood, PE *George VanSlyke The meeting was called to order at 8 :00 p.m. by George Totman, Chairperson. G. Totman: Do you know where the trailer is they're going to move on here? G. Senter: As long as it meets HUD requirements, I don't know if we can stop them, George . G. Totman: I just want to make sure that -- if it's going to be on there it's got to be so that somebody's not going to live in it - - that's what I'm saying. M. Carey: This is at 744 Elm Street? G. Totman: Well, you know about it so if they don't come we can talk about it. Okay -- G. Senter: She said if there's anything you need, she left her phone number here so you can call her. Approval of Minutes & Set Official Meeting Day G. Totman: Has everybody read the minutes of the last meeting -- the February meeting? G. Van Slyke: I move we accept the minutes. M. Carey: I second it. G. Totman: All in favor? (All members present indicated they were in favor.) At the beginning of the year we are supposed to set a meeting night. We've met on the third Thursday for the last 20 years that I know of, but according to protocol we're supposed to -- like the Town Board and everybody else - - set the meeting night for the year so it can be publicized. G. Van Slyke: I thought we did that. G. Totman: I thought we did, too -- but it didn't show up -- probably our secretary didn't pick it up. It didn't show up in the minutes. J. Fitch: A motion was made, and it was seconded - - but no vote was ever taken. G. Van Slyke: Why didn't we ever vote on it? I don't understand that. G. Totman: Secretary didn' t pick it up , that's why. She just wasn't doing her job and so we've got to vote on it tonight for the usual day and time -- unless you've got a better idea for a regular meeting night . G. Van Slyke: Well, I make that motion. M. Carey: I'll second it. 1 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 G. Totman: Do you have that this time? J. Fitch: I got that last time, but you need to vote on it. G. Totman: All in favor? (All members present indicated they were in favor. ) All right now, you got that? J. Fitch* Yes, Glenn Munson - Boundary Change - 448 & 470 Locke Rd. -TM #s 1644.4 & 4.6 & 4.813) - Part 1 G. Totman : Now -- have you all read your paraphernalia you got in the mail for tonight? Do you understand what Mrs. Munson wants to do? G. Van Slyke: Well, somewhat. G. Totman : To be very hones with you , this is one of those things that I would have liked -- when we took this one subdivision business out that they didn't have to come before the Planning Board for a one-lot subdivision, it was stupid that we didn't take this kind of a thing out also -- the boundary change thing. Because, according to our rules you can sell a lot off of your property without coming to the Planning Board. Here we're making a change -- a boundary change is all it is -- with no road frontage and no changing or making of new lots, and it has to come before the Planning Board. I think you bear that in mind when you're looking at it. She's selling off a property and actually has been using it as she's trying to change it to -- only now because she's selling it she wants to make it in the deed she can keep what she's been using. So basically, unless you have any questions on it, I have absolutely no problems at all . I don't even think it should have been brought to us in the first place . G. Van Slyke: I was really confused by the map . I didn't have a clue as far as what was being changed as far as the boundaries. Is it the one that is --- G. Totman: Let me show you . This here is being taken off of this property and put onto that property. M. Carey: So basically you're just squaring up this piece of property. G. Van Slyke: What was all that description about the other side where the warehouse is? What was that all about? A half an acre by the warehouse . G. Totman: Warehouse and her house all come together up through there . V. Munson: We own all that. G. Van Slyke: I realize you own it all, but what I couldn't figure out was it said something about a half an acre by the warehouse. . . . I had a lot of trouble looking at the map and trying to see --- (Everyone gathers around map and mumbles.) G. Van Slyke: Okay, but when I look at the property -- was the warehouse considered the one this side of the auction barn? Is the warehouse the big building? V. Munson: Yes, G. Van Slyke: Okay, Now I've got to get myself oriented. Now your house is on this side -- towards Locke? That's why I was confused . G. Totman : Here's the warehouse down here . V. Munson: On Route 38 , 2 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 G. Totman: This is the warehouse . G. Van Slyke: The warehouse is still your property? G. Totman: Now it is, yes. G. Van Slyke: It wasn't their property originally? V. Munson: No, we have two map parcels. There are three map parcels involved -- we're putting it onto ours. G. Van Slyke: Where's this part that's going to be transferred from the warehouse -- but you already have the warehouse , so that doesn't make any difference . G. Totman: This all comes back around up in here. And they're going to sell this and this. By changing this up here -- this parcel comes around here, see -- G. Van Slyke: Oh, I see --- M. Carey: It follows this around here and here? G. Totman: All she's doing is making a boundary change . G. Senter: Those other two are already separate parcels, right? G. Totman : Yes. G. Van Slyke: They're already listed separately. G. Totman : That's right. J. Fitch: Mr. Totman -- instead of saying this and this, can you refer to them by numbers -- like one or two? G. Totman: You mean you didn't pick that up? J. Fitch: This and this? Yes. G. Totman: I'm telling you -- we're going to have to get a new secretary. G. Van Slyke: The one parcel beside the auction barn --- V. Munson: We have this here -- we're selling two parcels. J. Lewis: The warehouse and the auction barn parcel is what you're selling? V. Munson: Right. J. Lewis: And what she's trying to keep is a little chunk of land --- V. Munson: I ,just want to square it off. J. Lewis: Makes sense to me . G. Totman: Anybody have any problems with this? G. Van Slyke : No, Now I think I'm clear with what's going on. J. Lewis: I make a motion that we accept the boundary change . 3 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 S. Clark: I'll second it. G. Totman: Have you got the tax number and everything? (TM # 16- 1 -4.4 & 406 & 40813 -- moving 1 /2 A. from 4. 4 and 1 /2 acre from 4.6, and adding to 4.813) All in favor? (All members present indicated they were in favor.) V. Munson: Thank you . G. Totman: Good night, Ginny. Millicent Viscotha - 744 Elm Street - Application for Special Permit - TM # 26- 140. 1 - Part 1 G. Totman : All right. The next one G. Van Slyke: Which one we doing -- Viscotha? G. Totman: Yes, M. Carey: Where exactly on Elm Street -- is this that guy we split his land up? J. Lewis: Used to be Lester Alexander's didn't it? Isn't that the old place? G. Van Slyke: Now this is just past Lick Street? M. Carey: No -- it's just before it as you come out of the Village. J. Lewis: Do you know where Fitzpatrick's used to live? Glenn Munson - Boundary Change - 448 & 470 Locke Rd. -TM #s 1644. 4 & 4,6 & 4,813) - Part 2 G. Totman : Do you know what we forgot to do? Hey, you guys -- just for the record -- we need to do a SEAR for Munson . G. Van Slyke : We've got to do a SEQR for a boundary change? G. Totman: Yes. Any action a board makes, believe me -- if you went to the meeting in Ithaca last night, you would have known that. Monica was supposed to go, but she elected to do something else that was more important. M. Carey: Sorry, George . G. Totman : Seriously, George, I agree with you 100% and all that sort of thing, but like on the County Board every action they take whether it involves land action or whatever it is, it has to have a SEAR number put to it. It's the new State environmental laws. M. Carey: George, there's other Board members. I'm not the only Board member here. G. Totman: Is that right? J. Lewis: Let's do the SEAR. Let's go. Board Member George Van Slyke then reads aloud Part II of the Short Environmental Assessment Form. Negative responses were obtained to all questions in Part III. Therefore, it was determined by the Planning Board, upon a motion made by Monica Carey, seconded by George Van Slyke , with all members present voting in favor, that the action, based on the information submitted, will not cause any significant adverse environmental impact, resulting in a negative declaration, 4 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 Millicent Viscotha - 744 Elm Street - Application for Special Permit - TM # 26- I1 - 10. 1 - Part Two G. Totman: Okay. Let's talk about this Millicent Viscotha. I think George might be able to explain it to us, because the people that are applying cannot be here tonight because there is an illness in the family. I think they've talked to George about it, so if he would be so kind -- G. Senter: She has a fabric business or whatever and she wants to use a mobile home on her property as an office to work out of and sell the product, It won't be an occupied space or habitable ; it will be used as an office only. G. Van Slyke: In other words she has stripped everything out of it and it's going to be -- G. Senter: Well, she's going to put a desk in it and that sort of thing, I don't know what size of mobile home it's going to be . J. Lewis: Is that a problem? G. Senter: No - - nothing in the zoning says she can't do it, She can't live in it. It's not a dwelling unit, J. Lewis: It doesn't have to be a certain square footage to put in the Town of Groton? G. Senter: No -- it's not going to be a dwelling. , ' . . . J. Lewis: Will there be a lot of traffic in and out of there? G. Senter: I don't foresee that, M. Carey: So she wants to use that driveway and then put it kind of in back of the house . Is there some garage with apartments or something back there? G. Senter: There's a garage with an apartment over the top of it that's been there forever, M. Carey: It would be out here , behind that, or --- G. Senter: She marked it didn't she, George? Where she's going to put it? M. Carey: Yes, I guess it says gravel driveway, building, house -- G. Senter: The "new building" shown is where it' going to be , J. Lewis: The way that sets - - I don't think you'll ever see it, M. Carey: No, you won't. G. Senter: No, it will be pretty much hidden. M. Carey: Will she sell fabrics out of the house instead of this place? G. Senter: She'll have her office in there , that's the way it was explained to me, She's going to use it as an office building. So maybe she's storing fabric in the garage, I don't know that. if you need to know that, you can call her. G. Totman: As a retail store - -- G. Van Slyke: That means she's going to have traffic in and out it would seem like , wouldn't it? G. Totman: Is this something that she is doing now -- wants to do -- within the next week or two? G. Senter: I think she's already doing it -- 5 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 G. Totman: But she doesn't have the building there? G. Senter: Yes, I'm not too sure if she's doing it out of her house or if she's doing it someplace else. G. Totman: What's the closest neighbor to this? J. Lewis: Well , there's one right across the road where Fitzpatrick's used to live; that would be real close. And then Vern Metzgar would be the other side -- there's a veterinarian across the road. G. Totman: So somebody could put a house next to this lot here? J. Lewis: Yes. It's a possibility. G. Totman : I guess what my question -- my feeling is -- it's in a neighborhood that's really residential . J. Lewis: But it's right on the outskirts too , G. Totman : But somebody could buy this lot and have a house right next door to it. J. Lewis: But you got a guy across the road that's a veterinarian. And there's a barn out in back of his place and they've had cattle there in that barn that run in and out of there. I mean agricultural is less than a block away. G. Totman: I'm not saying it as I disagree with it, I was just wondering how close the neighbors are and potential neighbors could be here . And the fact she's not here and we can't talk to her -- what kind of rules can we set up without her being here? Like we normally do . I'm not against ---- G. Senter: She left a phone number, George, and she said if you wanted to call and talk to her she'd be more than willing to answer any questions. M. Carey: Even if somebody bought that property next door, you've got that big gully down through there anyway. G. Senter: Nobody could get too close to her there I don't think, It's pretty isolated , G. Totman: Can you drive all the way back out -- there's no hill and it's all flat, level ground? G. Senter: Yes. G. Totman : Well, if we put stipulations in there that there would be no on-street parking and that she's got to give you a diagram for parking where she's going to mark the cars -- with her not being here, would it be acceptable if we said in approving it here that she will submit a parking diagram to the Zoning Officer that will be the plan so that once she gets her permit then we'll go by the plan that she worked out with the Zoning Officer as to parking the cars back there? Just so we treat her like we do everybody else. Does that make sense to anybody what I'm saying? M. Carey: But there should be all off-street parking, G. Totman : George? J. Lewis: You reading this again, George? G. Van Slyke: Yes, Board Member George Van Slyke then reads aloud Part II of the Short Environmental Assessment Form. Negative responses were obtained to all questions in Part H. Therefore, it was determined by the Planning Board, upon a motion made by Jeff Lewis, seconded by Monica 6 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 Carey, with all members present voting in favor, that the action, based on the information submitted, will not cause any significant adverse environmental impact, resulting in a negative declaration. G. Van Slyke: Do we need a motion to approve this with the condition that she makes arrangements for parking with the Zoning Officer? G. Totman: Yes, we do. But did she indicate to you at all about what her hours of operation are going to be or anything? G. Senter: You can set hours for her, I think. Or I can talk to her about it. G. Van Slyke: What would be the problem if he made the arrangements? G. Totman: So that we approve it so she can get started on it and then make the final approval and put it in the minutes for the next meeting what she puts in for the hours conducive to the neighborhood . G. Van Slyke: Then you need a motion to approve it then? G. Totman: That we're giving it our tentative approval upon the clarification between the Zoning Officer and the applicant. G. Van Slyke: So moved . S. Clark: I second. G. Totman : All in favor? (All members present indicated they were in favor.) Carol Beck/Clara Travis - 3 Stevens Rd. - Application for Special Permit - TM # 38-4-5 G. Totman: Moving right along -- she forgot to ask you to fill out an EAS . I think she did this much for you here , but you've got to sign it and fill out the bottom part there. While we're waiting, I didn't give you these yet. These are not on the agenda. J. Lewis: We haven't even had a chance to look it over. G. Totman: Basically, those of you were here that night -- they were doing a quilting from their home operation -- teaching classes -- and now they've formed a partnership with another couple and they've bought the old antique store on the corner. Now where do the pies come in on this? C. Travis: You come down and we'll give you one . G. Totman : Give? J. Lewis: Give . Is that the key word, give? C. Beck: We might give you a piece. G. Totman: Does everybody understand what they're looking at? Let's do this thing, George, first and get that done with . Board Member George Van Slyke then reads aloud Part H of the Short Environmental Assessment Form. Negative responses were obtained to all questions in Part H. Therefore , it was determined by the Planning Board, upon a motion made by Monica Carey, seconded by George Van Slyke, with all members present voting in favor, that the action, based on the information submitted, will not cause any significant adverse environmental impact, resulting in a negative declaration. 7 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 G. Totman: Okay. Now, just for the Board's benefit, would one of you like to explain what's going to happen? C. Travis: The quilt shop that we have in the house that we came to ask you about two years ago has outgrown our house . So we purchased the store -- are you interested in what we're doing in there? Not a whole lot of anything. More outside lighting. G. Totman: Now what's the business? Is there going to be people coming and going -- going to have classes? C. Travis: We hope so. R. Beck: If not, our fate is the same as the previous business . C. Travis: We're going to have classes. The room in the back that George has looked at a couple of times is being renovated into a classroom -- where the walk-in cooler was. Some wiring for computer, fax machine , new bathroom -- then there will be a little corner for the pie business and you can sit down and have pie and coffee, or you can take one home. G. Totman : I just couldn't understand what pies had to do with making quilts . C. Travis: Nothing , G. Totman: Are you going to have hot cider, too? C. Travis: We could think about that. G. Totman: Normally when we do something like this with a business starting up , we have to make sure that they have adequate parking. The previous owners of that place used to fight with the fire department all the time because they thought they owned out to the point in the square . And really, if you go by the road right-of-ways, they probably don't own hardly anything out there with the 70' ROW the County has, that means 35' from the center of the road . If you go each one of those roads and take 35 feet, it takes it almost down to where the gas pump was. But in this particular case, there's been stores there, there's been everything there, and the property itself doesn't lend itself to supply parking because there isn't any available space . G. Van Slyke : There's a lot of space over to the Elm Tree -- they could park over there . G. Totman: Parking has always been out in the square -- I don't think there is anything we can do as far as putting it into the application or on the permit process of where the parking is going to be there , except the fact that it's just following past history. G. Senter: I think they are required to have one parking space for every 200 square feet. What's the size of that building? R. Beck: Fourteen hundred square feet on the floor where we're operating. G. Senter: That would be 7 plus 1 . R. Beck: If you go around in back, there is . G. Senter: Otherwise you may have to go to the ZBA and get a variance . C. Beck: When I was around there, the square was always parked full . That's where people parked. G. Totman: Probably if you use out back -- - Any questions, anybody? (No questions. ) We're going to have quilts and pies and pizza in McLean . C. Travis: Where's the pizza? 8 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 are 1996 R. Beck: Down at the gas station? G. Totman : And a bank, too . R. Beck: Are they going to have an ATM machine? G. Totman: Yes . ATM /Bank. At the convenience store, And beer, It's going to be good . C. Beck: Now if we can just get the Elm Tree sold . G. Totman: I think it has been. R. Beck: That's what the rumor is, but --- - G. Totman: The real estate man told me the other day that it's been taken off the market. The guy who they thought it was was somebody outside of New York that was going to put in a restaurant buffet style type thing, I don't know, but it sounded good anyway. Okay - - anything else? G. Van Slyke: I make the motion we accept their application here and make Patchwork & Pies. G. Totman: I don't see how on this situation -- G. Van Slyke: I made a motion. That's all I did , George. G. Totman: Let me talk. G. Van Slyke: Can't talk -- we don't have a second yet, S. Clark: I'll second it, G. Totman: What I was going to say -- for the record -- we normally go through the process of putting in the stipulations about hours of operation and this sort of thing . This being right in the center of town in the commercial district, I think we treat it as business in a commercial district in the center of McLean without that just so the record will show why we didn't do it. If that's okay, and looking at it that way, I will entertain a yes or a no vote on the motion. (All members present indicated they were in favor.) You're all done . R. Beck: Thank you ever so much ; stop by and have pie and coffee . We'll run a tab for you . Margo Ashcraft, Pending Owner (Larry Drake Property) - 440 Clark St. Ext. - Application for Special Permit - TM # 16- 1 - 18. 13 G. Totman : How do you like that -- 8: 45 -- Gary Wood. Do you all know this character here? Gary Wood -- have you all got this map here that shows exactly where it is? G. Van Slyke: No, I didn't get one where it exactly is . G. Totman : So, before I forget it, George --- G. Van Slyke: Where is it exactly? G. Wood: Just west of Roger Gleason's son's property -- two properties down M. Carey: Next to Harrington's , G. Wood: Harrington is about two properties down I think, M. Carey: Oh , yes. 9 • Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 G. Senter: The Drake property. G. Wood: Anyway, with a little bit of luck my girl's going to get the property bought. And to help us both out, we'd like to use the garage for our soils lab -- sieving samples, strength tests and things like that, As far as I know, she'll be the only one working there. G. Totman: You don't want it stipulated that the owner of the property would be the only one working there do you in case something comes up where she might get a job with somebody else or you might have a couple or three people with a special project working there? G. Wood: I'd just as soon not have any stipulations; I'm trying to give you an idea of the order of magnitude , G. Totman: There will be no customers back and forth or anything like that, but it could be -- - M. Carey: Will they be bringing in soil samples or do you collect the samples? G. Wood: They come in a variety of ways, M. Carey: They just drop them off up there to her? G. Totman: As I recall, one time , you had a whole bunch of soil and you put it out in little bags all up and down the side of the lawn G. Wood: We haven't had a job that big since -- we had 103 test pits. G. Totman: So basically what we're talking about is a place where some testing is done . Any kind of -- how do I want to say this -- any testing equipment there that could be hazardous or anything like that? G. Wood: Sieves. G. Totman: Sieves. Okay. M. Carey: You won't be cooking the soil or something like that? G. Wood: Yes, we have an oven. G. Van Slyke: What's a nuclear density meter? G. Wood: The nuclear density meter is just what it says -- it's a meter that tests the density of the soil using a nuclear source. That will not be up there though . . , . G. Van Slyke: Now which one of these options are you going with , Gary? G. Wood: Which options? G. Van Slyke: Well, we got the paper that has four options - Alternate B, Alternate C, Alternate D -- I don't know what all this is, And then -- G. Wood: It's garbage, garbage, I'm sorry folks -- that's my specs for a town office building. G. Van Slyke: Then you've got this proposed site -- G. Wood: That's what you were supposed to have; I'm sorry that got written on that garbage paper, We're trying to economize , G. Van Slyke: Okay. So you're going to use the existing -- G. Wood: We're going to use the garage right here -- a 24 by 24 garage. 10 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 G. Van Slyke: Okay. And this one back here is not going to be --- G. Wood: No , that's a little workshop. G. Van Slyke: That's not going to be used for anything? G. Wood: Well, it will be used as a workshop. G. Van Slyke: It's not going to be for what you want to do then? G. Wood: No. G. Van Slyke: Okay. M. Carey: So you won't add on to this garage . G. Wood: We have no intention to at the moment. G. Totman: So basically what we're looking for for approval is a small laboratory for testing soils that will have no commercial customers except for employees that will be doing occasional testing. Is that correct? G. Wood: Yes, sir. G. Van Slyke: So that would come under home business? G. Totman: Well, in that area they are allowed to have a business -- the same as what we just did up on Elm Street. I wouldn't call it a home business. George, would you get busy and do the form? G. Van Slyke: Okay. We're going to do the Environmental Assessment -- Board Member George Van Slyke then reads aloud Part H of the Short Environmental Assessment Form. Negative responses were obtained to all questions in Part II. Therefore, it was determined by the Planning Board, upon a motion made by Sheldon Clark, seconded by George Van Slyke, with all members present voting in favor, that the action, based on the information submitted, will not cause any significant adverse environmental impact, resulting in a negative declaration. G. Totman: I think we should stipulate that -- there's no customers so there's no hours of operation on this because you wouldn't know when they were doing it from the outside anyway. I think that one of the things, though, in making the motion to approve it or disapprove it as you might do, it might be in order in this particular case that this is for the operation of a soils testing laboratory of the operation of the Gary Wood corporation and when he ceases to use it, then a new permit would have to be issued for something else for that garage . It only is for his operation. So the record shows it's just for the Gary Wood operation that will be there . And if something else is going to be, it will be a new application and new whatever. We'll let the record show that. J. Fitch: Is that correct, Gary -- it's for your operation and not Jane L. Wood, Inc. ? G. Wood: Change it to Jane L. Wood, Inc . G. Totman: Oh , okay. Now with that, does somebody want to make that in the form of a motion? M. Carey: I so move. G. Van Slyke : Second . G. Totman: All in favor? (All members present indicated they were in favor. ) Mr. Wood? 11 1 Groton Town Planning Board Meeting 21 March 1996 G. wood: Thanks . Adjournment G. Totman: Has anybody else got anything to bring before the meeting? If not J. Lewis: I'll make a motion we adjourn this meeting. S. Clark: I'll second it. G. Totman: All in favor? (All members present indicated they were in favor.) The meeting was adjourned at 9*03 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan E . Fitch Recording Secretary 12