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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1971-05-24 Minutes LANSING PLANNING BOARD • May 24 , 1971 : Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Special Meeting Public Hearing PRESENT : Mr . Peter H . Craig , Chairman ; Miss Louise Barr , Mrs . Viola Miller Also : Town of Lansing Residents : Jane Bower , Merle Bower , Fred Brill , Sylvia Brill , Dorothy Johnson , John Johnson , Bud Lewis , Frances Lewis , Herbert Ley , Marion Nichols , Susan Nichols , Mary Searles , Russell Searles , Edward Shettel Absent : Messrs . Paul Barron , Samuel Baughman , Frederick Edmondson , Stephen Farkas Craig The meeting opened at 8 : 15 p . m . Chairman Craig outlined the purpose of the meeting . He explained the genesis of the Planning Board and the 701 Plan , the hiring of Mr . Niederkorn , the Basic Studies , and the nature of planning - - that it must be applied to all parts of a town in terms of the future . He further explained that Mr . Niederkorn has identified the lake shore and the Salmon Creek Valley area as beautiful natural features which should be preserved from as yet unknown dangers . He posed these questions : ( 1 ) Do you accept the thought that it is valuable to have some regulations to preserve the area ? and ( 2 ) If so , what regulations 1111 do you want ? He then displayed maps of the proposed land use as well as slides of the area under discussion . The proposed land - use plan shows no need for de - velopment controls in the north two - thirds of the Town , but that they are badly needed in the south one - third and in the Salmon Creek Valley area . The Planning Board had felt that this area is a special purpose region , so defined because of the natural features , and that the land should be preserved in its present open state by limiting the use to agricultural activities or very low population density . Lot sizes should be limited to not less than five acres . He read a list of what would be and what would not be permitted in the area , also explaining that any use now present in the area would be permitted to continue . Miller Emphasized that the purpose is not to change anything that is already in existence in the area . Craig Explained , in response to a comment from one of the residents present at the meeting , that mobile homes cannot be zoned out of towns , but are treated as single dwellings . He also explained the nature of zoning - - that it is an attempt to meet dangers which may arise . Asked the res - idents present at the meeting whether they are interested in having this matter of preserving the Salmon Creek Valley area considered , or not . Craig In response to a question , explained that there are no Town regulations • at present on this matter . In response to another question , replied that anything that can be enacted can be amended or rescinded . Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , May 24 , 1971 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Special Meeting , Public Hearing , page 2 • Miller Noted that if Lansing has an official plan , it might be possible for the Town to get Federal /gEate funds , although she agreed with one of the residents present that this is not always desirable ; pointed out that , however , sometimes for some special project it is good to have State or Dederal funds , since this returns some tax money to the town . Ley Pointed out the possibility of residents selling off property in the Salmon Creek Valley area . Craig Strengthened Mr . Ley ' s statement by mentioning the possibility of an in - cursion of developers who would sell small lots and thereby greatly in - crease the population in the area . Nichols Feels certain that no resident of the area would sell land , and further - more that there is no site large enough within the area to attract de - velopers or build a shopping plaza . Miller Spoke of what has happened in South Lansing in the past thirty years . Craig Presented two other ideas , looking forward to the coming five or ten years . ( 1 ) All the towns nearby have zoning laws or are close to having them . This means that unscrupulous developers will go to the areas where there are no regulations . ( 2 ) Residents of the Salmon Creek Valley area should realize that if there are some land -use regulations they should • ask themselves these questions : ( a ) What will it do to me , and (b ) What will it cost me ? The cost so far seems to be very small , and the poten - tial benefits are very large . Asked that he be informed by telephone or personal call of the conclusions of the residents in this matter . Craig In response to a request , again read the list of permitted activities under the proposed regulations for this area . Johnson Observed that in case of regulations , things would not change from their present state , but would remain basically as they are now . Craig In response to a question said that the size of the Triphammer Shopping Plaza is five acres . This generated a discussion among several of the residents which resulted in their declaration that there were indeed several sites large enough for a shopping mall in the Salmon Creek Valley area , so that there is no guarantee that one will not come into that area . Miller Pointed out that one of the things which had raised the issue was that if the turnpike from New York comes through , it will be possible for New Yorkers to populate areas like this one , and the whole territory will then be opened up . Regulations cannot be enacted overnight ; they must be pre - pared and enacted well ahead of time . • Craig Emphasized that the Planning Board can easily , by a stroke of the pen on the land - use maps , disregard the Salmon Creek Valley area , throwing it Minutes , LANSING PLANNING BOARD , May 24 , 1971 , Town Hall 701 Planning Session , Special Meeting , Public Hearing , page 3 • into the unrestricted two - thirds in the north of Lansing ; but that if there are restrictions , developers will go elsewhere , and if this is the case it will dilute the population increase in Lansing in that area . Miller Pointed out that if the Salmon Creek Valley residents want the special consideration of being a conservation area , the Planning Board will en - deavor to see that they get it ; but if not , then the area can be left absolutely unrestricted . Craig In response to a question explained Mr . Niederkorn ' s method of mapping the proposed width of the conservation area being considered . At this point , favorable response to establishing the Salmon Creek Valley conservation zone was expressed by a large majority of those present , in reply to the question posed by Mr . Craig asking for an opinion from the residents present . Following this , a number of the residents present gather at the maps to check various points and have a general discussion . Craig Asked if anyone had any parting comments . He thanked the residents for coming to the meeting , and again expressed the hope that they would con - tact him either by telephone or personal call ; he voiced the hope that • they will attend any future public meetings on planning . The meeting was adjourned at 9 : 15 p . m . •