HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-09-12Town of Dryden
Conservation Board
September 12, 2006
Members Present: Craig Schutt, Chair; Timothy Woods; Nancy Munkenbeck, Stan Marcus,
Steve Bisson, Charles Smith.
Others Present: Mary Ann Stunner, Town Board Liaison; Dan Kwasnowski, Environmental
Planner; Esther Blodau- Konick, Town of Ithaca; Patty Millard, Recording Secretary.
The meeting was called to order at 7:45 pm.
Approval of August Minutes
Tim Woods made a motion to approve the minutes of the meeting from August 8, 2006 without
corrections. Stan Marcus seconded the motion. All members present voted in favor of approving
the minutes.
Discussion of membership and what makes a quorum
There are 9 seats on the Conservation Board. There is currently one seat vacant. The Board needs
5 for a quorum. With the arrival of N Munkenbeck, a quorum was present.
Discussion of RPiV'I Ecosystems
This is an organization that has applied for a building permit for a business by the cemetery on
Route 13. D Kwasnowski described their process for tree growing. It does not use chemicals or
biological engineering of any kind. The process uses air pruning.
Environmental Management Council (EMC)
S Marcus is our rep to the EMC. Annually both a verbal and a written report are needed from the
Conservation Board to the EMC. This should not fall on S Marcus' shoulders alone. Once it gets
closer, this will be on the agenda so that the entire Board has time to think about what should be
included between now and then.
Communication
T Woods asked if everyone has everybody's email addresses? No. P Millard will send an email
to everyone with contact information.
Request For Proposal (RFP) in progress for outsourcing updating the Zoning Ordinance
D Kwasnowski is preparing an R14P at the request of the Town Board to outsource the updating
of the Town's Zoning Ordinance. A requirement of State laws says that once a Comprehensive
Plan is in place, the Zoning Ordinance must be brought into conformance with that plan. The
Town Board agrees we should outsource this process. The Planning Board agrees and wishes to
be lead agency. D Kwasnowski would like this board's opinion on whether to include the
Riparian :Buffer work in the Zoning Ordinance rework RFP.
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40 T Woods made a motion to include the Riparian Buffer work in the Zoning Ordinance update. S
Bisson seconded the motion. T Woods, S Bisson, C Schutt and C Smith voted aye. N,
Munkenbeck abstained. The motion was passed.
Comprehensive :Plan
In discussing the procedure for updating the zoning ordinance, an item that was brought to focus
was the requirement for 10 -acre minimum lots for property in the Conservation Zone if
subdivided. N Munkenbeck asked why this was changed from 1 -acre to 10 -acre. Since the staff
in place was not here during the creation of the Comprehensive Plan, no one was able to answer
this question. T Woods asked why there was such a difference between the current use Zoning
Nifap in reference to Agricultural space use and the proposed Zoning Map for Open Space.
Mission of Conservation Board
T Woods asked what the Conservation Board's approach is when dealing with the various issues
that comes to it. He stated that during the Comprehensive Plan work, one of the main goals was
to keep agriculture viable in the area. It appears from a lot of these drafts and the plan itself now
that we seem to be promoting an urban flavor to a lot of decisions, as if decisions are being made 1
as a suburban community instead of as a rural town.
C Smith said that his sense of the group is that the Conservation Board wants to maintain the
agricultural character of the town. In making recommendations to other town bodies, by the time
. they are massaged by those bodies and by the attorney and others, they may come out the other
end a lot different than intended. What is not clear is what the Conservation Board's role is at
that point. If the Conservation Board believes as a group that what we intended to be (lie result is
not the result, what recourse do we have, or not, and if so, what is the recourse. There just isn't a
clear path of who reacts to whom in what situations.
Request For Proposal (Rl +P) (Continued)
D Kwasnowski stated that the recommendation he made to the Town Board for the upcoming
Zoning Ordinance update process was to form a separate committee of members from each of
the boards. The Planning Board would like to be lead agency in this process. M Sumner stated
that if this (Conservation) board feels that they would like to be more involved in this process,
now is the time to state that you want it to be a joint process. D Kwasnowski stated that the time
estimate for this process is two years. M Sumner suggests that at least some subset of this board
be appointed to serve on this committee.
The simplest way to change the Comprehensive Plan to ensure that agricultural lands are
protected and not included in the environmental land usage rules is to change the Future Land
Use zoning map in the Comprehensive Plan. This was suggested by N Munkenbeck. The Current
Use zoning map is so different from the Future .Land Use zoning map in terms of Open Space vs.
Agriculture Land. She questioned whether this was intentional'?
Renewable Energy Ordinance
Esther Blodau- Konick has been working with the Town of Ithaca and they are also working on
® creating a renewable energy ordinance. She is working with the Codes & Ordinances Committee
for that town. The committee consists of the Town Supervisor, members of the Planning and
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cnservation Boards, a town glaliner and their attorney. D Kwwinowski acid M Sumner each
handed out a copy c the most recent version of the ordinance they crafted_ Both have been
reviewed by our attorney, M Perkins. D K asno ws ki adopted h I s fmni the Telecommunications
Uw that the Town of Drydcn passed previously and that M Perkins wrote_ That copy was given
to M Perkins at which time he stated 1t vas too Iong and complicated and could be made shorter,
Sumner then took the Town of MaIone7s ordinance and adapted it to include much oFthe
items we discussed,
T Foods looked at Sumner's Version and took notes_ He and Ch .. r C Schutt met and
discussed T Woods notes and have a list of ambiguities, attempts at controlling certain functions
and structures Frorn a suburban standpoint. One of the big things is —this 1,
and is what kve voted
on to send to the board (D l wasno ski's version) and this one — the ontire docLiment, talks
mainly about electric generation and public utilities and use of electricity. From my particular
point oFview, that is a very Sin all ptecc of wind power m general and limited use in spec�#ic
agricultural applications. When I'm looking at the definitions and the regulations and the
permitting ofany specific ones o1.9these systems Chat you address, that is what it mainly talks
about is electrical generation. It does not address pneumatic, mechanical, hydraulic, ornny of
those otljer types of wind power. It talks about generating electricity instead of buying it form a
publle utility, and that's in the definitions right up front_ Al I the way through the document, that
is its focus — electricity generation,
k1unkenbeck made a motion to submit Dan's version to the Board_ T Woods seconded, There
was some discussion.
VoW Yes: T Woods. No: S Bisson, C Smith, C Scutt. Abstain: N Munkenbeck.
The motion was defeated,
N funkerlbeck made a motion that we make the recornrnendation that the'rown Board change
Tower height to Total height on purge 8, #3, This will make the definition oFtotal height and
tower height defined the same, S Bisson seconded the motion. Discussion ensued.
Vote; Yes: Craig Schutt, ClIaM, NancyMunkenbeck, Stan Marcus. Steve Bisson, Charles Smith,
Into; Timothy Wood, Abstention: Done. Motion passed.
N M Lin kenbeck blade a motion that eve change page 8, #6, to say, "shalI be limited to
manufacturers colors." No second. The motion was withdrawn.
N MunkenNx k w11l go to the Town Board meeting on Thursday night to take this
recommendation to the Town Board, Changing Tower to 'Total,)
Marc, us made a motion to adjourn, The motion was seconded by N Mu1-Llcenbeck. All were in
favor,
R.es ad loo 1tted,
Patty ra