HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-12-08'town of Dryden Conservation Board
93 East Main Street, Dryden, NY 13053
607.844.8888 "L 216
Craig Schutt, Chair
40 Nancy Munkenbeck
Bob Reek
Charlie Smith
Steve 13issen
Milo Richmond
Stan Marcus
Bard Prentiss
Town Board Uaslon - Dave Makar
Environmental Planner - Dan Kwasnowski
December 8, 2008 Meeting Summary
Present: Stan Marcus, Nancy Munkenbeck, Bob Beck, Charlie Smith, Steve Bissen.
Excused: Bard Prentiss, Craig Schutt.
Absent: Mike Richmond.
Guests: Deb Marcus, Mary Ann Sumner
Town Board Liaison Present: Dave Makar
Decision Summary:
1. The CB unanimously voted to recommend Nancy Munkenbeck as Chair of the CB for
2009,
® 2. The CB unanimously voted to recommend Dave Makar as the Town Board liaison to
the CB for 2009.
News updates, etc,
Dan noted that the DEC is currently undertaking an update to the State Environmental
Quality Review Act forms. He will send out a link to a website with information.
EMC Update - Stan Marcus
Stan informed the board that the EMC's activities at this point involve finding and
electing a new Chair.
Year End Activities
The Town Supervisor indicated to Dan that she would like the boards to have a clear
plan of work for 2009 that the Town Board could endorse by resolution during the
January organizational meeting.
The CB had a long discussion over potential and outstanding projects and how to
prioritize work for the year. The following list was developed in order of priority:
1. Develop Riparian Buffer Ordinance.
2. Open Space Plan.
3. Review Updated Zoning Ordinance.
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4. Design /Update Website.
5. Review Natural Area Management Plans.
6. Revisit and update Renewable Energy Ordinance.
There was various discussion regarding each of these items, such as timing, limits on
the amount of time to complete and other factors. The Riparian Buffer Ordinance should
be completed in the first 6 months, whereas the Open Space Plan should be completed
in 12 months. The Open Space Plan will also need a proposal to guide the process and
better define the goals and purpose of the plan early in the year. The updated zoning
should be an out of meeting review by each member, and then discussed, briefly, during
one, or two CB meetings. The Design /Update Website item came out of a request to "do
something" regarding the Emerald Ash Borer and the desire to better provide information
to town residents regarding environmental issues, as well as a general desire to have a
better more functional website that could also host information on meetings etc. The
Conservation Board will also review management plans of natural areas prepared by the
Environmental Planner in coordination with the CB. Finally, there was discussion of the
possibility of revisiting the "Renewable Energy Ordinance" for at least corrections if not
a complete policy revision. A Climate Change policy was discussed, but it was
determined that it would be better addressed in a near future revision of the
Comprehensive Plan,
The CB also discussed a recommendation to the Town Board for appointment of the
CB's Chair, Craig Schutt had indicated (Craig was not at this meeting) previously that
he was interested and willing to serve as Chair for another year. The CB discussed the
® issue and were happy to let Craig serve again unless someone else were interested.
Nancy Munkenbeck indicated her desire to serve as Chair. After a brief discussion, it
was decided that Craig would likely not mind, and may be relieved, to have someone
else serve as Chair. It was also noted that possibly the CB could at least informally
adopt a policy of rotating the Chair position each year.
The CB also decided that they would recommend that Dave Makar continue as the Town
Board Liaison in 2009.
Another related topic of discussion was the town meeting schedule and the possibility of
changing the CB's regular meeting to later in the month. Currently, the meetings (Town,
Conservation and Planning Boards) are often jammed together, sometimes in one week.
It would be beneficial if the CB could meet later in the month thereby making it easier for
staff to prepare for the meeting, as well as making it more feasible for the Town Board to
refer items to the boards while allowing some time for the board members to be able to
adequately review information. The date that initially appeared to make the most sense
is the last Tuesday of the month.
Town Land Donation
The CB briefly recapped a discussion of the Open Space Gift Evaluation Sheet prepared
by Dan. The questions appear to be sufficient until the Open Space Plan is prepared,
and a more policy driven strategy is developed to rank the different question areas
against. This led to a discussion of the emerging Recreation Master Plan and how that
plan may fit into an Open Space Plan. It was unclear how the two may or may not
® compliment efforts.
Riparian Buffers
Dan presented again the material that was discussed in November. The publication will
be emailed again, and paper copies mailed. It seemed that the model law in this
Montgomery County publication was the closest match to the policy objectives in
Dryden.
The meeting adjourned promptly at 9:30 p.m.
CONSERVATION B13ARD 43 East Main 5frnat
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Meeting Notes
January , 2009 Conservation Board Meeting
Present, Nancy M., Craig S., Bob B,, Charlie S., Mike R., Bard P., Dave Makar, Dare
Kwasriowski.
Guest: Martha-
Decision Ummary;
The CB passed a resolution endorsing a letter to be sent to the Governor requesting
that the real estate tax continue to fund the Environmental Protection Fund, and that
the state maintain the current funding level,
Recommendation that the Town Bo -ard write a letter as well.
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. EMC Update ' Stan ` Excused
. Workplan review - Additions, subtractions. , .
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Other topics discussed.
Tompkins County Planning Agricultural Features Focus Areas - There is a meeting
with farmers concerning the Counter's ongoing Ag Focus Areas effort. The 1313 re-
quested that the County come and discuss this plan with them. Scott Doyle will be
contacted.
The regular meeting of the CB ,will be the last Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm.
0 Another notice will be posted concerning the open seat on the Conservation Board.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday February 24th at 7:30 p.m-
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Meeting Notes -
February 24, 2009
Conservation Board 93 East Again Slreet
Chair: Nancy Munkenbeck Dryden, NY 13053
Cram Schutt T 607 844 -8888
Bob Beck F 607 844 -8008
Charlie Smith dankiudryden_ny.us
Steve Bissen ww 1t
Milo Richmond�`"
Stan 'Marcus
Bard Prentiss
Board Liasion:
David Makar
Town Environmental Planner: Dan Kwas-
nowski
DRAFT
Present: Nancy M., Craig S., Bob B., Charlie S.,Steve B., Mike R., Stan M., Bard P.,
Dave Makar, Dan Kwasnowski,
Guest: Mary Ann Sumner, Hillary Lambert, Stefan Wagner, ?.
I'm adding a section here called old business to remind the CB what they said they
were going to do in the previous month.
Old Business (not discussed during the meeting)
• Jan, 2009 - The CB passed a resolution endorsing a letter to be sent to the
Governor requesting that the real estate tax continue to fund the Environ-
mental Protection Fund, and that the state maintain the current funding level.
• Open Seat - The open seat should be announced in the newspaper, again.
Decision Summary:
No decisions were voted on during the February meeting.
1. Presentation by Scott Doyle: Scott Doyle was not able to attend the meeting, but
said the department was still gathering information and was planning a meeting,
likely at the town hall, in the spring.
2. Agenda changes: Move Verizon Wireless portion of meeting before Riparian
Buffer Law.
3. EMC Report: Stan Markus reported that the EMC has a new Chair, Amy Risen,
and that Stan has chosen to sit on the Invasive Species committee because of his
interest in the Emerald Ash Borer. Steve Bissen indicated he might be interested in
sitting on a committee as well.
4. Verizon Wireless Tower
There was a long discussion of the Verizon Wireless Tower proposed for the Uhl
property near the corner of Sapsucker Woods Road, and Hanshaw Road. The pro-
ject is before the Town Board for a Special Use Permit under the town's Telecom-
munications Towers Local Law.
Previously (January, 2009) the Conservation Board determined that at the proposed
height (114 feet) with no lighting or guy wires there appeared to be no wildlife im-
pact, and that the proposal did not appear to have any other obvious environmental
impacts, recognizing that the neighborhood was not happy or comfortable with the
proposal, the CB had no specific comment on the project.
Before the meeting, two members relayed reports, one by email from a local expert
and the other a compendium of studies, that further determined that impacts to birds
and bats. These are listed at the end of these notes.
During the meeting, residents from the Cardinal Drive neighborhood, and the Town
• of Ithaca expressed their concerns over the proximity of the project to Unique Natu-
ral Areas, and especially their neighborhood, and relayed the concern of the owner
of Ludgate's farm market on Hanshaw Road. They also still question the need for
the tower in spite of the explanation provided by Verizon to the Town Board during
the January meeting.
The CB asked several questions, and noted several concerns regarding the project,
such as:
• What is the benefit to the Town of Dryden?
• The tower is located near one of the very few places anywhere that makes a
concerted effort to study birds. Is this tower really necessary, and is it worth
the risk to that facilities mission?
• It would seem homes are more invasive and threatening to wildlife than the
tower; is there a real impact from the tower?
• Have they [Verizon] presented alternative sites?
• When does an installation like this become a commercial facility in a residen-
tial area?
A What is the reasonableness of colocation on this facility? Not can someone
do it, but will they?
Pugc 2
• What are the effects on wildlife? How will this be addressed in the Environ-
mental Assessment (SEQRA)? Will the impacts, if any, be substantiated?
5. Riparian Buffer Law: Dan Kwasnowski presented a very preliminary draft of a
Riparian Buffer Law.
The highpoints of the draft are the utilization of a dynamic buffer that is less arbitrary,
and the ability to use a management plan approach to larger properties and projects
that allows flexibility and would ultimately protect more habitat and water quality.
The draft needs a lot of consideration of definitions, an improved Findings of Fact
and Purpose section, and the numbers that are included are cursory and the CB will
have to consider some better data and mapping to determine what the buffers may
be.
Dan asked the CB dig into the law in earnest and come prepared to discuss details
at the next meeting.
6. Open Seat: The open seat on the CB has not yet been filled. An announcement
will be placed in the paper.
7. Mike Richmond presented several studies that involved some members of the
Conservation Board that he thought the board should know about. These include
Conserving Natural Areas and Wildlife in Your Community, by Karen Strong a Cor-
nell student that worked with some members of the board. And the GAP analysis
that Charlie Smith was very involved in, and the new Breeding Bird Atlas of New
York State,
References
Tower Impacts:
From Bill Evans via email to Bard Prentiss: The problem with these kind of decisions
is that there is not really any solid research to support what's best for birds - in this case, the
decision whether to build one higher tower with lights versus multiple shorter towers without
lights. Any assessment of relative bird impacts will be largely theoretical. That said, my first
thought is that if the taller tower would also have guy wires, then I suspect it would be poten-
Page 3
tially more hazardous to birds than several shorter towers. The tower Irghting aspect is less of
an issue for birds In suburban areas that already have artificial lighting.
My website ww.towerkill.corn has a lot of infarmatron.
From harrie Smith: Communication Towers: A Deady y Hazard to Birds, sent
as a PDF.
From Mike Richmond;
htt ;/J ww.dee.n _ ovllards/ 0083.htmi
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