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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-09-22 158 TOWN OF DANBY PLANNING BOARD MINUTES PUBLIC HEARING Hardesty Proposal 7 : 30 P . M . September 22 , 1993 PRESENT : Chairperson Nancy Weitzel P lanning Board Members : Arch Dotson , Eloise Greene , Bill Farrell , QJn Sskaaf , fUn ]iotsr Al== . Joel Gagnon ( Excused ) Others Code Enforcement Officer - Susan Beeners S ecretary - Architect - Tom Neiderkorn Owners / Applicants - Paul plar kau I vrsles t) Members of the Public : L iz Norton , Diane & Neil Sherwood , Larry & Linda Beebe , Fred W right , Kathie Miller , Ted? Tenn , Richard L .n raeiss , Mary n . l o .oa , E lisha Burkart , Howard & Mary Lou Steiner , Katherine Halton , Kurt & Jean Samuelson , Marilyn & Paul Sccic , Robert Roo , Edw . M . Roberts , Joan & Ray Babbitt , John Benjamin , Cliff & Loxie Hill , K enneth & Lily Newton , Michael 'Tierney , Mary Oltz , Gary Huddle , Valerie & John C . Shepardson , Sr . , Ric Dietrich , Connie & Ted Merrit , Kyle O ' Connor , and others . The public hearing was called to order by Chairperson Nancy Weitzel at 7 : 30 P . M . and the following Notice of Publication was road : TOWN OF DANBY P UBLIC HEARING NOTICE N OTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN , that a Public Hearing will be held by the Planning Board of the Town of Danby on Wednesday , September 22 , 1993 at 7 : 30 P . M . , Danby Town Hall , 1830 Danby Road , Ithaca , New York 14850 . Purpose of hearing is to consider a recommendation to t he Town Board with respect to a request for Site Plan Approval of a General Site Plan -for Planned Development Zone 2 . Such plan is proposed to include a Mobile Home Park Planned Development , a Cluster Planned Development , and enlargement of the owners ' adjacent residential lot . The involved properties are located southwest of the intersection of Danby Road ( Rte . 96 }3 ) and South D anby Road , on Town of Danby Tax Parcels # 20 . - 1 - 4 . 2 and 20 . - 1 - 4 . 5 . P aul and Mary Lou Hardesty , Owners , Mary Lou Hardesty , Applicant . At such time and place all persons interested in the subject matter t hereof will be heard concerning the same . By order of the Planning Board Carol W . Sczepanski , Town Clerk D ated : September 15 , 1993 P ublished : September 17 , 1993 Affidavit of Mailing - September 15 , 1993 - Received . Tom Neiderkorn to presented the proposal for Hillview Terrace G eneral Site Plan for the Hardesty Planned Development Zone - P roposal and explained the General Site Plan to the public and B oard . He explained that the regulations and standards in the Town . Zoning Ordinance relative to the development of mobile home parks h ave been applied to the area for the mobile home sites . Approximately twenty - six per cent ( 26 % ) of the land in the project will be open space . Comments from the Public : Ted Jones - 109 South Danby Road - asked what the time table for t his project . S usan Beeners explained the SEOR process must be completed and the earliest date for a public hearing will be late in October . 159 2 Planning Board Minutes Public Hearing - Hardesty September 22 , 1993 Kenneth Newton - 2 South Danby Road - asked if when the wells were drilled would there be a draw down on his well and what would the developers do if it affected his water supply . He owns about forty percent ( 40 % ) of the pond and is concerned about the liability . Mr . Newton said he in concerned that his property will depreciate in value due to the mobile home park . Tom Neiderkorn responded and referred to a Letter from John Anderson of the Tompkins County Health Department stating that they would not approve the project unless there is sufficient water available . The Health Department has no reason to believe that the additional water needed will adversily affect the neighboring wells because of the size of the parcel involved and the location of any future wells . The Hardesty ' s will have to demonstrate that additional wells will n ot impact the neighboring wells . Clifford Hill - 215 South Danby Road - stated that he was the o riginal owner of the original Hillview Trailer Park . Twenty years ago he went through the same thing that the Hardestys are dealing with now . A lot of concerns were raised by neighbors . Of all the n eighbors who are concerned about the new plan today , only one person lived in the neighborhood when the first park was built . E veryone else has moved into the neighborhood ( bought their property ) since that time . There was concern about traffic impact - - didn ' t happen ; wells might go dry - - didn ' t happen ; sewage and contamination - - didn ' t happen . He said he feels that the Hardestys h ave been good members to the community and have always contributed to the community . He said he thinks this proposal is a contribution to the community . Connie Merritt - 297 Jersey Hill Road - - would like to commend Mary L ou and Paul Hardesty for their planning . The fact that Tom N iederkorn is involved is a positive aspect and a highly respected architect . She said in regard to trailer parks that she thinks t heir trailer park and Hovanec ' s are attractive . N eil Sherwood - 2352 Danby Road - asked if the map presented was t he original map from 1970 and said it is unclear how the old map and the new blend in . He has several concerns one of which is water as his well has run dry two or three times this summer . The last time a well was drilled they hit salt water . Other neighbors h ave experienced the same sorts of problems . He said he is concerned about increased traffic and the noise it creates , and feels the park will decrease his privacy . He would not have purchased his property sixteen ( 16 ) years ago if there was a t railer park in the back yard . Mr . Sherwood said he could not concur with anything positive about this proposal . J ean Samuelson - 83 South Danby Road - asked if the Tompkins County Assessment Office had been contacted regarding the effect on assessed values of neighboring properties and what the assessors position is on properties that overlook trailer parks . Ralph Wilbur - 1378 Danby Road - he said he understands the neighbors concerns and lives across from Mike Hovanec ' s mobile home park , it is a very well run trailer park , he has no problem with it , there is no traffic problem . He stated that new development creates tax base for. the Town and we are not going to survive if we do not increase our tax base . He hears repeatedly that a place is needed for trailers . The Hardesty proposal would relieve the situation some . He said he was on the Town Board 1970 ' s when the t railer park was approved . It is not a new thing and this map ( the map showing complete PDD ) and several others have been available to anyone who has bought property near it , own property near it and t his trailer park is no big shock to the community . Mr . Wilber 160 3 Planning Board Minutes Public Hearing - Hardesty September 22 , 1993 stated he lives . across the road from a trailer park , behind him is a very well planned development with some real tax base , was on the Town Board when this mobile home park was planned and he can vouch t hat this was all set up in phases . Ted Merrit - 297 Jersey Hill Road - has lived in Danby all his life and has known the Hardestys over thirty ( 30 ) years . They are h onest people and have always tried to help and improve the community . They bought this property and he agrees with Mr . Wilbur t hat this mobile park has been there all this time . He works for t he Department of Social Services and knows that finding afordable h ousing in this area is a problem . He served as councilperson on t he Town Board and recommended the Town allow trailers in certain places . We have a need for retired persons who cannot afford to keep their homes and have no place to put trailers . He understands some of the neighbors concerns of the neighbors but when he buys property he looks at what is next door , across the street and what is planned for the area . Lily Newton - 2 South Danby Road - have had several problems with g round water and drainage from South Danby Road area that she t hinks comes from the trailer park . P aul Seeley - 1767 Danby Road - has done some work on the drainage in the mobile home park . The water that runs over the Newton property comes from below the park . Mary Moon - 132 S . Danby Road - asked for an explaination of what draw down testing for water was and if it would be done in the wet season or the dry season . She asked if this was already zoned as a planned development and that it could happen if all the tests were met . She said she can understand people needing places to live . S he does not enjoy being in conflict with her neighbors but to say t hat a mobile home park is attractive she thinks it takes a lot of streatching it . She is glad they are doing landscaping but would h ope they do more of it . H oward Steiner - 1050 Coddington Road - said he takes offence to t he previous statement of mobile homes . The first home he could afford was a mobile home and he thought it was attractive . He Said with regards to Paul and Mary Lou Hardesty he thinks their park is e xcellent , it is attractive and provides a low income alternative t o people that cannot afford $ 100 , 000 . 00 homes and he thinks it w ill generate some revenue to the Town . K yle O ' Connor - Bald Hill Road - Lived in Paul and Mary Lou ' s mobile home park for five ( 5 ) years and said they run the park well . There is a standard for persons who live in the park and ✓ ules to follow . He said that the value of his mobile home did not d epreciate but increased in value . The proceeds from the sale of his mobile home were used to build his house on Bald Hill . J ohn Benjamin - said the first piece of property he owned in Danby was a trailer . He said he does not see anything wrong with the proposal . If we do not move forward the Town will go backwards . E verytime someone wants to do something there is a bunch of people w ho say no and it does not happen . It ' s happened since 1955 and we have to go forward . He said he hears people say their property ✓ alue will go down , but why did they buy property next to the trailer park ? J ohn Shepar. dson - 318 Ridgecrest Road - said his property borders on Mike Hovanec ' s trailer. park . He said if anybody thinks their property value will go down , his property value has tripled since t hat park has been there . He has no problems with that trailer park , its residentse , or. traffic . We spend more on zoning than we d o on highways . The Town spends more money on zoning to keep and businesses and new homes out of Town that there is nothing left for obi 4 Planning Board Minutes Public Hearing - Hardesty September 22 , 1993 h ighways . There are new houses going up in the area of the trailer park and they knew the park was there when they purchased the property . Rick Dietrich - 100 South Danby Road - doesn ' t think anybody is looking at the trailer park in any way saying what is happening t here is bad . He thinks there are problems with people who live in t he proximity of the park that are having water and septic problems . He said he is not sure that increased tax revenues and increased services tend to be a wash item in expense . The zoning map lists the area as low density and this is out of character with low density . He said he thinks that there is not a valid Planned D evelopment as it has been violated . He looks at this proposal as a brand new use and sees no real prior existing use to the new t railer park . He said those of us who have bought houses in the neighborhood also see the investment in our houses as our livelihood . He has questions about water and density . He does not see the houses in the back as a problem and would like to see the same type of density down below with the area developed into single h omes . Mr . Dietrich asked what the Planning Boards position is on t he original petition that was submitted by residents on South D anby Road and surrounding area . A question was raised about how many trailers were in the Hovanec P ark . Michael Hovanec responded that he did not have any trailers . He has thirteen ( 13 ) manufactured homes on five ( 5 ) acres . Rick Lazarus - Howland Road - He does not have any problem with the proposal and the way the Hardestys operate the park but worries about what will happen when the Hardesty retire or thirty ( 30 ) years from now . He said he prefers homes built on single lots that t hey own . L ily Newton - said she is willing to talk with the Hardestys about the problem with the pond . Clifford Hill - responded to the concern about the pond . He said t hat before that pond was build the Newton ' s requested that part of it be on their property . Ted Jones - asked if the adjacent homeowners to this proposal going t o be entitled to a vote regarding whether this occurs and if so by what percentage would the vote have to be to either pass or fail . Chairperson Weitzel said that the Planning Board will make a ✓ ecommendation to the Town Board and the Town Board makes the final d ecision . Donna Inman - Bald Hill Road - it is a buyers responsibility to know what that property is available for before purchase . If she bought next to a trailer park she would expect that it would always be a trailer park . She has talked with the division of assessment ✓ egarding how manufactured homes and stick build homes are assessed and a manufactured home is assessed the same if it is placed on a full basement . She asked what was meant by services . She does not know what services we get besides road care . Bob Roe - 1820 Danby Road - disagrees with Ric ' s statement that services were a wash . Clustered development decreases the cost of services rather than having the individual homes spread all over . The idea of cluster is to decrease the cost of services for a given n umber of units . Comparing the new plan with the original plan he sees a vast deduction in the density of what was proposed . The e conomy is very bad and there are a lot of jobs being cut in this area . First time homeowners and the elderly are going to need a place to live and $ 100 , 000 . 00 and $ 200 , 000 . 00 houses on five ( 5 ) 162 5 Planning Board Minutes Public Hearing - Hardesty September 22 , 1993 acre lots are not going to be in their grasp in the forseeable future . This type of proposal is badly needed in this area . Tom D ' Ambrose - Gunderman Road - he said he does a lot of flying and observes a lot of large mobile home parks west and south of here . This proposal is not a big development and is meant to help people who have limited income . He said he lived in a trailer when he built his house . His nearest neighbor is 3 , 000 feet away but complained when he placed a mobile home on his property while he w as building his home . This proposal is small but it is a beginning and suspects that more and more people are buying manufactured homes today . E dw . M . Roberts - Bald Hill. Road - He has been by the Hardesty ' s park and it is really improved from its beginning . He also ✓ emembers when the Hills submitted the original proposal . The P lanning Board and Town Board were told then exactly where all the shrubry and this and that and everything would be put in . Each case that comes up for special permit , land development , zoning changes are considered on its own merritt . That is a State Rule . H e thinks this is something that is needed in the Town for the e lderly people and people just starting out . Fred Wright - representing his mother Onalee Wright - 2353 Danby Road - said his mother feels that she is worried her well and the n oise . She enjoys her privacy but does not want her privacy invaded . N eil Sherwood - asked what map he would have seen if he had asked when he purchased his house . He thinks that a lot of people here have had a lot to say who do not live in the neighborhood . D oug Macki - South Danby Road - is concerned about the water . He asked who is designing the water testing , what are the q ualifications of the people who are assessing the data , and is a draw down test adequate to really assess year round use of the water ? He would like to know specifically how much water is needed for the park . Mary Lou said that the water usage on the General Plan is estimated at 300 gallons per unit per day but the current average water usage for the existing park is 1. 62 per day per household . D iscussion followed regarding the draw down testing of water wells . Mary Lou explained that draw down testing of neighbors wells would be done if the Health Department felt it was necessary . Ric Dietrich - asked if the neighborhood residents could review and be updated on the SEQR review process and make suggested imputs from their interpretaion of it before the Planning Board makes t heir recommendation to the Town Board . K en Horst said that that was the purpose of a public hearing before a recommendation is made to the Town Board . S usan Beeners said that the public comments on the SEQR can be made at any time until the final recommendation is made . Mary Lou is asking the Town to go through the land use issues as t he water and sewer are a health department item . Three letters approving of the project were submitted for tonights meeting and submitted for the record : 1 ) Eleanor S . and Richard L Carr , Hillview Terrace Mobile Home Park , Willseyville , N . Y . - September 20 , 1993 ; 2 ) Joyce Pratt , 308 Bald Hill Road , Spencer , N . Y . September 22 , 163 6 Planning Board Minutes Public Hearing - Hardesty September 22 , 1993 1993 ; 3 ) Virginia H . Dean , Lot # 4 , Hillview Terrace Mobile Home Park , Willseyville , N . Y . - September 9 , 1993 ; 4 ) To : Planning Board with request to be read into minutes : 77 South Danby Road Wiliseyville , NY 13864 " Re : Hardesty Planned Development To Whom it May Concern : I am writing this letter in support of the Planned Development o f Map # ' s 20 - 1 - 4 . 2 and 20 . - 1 - 4 . 5 . Due to a prior commitment I am u nable to attend the public meeting , and so request that this letter be read by the Board . I feel the current manufactured housing community at this site has very little impact on the surounding properties . As one of the closest homeowners I notice virtually no noise , traffic , or related problems . The Hardesty ' s have brought the community from disrepair into an attractive property , adding to the Town ' s tax base . Having attended prior public hearings , I feel the Hardesty ' s h ave " done their homework " in preparing to expand . Every aspect of impact to the surounding homeowners has been carefully and legally e xplored . The density situation has been addressed ; the impact to t he area water has the approval of the stringent Tompkins County H ealth Department . The Hardesty ' s have even agreed to a 50 foot buffer of plantings , which I feel is beyond what is necessary . W hat do we as property owner ' s have in our side lots ? In all , the issues and impacts have been thoughtfully addressed . As one who shares a commitment to bringing affordable housing to the working people , I welcome this community to my n eighborhood . Sincerely , Mary Hovanec " Mike Hovanec - 1395 Danby Road - spoke in favor of the development and in the quality of manufactured homes today . ADJOURNMENT : A motion was made by Ken Horst and seconded by Don Schaaf to close t he public hearing at 9 : 12 P . M . Res ec full submitted , . at Carol W . e1 . s i , Secretary � , � .