HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-09-18 1702
1 Planning Board Minutes
Public Hearing - Moon
September 18, 1996
TOWN OF DANBY
PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
PUBLIC HEARING
Public Hearing - Moon 7 : 30 P.M. September 18, 1996
PRESENT :
Chairperson Horst
Planning Board Members : Gerald Catlin, Arch Dotson, William Farrell, Mary Lou Hardesty,
Nancy Weitzel
Others Present:
Code Enforcement Officer - Susan Beeners
Secretary - Carol Sczepanski
Applicant - Mary Moon
Councilperson Howard Steiner
Members of the Public :
Karina Jolles, Katie Sczepanski, Kelli Terry, Virginia Griffin
Public Hearing Declared Open :
Chairperson Horst declared the public hearing open at 7 : 37 P . M . and read the following "Notice of
Publication" :
"NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a Public Hearing will be held by the Planning Board of the
Town of Danby on Wednesday, September 18 , 1996 at 7 : 30 P . M . , Danby Town Hall, 1830 Danby
Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 . Purpose of hearing is to consider granting a Special Permit for the
installation of a single-wide mobile home to house an agricultural worker at Garden Earth Nursery,
132 South Danby Road, Town of Danby Tax parcel No . 20 . - 1 - 19 . 1 , Mary A. Moon and Thomas E .
Burkhart, owners/applicants .
All interested parties will be given the opportunity to be heard either in writing or in person . "
Dated September 11 , 1996
Affidavit of Mailing received and filed on September 13 , 1996 .
Mary Moon addressed the Board and public and said that her application for a Special Permit for the
installation of a single-wide mobile home is for a part time caretaker for the Garden Earth Nursery .
The nursery has been in operation five (5) or six (6) years and the work load has increased so that
it is necessary to hire a part-time person. They would like to have a caretaker live on the property
and in exchange for housing . Water and sewer would be shared with the existing residence on the
property .
Susan Beeners said that she has attached a draft resolution and her evaluations for the Board to
consider.
Public Comment:
Howard Steiner said that ten ( 10) years for a special permit for a temporary mobile home seems like ,,
an eternity. There seems to be no plan and that a person could not live without an additional income .
Board Comments :
The Board discussed the proposal and had the following concerns :
1 ) A caretaker would be a seasonal worker for approximately eight (8) months of the year and
would need additonal income other than housing provided .
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2 Planning Board Minutes
Public Hearing - Moon
September 18, 1996
2) Applicant not sure that a mobile home will be placed on the site as they are seeking other
options such as building a log cabin;
3 ) The ten ( 10) year limit for the proposed special permit should be reduced to five (5 ) years .
4) An annual status report to the Code Enforcement Officer should be added as a special
condition.
• Public Hearing Declared Closed
Chairperson Horst declared the public hearing closed at 8 : 00 P . M .
sciAy1/4-
Carol W . Sczepaecretary
phm-moon . 96
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1 Planning Board Minutes
September 18 , 1996
TOWN OF DANBY
PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
Regular Meeting 7 : 30 P. M. September 18 , 1996
PRESENT :
Chairperson Horst
Planning Board Members : Gerald Catlin, Arch Dotson, William Farrell , Mary Lou Hardesty, •
Nancy Weitzel
Others Present :
Code Enforcement Officer - Susan Beeners
Secretary - Carol Sczepanski
Councilperson Howard Steiner
Members of the Public :
Mary Moon, Karina Jolles, Katie Sczepanski, Kelli Terry, Virginia Griffin
Chairperson Horst opened the meeting at 8 : 00 p . m .
Special Permit Application - Moon
Arch Dotson said he had a concern with granting a special permit for a ten ( 10) year period . He said
his observation is that this proposal has not been carefully planned and how this is going to work .
Bill Farrell said he feels that this has not been planned well as the applicants are not sure what they
are going to do . As proposed, a person working only one ( 1 ) day a year would qualify the use and
could not support the approval of even a five (5 ) year permit .
Nancy Weitzel said she does not think that all other options have been explored .
Gerry Catlin said that he visited the site and talked with Mr . Burkhart and he was not sure at this
time whether they would install a mobile home or possibly put up a building .
Mary Moon said that they have not researched the costs for other options and she is not sure that
building would be something she could afford at this time .
Chairperson Horst said that there are students who remain in the area for the summer months who
may be potential employees that already have housing and transportation . Many are happy to have
part-time jobs to help them with the schooling and expenses without having housing provided for
them .
Mary Moon said that it is her feeling that they would be able to get approximately between $2, 000 . 00
- $4, 000 . 00 worth of labor in exchange for providing living quarters . That would be ultimately over •
a period of five or ten or fifteen years and would be a lot less money out of their pockets than if they
paid somebody regular wages . She said that she cannot say who the person they hired would be as
they could not recruit someone until they had a place for them .
Arch Dotson said that his experience working with students is that working, committing to job
responsibility, etc . is very irregular . You may strike it lucky with someone who is responsible .
Mary Moon said that she does not think finding a person willing to work with housing provided as
payment will be difficult . There have been persons in the past who would work in such a situation
for a place to live .
Chairperson Horst said that a person could only work in that situation if they had another job .
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2 Planning Board Minutes
September 18 , 1996
Mary Lou Hardesty said that she can speak from experience on renting mobile homes as basically
that is what she would be doing. People who rent mobile homes do not take care of them as they do
not have anything invested, particularly the older models . If persons own their own home or mobile
home they maintain them .
Arch Dotson said that if the questions and concerns raised by the board can be answered , and if a
responsible well considered plan can be developed, with the explicit objections we have raised can
be met, then we can consider it again. If the applicant wishes to prepare a plan that would respond
to questions raised by this Board , then we would be willing to look again .
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Motion to Deny Special Permit Request - Moon
A motion was made by Arch Dotson and seconded by William Farrell to deny the application of
Mary A. Moon and Thomas E . Burkhart for a Special Permit to install a mobile home on their
property as in the present form the application is unfinished, and if a plan is submitted responding
to the questions raised by the Board then the application will be considered again .
The information requested is as follows :
1 ) Reasonable length of time for special permit;
2) Terms of employment - temporary and part-time employment of part-time help
3 ) Type of work;
4) Arrangements concerning time of contracts and terms of employment, satisfaction of other
requirements concerning temporary and part-time employment;
5 ) Alternatives that have been considered and some indication why they are infeasible or less
feasible than what is proposed ;
A vote on the motion resulted as follows : Carried Unanimously
Mary Moon asked that the objections be identified so that she can address them .
Chairperson Horst said that the information would be recorded in the Planning Board Minutes and
if she can return with a plan addressing some of the questions that have been raised, the Board will
reconsider the application.
Announcements
Chairperson Horst reported that Ralph Wilbur died on September 13 , 1996 . The Planning Board will
send a card to the family . Arch Dotson said that he would prepare a memorial resolution from the
Board to present to the family .
Comprehensive Plan :
Chairperson Horst reported that the Planning Board is in the process of trying to revise and updating
our Comprehensive Plan. Joan Jurkowitz and Rebecca Lubin from the Tompkins County Planning
Department have been invited to report on the County ' s activities .
Joan reported in the 1970' s the County developed a Comprehensive Plan. She reported that the
Planning Department is working on obtaining information to update the document . A steering
committee was appointed to look at the plan and they identified five (5) key issues that the County
should focus on in planning for the future . . The areas they recommended were economic
development, environmental protection, public participation in the decision making process of
government, intergovernmental cooperation, and revitalization of downtown Ithaca and other
commercial areas . The Environmental Management Council was developed and the Board of
Representatives adopted an Environmental Policy Statement with a more detailed Long Range Plan .
The Agricultural and Farm Land Protection Board have developed a draft Agricultural Liability Plan.
A Long Range Protection Plan has been developed for the County by the Ithaca, Tompkins County
Transportation . A lot of information has been obtained of natural resources and a booklet has been
completed that could be of help to the Town . Tompkins County hired a consultant to look at water
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September 18 , 1996
and sewer issues in the County and the findings were that they were not a major concern of
businesses locating in the area.
Joan said that County Planning Department could interact as a resource to the Town for planning
efforts .
HUD Grants- Tompkins County
Rebecca Lubin, from the County Circuit Rider Program said that for Towns who were denied HUD
Grant funding that they may be eligible for some type of rehabilitation funding . Letters to the
Supervisor' s will be sent out from the County within a few days explaining State funding that may
be available and how to apply. Karl Hect should be coming soon to talk to the Town Officials . She
said that Danby had a very strong HUD application .
Planning Discussion
Susan Beeners reported that she has recommended to the Town Board and Planning Board that a
student intern be hired to help with economic development planning in the Town. The Town would
like to update the general comprehensive plan .
Ken Horst asked how important age profiles are when planning . The numbers he has obtained for
the County are influenced by the number of college students here .
Joan said that the age sector is very important when planning for services, land use, change, etc .
Age breakdown and projections can be obtained from the County . Projections must be based on the
population that is here now and projections .
Joan said that she and Rebecca would be willing to help the Town with their planning efforts .
Approval of Minutes :
August 21 , 1996 Planning Board Minutes Approved
A motion was made by Arch Dotson and seconded by William Farrell to approve the Planning Board
Minutes of August 21 , 1996 as published .
Carried Unanimously
Public Hearing Minutes - August 21 , 1996- Walker Subdivision - Approved
A motion was made by Nancy Weitzel and seconded by Gerald Catlin to approve the Public Hearing
Minutes of August 21 , 1996 for the Walker Subdivision as published .
Carried Unanimously
ADJOURNMENT:
On a motion the meeting adjourned at 9 : 50 P . M.
CueSik
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Carol W. Scze n i, Secretary
min-9- 18 . 96
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