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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-12-19TOWN OF GROTON PLANNING BOARD MINUTES THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2019 AT 7:30 PM THE TOWN HALL, 101 CONGER BOULEVARD Present: Absent: Also Present: Mark Baxendell, Chair Matt Kerwin, AT&T Leon Brockway, Vice Chair Mark Fuentes, AT&T Monica Carey Barbara Clark Lisa Maloney Hahn Ed Neuhauser Sam Rose W. Rick Fritz, Code Official Francis Casullo, Attorney Sheldon Clark, Councilperson Donald Scheffler, Supervisor April Scheffler, Town Clerk (Acting as Recording Secretary) RESOLUTION 429 OF 2019 - APPROVE MINUTES MOVED by Member Carey, seconded by Member Neuhauser RESOLVED, that the Planning Board hereby approves the minutes of the September 19, 2019 meeting as presented. Ayes - Baxendell, Carey, Clark, Maloney Hahn, Brockway, Neuhauser, Rose Nays - Resolution Passed Sketch Plan Review for Wireless Communications Tower Mathew Kerwin, Attorney for AT&T Mobility Corporation, Applicant Christopher & Linda Tallman, Owners of Record Project Address: 601 Sovocool Hill Road Tax Map 431.4-3.1 Mathew Kerwin introduced himself and Mark Fuentes. Chair Baxendell said that they were down for a Sketch Plan Review. Attorney Casullo said that according to the Code a Sketch Plan Review was for when they didn't have all of the necessary information. Chair Baxendell said that it had been scheduled as a Sketch Plan because when the agenda went out, they didn't have updated maps. They had only received the new maps the day before, which was quite short notice, and he wanted to make sure that all members of the Board had received the maps and had had time to review them. Everyone said that they had reviewed them and that they were comfortable moving forward with Preliminary Site Plan Review. Mr. Kerwin explained that AT&T was proposing a 154 -foot, mono -pole tower on the Tallman property to service AT&T's wireless needs in the community. He showed a map and outlined where the tower would be on the property, the existing buildings, and the proposed driveway into Planning Board Minutes Page 2 December 19, 2019 the compound. They had received three variances from the Town of Groton Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). One was for the leased area. The Code requires that the leased area be sufficient enough to contain the fall zone. They also obtained a variance for the width of the driveway. They had proposed 12 feet and the Code requires 20 feet. The ZBA granted the variance fora 14 -foot -wide driveway with a 20 -foot bump -out toward the rear to accommodate any emergency vehicles. Mr. Kerwin said that they have a leased area and an easement area and that together they create the 77 -foot fall zone that applies to the entire tower. The fenced compound will be 50 feet by 60 feet with the tower near the middle. All equipment will be in this area and all of the wiring is within the tower. He showed a picture of what the tower will look like, a typical monopole, 154 feet with a 5 -foot lightening rod on top. AT&T has a network in the area pursuant to a license granted by the FCC and they are entitled to build out their network as they deem appropriate to address service issues. In this area, given the topography and tree cover and the lack of nearby facilities, they have a gap that they need to address. This tower will do that and provide an improvement to a large part of the Village of Groton, Route 38, Route 34B, and a number of roads in between. The ZBA asked them to look at other towers but there were none nearby that they could co -locate on. Attorney Casullo said that the variance application had been sent to Tompkins County Planning and they asked that they look at the Tompkins County 911 tower for co -location. A letter had been received saying that co -location there could not be done. Member Carey asked if there would be a light on the tower. Mr. Kerwin said it would not. One is not required until it reaches 200 feet. Member Rose asked about the shed that would house the equipment and what would happen if the tower happened to fall on the shed, what would happen if it went beyond the fall zone. Mr. Kerwin explained that there was a letter in the file explaining that the tower would be designed with a structurally designed break-point midway up the tower. So, instead of a fall zone of 154 feet, it will be cut in half to 77 feet. It doesn't mean that the tower is weak, just that it is stronger on the bottom than on the top. So, if there is a significant storm event with sustained winds where the top of the tower is stressed, it would collapse within that fall zone. Member Neuhauser pointed out that the sheet revisions had a date of 2109 instead of 2019. On page 10 of 13 of the SEQR, it was checked that there was a reported spill on the property and Mr. Neuhauser asked what that was. Mr. Fuentes explained that it was apparently something that had happened on the neighboring farm, but it was never really reported. The form gets automatically completed when using the DEC mapper system. Mr. Kerwin assured the Board that it was not on their site. Mr. Neuhauser asked if the cable or anything will be buried on site from the tower to the road that would need to be removed during the de -commissioning phase. Mr. Fuentes said that the utilities would go underground from the transformer at the road to the tower. He had never decommissioned a tower in the 20 years he has been working in the field. Ms. Carey asked how deep the cable is buried and Mr. Fuentes said three feet. Mr. Neuhauser said that most decommission projects pull the cable for safety in the future. Mr. Kerwin said they could make it part of the agreement if that was what the Board wanted to require. Planning Board Minutes Page 3 December 19, 2019 RESOLUTION 430 OF 2019 - SET PUBLIC HEARING DATE MOVED by Member Brockway, seconded by Member Rose RESOLVED, that the Planning Board hereby sets a Public Hearing relative to the application for Wireless Communications Tower submitted by AT&T Mobility Corporation on land owned by Christopher & Linda Tallman, 601 Sovocool Hill Road, for Thursday, January 16, 2020 at 7:30 pm, followed by their regular monthly meeting. Ayes - Baxendell, Carey, Clark, Maloney Hahn, Brockway, Neuhauser, Rose Nays - Resolution Passed RESOLUTION 431 OF 2019 - SET DATE FOR ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING MOVED by Member Maloney Hahn, seconded by Member Clark RESOLVED, that the Planning Board hereby sets the date and time for their 2020 Organizational Meeting for Thursday, January 16, 2020, immediately following the Public Hearing for the AT&T Telecommunication Tower. Ayes - Baxendell, Carey, Clark, Maloney Hahn, Brockway, Neuhauser, Rose Nays - Resolution Passed Chair Baxendell had received an email from Chuck Rankin asking if the Town might be interested in doing an updated joint comprehensive plan. County Planning has offered to help with projects of this sort at a cost of $27 an hour. Discussion took place on the subject and Chair Baxendell asked the Planning Board Members to think about it, do some research, and come back for more discussion at which time they would come up with a recommendation to pass on to the Town Board. Deputy Clerk, Robin Cargian, had submitted a plan for handling the work -flow when an application was received. Clerk Scheffler explained that the main idea was to have more communication with Board Members and have everyone on the same page so that the Deputy Clerk knows exactly what the Planning Board wants her to do to help the Board be prepared for meetings. One suggestion was to have a Planning Board Member meet with the Deputy Clerk, Town Clerk and Code Official sometime before each meeting to go over applications and make sure everything is complete and ready to go to the Board. Member Neuhauser said that he would be willing to do that since he is retired and has more time than some of the Members who have full time jobs. Member Brockway asked if the Deputy Clerk and/or the Town Clerk could come to a meeting do a little bit of Board education concerning what they would like to see in a work -flow. Chair Baxendell announced that Member Clark is retiring and asked Clerk Scheffler to advertise to fill the vacancy. Discussion took place on the SEQR for the Telecommunication Tower application. Since the ZBA had declared themselves Lead Agency and completed the SEQR requirements for their review of the variance application, it was determined that the Planning Board would not need to do another SEQR. Planning Board Minutes Page 4 December 19, 2019 Supervisor Scheffler informed the Planning Board that Abundant Solar had submitted an application for a solar array and the Town Board had scheduled a Preliminary Site Plan Review for the last Town Board meeting. When they came, they indicated that they did not want to move on until the Town Board agreed to the tax break that they wanted. The Town Board voted not to approve the PILOT program that they wanted, so they went home. We did get a letter from them today stating that they had withdrawn their application. Supervisor Scheffler presented a certificate of appreciation to Barbara Clark for her 20 years of committed service to the Planning Board. MOVED by Member Brockway, seconded by Member Maloney Hahn, to adjourn the meeting at 8:23 pm. Unanimous. April L. Scheffler, RMC, Town Clerk Recording Secretary