HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-05-17-PB TOWN OF ULYSSES
PLANNING BOARD
05/17/05
Approved August 18, 2005
Present : John Wertis , Chairman . Planning Board Members Rose Hilbert, David Means,
Rod Porter, David Tyler. Robin Carlisle-Peck, Secretary.
Roxanne Marino-Town Board Member
Excused : Margot Chiuten
Chairman Wertis called the meeting to order at 7 : 30 pm. A quorum is present at
the meeting.
Zoning Ordinance-
Ms Marino wanted to comment on Zoning Ordinance and items discussed at the Town
Board meeting. Planning Board members were given the Draft being presented at
the Public Hearing on May 315`, 2005 -copies are available to the public via Marsha as
well as on the Town website . Mr. Ellis will be putting up 24" x 36" laminated maps at
public areas around the town-the library, post office, grocery stores, etc . A brief
description with the meeting announcement will be included with the maps .
Mr. Tyler asked how the meeting would be handled i . e . limit comments to 2 - 3 minutes .
Ms Marino responded that she had suggested the Town Board meet before the meeting to
review the procedure . The Town Board will meet a half hour prior to the Public Hearing.
Ms Marino stated that she is here tonight to convey a discussion at the Town Board
meeting as to how the Planning Board would be involved in the Public Hearing. The
Town Board suggested they sit with the Town Board, they be at a separate table or they
remain in the audience because they are citizens and can participate in hearings . Ms
Marino informed them she would obtain the opinion of the Planning Board .
Mr. Tyler expressed that he would prefer to sit in the audience .
Mr. Means stated he liked the idea of a separate table, but would go either way as he does
not have the history with the Planning Board that others do .
Mr. Tyler stated that this is an act of local legislation and the Town Board is the local
legislator thus all questions/comments should be directed and responded to by the Town
Board .
Mr. Wertis stated his comfort level is to be part of the audience .
Ms . Marino stated that the Town Board should not respond to comments , but would like
to hear any comments from the Planning Board as they have helped draft the legislation
and will be implementing parts of the document .
Ms . Marino stated the Town Board has scheduled a meeting for June 8th to review the
Public Hearing, prior to the Town Board meeting of June 14tH
Mr. Tyler asked when the comment period would end.
Ms . Marino was not sure .
Mr. Tyler commented that he would like to see that comments be allowed until the 5th or
6th of the month.
Ms . Marino stated she would suggest this to the Town Board .
Ms . Hilbert asked how long after the hearing does the Town Board have to vote-if they change
anything is there a percent or what?
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05/ 17/05
Mr. Tyler stated it would be a substantial change to require a Public Hearing.
Mr. Wertis stated that he would like to review what each individual would prefer to do-he has
heard from several but not Ms . Hilbert.
Ms . Hilbert stated that prior to making her decision she would like to know if or what the
Planning Board would like to do —i . e . present a statement from the Planning Board that night,
prior to or after- if as a group we draft a statement or concerns, if there is something drafted and
presented to the Town Board, she would have no preference if they sat together.
Mr. Means feels they should be together if not with the Town Board.
Mr. Tyler stated that he may want to state some strong issues ; he had expressed to other
members via a letter that he had hoped to be able to get up and say it is not a perfect document
but it is something I support but the current document is not something he would support.
Mr. Wertis asked the specific points he had issues with.
Mr. Tyler stated his biggest issue is the changes to the Al Districts .
Ms . Hilbert stated that the Planning Board had put together a summary of the concerns the
Planning Board had and she understands that only one issue had been altered .
Mr. Wertis asked if the members had read their copies of the published draft.
Ms Hilbert and Mr. Tyler stated they had not read the most recently released version.
Ms Hilbert stated that she would like to see a letter going to the Town Board regarding the
weaknesses of the document or the items the Planning Board cannot support based on the
Comprehensive Plan.
Mr. Wertis stated that this is where he feels some clarification may come between the old and the I .
new document once the most recent is reviewed.
Mr. Tyler asked about the most recent questions submitted to the Town Board.
Mr. Wertis asked would the members be confident in putting on the "board" the biggest items
they feel have not gone far enough concerned with.
Ms Hilbert stated that her biggest issue is the Al or R1 , how they are designated and the
parameter or lot size. The Comprehensive Plan adds up differently, and it comes from different
responses from the public-the farmers come to meetings and state they should be able to do
whatever they want, they state the land is their retirement and are furious people are messing
with their land . The Zoning Ordinance allows houses to go along and right up against a property
line and within inches a pig farm is allowed . This is not consistent and not good for the family
nor is it good for the farmer. The land uses are not married well and not good for each other-and
for those who sell property; the Zoning Ordinance does not address smart development.
Mr. Means states the Ag district does contain regulation .
Ms Hilbert asked what area of land that is a minimum for Al if the person still wants to farm-she
stated that 2 acres is not enough space for a house, play structure, and family with farming use up
to the property line .
Mr. Tyler stated there are restrictions-he offered a suggestion to plan to meet after the hearing to
draft a final comment from the Planning Board .
Mr. Wertis stated that this is the first time he has heard this line of reasoning.
Ms Hilbert stated that it comes from numerous meetings she has attended. Ms . Hilbert stated that
farmers have been asked to attend meetings to help designate regulation and there are plans for
retirement yet plans to farm-there are no definitive specification as to what their plan is .
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Mr. Porter stated that inheretently they do not plan for retirement they plan to continue farming
as long as possible; what they are reluctant to do is get backed into a corner and limit their
options-the land is their only asset .
Ms . Hilbert suggested that the farmers be allowed to farm and when it comes to building and
selling lots they need to come to the Planning Board and specifications will be given to allow
open space per the Comprehensive Plan .
Mr. Wertis stated that the Town is not set up for Planning-there is no Planning Department-the
Zoning Ordinance is the Planning tool that is used for Planning within Ulysses .
Ms Hilbert asked Mr. Wertis what his feeling are regarding the Al District .
Mr. Wertis stated he is not really happy with the Al -but is hanging onto that the 60/40 -70/30
concept will be revisited .
Mr. Porter stated he believed there was a general agreement that the Al District was not really
accomplishing what we wanted , but there was not a good mechanism on how to do that, and in
the absence agreed to allow the Al and revisit the alternatives later.
Ms Marino stated that the Town Board does intend to continue the alternatives to the Al district
to address the issues that have been brought up by the public and the Planning Board.
Mr. Porter stated that he believes it is an issue that both the Town Board and the Planning Board
would like to see addressed but understands the need to continue forward thus the Al District
was drafted as it is currently.
Ms Marino stated that as an individual she feels this is a Stop/Gap and that it will be addressed
later.
Mr. Wertis repeated the choices of sitting with the Town Board, sitting separate from the Town
Board but with them or in the audience . Mr. Wertis stated that the consensus is to sit in the
audience so the Planning Board can make comments to the Town Board as citizens .
Mr. Porter stated the only concern he has is the Board as individuals making comments on the
Ordinance; the Planning Board has had many opportunities to give input into the document. Mr.
Porter further stated that he questions how appropriate the Planning Board members publicly
voicing opinions at a Public Hearing.
Mr. Tyler asked why they should be gagged-who better to question the document then the
Planning Board members who know the history of this document .
Mr. Porter stated that he does not feel that he is a member of the Public because of his role on the
Planning Board.
Mr. Tyler offered that all Planning Board members should state they are commenting as a Private
Citizen vs . Planning Board Member.
Mr. Means asked if in Mr. Tyler' s experience he has witnessed changes made by issues
addressed at the Public Hearing .
Mr. Tyler stated that often a person will make a comment; others in the audience will continue
the line of questions related to this topic and this can have an impact.
Mr. Wertis asked if members would like to have a meeting after the hearing to prepare a
statement-discussion concluded a brief meeting on June 2 , 2005 at 7 : 30pm . Mr. Wertis offered
he would transmit to Town Supervisor that the Planning Board would be sitting in the audience
vs . with the Town Board ; they will get together as a group on June 2nd to draft a response after
the Public Hearing .
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Computer Consulting
Mr. Wertis stated a computer consulting/programming business has been operating illegally on
Krums Corners Road for the past 15 years . The owners have requested a Zoning Variance to
build an addition of their building to allow more employees to be hired . They approached the
Town Board with plans and the Town Board has been quite receptive . The addition is very
similar to the current house, parking would be in the back for employees and remain very similar
to the property now . They have an option to purchase 20 additional acreage ; the Town Board is
wrestling with the direction this should go and the area may become another PDD .
Washington & Partners
Mr. Wertis informed the members a firm called Washington & Partners acting as developer for
Kinney Drugs distributed a booklet to illustrate what they develop within communities .
Apparently it was understood that when Holton ' s moved out Kinney would be relocating to
bigger space. They also want gas tanks, and retail space (unspecified), drive thru Pharmacy,
located on the South end of town.
Mr. Hopke has requested an appearance with the Planning Board .
Mr. Rachun informed him there is a .procedure to follow and informed him of the process .
Protocol for Planning Members
Ms Hilbert drafted a list to be used when new people are being considered for the Planning
Board ; in addition items to be provided to the people applying for appointment. Ms Hilbert used
her personal experience of being new and not knowing people or the process due to never having
been given any information; in addition previous candidates have had questions asked but the
next candidate would not. Ms Hilbert feels this format would be a uniform and consistent system
of selecting/informing future candidates/appointees .
Mr. Wertis advised the word Suggested should be inserted in the title for presentation to the
Town Board.
Ms . Hilbert stated that obviously the first criteria would be to determine that the person is a legal
resident; obviously Mr. Hammond was a perfect case .
Mr. Tyler stated that this could be tricky — the word should be permanent residence due to the
situation that happened with Mr. Hammond.
Ms . Hilbert will revise the document to be reviewed at a later date.
Minutes
Mr. Means questioned if the Planning Board should be reviewing and approving minutes.
Mr. Wertis stated these do need to be done.
Mr. Tyler offered that he did not think it was legal for the members not in attendance to approve
minutes .
Mr. Wertis asked the Secretary to send the minutes to the members via email so all could review
them again for presentation at the next meeting.
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New Members
Mr. Porter asked if the Town Board could review the applications from the previous open
position of the Planning Board .
Mr. Wertis mentioned the position would probably have to be posted but if the all agreed they
could recommend this to the Town Board to have the position filled quickly.
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Mr. Wertis will speak to the Town Supervisor regarding this .
Motion to adjourn made by Mr. Tyler, Seconded by Ms . Hilbert . Approved unanimously.
Meeting was adjourned at 9 : 37 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Robin Carlisle Peck, Secretary
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