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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-04-04-PB-FINALTOWN OF ULYSSES PLANNING BOARD MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, April 4, 2017 Approved: April 18, 2017 Present: Chair David Blake, and board members David Tyler, John Wertis, and board alternate Benjamin LeWalter; Environmental Planner Darby Kiley, and Town Liaison Rich Goldman. Rebecca Schneider and Sara Worden were absent. Mr. LeWalter was named a voting member. Public in Attendance: Dana Stafford of Regional Access. Call to Order: 7 p.m. Agenda Review; Minutes Review (3/21/2017) Mr. Wertis MADE the MOTION to accept the amended March 21, 2017 meeting minutes, and Mr. Blake SECONDED the MOTION. The motion was carried, 3-0, with Mr. Tyler abstaining from the vote. Privilege of the Floor Mr. Stafford said he was made aware of ongoing deliberations regarding zoning in the vicinity of Regional Access, which resides in one of the few light industrial areas in Town. He attended the evening meeting to get clarity on the proceedings thus far. Ms. Kiley gave a brief overview of the Zoning Ulysses Steering Committee (ZUSC)'s consideration of a proposal for an overlay zone around Krums Corners that would retain the light industrial zone and expand some of the uses there. The Town Comprehensive Plan has endorsed office and mixed use in that area of Town. She added the Town will reach out to property owners in and around Krums Corners once a plan has been formally proposed. Mr. Stafford said he has also heard of a possible speed reduction on route 96, near Regional Access, a proposal he would endorse. Ms. Kiley said any speed reductions would be under the purview of the State Department of Transportation, but the Town may petition the State for a speed reduction. Discussion of draft Ag/Rural zoning Mr. Blake said several Planning Board members attended a recent meeting of the Agriculture Committee ("Ag Committee") in which local farmers reviewed proposed Ag/Rural zoning changes. Mr. Blake said he reached out to Chaw Chang, who chairs the Ag Committee, to get his thoughts on Town solar. The Ag Committee may have some information to share in time for the Planning Board's next meeting on April 18. Planning Board 2 April 4, 2017 At this time, the Planning Board began its review of the Ag/Rural zoning document. Mr. Wertis began by highlighting his concerns and providing historical context relating to the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan. First, referencing the Randall+West memorandum, he pointed to six statements of recommendation that the consultants cited as recommendations made in the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan (AFPP). However, five of the six recommendations cite a section of the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan written by Bergmann Associates, not by members of the Plan's advising committee, of which Mr. Wertis was a member. That section of the Plan — Appendix D2 — was added into the approved copy. To say the appendix reflects the recommendation of the Plan's advising committee is misleading, he said. Additionally, a recommendation on lot area and yard requirements was edited without the Committee's knowledge to reflect that "density -based or fixed -area ratio zoning should be incorporated for flexibility of lot sizes to accommodate conditions." Upset by the changes, the AFPP Advisory Committee responded with a letter to the Town Board on December 2012 noting several edits that had been made to the AFPP since the Committee's final meeting on February 3, 2011, he said. The AFPP Advisory Committee felt much of the document reflected recommendations from Bergmann Associates and then -members of the Town Board. When you hear the current Ag Committee taking issue with some of the proposed recommendations, they are referencing past frustrations with the Town over the AFPP, he said. Offering his thoughts from the recent Ag Committee meeting, Mr. LeWalter said he liked that there was significant feedback on smaller lot sizes since, in his view, smaller lots seem more conducive to future living. He also liked the shared priority among stakeholders to preserve agricultural land. On the subject of solar, Mr. LeWalter favors larger setbacks because more space between the panels and the roadway could accommodate future housing development, which would serve a dual purpose in offering land for residences and screening from the solar panels if houses are built. Ms. Kiley noted such a proposal would have a downside — the larger the setbacks, the more likely it is that additional footage would be taken out of adjacent agriculture land to meet the setback requirement. There is nothing stating that the current 50 -foot setback from solar projects is justifiable, he said. The Town has simply cut and pasted what other municipalities have done. He said he would like more information on setback requirements for solar projects. Those who attended the Ag Committee meeting shared in the need to preserve agricultural lands and open space, yet the Town has permitted large solar arrays to be installed on some of that very land. Mr. Goldman asked who initiated the zoning review, to which Ms. Kiley said the Town's Comprehensive Plan outlines changes be made in zoning. The Lakeshore and Conservation zones were completed, as directed by the Comprehensive Plan, and next up is Ag/Rural and the Jacksonville Hamlet. The proposed 1 -acre minimum lot size was discussed. Mr. Wertis said the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan Committee considered a 1 -acre minimum favorably but reasoned building a house on a lot of that size is difficult. He does not believe the Ag Committee is wedded to a 1 -acre minimum; it is good idea if it can accommodate housing and utilities, but a 2 - acre minimum lot size is fine. The Ag Committee believes the current zoning is sufficient, and no one has demonstrated that current zoning will eat up Town farmland. The push for zoning updates came from past Town Board members, he said. Planning Board 3 April 4, 2017 Mr. Blake asked which minimum requirement — 1- or 2 -acre lots — would be more accommodating to developments like Honey Bee Lane. Ms. Kiley said it depends on whether the developer wants to pay for a shared septic system. Mr. Wertis felt the Ag Committee may support clustering if the clustered lots are smaller. A brief discussion of clustering and incentives ensued. Mr. Wertis said he was curious if members of ZUSC have reviewed individual ag lots in Town, since a considerable amount of land that is labeled as agricultural is, in fact, wooded and not farmable. He asked if there was some way to build into zoning a process for the landowner who is limited to, say, three subdivisions but may have wooded, un-farmable land that could accommodate additional subdivisions. Mr. Tyler felt such flexibility within the zoning law would allow for abuse; variances are the effective tool here. Ms. Kiley responded that we don't know what that process would be. Mr. Tyler felt the Planning Board should review the Comprehensive Plan, since it articulates the goals of Town zoning updates. Maybe there is nothing wrong with the current zoning, he said. Mr. Blake reminded the Planning Board of the May 4 deadline for comments to ZUSC. The Planning Board reached a consensus to meet on Tuesday, April 18. Mr. Tyler MADE the MOTION to adjourn the meeting, and Mr. Blake SECONDED the MOTION. The motion was unanimously carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted on April 7, 2017 by Louis A. DiPietro II.