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Home My WebLink About1985-09-18Minutes Town of Danby Planning Board September 18, 1985 PA'A / j to, U Members Presents Nancy Weitzel, Donald Graham, Walt Sczepanski, Gerald Catlin, Joel Gagnon Members Absents Carol Benjamin Others Presents Ed Roberts (of Bald Hill), Dorothy Roberts, Herb F.ngman, Bob.Beck, Ron Schassburger, and Richard Junge Others Absents Judd Leonard The meeting was called to order at 7s41 P.M. Minute "Secre 1. the at our perly didn't s of the July tary's Notes" Town Board ha July meeting, a part of the belong in the meeting were approved after deleting several which Joel had inserted to explain the actions d taken on recommendations we had made to them The Board felt that these notes were not pro - record of what, had taken place in July and hence minutes of that meeting. Privilege of the Floor There was a discussion about abandoned and seasonally maintained roads. This was prompted by the recent request to the Town Board by residents of Emery Road (off of Brown Road.) to plow that road in the winter. Discussion centered around the facts that there are a lot of seasonally maintained roads in Danby, that many of these ar•e not posted to indicate their seasonal status, and that there is no policy stating the conditions under which a road would be conver- ted from seasonal to regular maintenance. Seasonally maintained roads are still Town roads, and residences may legally be built along them. People building houses on such roads should be aware of their seasonally maintained status. Even when they are, there comes a point where there are enough houses on a seasonally maintained road that the. road.'s status should be reviewed. The Board felt there is a need for careful examination of this question. It was moved that Don convey to the Town Board by letter our concern' about the matter and our recommendation that there be a study of the cri- teria for maintaining and upgrading the various classes bf Town roads. The motion passed with all in favor. Don reported that the Town Board at its special meeting on August 26 had voted to send the junk law to referendum in November in its current unrevised. form. Don reported that the proposed swap of a piece of land on the main road owned by Rick Dobson for the old Town Barn building and property did not work out and Rick was now seeking a cash offer from the Town. The. Town Board voted at its August meeting to make him an offer. Regarding the Planning Board's recommendation to the Town Board that a letter be sent to the person selling plots off of Steam Mill road informing him of the zoning restriction against constructing residences without frontage on a public road, Don reported that the Town Board had taken no action, concluding that the seller's conver- sations with the Zoning Officer were sufficient. Rick Dietrick (who was absent at that Town Board meeting) protested that the letter r 2 must have been misunderstood. The Planning Board agreed that we were still concerned about the situation, and Don agreed to bring the matter up in his report to the Town Board at its next meeting. Regular Agenda Bob Beck: and Ron Schassburger presented to those assembled plans for a natural history center which they would like to locate in part in the northwest corner of the Town of Danby in the Lick Brook area (on the 'Travolding Farm). The primary site for this center would be located north of the Danby acreage, in the Town of Ithaca. Plans for this center include "the combined format of a ZQq, a botanical ,garden, museum, and nature center within an educational and cul_ al context. "IK�e center wo —uTd e owned and operated by the not -for pro t_`_Tlitural History Society of the Finger Lakes. "The goals of the Society are the encouragement of a harmonious relationship be- tween mankind and nature and the long -term conservation of wildlife and habitats." Since the greatest environmental impact will in fact be in this Town of Ithaca, the Board agreed that the Town of Ithaca Planning Board should serve as the. "lead agency" in dealing with environmental and other planning concerns. We informed the Messrs. Buck and Schassburger that their plans for the Danby portion of the project would probably best be handled as a Planned Development. The Board had several concerns3 1) Since the land is to be owned by a not - for - profit agency, it would generate no property tax revenues. At the same time, it would require upgrading and increased maintenance of Town roads in the area, since It was the Society's intention to have primary access to the site be via Sandbank road. Pland include a restaurant, which would ge- nerate sales tax revenues, some of which would return to the Town, helping to offset the increased public outlays, but such revenues would not be generated until some uncertain time in the future. 2) Yet another working farm would be.lost to the community, and with it much open field. Walt pointed out that the soils in that area are pretty marginal for farming, though, so-that thQ loss to farming would not be great. 3) Sake members were concerned that a unique and unspoiled natural area was going to,be developed at all, feeling that the land should be acquired by the public and put into the State Park system. Some people had inquired into this possibility, however, and found.little interest in Albany. Except for the concern about the additional bubden which this project might place upon the shoulders of Danby taxpayers, the idea was well received. The center would greatly increase public accessibility to one of the nicest and least known natural areas of the Town, as well as provide educational and recreational opportunities for the Town's residents. Richard Junge, of the School of the Finger Lakes (located in the old Danby School) came before the Board wanting to know what approval, if . 3 any, he needed from the Town before he could proceed with a plan to r use the kitchen of the school for a food processing operation. He had In mind using volunteer labor to produce wholesale baked goods in order to help raise money for the School. Produced goods would not be sold on- site„ Pxcept, perhaps at occasional bake sales. We informed Mr. Junge that the school and surrounding pro erty are part of a planned, development district established just ' year, and the use he was proposing excendnd the allowed activities written into the P.D.regula- tions for that district. This means that to do as he proposed would require a revision of the Planned Development regula- tions for that district. He thus needs the permission of the lanl- owner tITL) first, then a change. in the. district regulations, which would have to come out of a request by ITL for a change. There would need to be. Planning Board review, a public hearing, and finally action by the Town Board. On the. "fast track" this would take a minimum of 2 months. Mr. Junge may now pursue the'matter with ITL, if he chooses to do so. Since the hour was late, we decided to meet in a work session on Wed. 25 september (later postponed to the 30th) to work further on revi- sing the zoning ordinance. Meeting adjourned at 10107 P.M. submitted by Joel Gagnon 4. Minutes Town of Danby December Pla.nnin1 Boa.rd. 18, 19`35 Members Presents Nancy Weitzel, Donald. Graham, Joel Gagnon, Walter Sczepanski Members Absent: Gerald Catlin, Carol BPnja.min Others Present: Ric Dietrich, Dorothy Roberts, Donald Burd-ick, a.nd Judy Ta= ;lia.vento,(a.11 of the Town Boar.) and ^arol SczPnanski. Others Absent: Judd LPona.rd The meeting was called t,o order. a.t 7:32 P.M. Minutes of the ldovembPr mer�tln -:Tore a.nT) roved_ as submittF.d. Chair's reocrt Donald 3ra'na.m (Plannin Doa.r's � . ,q-Ar) r.enortel th=.t action b:v Boa.rl on thr a.nnl_i ^= .`i7 ?1 `Or �. ^,Li�.ti:?c' in the P1annpl. DfnvFlO -nmp 1 D1�- L-J +rice r° Ui'�ti.Ons On `'1 F' nprt: of I ^L, , which T•TP ^+. Snnt on t0 `'l e. 'T OT•in Board, un' 11 such e �' *' im as I'_L rp.aresses nF building code violation, for whic':i it ha,1 baen cited Pa.rlier in i985t I'L i�rPed. t.o complI, l.i'h r,he ^ode f: i�ri it was granted the Planned DPvelopmPnt; District, The Town Bonsd_ voted at. its Jc•r.f=mbPr meeting to tak? bi�.s for the d.�mo- litlon o° a house i -, tro6=1 . Da.r',y o4 Fled by Margaret Adams. "'11153 action followed upon the failure of ;•ors. Adams to sell the property by a de.a.d.line agreed to between hat 1- awy,nrni. the Board of Zonin AppPa.ls. A Lien will be placed ?:rainst ''.✓1e. nronPrty for the cost of the dP;iolltion, a.s provided for in. the Zoning O:rd.ina.nce. In summ.ariziY�� Gllnty h.a.nnpnings, D ?n :CP OrtF�' t iat; i7a ha,:j- bAen el ?C ted r;h?.,ir Of the C ount�i PIRnili.l _ Bpc�YO• '•�'ra.n Wrli_rh is '-)n the.. Trans - nOrtatl0!^i Committee. A rvf?v by TOmtran (it USas more. poll than survo=v was sent to 100 people who had. netittoned. Tomtra.n for service in Da.nby; it resulted in 35 r°tllrns. since Pach was a.sl{Pd- to send. back 3 responses by asking GthPi n�onla, '_hp.J .actually ,dot back o5 responses. Of thFSP, a 30ib Is id they naedPd. a,` ;� Wo1;'+_1. l454' Tomtran buses a.t least times a. l4P. eKe ThP }5 nousPholrlS wPre SDrP.a.i. t'nr.ou.�hout the '!'own. 7o'iltra.n thou,Tht. that �qzs enou:� ;h intarP.;t, to justi fy a second. random. survey In the fu- ture. RF?;UIar Agenda. 'Phis part of the Yeeeting consisted- of a. joint meeting between the Town Board and the Planning Board . The subject was Zoning, P- wa.s held at the request; of the Planning Board so that, we mi ht reach an understanding s7ith it '';'04dn �Oal"Ci rF. ar,.ln - Zoning; and the future. direction of the Pla.nningBoa.rd, Donald Graham began the meeting; by reviewing the recent 'history of the Pla.nnin; Board's in.volvt�ment in zoning ordinance revisions. The current zoning ord.inancP has not been revised since 1977. It has not been sig- nificantly revised since much earlier, since the '77 revision consisted. In merely adding Slate - mandated sections requiring environmental re- view. Both the Town Board a.nd. the Planning Board. have. known for ,years that there are serious problems with the ordinance -- -particularly ambiguities of language which make some. sections difficult to enforce and confusing to administer. The Town Board requested a tightened iun ell G d15A� rifled ordinance from the Planning Board and were given one I\To action has been taken on that submission, with the result that the Planning Board didn't know hotot next to 17r.oceed., In Ja.nua.r..y I 1984 there was a. joint meeting between the Plannin; Board. and the Town � Board a.t which the Town Board agreed to aggressively enforce the zoning j ordinance, while at the same time cha•rgin -� the Pla.nnin:g Board. to come I up with a. revised ord.inancP. This was to be done in sections, with 1 review by the ".'own Board. as we went along so as to avoid coming un with R finished . document not at all to the Boar-l's liking. We have. been � working; off anJ on as time nekrmittPd since then on that charge, iusinf� a model ordinance provid.Pd ;•to us by Sa.r. y 'Pvans, of the 2.ounty Pla.nnina; Departments DLcpntrq.1 ld Burdick. the new "'own �une.r,Tisor, was Incredulous t'_na` no action had- ever been taken on the 1980 revision and kept comin back to that fact dur. in.; the course of the discussion IfznicIn followel. Mr, ..Ill ; summary, r _, herP UTa.s, so, °: discussion Of whetnPr i': is nossll?le, O!=''e z I'D lei IY1, Ls a.:.o'1;e I, to r,pFa.l Its Don Ora ham sq.id. that ^c n 1 a..., O] ^d.j.n�' �:�� ra1!.r t1 O ?.tri i County Planning Director) this TPTa.s in `al ^t Taos =1 b1a , bt:t t;'n t.`. wtthout zoning there could ba no l.a.nd use rPgula.tiori, Joel pointed out `ha.i; aveyl in the complete .a.bsenca of zoninrl there wa.s consid.Pra.bl� land. use rngtilation, '-"he County ha.s a. subdivision or;;ina.nce which a.1)n1.1 e5 L.01 V)c, a.nd Health Deng. rtm rF.'_: III a.tiOns gove rn lo` Cizin•C end. o! nl gc.'.�rn(P t n 11 a.nl� sinonti systpms Wh ;,e t^.- r (, n;, O WP C _ � '� L L zoning 0.� �.ina.'. ?.,pS can b~ used to regulate land use, and `hat is in fact; thflir l)rimary unl ^lion, Danby's ord.ina.ncF 'does :Tery tit1;7_e D` that:, a1 OvT %n.=' the„ ^aTnF, tT% Of deVPIOTJttle.nt over almost thF entirn 'C) t�, in III iS O?tiniOn, LhocP on t V thin.:.; zoning ha.s done for Da.nbv is rP5t7'iCte.'� ti1G i_n. ,l_ui' C7` mobile '.tomes and inhibited businesses from locatin:_; In Dq.nbY Be tone. LL q t, it ha.s mostly gotten in the wn.= , opl -e `s f _exil�il_it�T In l'ne i.jse of their nroT�erty, Don sra.ha. ., T?rOtP.Str -- - �.:�. r, 1c {nP. of O 1!ISla.tlCeS where an,y bUSines na:?. ever '�t?en rFfl).SP ;. '_OCa,tion 1r..i ,nin. the mown• e1 c-i-1 t'nm!� in 1� q -�n �' � f% T Joel L Sy . , i iZnSli:,•. �'SS ,. U !.. rl. %n Or � Ot ^;n �1117F v o 'ria.:.1. SnOke'n to 11 la.!1y o01_P. 1;771. f'OUn'1. :C "7 IL 0'i^ zoni. ng, Cgxol Sc zena.nski -r. esp nr1,oJ b, -,r sP. :-- I t t e ,;'i`1. , `1'h° '„1'!.Ou 1a. 1�PO�le Jere lOc' I UTDset �_t-• 1inp.-r O: n.:�n- FnfOrC F' IPr` f 70ni�to the''' ` -:lay: W01111 -qu T)por'.; I = I it Th Prin a, n -on ;..1 c.-1 (-)l. }-e a.F 'h(1 orE' "ia:1 been a ?Doll Of hp vOtar,e, ,-)q ^,,r `73 in ^0n,]aYIC` 1Orl c•Tit?1 a.n aa.r?_iPr big'. to revise she OnIYi?. Or +lilt a, >7c in l ^iii ^ %1 �. t�.]7r Lt TT Nere in favor of zor!in:� ^'his ca.mP as a AL r 51.1n i..5e t0 SOm;n of a .�'lOs nrpsent, who wer° un er y 1 °. iTlUraSSIon thq.t zonin.1,' h-q d ,n_;rF±.;' ! pnn ist.lt t0 q. p;)%:li Vote, JOPI c0ncUr,:° .,1.th ,.�.TO',- t t�.t bOt''? J- "O�?One�t8 n.' iODDonFnts Of z: oninz Non re Or' one mi »•] On th Hirt -tc.r cT1�n4 , �lL. �^ �h`at i` 11/AnP iy t0 >]n nr r DO.i':7ti; J;-!nri -C .r'I�T�S 7"t L '�1':� ?i1'� ClF ��,,,.� it7�na r) � t 1.1 �r"�T / ^. tj l'�l�l PmS iN c' �nl np � .a 1. .1. 1 l hi n n" .rn n =on !.F )P ^,; .T{ .h b,r ,,c a.' or.��, A .7 S l> ! 1. 3 t1 r _ 1 '�. it t a. t F i. t' a. t; W n n l v, -7 < _ _ t .� -•. L A. P..: �- Iq.VF• z,C)n t`� .:. jjP C'. r r' ham.: ^,1, O LS Lcn Uncorn, 'Yt or q,n.l Yjv, r}r�Occ. � "h'� �'. 1'1 =c' -, l-. r-z k. or 7o4in JOar, a.ct.L 'is '-£A. Sl.il "naafi in F. r,n�iFvc ?r". t'1 -�. P� ?j i} Boq.r:' i Pc n. l,; (?:1 t0 i1 a VF' t.'.(•ta `, 'Cron0 , ", a.cte uDon, What f hen Of the or- dinance the Planning Board. is curr?ntly ti,Tor I :. on? Don -1r 1 iarl note:T that there ar° man`/ qd,Iantc.gps t0 the ormat of the current rronosal over the '80 revision, and. he urged. Don Burdick to talk to ^rank Li�ou- ri about how those could be incoroorated. into a Danb,v Or'-iinanca, Joel accuseJ those assembled of avoiding the overriding question of i whether or not there the ma j oriti.r oni pion adequately in '78 and. Rather, he thought ou that we do have work. Board -oledgpd to work Initial efforts will 3 should be zoning at all, Don Burdick summed. un by sa,yinw, that that question had been addressed. that 'rip. saw no reason to deal with it a.Taine r. efforts should be directed to marina; the zoning The issue having been thus resolved, the Planning with the Town Board to he.lti make it hannen, focus on the '80 revision, Meeting adjourned a'; 9:56 P.M. submitted by Joel la. Tnon