HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-06-17Planning Board Meeting
JUNE 17, 2004
7:00 PM
Town Ball
Present: Chair, Barbara Caldwell, Jim Crawford, David Weinstein and Henry Slater.
This was not an official meeting as there were not enough board members fior a quorum.
Joan Port ~rline asked for a special hearing, which be held on .Tune 30, 2004 at 7:00 P.M., due to the
fact they couldn't get to their proposals at this meeting
Barbara spoke with Ardis Adams and set up a preliminary and final hearing for the next meeting.
The board did pass out copies of the drag and a map for the Comprehensive Plan to the audience and
took question from them in reference to the Agriculture Zoning comprehensive plan.
■ George Frantz spoke about the Zoning Plan before they took questions.
1. New zoning district to grant agriculture the same status as residential districts.
2. Provide for a lot oil 'the new enterprises.
■ Introduced the Fixed ratio Zoning.
• Encourage adaptable reuse of farm, supplement farmers income.
• Control the extension of municipal water and sewer system~.
Floor was opened for questions and arguments:
Lynn Davidson spoke of people that want to move into the agriculture districts being notified of
the problems they will encounter such as the smells and noise.
Fred Hudson spoke of the down side of the Fixed Ration Zoning:
■ 90% of land will be zoned as conservation easement, farmer not protected.
• Legislate the rights of the development away from the 90% of land, you eliminating the
ability for property to be used for any other use and therel'ore left with agricultural use
recreation use, or open space.
■ Takes the right away from the farmers.
■ Mortgagees, bankers need to realize this may affect the collateral values.
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Went on to tall: about the PDR plan and the proposed land use plan consulting with the farmland
protection plan to ensure conformance with the provision to enhance the viability of agriculture
in Tompkins county and help reserve agriculture base. George suggested getting together with
Fred and comparing statistics.
Charlie Hatfield spoke about the Farmland protection laws and how people that want to move to
country will know what the problems will be and how the farmers pay the bill.
Dan Conowello spoke about a similar proposal in the town of Ithaca. Farmers pay the taxes but
don't get the rewards of the development plan. Suggested making village life more desirable..
Greg McConnell, loan officer, spoke- about goals to be reaches.
1. Can your legislate your way to that?
2. Can you only rely on legislation to get there?
3. Are the legislations that are proposed actually tugging the other way (saying one thing and
meaning another)?
He spoke about what happens to farmers when they don't farm anymore and how their taxes go
up because of it.
The plan also says nothing about part time farmers.
Greg also went into the cluster development problems and the dilTerent ways it affects the farmer
and the developer.
Is the public willing to pay for these things, parks etc.
Deb Gross asked if the farmers have a suggestion or if they think anything needs to be done in
support of agriculture and make sure farmland is available if a farmer wants to buy land.
■ Charlie suggested findung away to raise prices for their crop.
• Ken Miller suggested sticking to the Agriculture and Farm laws. Also suggested forming a
committee with the farmers to re -write the zoning plan.
• George mentioned that next to owning a restaurant, land development could be the quickest
way to lose money.
■ Ken asked how many towns now have Fixed Ratio Zoning and George said so far only one.
• George said the problem with P.D.R. in Tompkins County is because the development
pressure is relatively low that dilT:erential between lands value as agriculture and it's value
for development, the gap is not wide enough to make purchase of development rights
attractive for farmers.
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• David Weinstein spoke how we all have accepted the concept of zoning and how everyone is
hi some way giving up some rights for the greater good. What we would like this town to
look like in 20 years.
• Charlie Hatfield asked David what part he was going to give in the "open space" deal. They
had a little more of discussion about the issue.
■ Ken Miller mentioned that when David bought his house the zoning was already in place and
now the farmers land is going to be re- zoned.
• Greg asked if there was any value the plan could provide to the farmers that would somehow
compensate them for what they are giving up. He went on to explain the debt a farmer
acquires when a farm liquidates, for example: a huge capital gains Liability.
• Greg, in his opinion, thinks this is a sleeper. He says it won't have a big impact today but
perhaps, future farmers will look at this and realize they have been robed.
■ Ken asked what the problem would be if they didn't zone agriculture and left it the way it is.
■ George said he has seen situations where you have a major subdivision in the middle of an
agricultural area and the new residents don't understand agriculture and suddenly you have a
big legal conflict between farmers and the new residents.
■ David
mentioned it would cost
more
to provide services to a big development in the country
than it
would if residents were
in the
town.
■ Lynn said there has to be some "steel" in the town board that says, "we're not running water
out there, we're not looking at sewers out there ". He says that is the whole bid of the
agriculture district laws and right to farm laws.
• Fred mentioned he thought land tax increases should paid out of an income tax basis as a line
item to the state tar return, which at this point in time is not possible.
■ George mentioned a place where the town paid the farmers to essentially lease their
development rights.
■ Ken said that would put the expense on the taxpayer and not the farmer and that is what he
was trying to get at from the beginning.
• David told Ian Carpenter that they want to make sure the town knows that Ns land stays a
farming property as long as there is someone there that wants farm it, then they want to
preset it to be an expansion of the village.
Barb asked for any new points or anymore questions and Deb Gross asked if there was anyone,
present or not present that feel the need for some kind of mechanism or pressure for the
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development of the large tractor farm and is there threshold level of development the farmer
would like to see.
Ken said he spike to a person that said all the houses are going out on the front of the road
And maybe something could be done about that.
Ken said he thought things were moving along at a pace he and most people could live and
it's not growing that fast. He doesn't see a reason to have a big development set up in the
agricultural area.
Barbara closed the meeting at 9:20 P.M.
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Planning Board Meeting
JUNE 301 2004
7:110 .PM
Town Hall
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Present: Chair, Barbara Caldwell, Joe Laquara, David Weinstein. Tom Hatfield and Henry Slater.
This was a special meeting for Joan Portzline.
Barbara read the legal notice at the start of the meeting.
First hearing: Phase I final approval of Dale Arrnitage subdivision on Sheldon Road and Wood
Road.
Joan passed out blue prints of the subdivided parcels on the comer of Sheldon Road and Wood
Road.
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Parcels A, B, C and D are 5 acres so they don't need county subdivision.
• :• Parcels .E and Fare more than 10 acres so they don't need county or town subdivision.
❖ Barbara asked for questions from. the board_
• :• Tom asked about storm water runoff. Debbie Gross said it didn't apply in this situation..
Joan mentioned the storm water runoff is only needed by the developer when you are putting
in a town road.
❖ There was more discussion about this and it was sugested that they go a little more in depth
about this at the next meeting.
It was suggested that there be a one road cut off on Wood Road if possible. Joan said south
end of parcel A would be the best place and she would discuss that with the buyer.
SEQR was done during the preliminary meeting so the board addressed the questions in final
plot .approval.
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Tom moved to close the hearing and Joe second.
0 Joe moved to approve Phase 1 and Tom second. approved 44.
Second hear:na Phase 2 of Dale Armitage subdivision Barrett farm on Etna Road and Wood road.
Parcels G -1. 2 and 3 are all over 5 acres therefore they are exempt From county subdivision.
Barbara asked For questions, from the board.
Dave asked why it was in 2 phases and Joan said k was a work in progress.
Joe asked where the road cuts were going to be and Joan said all would be on Etna Road and
thought they would all have to be raised bed systems and that is what she is selling them as.
Joan mentioned the drainage from Simrel.l land goes down to G -2 and also mentioned that there
was a culvert under the road on the Bast side of G -2 and another culvert on the corner of Etna
and Wood that goes North and South.
The water collects in the front of G -2 when it rains hard so whoever buys this lot will have to
build farther back off the lot and plan their-septic accordingly.-
• There was discussion about the 239 -L rule.
Dave moved to close the hearing and Joe second. No further discussion, all approved 4 -0
❖ Non= Exempt S.EQR was read and Filled out.
❖ Dave moved for a negative declaration and Tom seconds it.
Tom asked for a short discussion to mention that this was a subdivision of three parcels 5 acres
each and that they will allow housing and water and sewer and will not impact water or air
flow and the most critical impact is there is 3 more living units. _
❖ Negative declaration was approved 4.0. Preliminary was approved.
❖ Joe moved to close the meeting and Dave seconds it. 7:45 P.M.
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