Planning Board

February 11, 2013

Attending: John Savoca, John Flynn, John Kincart, Richard Fon, Darlene Rivera, Ann Kutter

1. Sierra Bella subdivision

As no representatives of the applicant were present, the item was tabled.

2. Planet Storage at Staples Plaza

A Public Informational Hearing was held. Residents from Pine Grove and Lynn Court who back up to the shopping center expressed concern about ongoing problems with noise, lighting and security from the existing site.  One resident stated that the new use “will ruin our neighborhood.” Mr. Flynn noted that many years ago when he was a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the shopping center owner was before the Board for a variance, many of these same issues were brought up and he was concerned that conditions of the ZBA approval may not have been met. Planning Board members will review the ZBA files and review compliance.

The applicant explained that the new lighting fixtures will be directed onto the shopping center site and that shields will be placed behind some to limit any reflection onto the residential properties.  The applicant is considering erecting a new 6’ wood stockade fence along the entire side and rear perimeter of the site; this should provide security and mitigate some of the noise.  Discussions are in progress with the shopping center owner regarding possible limitations of truck access during certain hours.

The Board will conduct a site visit (possibly before the next meeting) and review plan modifications that address residents’ concerns.

3. Lake Osceola Realty

Based on a meeting with the DEC, the applicant has had to revise the plan in order to reduce the disturbance to the wetland buffer. As a result, some sections of the parking lot have been reconfigured, resulting in a loss of 8 spaces; the reduced number still meets Code requirements.  There will now be 3 public access parking spaces instead of the 4 originally proposed. The public access walking trail will follow outside the western edge of the parking lot and lead to a potential future dock where residents could launch kayaks.  (Concern remains about the ownership of the lake.) The applicant will conference with DEC again to get the agency’s approval of the new plan, which puts the parking lot within the area the DEC has previously approved back in May.  

There were additional discussions about signage for the public access trail, the placement and height of lights so as not to disturb animal life in the wetlands, and the landscape plan along the trail.  The applicant will be responsible for seeing to it that the new plantings “take” over a 3 year period and replace the invasive species that will be weeded out over the 3 years. The placement of street trees along Hill Blvd. remains to be decided.

It was agreed that the applicant will construct the trail as part of his monetary contribution to the town. The discussion was less clear on whether the dock would simply be noted on the site plan as a “future” location or whether the applicant will be required to make some improvement to the area, placing gravel.

The Board voted to grant site plan approval, as well as approval of the wetlands and stormwater permits subject to DEC approval.

4. Cserenyi Property

(See January 28, 2013) The Board explored ways to correct an encroachment into a conservation easement for a wetland buffer that was done many years ago and which did not become apparent until the property was up for sale. The encroachment involves a deck which was never shown on the “as built” plan that was filed when the CO was issued.  Also, while the original subdivision map was field, the easement was not.

The applicant’s engineer is having a new survey of the property drawn, and, at the suggestion of Mr. Kincart, the easment may be modified to show the meets and bounds of an existing contour line; this would result in placing the deck outside the original easement, but at another location, adding an almost comparable amount of land to the easement.

The applicant will return to the Board when he has the new survey.