Planning Board

April 25, 2016

Attending:  John Savoca, John Flynn, Richard Fon

1. PEG Realty, Hill Blvd.

The applicant is requesting a site plan modification allowing for a change in a portion of the curbing to facilitate trucks. The board had no issue with the request and will prepare a resolution for a vote at the next meeting.

2. Little Sorrentos, Route 202

The applicant wants to convert an existing landscaped island between the building and the parking area into a patio that will accommodate 5 tables. The area will be set off from the parking by a brick wall and rails. The board had no problem with the request but advised the applicant that she also needs a special permit for outdoor seating.  The permit can run from one to five years; Mr. Flynn suggested that a five year permit might be warranted given the financial investment the applicant will be making.  

3. Chase Bank, Commerce Street 

The applicant went over the details of the traffic study, advising the board that the addition of the bank would not change the level of service classifications. However, citing traffic back-ups in the afternoons and on Saturday when the YCCC field is being used, board members and staff expressed some concern, especially for left turns out of the site. Michael Quinn, the new town engineer attending his first Planning Board meeting, suggested that the applicant provide additional information relating to left turns. Mr. Quinn also had some questions about the stormwater plan.

Mr. Quinn and Mr. Tegeder will meet with the applicant’s traffic engineer and review any new data and options prior to the board’s May work session with the Chase goal that the plan will be ready for a public hearing in June.

4. JCPC Holdings, Front Street

Although all parties appeared to be in agreement that the best option was for the applicant to construct the forebay and seed the surrounding area, the board said that before voting on an approval resolution, it needed more than a concept plan of where the forebay would be; the board wanted to see a master plan or more detailed plan for the site and how what JCPC was planning to do would fit into the eventual overall regional plan for the site.

Mr. Quinn advised the applicant that additional information was also needed for the building portion of the plan, including lighting, landscaping and stormwater. The applicant said he would get these to Mr. Quinn by the end of the week and Mr. Quinn and Mr. Barber will work with Steve Marino on the mitigation issue..

Mr. Quinn said he didn’t advise the board to grant an approval that included numerous conditions based on plans that he had not yet had a chance to review.

Councilman Bernard, Town Board liaison to the Planning Board, expressed frustration that the application had not moved forward and that he had heard the same discussion about the three options several times before.

5. Marathon Development, Kear Street

Mr. Capellini advised the board that with four members present at its last meeting, the ZBA had a non binding consensus vote in support of the front setback variance request. A formal vote will be taken at this month’s meeting.

When Mr. Quinn advised the applicant that there was still some information missing from the application, Mr. Riina said that he would have the information in a few days.

After advising the board that the DEP will not entertain a stormwater application until the board makes a SEQRA determination, Mr. Capellini asked if the board would approve a resolution with conditions based on the receipt of the missing plans. As with the board’s previous discussion about granting approvals with conditions, Mr. Quinn advised against this practice explaining that the plans and conditions could change based on his review.

The board wants the plan to include the recommendation that the double yellow line on Kear Street be shifted to allow for parking on one side of the street.  This recommendation will have to be sent to the Highway Superintendent.

6. Triglia subdivision, Baker Highway

The Planning Board is firm in its desire that Baker Highway – for its entire length – be paved and brought up to an acceptable standard that could be less than the regular town standard for roads in new subdivisions. What those standards might be was left for a future discussion. Mr. Fon explained that the board was looking beyond Mr. Triglia’s 2-lot subdivision and had to provide for the health and safety of the area in the event the Kelderhouse-Dornach property was developed. The board rejected Mr. Triglia’s plan to pave only a small portion of Christine.

At issue is how wide the road can and should be. The applicant’s engineer said that because of existing telephone poles, the road could only be 12’ wide; Mr. Tegeder disagreed and said that if the engineer looked on the west side, the road could possibly be closer to 18’, He asked the engineer to take a second look. Mr. Triglia was not happy with the paving requirement, calling it too costly, Mr. Trigilia. It was suggested the Mr. Triglia research the cost of bringing the road up to a standard that would be acceptable to the board.

Also to be clarified is who will do what to follow through on the plan discussed during a site visit for the drainage and catch basin at the corner of Christine and Baker. With nothing in writing, one possibility was that the highway department would supply the piping and the applicant would do the construction.   

7. Hearthstone Subdivision, Heartstone Court

The applicant wants to subdivide a one acre lot into 2 lots and wanted guidance from the board on two possible options for ingress/egress. One would be for both houses to use an existing right of way off Homestead; the second would be for one house to use Homestead and the second a right of way that would exit to Gomer Street. The board will make a site visit.

8. Spark Steakhouse, Old Crompond Road

(See Planning Board, 4/11/2016.) Architect Michael Piccirillo presented revised plans relating to the loading area. Additional information is needed about the location and function of an existing catch basin that was built incorrectly. Mr. Tegeder advised the board that the developer will supply missing information as this is an area out of the architect’s expertise. 

Mr. Piccirillo said the interior staircase would be capped and not used until a future plan was submitted for the needed secondary stairway.

The board said it would not vote on an approval resolution until the drainage issue was resolved.

8. Taconic Vet Clinic, Route 202

In an item not on the agenda, the project architect, Michael Piccirillo, advised the board that there had been three changes to the previously approved site plan during construction; two involved the relocation of exterior HVAC equipment and presented no problem for the board. The third modification involved a change to an island to allow for better truck access. This may require an amended site plan. The board agreed that the applicant could get a CO pending the approval of the amended site plan.