Town Board

October 16, 2012

1. Announcements

a. Mohegan Lake Outlet: Supervisor Grace advised the Board that rather than wait for the DOT to address the non functioning culvert  under Route 6, the Highway Department investigated the situation, and after discovering that the culvert was filled with gravel and rocks, cleaned out the culvert so that water is now flowing through it.  In a related issue, during Courtesy of the Floor, Ken Belfer reported that after an obstruction was discovered at a culvert on Mohegan Ave  that was causing flooding, the Highway Department was notified and the problem corrected the next day. The obstruction turned out to be a beaver dam.  On behalf of Mohegan Llake residents, Mr. Belfer thanked the Town for both actions.

b. Traffic light at Route 100 & Route 134.  Councilman Paganelli reported that the DOT has agreed to install a permanent light at the intersection that will replace the temporary light installed during the Taconic bypass.

c. Yorktown Fire District audit. Town Clerk Roker said she has apologized to Don Roberts for the mistake made by someone in her office regarding his request for a copy of the fire district’s audit.  She said that the audit was on file in her office but that Mr. Roberts had been given the incorrect document.

d. Sewers: County Legislator Kaplowitz gave Board members a copy of draft legislation proposed by County Legislator Testa that would require any municipality seeking to add a parcel or development to a county sewer district to notify all adjacent municipalities as well as any municipality where there is county sewer district infrastructure.  He also suggested  that the Town survey the remaining unsewered homeowners in the Hallocks Mill sewer district to determine who needs and/or wants to be sewered  so that the Town could get a better handle on how to use the $10million in East of Hudson funds the county is holding for the Town for sewers.   Supervisor Grace said he was pursuing a plan to divert some of the Hallocks Mill sewage to  Peekski8ll  in order to open up capacity at the Town’s Greenwood Street sewer plant for new commercial rateables.

2a. Appointments to advisory boards

a. Diane Dreirer  and Walt Daniels were reappointed to the Conservation Board.

b. Diana Quast was reappointed to the Recreation Commission

c. The following appointments were made to a newly constituted Landmarks Preservation Commission; Jean Francois De Laperouse, Tom DeChiaro, Edwin Pell, Constance Fox, Dr. Michael Gordon, and as alternate members, William Primavera and John Eagelson

2b. Personnel Appointments

In an item not on the ageanda, the Board appointed Michael Grasso as an MEO (Machine Equipment Operator) at the Highway Department.

3. Public Hearing on amended special permit for Sanctuary Golf Course

The applicant’s consultant explained how the site plan had been modified from the original 1999 plan, that the renovation of the lower 9 holes had been completed and that a revised stormwater pollution plan still had  to be prepared.   (There were no plans to do work on the upper 9 holes.)

Speaking for many of her neighbors, Locke  Lane resident Karen  Pevichter (sp?) expressed concern over the extended length of the project, as well as the noise and dust from the project that she said had made it difficult for Locke Lane residents to enjoy their property in the spring and summer months. She asked that if the new permit was approved, that it include a time limit, prohibit construction on Sundays, possibly limit Saturday construction hours, replant a line of buffering trees between the bottom 9 holes and their property, and, most of all, to “please respect us.”

John Schroeder, speaking on behalf of the Yorktown Land Trust, said that his group had supported the initial special permit but that the group had not been kept informed about the changes in the project which he characterized has “catching a ghost.” 

He asked the Board to review whether the applicant has been complying with conditions in the original special permit, about the condition of the dam located on the site, the appropriateness of some of the plantings  proposed for the  portion of the town-owned Turkey Mountain Preserve that the applicant had disturbed, the condition of the septic system servicing the clubhouse, which he said historically had problems, the proposed parking on top of the retaining wall and lighting plans which he said were not on earlier submissions.

Councilman Bianco, who said he was on the Board in 1999 when the special permit was issued, asked if the work was ever going to get done. Adding that the delays were the applicant’s fault, and not the Town’s, he asked the applicant if she had sufficient money to finish the project. In response, the applicant said that she anticipated that the work could be completed on the tennis court area next spring over three months and that in the fall work would be completed on the clubhouse and pro shop. She also said she would work with the neighbors.

Supervisor Grace said that the real issues were the applicant’s timetable for completing the project as well as monitoring.  He said that while the Town could and should  control the construction schedule, it was limited in what it could force the applicant to do. It was also noted that the Town’s noise ordinance was flexibl and difficult to enforce.

Town Clerk Roker said she would email the involved parties so that they could get together to review what remained to be done (the application will also need a town stormwater permit and possibly a wetlands permit) , what additional information was needed, and how the parties could work together.

The public hearing was adjourned.

4. Bid awards

Bids were awarded for various chemicals at the sewer plant, for elevator maintenance at the YCCC and for HVAC maintenance.

5. Advertise for bids.  The Board rejected the bids for electrical work on Town buildings due to an error in the previous bid specs and voted to re-advertise corrected specs.

6. Tax certiorari settlements

The Board approved the settlements for the Yorktown Business Center, 1661 Front Street, Coach N Four, 620 East Main Street, and Jefferson Village Condos 2, 7, 5 and 11.  The resolutions did not state the amount of the tax refunds  that either the Town or school districts will have to pay.  The Board also amended previously approved tax certiorari settlement resolutions for BF Curry and Shrub Oak Partners, but the new resolutions did not alter the approved settlement.

7. Selected other resolutions passed unanimously

a. Traffic light at Route 129 & Route 118. The Board requested the DOT to retain the light.

b. The Boardrescinded its previously approved Resolution # 440 without identifying the content of the resolution or without any explanation. (Upon further checking, it was learned that the resolution was approved on October 9, 2012 and referred a proposed rezoning on Old Crompond Road to advisory boards.)