by Gary Danforth
A brief, but busy, Town of Hoosick Planning Board meeting took place this past Monday evening, October 20, in the Hoosick Falls Armory with Interim Chairman Jim Dunigan calling the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the minutes of the previous month’s meeting were approved.
Before the regular Planning Board meeting there was a public hearing at 7 pm to decide whether to allow the Hoosick Fire District to acquire the former Haynes Ford automobile land dealership as a new home for the fire district. Robert Breese, representing the Fire District, appeared before the Board to discuss the land being used for a different purpose.
Conflicts Of Interest
Two disclosures had been made in the previous meetings concerning this proposed project. First, Stanton Dennis King, the Town Planning Board Attorney, disclosed that he had agreed to represent the Hoosick Fire District in this matter prior to the Planning Board meeting and this could be a potential conflict of interest, but he believed this would be up to the Board to decide. Second, Dunigan, disclosed that he was a Hoosick Fire District commissioner. Both of these disclosures could be potential conflicts of interest, with the latter not being able to vote on any Planning Board matter concerning the Fire District. Dunigan recused himself from this discussion, taking a seat in the audience.
A site plan and a short form environmental assessment form had been reviewed in previous months with the entire completed application packet having been sent to the Rensselaer County Board of Economic Development and Planning for approval prior to the public hearing. King read a letter from this County Board stating they saw the matter as a local issue though they had two concerns, one about the location of new doors used for the fire trucks’ entry and exit of the building, and the amount of land the fire trucks had for getting out of the building and onto the road. Both matters were cleared up by Breese and the Planning Board, with the location of the doors being put on the site plan with more than enough room necessary for the fire trucks to maneuver. The Board passed a motion to accept the site plan and let the fire department proceed with plans for their new fire house.
Patrick Sheehan, who lives on Eagle Bridge Road and who owns eighteen acres, said an adjoining neighbor, Robert Melesky, wanted to purchase an acre of land from him and grow apple trees. Sheehan submitted a completed application and a tax map showing the location of the lands. The Board went over the application and passed a motion declaring this to be a boundary line change with language put in the deed that this land can’t stand alone as a separate lot for housing unless the matter comes back before the Board.
Finally, Attorney George Holbrook, representing the Fitzpatrick estate, said the Board had previously approved a simple subdivision on a land transfer which had fallen through. Now, Holbrook said another buyer was interested in buying the same parcel on Ball Street Extension, County Route 107, and wanted the Board to re-approve this matter as a reconfiguration of a 77 acre, three lot subdivision to 91 acres. The Board, knowing the previous particulars, passed a motion approving this matter.
The meeting adjourned at 8:03 pm.