The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Hoosick Planning Board Action – May 2009

By

by Gary Danforth
The Town of Hoosick Planning Board meeting took place this past Monday evening, May 18, in the Hoosick Falls Armory with 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. There were six Board members present
First, Harold McClellan appeared before the Board, for an initial conference, wanting to subdivide land on Ball Street Extension. McClellan wants to divide five acres from a thirty acre parcel. The land had not previously been subdivided. An application with a tax map number was submitted. McClellan will return next month.
Then, a party appeared before the Board for an initial consultation, wanting to merge a small parcel of land with a larger parcel. They were told by the Planning Board that they need not do anything as the Board looks at contiguous, commonly owned lands, even with two separate tax maps and deeds, as in this case, as one parcel, with one owner. They need only do something if they want to subdivide the land and sell off one of the parcels or just divide the parcel without selling the land. But, as of now, the two parcels are looked upon as one, with common ownership. Should they choose to subdivide the land, they can do so twice, thereby making a total of three lots via simple subdivisions. They will come back before the Board next month to clarify what, if anything, they may do with the parcel.
Lastly, before the meeting was closed, the Board members had a healthy exchange amongst themselves regarding how the Board looks at commonly owned, multiple parcels of land. One member thought the Board’s stance since the Board’s inception in 1987 was unfair to landowners. Others felt that the Board looked at the matter of common ownership as a way to keep small parcels of land from being divided into still smaller parcels as one piece of land can be subdivided twice under simple, present subdivision law.
Another short Planning Board meeting adjourned at 8 pm.