Hoosick Planning Board Action – Wrangling Boards

by Bea Peterson
The Town of Hoosick Planning Board met on Tuesday, January 19, at 7:30 pm. Board Chairman Jim Dunigan began the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence for those suffering in Haiti.
First on the agenda was the 2010 organizational portion of the meeting. The Board unanimously approved the continuing appointment of Dennis King as Planning Board Attorney and the continuing appointment of Karen Jennings as Recording Secretary. By NYS law, the Town Board appoints members to the Planning Board, and the Planning Board appoints its Attorney. The Board also appointed Russ Reeves as Town Engineer. As in the past, meetings will be held the third Monday of the month. If that Monday is a holiday, then the meeting will be held on the Tuesday after the third Monday. Meetings will begin at 7:30 pm. If there is a Public Hearing, it will begin at 7 pm.
Setback Line Change
Attorney Bill Johnston had a request before the Planning Board to do a new map of the Breese Hollow View simple subdivision changing the setback lines. The original map did not show septic system placements. One of the lots now has a design for a conventional septic system in another section of that lot causing the setback line change. Johnston wants to file the new map with the County and remove the old one. The Board declared it a simple subdivision with new setback lines.
Simple Subdivision On Mapletown Road
Attorney George Holbrook appeared before the Board for an initial conference regarding a three lot simple subdivision of property on Mapletown Road owned by Forrest A. Broman and Doron Broman. The subdivision was put on the agenda for the February meeting.
Boards Wrangle Over Used Car Business
Before Charles Kinney and Rick Tinkham approached the Board, Planning Board Attorney King addressed them and Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman Jim Hoag saying that this was the first project that involved both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). It had not been conducted the way King thought it should. The project, a used car sales lot, with a facility for washing the cars, is planned for the former restaurant with cabins on Route 67. King quoted directly from the Town law on how the process should be conducted. He said he had written to the ZBA attorney to set up a time for the two of them to go over the process, but the attorney never responded to his letter.
Hoag said that the ZBA had approved the special use permit for the new business. King replied that the minutes of the ZBA meeting didn’t explain the findings for the decision, which the Planning Board would need to make its decision. Hoag said the proposal was sent to the County, and it was returned with no amendments and with the comment that it was a very good review. King noted that the Planning Board did not receive a lead agency request from the ZBA.
“This Board has to make environmental decisions, basically approving or disapproving the project, and they can only do that once they have a complete package of information in their hands,” King said. “The process should be the Planning Board reviews the complete package, then the ZBA makes a decision, then the Planning Board determines that the project can go forward. It was pointed out that the Building Inspector had reviewed the site two or three times.
The Board listed all the items that they need to make a decision on the project at the next meeting. Several of the 19 items in the list were waived because the Board already had that information. One issue of concern was the safety of people renting the cabins since cars might pull into the lot very close to the buildings. Tinkham suggested that a rail fence in front of each cabin would solve that problem. The Board agreed.
The Board requested a site plan drawn to scale and a survey of the property before the project could be approved. They want to see all buildings and property lines. Two copies of this information and the materials presented to the ZBA should be submitted to the Planning Board Chairman well before the next meeting so the attorney can review those materials and make sure nothing more is needed for Board approval at the next meeting.
The Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, February 16, next month since Monday is the Presidents’ Day holiday.