by Alex Brooks
A Public Hearing was held at 6 pm on August 18 to hear comments from the public on revised Subdivision Regulations and Road Specifications. These new regulations, known as Local Law #3 of 2014, will replace the original Subdivision Regulations, which were put into effect in 1973, and all subsequent revisions to them. Planning Board Deputy Chairman Tim Church said the new regulations were not radically different from those that have been in effect for many years. They have been “updated” and a new set of Road specifications has been added.
[private]There are five different sets of road specifications for different classes of roads: major street, minor street, private street, shared driveway and individual driveway.
The other major addition to the regulations is provisions for enforcement.
The regulations declare that it shall be the duty and responsibility of the Town Code Enforcement Officer to enforce the subdivision regulations, but Petersburgh’s Code Enforcement Officer, Martin Conboy, came to the hearing and said enforcing the Subdivision Regulations is not his job. He said he enforces the State building and fire code and that’s already too big a job for the $7,500 annual salary. He said he has no expertise in planning board matters or enforcement of road specifications and he cannot handle such matters.
Conboy said he had tried to discuss these matters with Planning Board representatives and the Town administration prior to the public meeting but had found no cooperation. “I have been left out of every bit of it,” he said.
He suggested that the Town hire someone new to enforce the subdivision regulations, the site plan review regulations and the road specifications. Supervisor Siegfried Krahforst said, “I’m not satisfied with that.”
Planning Board Deputy Chairman Tim Church said he believes enforcing those things is part of Conboy’s job. There clearly had been some conflict over this matter between Conboy and Church prior to this meeting, as they were quick to argue with each other.
Supervisor Krahforst suggested a meeting with the Town’s attorney, the Planning Board’s attorney, himself and one other Town Board member, Planning Board representatives and Conboy to try to find a resolution to the problem.
No one from the general public came to the meeting or made any comments about the proposed Subdivision Regulations.[/private]