by Kieron Kramer
The Grafton Planning Board convened an hour earlier than usual, at 6 pm, on Monday, August 18. Besides the four Planning Board members (there is still a vacancy on the Board) no one was in attendance except surveyor Bill Darling, who represented the applicants in a lot line adjustment on a parcel on Route 2. [private]There was no old business, the minutes of the last meeting were approved quickly and the lot line adjustment was pretty straightforward so the meeting lasted four minutes.
Valente DEIS
However, some news came from an interview with Planning Board Chairman Tom Withcuskey after the meeting. On the day of the meeting Withcuskey had received a letter and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) from the DEC concerning the change of use application by R.J. Valente to expand its mine on Route 2 at the Grafton-Brunswick line. Greywacke, a resistant sandstone used as an important underlayment in road construction across the State and which comprises much of the bedrock of the 105,000 acres of the forested Rensselaer plateau, is one of the main products of the R.J. Valente mine in Grafton. In April the DEC had named itself the lead SEQR agency in the matter even though the Grafton Planning Board had asked to be lead agency in January.
Considering the size of and technical presentation in the draft EIS, it is just as well that the DEC is lead agency, Withcuskey said Monday. He also said that Nancy Baker, Deputy Permit Administrator, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Region 4, who wrote the letter, had informed him and, more importantly, informed Valente’s consultant that the company would have to appear before the Grafton Planning Board for a site plan review which, Withcuskey said, will definitely include a public hearing. Valente has not yet applied for a site plan review.
In the matter of DEC #4-3826-00017/00001, Town of Grafton, Rensselaer County, Baker’s letter says, “The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), as SEQR lead agency, has determined that the proposed R.J. Valente Gravel, Inc. Grafton Quarry, may have a significant impact on the environment and that a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) must be prepared.
“Written comments may be submitted on the revised draft scope and will be accepted by the Department until September 19, 2014.
“The proposed project includes the addition of 15 acres to an existing 75 acre life of mine, for a new life of mine area of 90 acres and a proposal to lower the mine floor by 100’…and expand the approved hours of operation.
“Copies of the Draft Scoping are available for review at:
Town of Grafton Town Hall, Route 2, Grafton, NY.
Grafton Community Library, Route 2 Grafton, NY.
NYS DEC Region 4 Headquarters, 1130 North Westcott Road, Schenectady, NY, 12306.
Additional copies of the Draft Scoping Outline may also be obtained by contacting the NYSDEC at 518-357-2452.” A public hearing on the final EIS and Public Scoping will be scheduled at a later date at a site to be determined.
Good Faith
According to Withcuskey, the R.J. Valente company has been acting in good faith, at least during the permitting process. He visits the mine every two weeks and said it was neat, the tree line has been restored and the road in the mine was paved and is being wetted down in order to control the particulate created by the operation. “There has been no dust all summer,” Withcuskey said, although blasting a couple of months ago rocked the area and caused some complaints. Some mitigation to drainage has occurred, he said, which may have been ordered by the DEC. People driving Rt. 2, where past mismanagement left stone and dust on the road which the Planning Board considered a hazard to motorists with particular worry about school buses traveling the route, now pass over a dry, dust free and stone free road.
Hasbrouck-Hull Lot Line Adjustment
In 1971 Herbert and Helen Hasbrouck subdivided their 5.7 acre parcel at 3172 NY Rt. 2 which had been conveyed to them by Benjamin and Mildred Crandall in 1969. At that time an irregular quadrilateral of .91 acres was separated. The owner of the smaller parcel is Victoria Hull. The Hull parcel exists in the middle of the Hasbrouck property with frontage on Route 2 so that the remaining acreage surrounds it like a horseshoe. The horseshoe is now owned by Alan and Mary Hasbrouck who are applying for a lot line adjustment that will change the shape of the Hull lot but not its acreage. Surveyor Bill Darling explained that the Hasbroucks wanted to change the lot line on the west side and on the east side of the Hull lot; 0.139 acres will be added to the west side and 0.139 acres taken from the east side because of the adjustment. This will serve to square off the lot a little, but, although no reason for the adjustment was given, the adjustment on the west side will provide more land between the dwelling and the new property line.
Darling provided a copy of the 1969/1971 survey of the entire 5.7 acre property and a survey map of the adjustment being applied for now. The lots, at 3172 Rt. 2 are located on the north side of Rt. 2 just west of the intersection with Old Road. The Planning Board accepted the application and a check for the fee of $150. A public hearing was scheduled for 6:50 pm before the next regular Planning Board meeting on September 15.[/private]