by Thaddeus Flint
Signs Reconsidered
A proposed local law re-establishing sign and poster regulations as part of the Town of New Lebanon’s zoning regulations was approved at last Tuesday’s monthly Board meeting, with only a member of the Town’s Planning Board questioning the new regulations.
[private]A five minute Public Hearing held before the regular Board meeting found Robert Smith of the Planning Board the only member of the public that wanted to comment. Smith said he was “A little upset.”
Smith’s distress was less aimed at the actual proposed law, than at the Board on which he serves which actually crafted some of the wording in that law. The Planning Board, according to Smith, held a special “rush” meeting at the last minute to review the new law and provide their insight. Smith was given only six hours notification of the meeting.
“Lots of laws are rush, rush, rush lately, and I don’t like it,” said Smith.
That was the extent of the Public Hearing, and the five minute meeting was closed after just two minutes.
Town Supervisor Colleen Teal acknowledged before the vote on the proposed law at the regular meeting that the Planning Board “expressed some concern about the terminology” used in the new law.
In response to those concerns, the Town changed the wording slightly in a few cases, one of which allowed legal non-conforming signs currently in place to remain in place “without change” until November 1, 2018. And if the sign owners still find it a “hardship” to dismantle their now illegal signs by that date, the sign owners could apply for an extension as long as they could prove that hardship. This, said the Town’s Attorney Stephanie Ferradino, would allow the sign owner to “realize the value of the investment” made in the sign.
“I think it provides a balance to the property owners rights with the interest in the Town in being able to enforce and improve the laws with regard to what some may see as signs that are non-conforming,” said Ferradino.
However, signs which are illegal now will not be afforded the same benefits.
Robert Smith wanted more details. How far off the road is a sign a sign? Where does it begin? What’s the cut-off?
“If I wanted to paint rainbows on my house, it that a sign?” asked Smith
“Don’t even think about it,” advised Smith’s wife, Joanna Johnson-Smith.
Supervisor Teal responded that the sign law was more concerned with the “intent” of the sign. “We don’t have specific footage in the sign law,” she said. However, that too could someday change. “This is a small fix for a sign law,” added Teal. “There’s more fixing that we need to work on.”
A vote on the amended proposed law saw it pass with all in favor.
Sidewalks Unfixing the Town’s sidewalk project is also being worked on. New Lebanon is looking to pay back the sum of nothing to New York State and the Feds instead of the sum of $120,000 that those two governments would prefer for a sidewalk that a previous administration was, in the words of Councilman Mark Baumli last month, “just shoving down the people’s throat.”
The design firm behind the project, Creighton Manning (whom many mistrusted since the project first came to light in 2013), is looking to get “some directive and guidance from DOT,” said Teal.
A crosswalk at the Shaker Museum in New Lebanon is looking to be a much friendlier project. A local law and an engineering review will be needed. Teal said that after some research it was her belief that the Town should build the crosswalk and then ask the museum to repay New Lebanon upon completion. This would assure that the project would meet the required specifications. It would also be cheaper. The crosswalk is estimated at less than $1,000.
New Truck The cost for a new 2016 4-wheel drive side-dump truck with a 4-way 9 foot plow that the Town had asked for bids on will be $99,495. Marchese Ford submitted the only bid. Councilman Baumli was not impressed with the manner in which the seeking of bids for such an expense is handled. The bid request was advertised in the papers, but one wonders how many possible bidders are reading the legal notices of The Eastwick Press and The Chatham Courier. The same with the Town’s website and bulletin boards. Though, the Highway Superintendent, Jeff Winestock, said he went around to dealerships as well, Baumli did feel it nets the Town the best deal. The final vote passed 3 to 2, with Baumli and Councilman Chuck Geraldi against.
The truck purchase will be paid for with $20,000 down out of the 2016 budget and financing over four years with payments of around $20,000 per year. This passed with all in favor except Geraldi, who abstained.
Bids to buy the Town’s 1999 single axle dump/sander were rejected after the Board found the two submitted bids, one for $3,600 and the other for $3,620, too low. All were in favor of seeing if the Truck could be more profitably sold through an auction with Columbia County.
Announcements:
• Town Clerk Tistrya Houghtling announced that the application deadline for free home repairs for Columbia County Senior citizens with low incomes is November 1. Applications and further information are available at the Town Hall. Houghtling also pointed out that the program covers mobile homes as long as it is owned by the Senior. The land under the mobile home can be rented.
• The October 17 budget workshop meeting has been re-scheduled to October 26 at 6:30 pm. This is to allow time to meet with Chatham Rescue Squad and the LVPA.
The next monthly meeting of the Town Board will be on Tuesday, November 8 (which is also election day) at 7 pm.[/private]