Agenda
Comments from residents (5 min each)
Approve minutes (5 min)

Committee reports: none

Information item

Nextel cell antenna for KidsPeace water tower--Björkman (2 min)
Discussion items
Comprehesive plan (45 min)
Harriet Haynes and/or Mark Sawyer of the County Planning department will provide an introduction to Comprehensive Plans, what might be reasonable goals for Varick, how we might get there, and what assistance the County can provide.
Adult entertainment regulation (10 min)

Old business
Report: Substantial improvement definition--MacMillan (5 min)
Report: Time limit on reconstruction--Larzelere (5 min)
Letter to Town Board on Zoning Amendment from Sept. 26, 2002( 2 min)
New Business none
New subdivision proposals none
Set next meeting time Currently scheduled for March 27, 2003 (2 min)
Adjourn

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Minutes
January 23, 2003, Approved 27 March 2003

Varick Fire Hall

The Chairman, Thomas Bjorkman, called the meeting to order at 7:11 PM.

Present: Chairman, Thomas Bjorkman, Board Members, Bill Larzelere, Annie Bachman, David McMillan, Larry Peterson. Recording Secretary, Ben Capraro. Guest Presenters, Harriet Haynes, Mark Sawyer
Absent: Board Members Kevin Swartley and Richard Foxx

Minutes from November 21,2002 meeting were approved unanimously.

Comments from Residents: None were present.

Committee Reports: None.

Information Item: Bjorkman received a phone call from Nextel regarding a proposal to install a cell antenna on the Kids Peace water tower. The company is negotiating with Seneca County Water District One. Their facility will be subject to regulations implemented last summer.

Discussion Items:

1. Comprehensive plan

Issues of the board's goals for the plan include cost control, infrastructure, natural resources, agriculture, and zoning codes.

Harriet Haynes and Mark Sawyer of the County Planning Department presented information on Comprehensive Plans. Sawyer defined comprehensive plan as a document describing how a board wants a community to develop, containing not rules but the basis for developing them. It should be updated every five to seven years. He said one is necessary for zoning and would make Planning Board decisions more credible. It would also help businesses and developers determine whether to invest in Varick. He noted that the plan must comply with State Environmental Quality Review Act, a law about which Haynes will provide the board with more information. Many towns do not have comprehensive plans, and others have only Site Plan Review Laws. The Board expressed an interest in contacting other towns developing plans and seeing other towns' plans. The county offices will help manage the Comprehensive Planning process, especially supervising the consultant. Developing a plan is a major commitment.

The next step will be to discuss the option of a Comprehensive Plan with the town board.

2. Adult entertainment regulation: The sense of the board was that it is desirable to deter these businesses that may generate negative perceptions and/or actual conditions of neighborhoods. The board will explore regulations, such as setbacks or zone restrictions, that would discourage or limit the impact of such businesses without barring constitutional free expression.

Old business:

1. Report: Substantial improvement definition -- MacMillan

The lowest monetarily defined amount found in an area town was $1,000 and the highest was $20,000. The board considered a $10,000 definition, and will consult Dick Foxx for his assessment of the impact of increasing the limit.

2. Report: Time limit on reconstruction -- Larzelere

A variety of time limits were found for grandfathering non-conforming stuctures that have been destroyed. Bachman moved to change Zoning Code section 501.2 to read "within three years," Larzelere seconded, and the board unanimously passed the motion.

3. Letter to town Board on Zoning Code Amendment made Sept. 26 2002.

The sense of the board was that the letter should address all amendments at once, so it will be sent after the Substantial improvement term is defined.

New Business: none

New Subdivision Proposals: none

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 27,

2003 at the Varick Fire Hall

The meeting was adjourned at 9:06 PM.

Ben Capraro, recording secretary