Varick Planning Board
February 28, 2019
Called to order at 7:00 pm
Present: : Linda Mastellar (Chair), Hershey Sensenig, Frankie Long, Thomas Björkman (Secty). Absent: Rich Olsen, Michele Hermann, excused. One vacancy.
Public hearings:
Jim Brown subdivision and SEQR.Public hearingopened 7:04
Reported on county-planning-board resolution.
No other comments.
Hearing closed at 7:06 on a motion from Björkman, and a second from Sensenig.
Hogue subdivision and SEQR. Public hearing opened 7:08.
No comment.
Hearing closed at 7:09 on a motion from Björkman, and a second from Sensenig.
Jim Brown subdivision approval. All documents are in order, the EAF has been and the subdivision as proposed is approved by the county planning board. Resolution: TheVarick Planning Board issues final approval of the Jim Brown sub-division. The action transfers for a lot line move from parcels 04-01-2.11 to 04-01-2.2 on the Fayette-Varick Townline Rd
The board further makes a negative declaration of environmental impact under SEQR.
Moved Björkman Second by Long. All in favor. 4-0
Hogue subdivision. All documents are in order, the EAF has been and the subdivision as proposed is approved by the county planning board. Resolution:The Varick Planning Board issues final approval of the realigning lot 10-4-25.11 and 10-4-25.12 & 10-24 to make two lots, eliminating 10-4-25.12. The board further makes a negative declaration of environmental impact under SEQR.
Moved Björkman Second by Long. All in favor. 4-0
Sylvester Brown subdivision. All documents are in order, the EAF has been and the subdivision as proposed is approved by the county planning board. A public hearing was held at the January meeting. Resolution: The Varick Planning Board issues final approval of the Sylvester Brown minor subdivision of lot 10-2-17.2 to make two lots. The board further makes a negative declaration of environmental impact under SEQR.
Moved Björkman Second by Mastellar. All in favor. 4-0
BQ Energy solar farm. Kim Nason represented BQ Energy. The proposal is for a solar farm of up to 100 ac on the Depot (Martin property) near the east entrance. The installation would be in 20 – 25 acre units due to a 5MW parcel limit set by the NYS Public Service Commission. Our code requires amendment to make solar a special use in the WITE district. The planning board agrees that it should be. The question now is how to proceed.
BQ can provide amended code language and the Special Use application in one package. That combination would be considered a single action under SEQR. The town could amend the code independently as a separate action under SEQR.
The planning board will develop and initial draft of the zoning revision at the next meeting, and request feedback from BQ on the provisions. The general format will follow the Town of Olean code in having some solar-specific requirements for the Special Use, including provisions for removal at end of life and ecological services.
BQ Energy would like to have a joint meeting of the Town Board and the Planning board, with a target date of the April Town Board meeting, to determine whether there are any issues that should be addressed before proceeding.
Only after BQ Energy has the permits to proceed, as well as the current lease option on the land, they will enter serious negotiation with the utility to tie to the grid as a Community Solar provider.
A similar proposal in The Town of Romulus is pending a zoning application, but their Zoning Code does not require amendment.
Adding antennas to cell tower.Tim Dorn received a permit application from AT&T to add antennas to the Verizon cell tower at Rt 336 and 96. This modification is a Special Use under our code, so it will require some additional steps.
The application contains all but a few items. Dorn will ask the applicant for the additional information.
If the information comes in the next few days, we can consider the application referred at that time and schedule a public hearing for our next meeting. We have 30 days from referral to hold that hearing. If the material is received later we have to consider it referred at our March meeting with a public hearing at our April meeting.
We noted that the Zoning Compliance Application form needs amendment to add the new zoning districts. (It is available on the ZBA website.)
Adjourned at 8:43 on a motion by Sensenig and a second by Long (4-0)