Varick Planning Board
September 24, 2020
Called to order at 7:10 pm
Present: Linda Mastellar
(chair), Rich Olsen (via Zoom a bit later), Michele Hermann (via Zoom), Frankie
Long, Thomas Björkman (Secretary, via Zoom), Absent: Hershey Sensenig, one
vacancy.
Guests: Annie Bachman, Richard D. Keyser,
representing Knapp Farms. Mark Venuti. Howard and Betsy Relin,
Laura Toole.
Minutes of August 27, 2020
accepted: moved by Hermann, second by Long, passed 4-0 (Olsen arrived later)
Bachman subdivision.
Public
hearing opened 7:13.
Public
hearing closed 7:15.
Move
to close by Björkman, Long second. Passed 4-0.
Resolution
The Varick Planning
Board issues final approval of the Bachman sub-division on Rt. 89. The action
is a lot-line move that transfers 1.226 acres from Lakeshore Winery
(Parcel 09 – 1 – 45.1) to a residential lot (09 – 1 – 33.112) owned by LoFaro.
The current use of the Lakeshore
property is agriculture.
The board received the Short Environmental Assessment Form
and declared itself the lead agency for State Environmental Quality Review.
Upon review of the EAF, the board found no impact because the action will lead
to no change in land use, nor create a condition that would encourage one. The
board makes a negative declaration of environmental impact.
An agricultural data statement was provided. It showed that
the action will preserve agricultural land.
The approval is conditional on concurrence by the county
planning board, and will be signed when that condition is met.
Moved
by Long second by Hermann. Passed 5-0.
The
county planning board will review at its October meeting.
Knapp Farms subdivision.
Resolution:
The Varick Planning
Board accepted a preliminary plat for a minor subdivision to subdivide Lot 15-1-6.1
(43.8 ac) into two pieces. The new parcel will be 2.5 acres, including a lake
house (5379 Rt. 89), frontage on Rt. 89 and a small hay field with a septic
system. The residual property is vineyard. We accepted an Agricultural Data
Statement and SEQR EAF with modifications to reflect the change in use. We will
send the application to the County planning board for review.
Moved by Björkman, second Hermann, passed 5-0
The
Agricultural data statement was amended to state the future use of the ~2 acres
of agricultural land on the west part of the new lot, currently in hay. The
amended statement was accepted.
An
easement provides only for the pump at the Town water line, and water pipe to
the western parcel.
We
will schedule a public hearing for our October meeting.
Relin use. The
property owners requested a letter for a prospective buyer stating that they
would be permitted to rent the existing cabins on the property. The board determined
that it could not provide such a letter. This potential use was also discussed
at the August board meeting.
The
question is whether the future use would be expansion of the current
non-conforming use. We discussed what would constitute a change in use (from
residential to commercial) and what would be and expansion of the current use. The
latter is not allowed. The determination, as it was last month, was that
renting the cabins to the public would be at least an expansion if not a change
in use.
The
cabins are not big enough to qualify as dwellings if rented as residential more
than 30 days, dwellings require a minimum of 550 square feet and a kitchen.
Short-term
vacation rentals
The
congestion and disturbance impacts of short-term vacation rentals continue to
be felt, and the previous discussion brought out some that need more
resolution. We have sent a dog-ordinance revision and draft noise ordinance to
the Town Board to address those two impacts on a town-wide basis. There are
residual issues where a permit system would be useful for giving property
owners and managers clear requirements so they can set expectations for
tenants. We will continue that discussion in October. The Towns of Fayette and
Geneva have experience that we are learning from.
Adjournment
moved by Björkman, second by Hermann, passed 5-0
Adjourned 9:22 pm