Planning Board Minutes – 2022

Added: November 14, 2022

Agenda Item 1: Call to Order and Roll Call

Planning Board Chair, Barbara Schobel called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm.

Present: Members Donna Bernard, Paul LaPierre, Simon Williams and Christopher Hopstock.
Maya Carl, Planning Board Secretary.
Public Present: Ryan Cornelison of Stineemire Engineering and Greg Kroyer, Jewett Supervisor.

Agenda Item 2: Approval of the Minutes for September 1, 2022

Mr. Simon Williams made a motion, 2nd by Mr. Christopher Hopstock and carried unanimously, the board moved to accept the minutes of September 1, 2022.

Agenda Item 3: Sketch Plan Review Parcel ID #129.00-3-4, 68.60 acres, Rural Residential, owned by Ferdinand Kuznik, represented by Ryan Cornelison of Stineemire Engineering.

Mr. Cornelison presented a sketch plan for a major subdivision on a 68.60 acre parcel that his client, Mr. Kuznik owns on Route 77. He explained that the owner is interested in applying for a major subdivision to form 12 separate lots with 11 of them being buildable for single family homes. They range from 2 1/2 acres to the biggest lot being approximately 9 acres. There are also 13 acres of wetlands on the property that is not buildable and the owner is looking to either do a possible HOA or see if the town would be interested in dedicating the land to them. They are also proposing a road. Ms. Bernard asked if the NYSDEP, NYSDEC and Army Core of Engineers agree on the wetlands piece of it. Mr. Cornelison answered yes; saying the wetlands have been delineated already. Ms. Bernard asked if those agencies said it would be ok to disturb the wetlands area and Mr. Cornelison answered that NYSDEP and Army Core of Engineers both said yes, but only up to a tenth of an acre. Mr. Cornelison said that hasn’t happened yet. Ms. Bernard said she was reading the SEQR and did not see that it was completed. Mr. Cornelison said it was still in the preliminary stages.

Mr. Cornelison gave more of a background and said that before the property was purchased they went out and did a preliminary septic test. No one was there to witness it except the employees from the firm he works for but that’s where the preliminary septic area sizes came from. He then said because we are in the watershed they have to have the NYSDEP and the state office come out and actually witness the perk tests and deep tests at each location. Mr. Cornelis said that the correct procedure was to come before the planning board first. Ms. Bernard commented that there are still some unknowns here and some of those perk tests might not make it. Mr. Cornelison said that they did many perk tests across the whole property and they are confident that these are the approximate lots. Mr. Cornelison then went onto talk about the road being put in and located the cul de sac for board members to see. Driveways have not been laid out yet. Lots 1 and 2 would have driveways off of Route 77; all the other driveways will be served off of the new road.

Chair Schobel then explained that the town has retained Doug Van Deusen of Lamont Engineers to do a preliminary review of the sketch plan and submit comments/ questions.

Chair Schobel then proceeded to read the review inviting Mr. Cornelison to step in and comment if he could elaborate on any of the comments/ questions.

During the preliminary review comments Mr. Cornelison was told that the following agencies would be involved with the subdivision: NYSDEC, NYSDEP, Army Core of Engineers, Greene County Highway, Town of Jewett Highway, and Town of Jewett Board with the Jewett Planning Board taking lead agency.

Mr. Cornelison again brought up the road and said that the owner would like to dedicate it to the town. He explained that it will be approximately 1400 feet or roughly 1 1/3 mile. Board members said in order to do that, the road must to be brought up to town specs and the cul de sac would have to be approved by emergency services. He was also told that before the town would take the road over, there would have to be three (3) existing homes built per ½ mile.

Ms. Bernard saw multiple phases within the project and advised Mr. Cornelison that the project cannot fall into segmentation. Ms. Bernard warned that everything must be specific as possible now or we will go back to the beginning including the fees. Mr. Cornelison answered that Phase 1 is the subdivision of the road and then when someone buys a lot and builds a house, that could be a phase. He said a buyer would obtain Stineemire Engineering plans and get the septic built and have their own plans for a house.

Mr. Williams asked Mr. Cornelison in terms of the road/ position of the road, why it had to travail a portion of the wetlands? Mr. Cornelison answered and said they were trying to maximize the depth of certain lots and said if it’s the board’s preference they would curve the road out more. Mr. Hopstock then pointed out a better route for the road. Ms. Bernard said that as a board they would like no disturbances to the wetlands but went on to say that of course if the interested parties said it was ok, they would have a discussion about it.

Ms. Bernard then said it may be a little early to weigh in on that now.

Chair Schobel related to Mr. Cornelison that the town is leaning away from an HOA and that it is unlikely that the town would adopt the wetlands area.

Mr. Cornelison thanked the board for their feedback and said he will work on modifying the road and will get the real perk tests done this month. Mr. Kroyer asked Mr. Cornelison to describe the type of septic systems that will be placed and Mr. Cornelison answered either a raised system, shallow trench system or a trench system, depending on how the perk tests go.

Mr. LaPierre asked what kind of houses will be built and if they will all be high end homes.

Mr. Cornelison said that he wasn’t exactly sure but they are sized for 3 bedrooms, 2000 square feet and they will be all different styles unless the subdivision enacted a deed restriction requiring only one style.

Mr. LaPierre added that not only does the town’s comprehensive plan promote many styles but it also insures that the town has a sufficient number of affordable homes and it would be nice if there were working class homes within this development and not only high end ones.

Chair Schobel stated that the board appreciated that the plan wasn’t as dense as it could have been and that the property owner did not try to maximize the lots.

Mr. Cornelison was asked if he would return next month and answered that he didn’t think he would have everything ready by then. The board then went on to explain the fees to Mr. Cornelison which would consist of an application fee of $12,000 ($1000 per lot) and $10,800 in escrow for professional services.

Ms. Bernard encouraged Mr. Cornelison to have a full scoping of the wetlands done as there could be protective species. Mr. Cornelison said they have hired an environmental company and he will check with them. Anything that is found will be added to the SEQR.

Ms. Bernard explained to Mr. Cornelison that the more information that is adjusted on the SEQR due to the town’s engineer and the planning board’s comments, the easier the site plan review will be. She also urged Mr. Cornelison to have the map as detailed as possible saying that the board should be able to look at the plan and see all of it.

Mr. Cornelison agreed and thanked the board for their time.

The board then thanked Mr. Cornelison for coming to the meeting.

Agenda Item 4: Town of Jewett Solar Moratorium

Supervisor Kroyer took the floor and explained to board members that the town was looking to put forth a 6 month moratorium on our current solar law. He referenced the law and said that it does not address solar farms. Supervisor Kroyer would like the Planning Board to review Windham’s solar law that was adopted in June of 2022 entitled “Regulating Solar Energy Systems” and make recommendations to the Jewett Town Board regarding updating our solar law. Supervisor Kroyer also recommended that the planning board review the Town of Windham’s “Solar Energy Systems Pilot Law” which was passed along with the above law.

The planning board agreed and will pause their review of the comprehensive plan and work on the solar moratorium.

Agenda Item 5: Review of the Comprehensive Plan

The Board discussed their preliminary review of the Comprehensive Plan.

Mr. Williams shared his review of the first 10 pages. He said when he went thru it; it affirmed a lot of things. First off, he gave Ms. Bernard credit for being on the zoning review board and said the comprehensive plan really is unbelievable how terrific it is, it’s a work of art. Ms. Bernard said it is sustaining, there is nothing to change. Mr. Williams said he was impressed with the way it was written like the words re-evaluate, he said its fluid. Mr. Williams said that the only thing that really stood out in those 10 pages for him was the part where the comprehensive plan encourages affordable housing. Mr. Williams then addressed Mr. LaPierre and said he was happy that Mr. LaPierre brought up affordable housing during the sketch plan review.

Ms. Bernard said we could add it on as an inclusionary item and asked Mr. Hopstock to explain. Mr. Hopstock said for example in the sketch plan that was just reviewed the lots are too big, a 2000 square foot home after it is built will cost approximately $600,000. Unless there is some sort of incentive or tax incentive, or if those front lots could be developed into townhouses, with a parking lot in the back of the building accessing the road or Route 77 that would be good. Ms. Bernard brought up the stretch of land on 23A between the Ukrainian Church and the Town of Lexington. She mentioned that the area is located within the scenic byway and is designated Rural Conservation. Ms. Bernard suggested that within zoning, we could offer an inclusionary piece to make it commercial. A business can operate there with the agreement that they would build apartments for affordable housing. Mr. Hopstock explained what inclusionary zoning is. Inclusionary zoning is a policy tool that requires or encourages private developers to include a number of units that are below market rate in desirable neighborhoods. He further explained that in NYC there are separate maps with inclusionary zones within the map. The inclusionary zones overlay the maps and adds onto that particular zoning district. The board was very interested in this idea.

Agenda Item 5: Greene County Planning Board

No meeting held.

There being no other business, Mr. LaPierre made a motion, 2nd by Ms. Bernard and carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 9:25pm.

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Planning Board Secretary

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Chair