TOWN OF NORTH HARMONY
PLANNING BOARD
TUESDAY, 04/12/2022, 7:00 PM
MEMBERS PRESENT: PAT RICE PHIL STRAND
RICHARD JOHNSON GARY WINGER
BRANDON VANCURAN (alternate)
Brad Lawson – Zoning CEO
OTHERS PRESENT: Robert Yates; Dale Robbins; Pete & Karen Peden
- PAT RICE OPENED THE MEETING AT 7:00 PM.
- Mr. Lawson gave Zoning Report. (See report from Town Board Meeting 3-11-22)
CITADEL SERVICES- Pete & Karen Peden
Mr. Peden said they are interested in purchasing the oldgrocery store in Ashville and would like to inform the town of their thoughts and plans for the property before they continue with the sale. He said they are Citadel Services which is a plumbing and heating company that is currently located on Washington Street in Jamestown. Mr. Peden said the property in Ashville is a great location to locate their offices. He said a lot of their work is subcontracted up through the Northeastern states for large retail clients, they dispatch services remotely to four or five states, and they have a local construction crew that come and get trucks every morning. Mr. Peden said as far as activity around the shop they only have one shop guy that maintains the vehicles, the property and keeps things organized. He said the facility was set up as a fire hall so they would have to make some interior modifications to set the offices up the way they would like to see them. He said they don’t get a lot of visitors, maybe one or two salesmen a month trying to get them to buy products and probably 2-3 semi deliveries a week. He said they don’t hold a lot of equipment on the job site because they don’t get paid for it until it is installed so the primary use would be to house the offices and minimal storage. Mr. Peden said he would plan parking for the ball field to try to keep residents away from the site to make sure there is no liability. He said they plan on hanging a new sign and the sign would not be lit. Mr. Peden said he does not feel it is necessary to discuss finances since they have been in business since 2003 and have done large jobs and they are not afraid to travel and have grown in the past years. He said they are a family business and have roughly 22 people working for them, and they are always looking to grow.
Mr. Rice asked if he would have any outdoor storage.
Mr. Peden said they have 8 or 9 pick up trucks and about 2 service vans that would be parked at the property.
Mr. Rice asked if they would be stored at the property overnight.
Mr. Peden said yes, they don’t let the guys take them home.
Mr. Rice asked if they have a lot of activity coming in and out of the building.
Mr. Peden said no. He said they are conscious that there are residents on Ceder Ave., and he doesn’t think there will be any activity on that side of the building at all. He said they will plant trees there to form a barrier, so the neighbors don’t have to see theirbusiness. He saidthey will have 2 dumpster that are not huge and would be hidden. Mr. Peden said other than vehicles there will not be any outdoor storage.
Mr. Johnson asked if they have any large equipment.
Mr. Peden said the only to large equipment items they have are two large excavators and they are stored at his personal residency.
Mr. Rice asked if they had any plans for the outside of the building.
Mr. Peden said they will be doing some landscaping and as time passes, they will refresh the outside such as paint.
Mr. Rice said he is familiar with their building on Washington Street, and he feels it is very attractive.
Mr. Strand said he likes the plan and feels it will enhance the property.
Mr. Yates asked if they have purchased the property.
Mr. Peden said they have, contingent on if their plans are approved.
Mr. Yates said he personally thinks it is a great fit.
Mr. Rice said this property is a C1A and the purpose of the C1A is to create an opportunity for small commercial facilities to be integrated into a neighborhood setting in a manner that maintains the character and balances the mix of uses. Mr. Rice said he feels that their plan fits in well. He said it is not specifically listed in that district, but he feels that this would be a good use for the property and a resolution to a problem they may have in the future.
Mr. Johnson asked if the building is big enough for the offices they intend on putting in there.
Mr. Peden said yes, they will not need to do any expansions to the building.
Mr. Rice said he doesn’t have any issues with the storage of the trucks and the vans but if we are going to approve this use, he would like to put a provision that there will not be any outdoor storage of any equipment besides the trucks and utility vans that will be parked on site.
Mr. Lawson said the process right now, because of the size of the building it would go to the Town Board for a Special Use Permit. He asked if the Planning Board had enough information now to go forward and recommending it to the Town Board for a Special Use Permit.
- MOTION
- MR. STRAND MOTIONED TO RECOMMEND CITADEL SERVICES TO THE TOWN BOARD FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITION, NO MATERIALS MAY BE STORED OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING LOCATED AT 2118 MAGNOLIA AVE. ASHVILLE, SECONDED BY MR. JOHNSON. YES (5) NO (0)
Mr. Rice said per email, Mr. Warner was opposed to the idea, since it was not listed in allowed uses in that district according to our Zoning.
CS ENERGY
Mr. Lawson said they are a solar company that builds large scale solar farms, and they are interested in the town. He said they are confident they can hook up to the power that runs through the AG district.
Mr. Johnson asked what we told Galehead.
Mr. Lawson said we told them no. He said they have the assumption that before we did the solar law it was allowed in the district, they are trying to put solar in. Mr. Lawson saidwe didnot change any of the districts we just changed some wording. He said regardless they did not put an application in.
AR District
Mr. McCord said the reason the board is discussing moving the AR district line is to prevent solar from going into those areas of the town.
Mr. Strand said also to preserve farmland.
Mr. Rice said he is more concerned about the areas that have developed that would have to stare at solar developments for the next 35 years.
Mr. Johnson said his thought was to expand those residential areas.
Mr. McCord said beside solar, what are we trying to exclude from moving in next door to these homes. He said he had recommended the AR2 which would allow the things allowed in the AR district minus solar.
Mr. Rice said he wants to look at the areas where there is development to protect them.
Mr. Lawson said he spoke to a few farmers on Open Meadows Rd. and they said they don’t want anything to do with it. He said he doesn’t feel we should move the district. Mr. Lawson said he likes change, but if you look at the town, he thinks it is already set up well.
Mr. McCord said he would tend to leave it alone.
ECO STRATEGIES
Mr. Lawson said the Planning Board will be getting a packet for a gravel pit on Open Meadows Rd. He said it is located on the corner of Open Meadows Rd. and Cheney Rd. He said it used to be the old Fisher Farm. He said Tri-James is proposing the idea. Mr. Lawson said it has already been to the DEC and the DEC sent it to the town for review so it will have to come to the Planning Board for review and then sent to the Town Board for a Special Use Permit.
Mr. Rice asked if they have provided the town with any plans.
Mr. Lawson said yes, he has them but only one or two sets.
Mr. Rice asked when they plan to come to the board.
Mr. Lawson said he believed next month.
Mr. Robbins asked if it would require a SEQR
Mr. Lawson said yes but he wasn’t sure if the DEC is the lead agency or if the town is the lead agency.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Mr. McCord asked about the Planning Board taking over Special Use permits.
Mr. Lawson said it was brought to the Zoning Boards attention and he doesn’t know their thoughts on it. He said it seems like a couple were against it, but he feels like it is a good idea, and he feels that it will simplify things.
Mr. Rice said we need to work on updating the comprehensive plans.
Mr. McCord said he believes we agreed on focusing on the route 394 interchange and design guidelines.
Mr. Rice asked if we planned on discussing lot sizes with the sewer coming
Mr. Lawson said yes, we did.
Mr. Robbins asked if we really wanted to crowd more around the lake.
Mr. Rice said most of the lots were already under an acre.
Mr. McCord said if we were going to modify lot size, we would put impervious services requirements in.
Next regular meeting scheduled May 10, 2022, at 7:00 P.M.
- MOTION
- ON A MOTION MADE BY MR. WINGER, SECONDED BY MR. VANCURAN AND NONE BEING APPOSED, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 8:15 PM
Stephanie Gibbs
Deputy Town Clerk
