Planning Board - Regular Meeting

I felt like he rigged all your shorter. Okay. Welcome everyone. It is April 1st, 2026. a little around 700 p.m. The Town Chester Planning Board is now in session. We could do our attendance. Um Chris Steers present. Mike Malin present. Myself. Um Don Higgins present. Laura Moer present.

We also have planning board engineer John Quinnan and planning board uh attorney Dominic Cordiscoco in attendance and Melissa Foot administrator. Okay. So what before we start we'd like to welcome Don. It's Don's first planning board meeting. Comes with an abundance of knowledge and experience and I know he's going to be a great fit for our board. So, welcome.

Okay. So, if we could all rise and say the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for its one indivisibley and justice for all. Okay.

Okay. Has everyone had the opportunity to read and review the minutes from the January 7? They were uploaded. The February meeting is giving us a hard time for some unknown reason. So, they should be uploaded tonight. So, they've gone through a couple of revisions. So, January 7th has been noted. Anybody have any questions or comments for them? So, do I have a motion to adopt the January 7th minutes? Motion second by second. Chris. All in favor? I.

Okay. So, that's everyone. Okay. So the project on the agenda is Bell Station Corp, which is the site plan application for 8450 square foot office storage building at the corner of Pond Road and Kings Highway. Uh the proposed warehouse office space. We closed their public hearing at the February 4th meeting and have received no additional comments in the time frame allotted. So, I don't know, Brian or Zach or if you'd like to come up and tell us what the additional submission that you made, what's been changed and what was

I think John knows better than me. I read his comments and it seems like everything's in line there. Um, we did move a couple shrubs around to match the site plan with the architect's drawing. So, that's been done. Um, we also had the letters from DEC come in that they identified the boundary line. I believe that's what they had to do and then we can go for permit after we get past the board here. Um, I met with Muna Basin with uh the engineer from um Yeah, spacing out here. Probably Jamie. What's that? Jamie. Yeah.

Yeah. No, Pat. Pat was who went with me. Okay. Yeah. Oh, you're Oh, I met with Jamie. It with Pat from Yeah. Our engineering firm. Yeah. So, we are pretty set as far as the major things on the site. Um, I think we can at the end of the meeting hopefully ask for a, you know, conditions that we have to meet and have the approval from the board. Okay. So, John, you did a letter of comments. Would you like to review your

Yeah, sure. Um, just Brian summarized, but the two biggest items that we were missing were the state wetlands um the validation of that uh that's been included now in the permit set. So, that was one. Uh the other one was the sewer I'll say design on the plan that's now been provided. Uh so, those are the two items that will really hold up the application proceeding. Uh we did go through we do have some technical comments that'll be addressed prior to plan signing but there wasn't anything u significant left um you know I can go through them real quick on the sewer service they'll have to provide a profile of the of the main just to make sure that we have enough cover crossing pond road um the roof leader piping from the building shall have outlet erosion control treatment whether it's a grass mat or or some stone just from those from those piping Um the site signage notes that tractor trailer use is prohibited which is was one of the requirements of the board. We just asked a note be applied to that detail that the size of the sign conforms to the code and that that has to be approved by the building department prior to installation. Um the lighting plan still has that note that the lighting doesn't comply with parking and pedestrian safety. Yeah.

Um just listen. Yeah. Something we can't go with that on the plan. Yeah. Um on prior applications you have the board has implemented wetland signage. Yeah.

I don't know if that's something you want included on this one. We can talk about that. Um minor again the refuge just needs a gate detail it references but not as on the plan. provide a seating schedule for the erosion sediment controls and then just add a note that tree clearing shall only occur between November 1st and March 31st due to the northern longear bat presence. And then I just list procedurally you open and close the public hearing at your February meeting. You are now in a position to consider granting a negative declaration under secret. Um and then after that want to discuss the conditional site plan. Okay. Okay. So, yes. Um, as John outlined, we received the New York State DEC wetland plan stamped March 2026. The sewer force main and the detail was provided on two separate sheets, but the analysis and the details need to be and um, town board, you received authorization to connect to Mudna in March of 2021. so that you received an authorization but not the agreement for it. But it's all in line. You just have to once you have your data analysis, they're going to need to see that as well. I think

yeah, I think the flow will be much less with what we're doing than the Yeah, that's what we were discussing from the inflatable, too. Yes. Um the landscape plan, the only I noticed that on the landscape plan itself, it's still it's saying federal wetlands instead of New York State. All the other plans say New York State. So I saw that on the landscape unless I was not seeing it correctly. And the only comment from the public hearing was the neighbor who wanted some evergreens put between you and him. Although he's residential and he also has some type of business there. I don't think that's a bad idea. Okay. So,

I did the building over on I'll I'll talk to him and see what we come up with. Um, yeah, I planted according to landscape architect where to plant the trees and it was in amongst oak trees and other things. It's shady. They don't grow. So, they they all a lot of them died or they're just dwindling, you know. So, yeah. The only thing are they we call them like a scrub kind of evergreen. The cedars will Oh, see. Yeah. But they really they need sunlight to start. That's the problem. Yeah. So, you're going to have to do like six, seven, five, something that has a little bit of substance to it before it uh it takes over. Yeah.

But I don't think it's unreasonable that he's asking for something there. And I know the terrain isn't great either, so it's going to be a conversation with him would be. Yeah. He was I talked to him after the meeting. He seems very amicable and no problem. So, I'll I'll address that with Okay, perfect. Um, the lighting correct, all the things that John had said. So, that's all I have, but the board um Chris, any comments? No, there's some comments. Mike, no. Don, I know you have you just got it, so you're good. Uh Laura,

yeah. The only thing I see when I look at um the the elevations is that that rear elevation doesn't still does not match the grading plan. Um it's got a low point in the back. It's it shouldn't it's should have a high point in a different spot. So I don't know if you It's a It's a minor It's very minor. It shouldn't hold anything up because the grading plan is accurate. Uh, so if you as you were moving through them submissions probably I don't know if

they'll in the field we'll make sure that they know I know it's just I looked at it and I went wait a second that doesn't match the grading plan. So it it that's all the rear elevation shows a low point down at the um if you're looking at the back to toward the right it shows a low point there. Really what you've got is a high point on the left side of the building because the drainage comes around and that's what the grading plan shows and that's correct. It's just that the elevation doesn't reflect that. Okay. So that's all it's just you should have some internal consistency otherwise I'm good.

Okay. So what is uh before us right now is what John had said. We can declare a negative declaration since we received the New York State DEC and the sewer details. So if we are all comfortable with that um if someone wants to make a motion to um declare a night deck we can do that and move forward. If anyone wants to make a motion make a motion Chris second by second Mike. All in favor I Okay. So on that John will offer a written negative. Yeah, we'll do.

Okay. So as John was saying at this point um the outstanding issues have been addressed and outlined what needs to be completed for us. So the public hearing being complete, the NED deck in place, we can have a conversation to conditional final approval and Dominic said that he would discuss that with us. So we're all comfortable. What Before we get into that, do you want to discuss the signage? Do you want signage on Oh, yes. I'm sorry I skipped over that when you said that. Yes, I absolutely want the signage. Um I don't know how everybody else thinks about that. I think that's 100%. Yes, we forget. We did that for Oakwood.

We did that for Oakwoods. Um do you want it on the adjacent area boundary or the actual wetland boundary? I would do adjacent area because you're not supposed to be in there, right? Anyway, right. So, I would think the adjacent area would work best. Anybody have any conflict with that? No, thank you for calling that out. The um adjacent area actually goes through the parking lot. So, we're going to go with DEC, get the permits, and then we'll put it on the

Yeah. What you'll do is, you know, obviously wherever you're parking, you'll put the sign at the edge of the parking and then come back to the boundary. We usually space them probably for you maybe every hundred 100 feet apart or something like that. It'll just say New York State DC adjacent area no disturbance allowed. Perfect.

Yes. So at this point, you know, procedurally the board is in a position to grant conditional site plan approval. Uh the conditions would include the final plan view confirm that the final changes are made so that the final plan set that's presented for signature has the changes that have been outlined by Mr. Queen. Uh as discussed, they have to obtain the DEC approval for the adjacent area disturbance. Uh and also uh install the wetland signage that you get that permit. Uh there will be no tree clearing during the Indiana B protection time frames. Um there would be you saw the minutes from the uh town board meeting regarding the sewer connection and the minutes to be quite honest are a little bit vague because it references the fact that there would be an agreement.

No. What? That there would be an agreement like so there was a town board vote. Oh, but they never made the correct. Correct. So we'll we'll be drawing the agreement up for what we're proposing. I I I think that that's a prudent approach. I'm not sure and I can't speak for the town board, so I don't even know if an agreement would be required by the current town board on this issue. Uh there was just reference in there in minutes to the fact that there may have been an agreement. There's a reference to agreement. Okay.

And but it appears that no agreement was ever entered into. Whether one still was required or not would be for the town attorney and the town board to to decide. My suggestion would be to reach out to Miss Cassidy and to the supervisor uh to close the loop on that whatever it is. But clarity on that particular point would be a condition of disapproval. So we need an agreement or come back with either that agreement or something in writing that says you don't need just close that out. Um, obviously also obtain approval from the sewer district for that connection to the basin. Uh, you have to provide a construction cost estimate for key site.

Yeah, I've never had to do that before with anything. Is that new? Uh, no. Uh, it's typical and it's a way for the for the town to establish speeds that are necessary.

Okay. And then we have standard conditions. The standard condition would be that only what's shown on the plan can be constructed. So if it was something else that you wanted to construct, you would have to come back in for an amended approval. So if you decided that you want to put a shed up or want to change some aspect of the overall plan, uh it requires an amended approval uh from board. Uh as well as the final thing would be a payment of any outstanding fees that project. Those are the conditions. We can do this one of two ways. Uh you know, sometimes for complex projects, uh the board, you know, may want to see that resolution before it actually gets authorized for signature by the chair. Um but for a project that's fairly straightforward and I think as the conditions as outlined here in the board could also the other alternative to authorize the chair some understand

and the resolution won't be signed until John reviews the plans as well and make sure that all of those points have been hit. Correct. So there is like a a double step to it before the signature would be there, but it's definitely something to discuss. If anybody has a comment or question about that or feel more comfortable one way or the other, it's definitely something we can Yeah, I'm comfortable with the conditions as read with authorizing the chair to make a signature. Time is money, so let's get going. Yeah, I agree.

Don, you're comfortable with that? Yeah, I'm good with that. I do have one question that I thought of and maybe this was something that was discussed before I came on the board. Um, are there any restrictions at all as to what the uses will actually be? I mean, is there something what is what governs that? Yeah. So, um, that ties into that that I summarized as what's shown on the plan. It's actually a little more in depth than that. I'm glad you you picked up on that because it actually says that they can only use the site for what they apply for. Okay.

So, let's say like building gets constructed and then someone wants to build or operate a you know a canvas manufacturing facility inside, right? Well, that was not something that you applied for. They would have to come back in for approval because you would be changing the use at that time. I can say it's kind of farfetched but it actually happens. It's mostly the the original plan or the plan is for storage warehousing that kind of stuff. Is it you know auto body no auto body

I picture um like a plumber electrician or like that having a storage with their trucks and they may work on something in there but nothing you know. Okay. Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking. I was thinking about it earlier today and I was like if there's something about that. Thanks. We write the resolution so that we cover that. Perfect. Thank you. Yeah. So, I'm good. Once we have it drafted, have circulated. Okay. Right. That would be a great stage like a step that everyone can read before sure come. Okay. I think that would be a good

a good way for everybody to be on the same page and then before it's signed and then John looks at the plans and go from there. So if everyone is comfortable with that, we can move forward to a conditional final approval. And if I have a motion for a conditional final approval, Mike and a second. I'll second it. Yeah. And all in favor, we're going to say that Don is probably going to abstain for obvious reasons. I mean, your first it's up to you, but we understand that fully. So, all in favor?

I So, that's four and one. Okay. So, you have all of uh your marching orders, I guess you want to say, that you um have to kind of get back to us and I guess the town board. That's a good step. and then we can move forward with the approval. Right. I don't know how long DC will take and but I'm comfortable that we're past this. Yes. And resolution will be done fairly quickly. Certainly in return.

So it will be done the resolution will be be done more rapidly than the May meeting, but we did it this way. So you don't have to return for the May meeting, but um we'll review it well before that and we'll get the signature in place. You get the plans to us if you want John to review them before they get signed and they'll they'll all happen, you know, relatively succinctly. Right. Correct. Yeah. As the conditions are satisfied, we check them off and then once they're all done. Perfect. Yeah. The one thing that you'll need for the DEC will be the negative John's office. Okay. Okay. All right. You're good. Great. Thank you, guys.

Thank you. We're going to Can enjoy. Yeah, that's that's right. They opened, right? Yeah. Open. Open. So, I might might make it. Yeah. I mean, um, the only thing left that we wanted to just give everyone the heads up about is that, uh, the town board did, uh, passed the MUN collab software purchase for us. Oh, excellent.

So, that's a great motion. And we had a kickoff meeting the 26th. So, we were discussing the platform for us. So, Abe is now tailoring the platform for us. Melissa's getting him all the documentation he needs. And then we when we have a schedule of how the training is going to roll out, everybody will be notified and sure, you know, so everybody gets on board with it. I'm using it in Cornwall and I have to say like rather than like digging through my emails to find where particular plan or correspondence was, you know, just going on website. Great. You can even see the map

where they are. So nice that way. It's very helpful currently the way people have to the public has to view the agenda or they got to know they got to know where to find it calendar you have to click on the planning board meeting and then you have to click on it's too many complicated yeah this will be streamlined and it will be streamlined for the applicant so hopefully on all ends it will will work better okay excellent thank you everyone very Motion to close the meeting. I'll make a motion. Laura, second by

Chris. All in favor? Okay, Michelle.