Planning Board - Regular Meeting

It is October 1st, 2025, a little after 7. The Town of Chester Planning Board is now in session. Um, if we could do a roll call to see who's here. Chris missing, Mike Mal here, myself,

Mark Robersonson, Jazeppi Casara. Okay. So, we're we're all here except Chris. So, we do have a forum forum. If we could all stand and say the pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Music]

Okay. So, I want to just start off with the minutes. And the minutes were sent out for to everyone for the June, July, and August meeting. If everyone had a chance to review them and if you have any comments or changes or you'd like to amend anything. Um, if not, anybody is good? Nothing reviewed. Someone would like to make a motion to adopt the minutes. I'll make that motion to adopt the minutes of June 4th, July 16th, and August 20th, 25. Second by Mike. All in favor? I.

Okay. So, if we could adopt those minutes for Okay. So, as you could tell by our agenda, we have no applicants on the agenda tonight. So, under our other business, we're going to do our continuation of our comprehensive plan review. We began our review in August at and at the August 20th meeting, we had Liz Cassidy, the town attorney, present and Kristen O'Donnell, Lankantelli planner, present to coordinate the review process. All of those comments have been submitted to Dominic as well as any additional comments from August 20th on and he has been able to draft our comments so that we can submit them to the town board within our necessary time frame. Um, at this time I would just like to ask if each of us has any other additional comments that we haven't submitted so that we're sent off to Dominic. Josephie, any additional?

No, I'm good. Mark, no additional comments. Not for me. Okay. So, at this point, um, if Domin, if you'd like to review or outline the drafts for us, if there's anything pertinent that you need to put into our perspective or anything that you need us to know or just a review of them. Yes. And so, first, I just wanted to say uh I'm sorry that I couldn't be at your August 20th meeting. Uh, but I think uh you were in really good hands both with Liz and Kristen

since they were obviously directly involved and and the key drafters of the comprehensive plan update as well as the draft zoning. And so I did uh watch that meeting, you know, uh so thank you for having it streamed and and available online uh because it's a great resource to be able to go back and and it was a really good discussion. Um, you know, and one of the things that that uh was notable about it, and Liz picked up on this as well, uh, was is that you were also engaged uh, and had obviously, you know, prepared for the meeting and and read materials and had a number of comments, you know, whether it was like looking for clarity or or or some cleanup items or questions regarding the text. I I have to say and I'm you know I don't want to throw any of my other clients under the bus. Um but you know like like it was remarkable like how how well prepared uh you all were for that and and provided Liz with with some good feedback. Um and I've also spoken with Liz uh since that time. And so the there was a number of comments that were made in terms of making things consistent or or textual or or you know not so much substantive uh changes, but she's undertaken those changes uh already.

Okay. And so you know my understanding is is that the um uh that the public hearing is set for October 22nd.

Yes. Uh, and so the draft that's going to be available for the public, you know, will incorporate the things that you were talking about, you know, at the August 20th meeting. So, it's not really necessary for and I did not, you know, uh, prepare a line by line item of all of those topics since you had, you know, the the key draft person, you know, there uh, at that meeting. and had the benefit of having her there and that said so I I have prepared two separate letters that if the board is satisfied you know you can we can finalize and you can also authorize me to send them and I would send them out tomorrow so town board would have the benefit of those and that would close out this process um which started at the end of July uh with the formal referrals uh you met on August 20th and and had that uh primary discussion and there have been some emails since that time uh with some additional comments and as I was mentioning uh to the chairwoman before the meeting started you know is is that the criteria first of all there's no criteria that the board that this board has to particularly examine the comprehensive plan update uh the referral to you is has been as a matter of courtesy from the town board and so you know and and certainly your input is valued on it and I mention that only in the sense that there's no particular things that you have to hit you know in terms of your comments back and so um what I did was I had drafted uh a it's it's a fairly generic uh letter um because as I said

there's no specific statutory criteria that have to be touched upon on and it it basically uh identifies the fact that you reviewed it. Uh you found it to be internally consistent. Uh you didn't identify any conflicts. Now, we're just talking about the comprehensive plan update. any conflicts with existing zoning or subdivision regulations that might require amendments that are not already being proposed in the draft resoning and that you don't provide any specific changes to the draft comprehensive plan update. Um I did emphasize uh and have been sent around this is that in order uh that the board actually agrees with the plan implementation 12.0 know uh which which says that in order for the comprehensive plan to be effective, the Chester Town Board must actively apply the policies that are contained within the plan. Furthermore, its planning board and zoning board of appeals must use the plan as a framework to guide their decisions with respect to the review of development proposals. And that's basically it. Uh that is all that I put in my draft letter on the comprehensive plan. I I'm happy to add anything additional if if you think that we should or if there's something that you want to particularly point out in connection with the comprehensive plan.

Uh I think as long as Liz has taken the comments that were discussed on the 20th and she is implementing them into what was said. Yeah. Um, I think that I don't think we need to be as specific, especially since she's the town attorney and drafted it and she was drafting as we were speaking as well. So, personally, I think that she has taken that all into consideration. I mean, we can ask through Mike, what do you think? What's your I I feel the same way. I didn't want if the letter is is kind of as you say sort of generic and I understand why but just my concern would just be that our specific recommendations got through.

Yeah. And so if if Liz has that um Mark Oh, I agree. I think that Liz more than likely has made those adjustments and we could proceed. Well, what if I did this? I'm sorry. She said I agree as well. Yeah, go ahead for you as well. I saw you nodding your head. So, um, and I apologize for moving too fast, but why don't I add, uh, a sentence to that effect that said that a number of, uh, recommendations were made at the August 20th meeting, uh, which attorney Cassidy, uh, was revising uh, to take into account.

I think that would Yeah, that should I think that should be in there. It should cover so that what we said didn't go unnoticed or undocumented. Yeah. Yep. Okay. I will add that a note to finalize that language. Okay. And so if the board is satisfied with that, you could at this point have a motion uh to authorize me to prepare and finalize and send uh this letter report to the town board just dealing with the comprehensive plan update. Okay. Um I'm good with that. I don't know if uh we'll go the other way. Is that Yeah, I'm okay with it. To authorize and send Mark. Yep. Mike. Yes.

Yes. All in favor? I Okay. None opposed. Motion passes. That was good. That was good. Okay. So that that's the easier one of the two, you know, because that's the comprehensive plan and that's been in process and and uh you know, and it sets forth roadmap for for the town, you know, for for the next five years or so. Just have a question before we go on to the the other the comprehensive plan committee would like to I just want to move this a little bit closer to you. they would like to uh receive a copy of that or be made aware of what our recommendations are.

Okay. Yeah, we can certainly provide that to them. I mean, you know, and we could ask Liz to make sure that that gets forwarded on to them and I'll certainly copy Kristen as well. Okay. Of course.

That's a good idea. So, um, also as I was saying earlier, uh, before before the meeting, just as an aside, you know, is is that the the town of Chester's zoning code has when it relates to zoning amendments, uh, there are sections of the town's existing zoning code that spells out the time frame and also specific questions that the planning board is to consider when uh looking at a the zoning amendment and they uh stem from state law. Uh and so it it's kind of arcane language and you know and it's not open-ended. It's not you know does the planning board agree or disagree or have concerns with regard to uh you know proposed zoning amendment. uh it has some specific criteria and I'll get into those in a moment. The difficulty is is that these criteria, you know, uh were written a long time ago and they relate to like when someone or a town board is considering like a particular zoning change, you know, like one like not like an entire rewrite of your zoning code like you have here. So if someone was proposing to develop some commercial property in an area that's zoned agricultural or residential and the town was considering whether or not that that should happen and they were you know and they made that referral to the to the planning board then you know these questions that I'm about to read to you like make more sense in that context you know and here you have this broad uh

recodification ation and rewrite and adjustment of your zoning code. Um, and so I'm I'm only mentioning that because like the questions don't they stem from this statutory requirement, but they don't necessarily fit the particular situation that you have. And so uh likewise with your comments at the August 20th meeting, I will add in here the statement that a number of items were discussed at the August 20th meeting uh which were being incorporated in the revised draft for the public hearing and attached to the letter. Right. So they have what we talked about.

Correct. Correct. I mean I can attach your minutes uh to to the letter if that's what you're thinking. You know, I don't have a particular written list of everything that was discussed at the August 20th meeting. Okay. But it is um it is accessible so that she can Okay. I'm sure Liz has it too as well. Right. Okay.

Right. Because she understood what you were trying to achieve at at that meeting. So that all that said, you know, so the town code, your section 9839 has these questions. And so regarding the zoning code amendments, the first question is whether or not the changes in the zoning code are consistent with the aims and principles embodied in the chapter of zoning regarding the particular district's concerned. That sounds like torturous language. I didn't write it. It comes out of this out of the town law, New York State town law. Um, but in effect, like what they're looking for here is consistency is the key word. You know, are the changes that are being proposed in the amendments consistent with essentially how the districts are laid out in the town

and how the comprehensive plan is changing. So, it kind of melds together. Yep, that's correct. And that's actually the last one. So then the next question is whether or not the areas, land uses, buildings, and establishments in the town will be positively affected by the changes given the overarching purpose of the zoning amendments to emphasize flexibility for economic development in modern land uses such as battery storage and agurism. That's how I responded to that particular question. in that particular question is that where the zoning changes where like in the cluster developments that's where that would be applicable correct

the third question is whether or not there is any indirect implications of the amendments and I wrote that they will be to clarify the code provisions and provide consistency across the zoning code. Okay. And then the last uh area of inquiry is whether or not the proposed amendments are consistent with the comprehensive development plan. And I think the answer there is that they will be because the procedural way that this will work, you know, if the if the town board moves forward after their public hearing is that they will adopt the comprehensive plan and then they'll adopt the zoning amendments. So the zoning amendments themselves will be consistent with the comprehensive plan even though the comprehensive plan will only be official made official you know moments before. Okay. Yeah. So that's like the text amendments. The zoning map amendments you know there are specific questions. Again there's five of them. Uh and the the big one is whether or not the use is permitted in the districts that are shown on the zoning map are appropriate in the areas that they affect.

And I believe there were only two changes to that. Correct. To those there two areas of change and we had discussed that at the August 20th meeting. Those two areas,

right? And then the second question is whether or not there's adequate public school facilities or any other public services that are uh that exist or can be created to serve the needs of additional residences that might be constructed. I don't know that additional residences are going to necessarily more residences than what's currently permitted. Um and so I think that the answer to that is yes. So, and then the next one is whether or not the proposed changes, and again, we're just talking about the zoning map amendments are in accord with existing or proposed plans in the vicinity.

The next question after that is the effect of the proposed amendment is consistent with the growth of the town as invis as as envisaged. I always get that word wrong. Envisaged. um by the comp like again I didn't this is not language I would have chosen uh by the comprehensive development plan and lastly that the proposed amendment is likely to result in no substantial increase or decrease in the total zoned residential capacity of the town and these once again these questions just go to the zoning map amendments in addition You know, uh there were some specific comments uh that we had that I incorporated uh into more clearly defining clear cutting uh regarding uh substantially what means for substantially all trees on the site or portion of site. This was a comment that came in afterwards and also the tree survey uh requirements uh were inconsistent in terms of how you measure trees and so there's a recommendation on that as well. and I can add in anything additional that the board may have or may want to point out, you know, now as it relates to these zoning uh either map or text amendments, but those were the ones that that I had.

The only um comment or question that I have is in not the map in the amendments is that the bulk tables for the cluster development. So what was changed is where did I is that the size was increased from 3/4 of an acre to an acre and a half.

So, um, and all of the frontage and the sides. Here it is. So, from 2017 to 2025. So that the frontage was changed, the size were changed, the overall um development coverage was reduced. So in a cluster development, it's actually not allowing as many houses as it originally did and therefore it doesn't allow as much give back land. And in my opinion, it doesn't allow that's where you would get more affordable housing because in most of our zones, it's an SR3, it's an SR2. So, this allowed people to afford a home on lesser acreage. That's that's all that I saw from there. That that was my takeaway. So, I don't know if that I I mean, as a board, I don't know. That's just my thought process. That was the only thing I saw in the tables that you know if that's it.

Well, I'm I'm happy to add something in if that's the desire of the board. Well, that's just my opinion. So, I uh Mike, I don't know if that's a view that you have. I think we have to come together as a board. It's not something that would I haven't particularly noticed that as a change. Yeah, affordable housing is it's tough because there's, you know, the intent is there, but the property values just the reality is everything is so is so high

in local real estate. I and I don't know if it even would be that much of a push that it would be would drop the prices that much, but if it would drop it enough that it would cause someone to be able to purchase their first home or purchase a home in the town of Chester, that's what you want. You want younger people here. You want the area to grow. But you just said about the schools. Do we have enough schools for enough houses? But if we have all older people like me and we don't have people in the schools and we're paying taxes, it's it's a balance. Uh Mark,

yeah, Jackie, I'm not sure if I um I I agree to a point. I'm not sure if that data point is going to exclude folks from purchasing homes. Um just because from, you know, 3/4 to an acre and a half, the size the size of the house may not change, right? And I don't think you're necessarily getting tax for that half an acre plus more that would exclude people from moving in here and not drop the price enough. Right. I that that that's a it's a a valid point. I'm just not sure how to crack that. Yeah. Is that big?

Uh the only comment I would have would be on the if you're going to one and a half acre, as you said earlier, you're not giving back uh land. You're not dedicating any open space. So, but when you cluster it to threequarters of an acre, you have more land to give back. So, that will be my biggest uh thing. It all plays in the ratio all plays in. But I would say as a board then we're really not uh together with that. It's more right. I think you know one option that you would have if you feel strongly about it is you can certainly comment to the town board public hearing

you know absolutely or or send a letter of your own you know uh reflecting your own because even though you're the chair of the planning board it doesn't mean that you give up your ability to you know have your own thoughts and opinions and express them you know on matters that are pending

okay well I guess then we we don't include it and then we'll move from there. But I think that everything that you have outlined for us I feel is very strong and very um and we answered all of the questions. We really right we paid attention to all what we needed to pay attention to. So I think as a board we just take a poll whether we think that this second portion for the zoning can be solidified and sent off. I I do. Yeah. I'm good. I have no problems. I'm good. You're good. So, if you could have a motion. Yeah. A motion to solidify and send off to the board. So, moved. Second.

Second. All in favor? I. All right. Like I said, I will get these out tomorrow and I will make the changes that we discussed tonight. Okay. [Music] So, thank you. So we have no more items to discuss but we are going to go into an executive session for personnel for interviews but we will decide on nothing after this point so we can close the meeting basically you can that's correct so you'll just be letting uh the public know that there's no action that's going to be taken either during the executive session

I forgot we have one more thing I'm sorry that was my fault I was so wrapped up in the comprehensive. You wanted to get rid of me.

I I made myself a little bit. Okay. So, the one other that we have for tonight is um the town the software for the planning board. Okay. So, everyone was sent the software for the planning board and we have it actually you're also given a bullet point of it. It is something called MUN collab and it was developed by Abe Yucatel and he is a legislator. So he developed this out of a need for his type of planning board and what his function was. He actually presented to the town board for us and it has become something that's not our decision. It is the town board's decision but what I felt it did it is designed for planning boards specifically. It's tailored to align with planning board workflows avoiding the need to adapt to rigid or generic software. So it's specifically for us. It modernizes and streamlines the operations. It enhances transparency for both applicants and the public. So the public goes on to the software themselves, the applicant themselves, whether it be the engineer or the lawyer or if you so allow an applicant to do it themselves. So they it it autogenerates like um checklists clearly outlining what's been completed and what is still out there. It also puts the onus on the applicant to be up to date and keeping all of what they need to keep up to date um available to everyone. It it actually tells you that what zoning use is allowed by your section block and lot. So you start the process and you know right away if you are going to be in that what you can be doing there. It is convenient. It's secure. If it is adopted by the town board then we will all be trained in it and be mandatory

training and the onus will really fall a lot on Melissa because she will be the admin for it. So um we'll be in good hands with it. And I really just um would like to say like if you want to go like the town of Warwick rolled out in July. The town of Cornwall was not far behind. So there is a little bit of a growth kind of thing going on. But I would recommend that you go on and you look at it and you um kind of play around with it in their applications to see what works for us. And then I believe it's going to be before the town board next week as well. So, uh, any comments, Mike?

No, I I mean I like the idea. Uh, I don't think we are able at this point to see a lot of the actual the actual that's that was what I found. Just um testimonials and there must be quite a bit of work on the back end to get it off the ground. Yes. But um that will take about four to six weeks

and then the training in that as well for us. And then it's unlimited training to us like if you're having you're struggling with something. It's a it's a phone call to Melissa. It's a phone call to Abe like just because he um developed it for us. It's definitely something. And then there is a zoning parcel to it that could be down the line as well. But yes, it's going to take about four to six weeks for the roll out for us to be trained in it. But it sound it sounds good to me. The cost is it's not our place to say, I guess, but the cost is really low. Yeah.

In the scheme of things, like really low. So, um, no, it's it's got to be a big improvement on all these and you can see everything. And at uh Abe said that he would come and walk us through it too as well. Even though the the decision isn't up to us, at any point if he would like if we would like him, he would come and walk us through like he did the town board. And you can see everything on there. And it's also customizable. So something that works for Chester, that's not going to work for Warwick. We can have it so it works for us.

So I definitely like that as well. Yeah, it sounds like it streamlines the whole process. Um, it certainly I think touches to what Larry was bringing up with checklists, right, where it kind of cleans all that stuff up and makes it a lot more transparent for not only us but for the common citizen just kind of look and see what what's going on with the project. Um, yeah, it seems like it's going to become like a gold standard. So, might as well get on board now.

I think that's another comment, too. I think that everyone around us is going to this type of software whether it's MUN collab or not but it's a an ability to streamline everything and everybody have accessibility which is very important and know exactly where you stand Melissa and I went to an aggro business um conference today and the word I kept hearing was like predictable and not predictable that oh no I'm going to the planning board and it's going to take them three years to let me through or predictable in what we need from an applicant, where we stand as an applicant, what's next steps. So, I feel like this software does that. It allows people to see what's next steps, what's required, where am I at. So, I think that's a great thing, too.

Yeah, I'm all for it. I think it'll be good for tracking the uh submissions. Uh it'll be good to direction for the applicant and uh overall, I think it's a good idea. and we can learn some new tricks. Yes. And also, so when you go on to the website, if you were actually to go to the town of Warwood website, if you went on to the planning board, uh that department, um it has the link there and it just it brings you right to it. You could see each project and what the status is. Correct. Yes. I I represent the town of Cornwall.

Okay. And so we're, you know, we've been implementing this and already you're seeing a different level of engagement. I mean, you know, the the the the town of Cornwall, for instance, you know, would post uh project materials, you know, on its website, but you had to go through multiple links like to get in like you had to kind of know what you're looking for. And also you you would it was not categorized in a way like that the MUN collabs software does in a sense like you know if there was you know if there's multiple submissions like each one of those submissions got put in there but where was the storm water report or where you know and like all these things now are called out

and in addition to that like you know the the main page you know so for like Cornwall it has a map and so people can see the map and they can see blue dots as to where the projects are proposed. So they can go on there and they can click on those dots and they can say, "Oh, I'm interested. This is near where I live. I'm just talking about the access from the regular public." And then they can see like what's been submitted, the categories of things have been submitted, what does the county planning department say about this particular project? If there's a report from them, it's like part of of that file. And you know the way that Cornwall was doing business before that is is that you would have to really dig uh in order to find you know that that kind of stuff out. you would have to know, you know, that the county planning responded last July and that was part of the August meeting packet and you'd have to, you know, this really uh uh simplifies things and makes it much more transparent

uh and and ease of use. And so I think in the long term uh it is where things are going and and fulfills kind of that that obligation to to the public to let them know what's going on and engages the public, right? because it's accessibility and the ease of use for and Melissa doesn't have to chase applicants like you need this set of drawings that they're responsible for that. The one thing I would say is is that uh in Cornwall like we we do have board members that do like the paper drawings uh and so that you know because they like the large scale drawings. I have I have an uh

I have an engineer and a surveyor on that planning board. Uh and they both like having full sets of drawings and they go through them, you know, and they'll say on page 37, you know, is I see this. What do you mean? What what kind of wall are you talking about there? You know, is it pre-fabricated wall? Is it this? You know, and and uh and God bless him for for being able to do that. But you know the board members, you may still want paper copies for yourself. Well, it's personalizing it too. We could make that a requirement like you could hold the set in at least I would say two sets

or upon everybody else you know one for the engineer and then one for the planning board and then the digital that's just an idea but like you were saying like right now currently the way it works is you have to go on to the calendar to the website to view the agenda and then you have to you have to chase it down you know that's right you really do and then everything's lined up, but it's just not it's not as simple. Right. Right.

And like you said, the other thing which I loved because I went up to the town of Gerwick um with the map and then it labels one, two, three, four, five, how however many projects are there and you could see what is going on on the map and you can click on it and then it comes up with whatever project is there. Yeah. So, so this was just brought to so that everybody's aware of the direction and that um the town board is going to be I guess reviewing it next week. So, just something to keep in your mind and kind of go and look and play with it and hopefully the direction we're going to end up in. Great. Thank you.

Okay. So, as I said previously, yes. Yes. Yes. So, uh, the board could go into an executive session to discuss personnel for the purpose of conducting interviews, uh, for the vacant planning board position. Yes. And, uh, that you would come out of that executive session when you're finished. Um, but for the purposes of the public meeting, no additional action would be taken. You would just be a journey for the time. Okay. So u motion to uh not have any additional um actions taken after executive session and adjourn the meeting. Motion Mark second by second. All in favor I I Okay. Thank you very much.