Village of Lansing

Planning Board Meeting

October 8, 2001

 

 

The meeting of the Village of Lansing Planning Board was called to order at 7:30 P.M. by Chairman Ned Hickey.  Present at the meeting were Planning Board Members Doris Brown, Phil Dankert and Carol Klepack; Trustee Liaison Lynn Leopold; and Code Enforcement Officer Ben Curtis.

 

Public Comment:

There being no one present who wished to speak, Dankert moved to close the Public Comment period.  Seconded by Klepack.  All aye.

 

Public Hearing – Final Plat Approval, Young Subdivision:

The first item on the agenda was a Public Hearing for the Final Plat approval of a minor subdivision by John Young to divide one 6.85 acre lot into a 1.85 acre (approx.) lot and a 5 acre lot at the northwest corner of N. Triphammer Road and Burdick Hill Road in the Medium Density and Low Density Residential Districts, Tax Parcel No. 42.1-1-53.2

 

Hickey noted that the Planning Board has already classified this as a minor subdivision because the applicants are only dividing one lot into two lots. 

 

Klepack moved to close the Public Hearing.  Seconded by Dankert.  All aye.

 

Klepack moved to approve the Final Plat for the Young Subdivision, subject to the approval of the Village Attorney.  Seconded by Dankert.  All aye.  Hickey signed the plat but it will be held by Curtis until the Attorney has approved it.

 

Public Hearing – Final Plat Approval, Edwards Subdivision:

Triphammer Road Sign Plan:

The next item on the agenda was a Public Hearing for the Final Plat approval of a minor subdivision by Donald and Marie Edwards to divide one 1.786 acre lot into a 1.75 acre (approx.) lot and a .036 acre lot on Bush Lane adjacent to 8 Bush Lane in the Medium Density and Low Density Residential Districts, Tax Parcel No. 44.1-1-38.31  The .036 acre lot will be combined with the property known as 8 Bush Lane, Tax Parcel No. 44.1-1-38.32

 

Klepack moved to close the Public Hearing.  Seconded by Brown.  All aye.

 

Edwards stated this is the revised map before the Board tonight.  At a later date, he would like to convey the pond area to Ann Caren and asked whether he would need to pay the fee again.  Curtis stated he would and it is $200.

 

Dankert moved to approve the Final Plat for the Edwards Subdivision contingent upon it being combined with 8 Bush Lane so a non-conforming lot is not created and subject to the approval of the Village Attorney.  Seconded by Klepack.  All aye.  Hickey signed the plat but it will be held by Curtis until the Attorney has approved it.

 

Pyramid Mall Expansion Modification:

Hickey stated the request is to modify the previous site plan to move the Home Depot building 27 ft. to the east.  Eric Goetzmann, Pyramid Mall management, sent a letter to the Village describing the proposed change and was also present to answer questions.  Goetzmann stated the proposal would permit a connection from the mall through the home garden area of Home Depot into the Home Depot building.  It is uncertain whether the home garden area would be an open or enclosed area.  The request is to see if there is a possibility, if desired by Home Depot and mall tenants, to have an opening from one to the other.  If this minor modification falls within the scope of the original approval, then Curtis could proceed without having the Home Depot return for Board approval.  Goetzmann stated Home Depot normally has stand-alone stores so this one is somewhat different.  He also stated that mall shoppers like to see a store at the end of a corridor.  Goetzmann stated that parking spaces would be moved from the eastern to the western side of the Home Depot store.  Leopold noted that this would move the loading docks out of the way of Ames entrance and would improve that entrance.  Curtis stated a fire exit would be needed going to the outside from the mall connection toHome Depot.  Hickey would recommend a closed corridor through the Home Depot garden area for customer comfort in inclement weather.

 

Klepack moved to authorize Curtis to review these minor changes as falling within the scope of the original approval and approve them at his discretion.  Seconded by Brown.  All aye.

       

New Planning Board Member:

Hickey asked Board members if any had heard from anyone after receiving the Newsletter.  No one had, so the Board assumed the only two candidates then are John Piscopo and Maria Stycos.  Hickey stated Piscopo is not ready yet to make a decision and Stycos has indicated her interest in becoming a full member. 

 

Dankert moved to recommend to the Board of Trustees that Maria Stycos be appointed the full member of the Planning Board.  Seconded by Brown.  All aye.

 

Triphammer Road Sign Plan – Update:

Hickey has spoken with Jim Napolean, Syracuse traffic engineer, and explained that the Board is requesting a list showing the signage required by NYS law for the N. Triphammer Rd. reconstruction.  Hickey also requested a map depicting where each sign should be located.  Napolean stated he would provide a report for the Board.    

Napolean will also be able to provide information on signs which are desired by the Village but may not be required by state law.

 

Landscape Policy:

Klepack showed the Board a handbook of the Landscape Policy, checklists, comment sheet, Table of Contents for reference sheets that follow (deer-resistant plants and structural soils), Fernandez speech notes, etc., as a library shelf reference.  Klepack also provided a hand-out packet for developers which would include the Landcape Policy, checklists and comment sheets, a listing of available references in the handbook, etc.   Klepack also noted that all materials are dated.  Hickey thanked Klepack and stated he will review the materials first and will then pass it around for others to review within the next two weeks.

 

Klepack stated that when the Board is provided with a Landscape Plan for review she would like to also see the comment sheet provided for use by Board members.  Klepack also volunteered to keep a tickler list and review landscape plantings after they have been in for a year.  Klepack and Hickey offered to review the landscape plantings for 36 Thornwood Drive and 10 Brown Road this week.  They will also review the Marriot Inn for compliance at the same time.  Tops and McDonalds will also need a year review in the near future.       

 

Upcoming Conferrences:

Hickey stated there are two conferences coming up in November on the same dates.  One is the Saratoga Springs Environmental Conference and the other is in Glens Falls on creating walkable communities.  Monies are available in the Planning Board budget and if any members are interested in attending, they should notify Hickey.

 

Lansing Trails Reserve Strip:

Hickey stated the Board has received a letter dated 9/28/01 from Attorney William Seldin with an attachment letter dated 9/28/01 from Engineer Lawrence Fabbroni.  Hickey stated he did not care to discuss the inequities referenced in the letter as he felt this was not the case and Hickey may write a personal letter to Fabbroni. 

 

Hickey stated that on the northern border of Ivar Jonson’s property, there is an 8 inch wide strip of property between Jonson’s property and the neighboring property belonging to Viola Miller. This was discovered when Viola Miller agreed to grant an easement to the Village for a trail to connect Horizon’s development through her property to the existing greenway trail in Lansing Trail.  Jonson has been asked to give up the strip to the Village because reserve strips are not permitted under the Village’s Subdivision regulations.  Hickey stated Fabbroni has recommended other options as stated in his letter.  Hickey did not feel they would all make sense.  Hickey stated the reserve strip of land is illegal according to the Subdivision Law, and if it is conveyed to the Village, then an easement would not be necessary through the strip.  Hickey stated he would like the attorneys to continue to deal with this issue.         

 

Reports:

Hickey reported on the Board of Trustee’s meeting.  Hickey stated that deer hunting with bow has been approved for Murray Estates under the control of manager Jeff Geiger. Hickey stated that Tim Buhl spoke about buried utilities along N. Triphammer Rd. with a very rough cost estimate of about $250,000 part of which might be off-set by savings from not having to relocate poles.  He will be refining his numbers for the Board of Trustees. 

 

Hickey stated that George Gesslein from the Lansing Fire Department attended the Board of Trustee’s meeting and stated they are prepared to spend about $500,000 to upgrade Fire Station 5 on Oakcrest Rd. within the next two years to make it larger and accommodate Bang’s ambulance as well as fire department bunkers.  Bangs is currently working out of Station 5 and has cut their response time in half.  Hickey also noted that Lansing has 750 fire calls per year and 380 of them are EMS and 84% of those are within the Village.  Hickey stated Gesslein pushed hard to have the fire station moved with an entrance onto N. Triphammer Rd and he is aware of the community center concept being contemplated for that area as depicted in the CLT Guidelines.  Hickey noted Mayor Hartill stated the Village would consider sharing the cost of the purchase price for the property.  Hickey stated he had spoken with the YMCA a year ago about the community center idea and although they can not commit monies, they would be willing to build and maintain the ball fields.          

 

At the Board of Trustees’ meeting, Hickey stated that Mayor Hartill indicated he would be recognizing the Edelmans for the property donated to the Village.  Hartill also has requested plans from the Vilage Engineer for the new road for Kensington.

 

Other Business:

Curtis stated the Ornithology Lab is progressing.  Hickey noted that Pyramid Mall is under construction and it is now only possible to drive ¾ of the way around the ring road. Curtis is also hoping to see the evergreen screen in place this year.  Leopold also noted that she was approached by another engineer who had concerns regarding the lack of silt fencing along the south side.  She has contacted Cross and he is aware of it.  Hickey recommended the Leopold notify the Mayor as the Village is the one to be held liable.  Curtis noted that the silt fencing as done by the Ornithology Lab is the best he has ever seen.

 

Adjournment:

Klepack moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 P.M.   Seconded by Brown.  All aye.