by Bea Peterson
The Grafton Planning Board meeting on Monday, April 20, scheduled for 7 pm, began at 7:10 when Board members, the Town Attorney Sal Ferlazzo, Town Engineer Russ Reeves and Highway Superintendent Herbert Hasbrouck entered the room together.
The only item on the agenda was the Stonybrook Land/Lake at Sylvan Way development.
After the Pledge of Allegiance and Board approval of minutes from the March 16 Regular Meeting and the March 30 Special Meeting Attorney Ferlazzo addressed the dozen or so people attending the meeting. He said that at the Town Board’s regular meeting on April 16 the Board adopted Local Law #1 for 2009. This law prevents subdivision developers from clear cutting land in the buffer areas indicated on their subdivision maps. He said there would be no clear cutting in buffer areas in the Stonybrook development. He said the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQRA) has been completed on this development. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the County Health Department have signed off on it. Work on this project, he said, has been underway since May 2008. He reminded those attending that every project has some adverse social or environmental impact on a community. He said the original project started with 37 building lots and currently stands at 22. He noted that it was time to get off the procedural merry-go-round. Mitigation issues have come up, he said. Comments received have been very good. Recommendations have been fair and reasonable. “It has been a very interesting process,” he said. Later in the meeting, in answer to a question from the floor he said that deed restrictions were in line with the protective covenants.
Thoroughly satisfied, the Board waived any more hearings on Phase I, which involves lots 3, 4, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22 and 23.
Nesting Songbirds
It was requested that for this first year from May 1 to July 29 only treescaping be done and not lot clearing as those months are the nesting times for songbirds. Developer Dave Lipinski said the only cutting for the year would be for roadway clearing to complete Sylvan Way and for storm water drains. They expect to have an access drive in before the end of April. The Town Engineer recommended that grading and seeding be done immediately to prevent erosion.
The Highway Superintendent said not cutting for three months did not allow a lot of time for clearing a building lot as once the rainy season starts in September, construction projects have to slow down or stop because of muddy roads.
Further discussion included adding a line in the approved document about building construction and land use being done according to DEC and Agricultural guidelines.
Board Member, and Grafton Fire Chief, Jim Goyer said he had no objections to a gate at the proposed boat launch, he just didn’t want it locked, preventing the Fire Department from reaching water quickly. This was noted.
The vote was taken to approve Phase I of the Stonybrook development. All members, Thomas Withcuskey, Scott Newell, Chairman Owen Grandjean, Arthur Surprise and Goyer approved.
Opposition
Approval was barely completed when Glenn Hebert who owns property at 20 Banker School Way stuck a stick in the wheel of progress when he announced he wanted it on record that he was going to file an Article 78 against the project. This brought a groan from the Board and from several of the people at the meeting. Someone asked him why he waited until now to offer objections when so many meetings had been held in the last year. He said he had been focused on his son, who had spent that time in Iraq.
Attorney Ferlazzo said he felt everything that he and the Board had done would stand up to an Article 78.
Minor Subdivision
After the hubbub subsided on Stonybrook, Joe Delamater came forward with maps and discussed with the Board plans he has for a minor subdivision.