Planning Board Agendas and Minutes

MINUTES OF THE COHOES PLANNING BOARD MEETING HELD ON JULY 9, 2012 AT 6:30 P.M. IN THE COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Vice-Chairman Clarence Badgley Mr. Edward Carboni Ms. Sharon Gariepy Mr. Jake Dumesnil Chairman Joseph Moloughney Mr. Mark DeFruscio CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 11th, 2012 MEETINGS Member Carboni moved to approve the minutes. Vice Chairman Badgley seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Joseph Moloughney X Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Jake Dumesnil X Sharon Gariepy ABSENT Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF A POOL AT 34 ROSE COURT Herbert Vanamerongen proposed installing a 15’ above ground pool in his backyard which would exceed the 10’ setback requirements. Chairman Moloughney asked the distance to the rear property line which Mr. Vanamerongen indicated would be 10’. As a result, Member DeFruscio moved to approve the special use permit. Member Dumesnil seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Joseph Moloughney X Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Jake Dumesnil X Sharon Gariepy ABSENT Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF A POOL AT 181 BERKLEY AVNEUE Kevin Kolakowski also proposed installing an above ground pool in his backyard. Chairman Moloughney asked the size of the pool, which is 18X33. He summarized that it will be placed on a large lot that exceeds setbacks. However, he asked where it drains. Mr. Kolakowski explained that he was going to drain it to the front of the property. Therefore, Member Carboni moved to approve the special use permit. Vice Chairman Badgley seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Joseph Moloughney X Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Jake Dumesnil X Sharon Gariepy X Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF A MINOR SUBDIVISION FOR KRUG PLACE Chairman Moloughney pointed out the request does not change density or number of units. He asked the separation distance between buildings. Joe Bianchine explained that the setbacks remain the same and the buildings are 16’ apart. The project was originally a planned development district that created the setbacks and distances. Member DeFruscio asked if the applicant was breaking the parcel into two or four lots. Mr. Bianchine explained that the proposal creates two 2 unit structures rather than one 4 unit structure. The proposal creates the same number of lots; it simply moves the lot lines to accommodate the two unit structures. Member Gariepy asked why the developer chose to change to two unit structures. The developer found that purchasers prefer having side windows and end units. Therefore, the four unit was changed to two 2 units. Member Carboni moved to approve the subdivision. Member DeFruscio seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Joseph Moloughney X Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Jake Dumesnil X Sharon Gariepy X Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF A MINOR SUBDIVISION FOR 74 EDWARD STREET Stephen Valigorsky owns property at 74 Edward Street that he proposed subdividing into two parcels. The newly created vacant buildable lot would have 50’ street frontage and more than adequate lot depth and size. The existing home would meet lot frontage and depth requirements as well as setbacks. However, the lot size would be 2500 sq ft deficient. Located in the R-2 residential zone, the Cohoes Local Code requires 7500 sq ft minimum lot size. The proposal creates a 5,000 sq ft lot. Mr. Valigorsky did not want to move the rear property line for the existing structure because there is an existing foundation he wanted to use for a garage on the new home. Moving the property line would also impair a driving path for trucks to enter the garage. Chairman Moloughney explained that the Zoning Board of Appeals would have to determine if the lot size variance met the state standard. Therefore, he recommended any Planning Board approval be contingent on a Zoning Board of Appeals variance. Member DeFruscio made the motion to approve conditioned on obtaining a variance. Vice Chairman Badgley seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Joseph Moloughney X Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Jake Dumesnil X Sharon Gariepy X Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF A POOL AT 7 BRIDGE AVENUE Charles Hunter proposed installing a pool in the backyard of 7 Bridge Avenue as he does every year. Code Enforcement found the applicant installing the pool without a permit and directed the property owner to obtain a special use permit from the Planning Board. Mr. Hunter provided photographs of the property. However, Chairman Moloughney asked the lot size and setbacks for the proposed pool. Mr. Hunter did not know. Therefore, the Board asked him to provide those details at next month’s meeting. As a result, Vice Chairman Badgley moved to table the item until next month pending submission of details in writing. Member Carboni seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Joseph Moloughney X Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Jake Dumesnil X Sharon Gariepy X Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF FINAL SITE PLAN APPROVAL OF HARMONY MILLS Engineer Dick Green and architect Dave Demblin represented the applicant who proposed rehabilitating Mills number one and four as apartments. Planning Board closed SEQR at the May 2012 meeting. The applicant received area variances for the number of units as well as Historic Board approval. Mr. Green indicated that CT Male, the review engineer, provided a list of comments that he has compiled in a spreadsheet. Most of the issues concern building code. However, several involve fire access. CT Male indicates that the state building code requires fire access to the building which he remedied with an unpaved access road ending with a stub at the property for Mill 2. Board members asked how trucks would access the road – off Vliet or North Mohawk. Mr. Green explained that it is accessible from North Mohawk Street through the parking lot then the road continues around the building. Member Dumesnil asked the distance between the Mill and the retaining wall. Mr. Green described a 55-60’ distance between the two structures. Member DeFruscio wanted to ensure that this item – if approved by the Fire Chief – would only meet the need for this Mill, not the Mill 2 lot which sits vacant. Member Gariepy added that paved or not the area acts as an access road so long as it is sturdy and maintained. Chairman Moloughney expressed concerns about conditioning any Planning Board approval on this fire access road. Member Gariepy suggested writing in a 150’ length. Member DeFruscio thought that the condition could not be for an off-site item. Chairman Moloughney countered that the Board has added off-site conditions in the past. However, he is concerned about requiring an access road that might hamper development of the Mill 2 site in the future. He questioned whether the access road is defined and whether it had signage. Mr. Green answered that the gravel road is not defined, but that he could place signs on it. Member Gariepy asked what the sign should say: Do Not Enter; No Outlet, Dead End… Mr. Green described the success the applicant has had with two bollards and a chain to block off access to Mill 1. He could place it 33’ from the entrance so police could still pull into the property. Mr. Green asked for a conditioned final site plan approval. Member DeFruscio did not see how that was possible since the site plan will change based on the comments presented by the applicant and brought up by review engineer CT Male. Mr. Green countered that other items are contingent on the approval, in this case financing. Chairman Moloughney summarized that everyone supports the project but needs a set site plan to approve. Mr. Green explained he received the assignment on the Thursday before the meeting. Chairman Moloughney pointed out the Board received the information just tonight and therefore cannot make a determination without more time and information. Member DeFruscio suggested submitting revised plans for the next meeting. Mr. Green explained that any alterations are tweaking, not revisions of the original site plan submitted two months ago. The Board asked the Fire Chief to review the plans again with an eye to the proposed alterations from CT Male. Chris Van Rensberg of 142-144 Remsen Street commended the developer for renovating the vacant buildings so beautifully. However, he questioned how the same developer could neglect his property at 134 Remsen Street, the historic Cohoes Hotel. Mr. Green stated the developer has plans to take care of the building, and he is finalizing the plan. Ward Councilwoman April Kennedy stated she is pleased the developer is moving forward with Mills 1 and 4. Mr. Green added that the developer is using all the same personnel, specifications and details. Member DeFruscio moved to table the item which Member Carboni seconded and the Board approved unanimously. YES NO Joseph Moloughney X Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Jake Dumesnil X Sharon Gariepy X Mark DeFruscio X Albany County Planning Board made recommendations for both the Williams Street project and the Lexington Hills project. Member DeFruscio moved to accept both series of recommendations. Vice Chairman Badgley seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Member Carboni moved to adjourn at 8:15pm. Member Gariepy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.