Planning Board Agendas and Minutes

MINUTES OF THE COHOES PLANNING BOARD MEETING HELD ON MARCH 9, 2015 AT 6:30 P.M. IN THE COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Edward Carboni Ms. Sharon Gariepy Mr. Joseph Nadeau Mr. Chris Briggs Chairman Mark DeFruscio Vice Chairman Clarence Badgley ALSO PRESENT: Melissa Cherubino, Director of Building and Planning CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 9th, 2015 MEETING Chairman DeFruscio opened the meeting at 6:30pm and asked the recording secretary to take roll call. Member Carboni moved to approve the minutes. Member Gariepy seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Chris Briggs X Sharon Gariepy X Joseph Nadeau X Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF FINAL SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR SHERWOOD FOREST James Easton, P.E. represented the proposal to construct 161 apartments at the corners of Van Schaick Avenue, Delaware Avenue, Continental Avenue and the pond. He received a third set of review engineer comments dated March 5th 2015. Mr. Easton requested a conditional final approval contingent on both the review engineer and Traffic Commission approval. Member Nadeau moved to approve the final site plan as conditioned. Member Carboni seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Chris Briggs X Sharon Gariepy X Joseph Nadeau X Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF SEQR REGARDING SITE PLAN APPROVAL FOR A MULTI- FAMILY PROPOSAL AT 24 AMITY STREET Thomas Keaney proposes renovating 24 Amity Street as a 16 unit multi-family with 25 off-street parking spaces. He proposes market rate one and two bedroom apartments offered at $1000-$1300 a month marketed to young professionals. He proposes six one bedroom units and ten two bedroom units with eight on the first floor and eight on the second and third floor. The second and third floor units will use attic space to create lofts. Mr. Keaney submitted a conceptual site plan drawing and SEQR paperwork to the Board. He will need to submit preliminary drawings with greater detail for the next meeting. The renovations will involve installation of all new windows with an opaque finish (etching or a film) to preserve neighbors’ privacy and fire sprinklers. In all, renovations will cost 1.25-1.4 million dollars. Chairman DeFruscio asked that subsequent drawings address snow storage, lighting, parking space size, landscaping, and garbage storage. He summarized neighborhood concerns from previous applications: parking, traffic, privacy and lighting. The applicant intends to remove two storage buildings to expand the parking lot and install an enclosed dumpster on the property. Member Carboni questioned the parking space size. Mr. Keaney will construct 9X20 parking spaces as required by Cohoes’ Zoning code. Councilwoman Diane Nolin represents the Fourth Ward. She summarized neighbors’ concerns as parking, traffic, lighting and privacy. She added that the lack of setbacks from neighbors impairs privacy. She hopes the applicant restricts tenants from housing pets given the lack green space. She also questioned snow storage on a lot that is covered with the building footprint and parking lot. Otto Madsen supports renovating the building as apartments. However, he questions the number of units. The first proposal presented featured 11 units. A second proposal requested approval for 13 units. The instant proposal for 16 units is going in the wrong direction. He pointed out the narrow street width, on-street parking of existing residents and difficult exit onto Columbia Street all impeded emergency access and pose a danger for vehicular traffic. Adding more vehicles to an already strained area will exacerbate conditions. Member Briggs asked if the applicant would install signage, which Mr. Keaney does not intend to install. Member Carboni questioned the number of exits. Mr. Keaney will have two exits; however sprinkling the building will allow two exits to suffice for 16 units. Chairman DeFruscio pointed out that the proposal will need Zoning Board approval for the number of units and the number of parking spaces prior to Planning Board approval. The public will receive mailed notification of future meeting dates. Vice Chairman Badgley moved to declare an intent to act as lead agency. Member Gariepy seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Chris Briggs X Sharon Gariepy X Joseph Nadeau X Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR A CAFÉ AT 211 COLUMBIA STREET David DuFresne proposes converting the metal building at 211 Columbia Street into a café open 6am to 2pm for breakfast and lunch. Chairman DeFruscio asked that the applicant provide dimensions of the kitchen and storage areas on his drawings. In addition, the Board recommended the applicant review the City’s Zoning Code “preliminary site plan review” section for a comprehensive list of which items must be included on a site plan. For example, the applicant still did not provide a drawing showing the land surrounding the building including any off-street parking spaces. Mr. DuFresne advised the board that the storage area is for personal belongings and is therefore excluded. He doesn’t know the size of the kitchen. Chairman DeFruscio explained that the board cannot determine parking needs until the dimensions are listed. Mr. DuFresne replied that he wants to use on-street parking and his own funeral home parking lot. Chairman DeFruscio referenced the Zoning code again to describe the need to document on plans those stated intentions. Furthermore, the code requires off-site parking within 200’ of the proposed use and the Board would need to know how customers would be notified of the available parking. Councilwoman Diane Nolin represents the Fourth Ward and recalls a similar request for an ice cream shop at the subject address. At that time neighbors expressed concerns about the lack of on- street parking, current parking lot and traffic problems. Neighbors also questioned pedestrian safety given the proposals proximity to schools. In response to Mr. DuFresne’s suggestion to use funeral home parking, Councilwoman Nolin pointed out the impracticality of expecting customers to park behind a building across the street and cross a busy road to visit the proposed diner. Lorinda Seeberger Lassone reiterated that parking is problematic on Mann Avenue and Columbia Streets. Existing conditions with the funeral home attendees parking on-street interferes with traffic. She is also concerned about garbage odors and littering decreasing property values and impairing quality of life for neighbors. Diane Seeberger McCarty asked whether the building footprint would remain the same. Mr. DuFresne confirmed that the proposed diner would sit within the existing footprint. Councilwoman Nolin asked if the applicant would continue to store his two hearses in the garage. Mr. DuFresne confirmed that was his intention. However, he would remove the south door. Mrs. Dingley is concerned that the business will interfere with the mutual respect neighbors show one another. The business patrons would not respect the residential occupants. Michael Acosta affirms what his neighbors asserted: that parking is unavailable and snow removal is problematic. Andrew Goyette described the steak house delivery trucks as a problem for the neighborhood. Increased parking and traffic volume would exacerbate traffic problems. Member Carboni moved to table the matter. Member Nadeau seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Chris Briggs X Sharon Gariepy X Joseph Nadeau X Mark DeFruscio X CONSIDERATION OF SITE PLAN REVIEW OF 57 AND 91 REMSEN STREETS Member Carboni moved to table the item for lack of submission and no-show of the applicant. Vice Chairman Badgley seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO Leo Badgley X Edward Carboni X Chris Briggs X Sharon Gariepy X Joseph Nadeau X Mark DeFruscio X PLANNING BOARD DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL PROCESS CHANGES Planning Board members discussed how to prevent applicants from attending who have not submitted completed site plans and other supporting documentation. Board members asked Melissa Cherubino to research other municipalities’ applications. The application proved to be similar as is the checklist provided in the Zoning Code. Ms. Cherubino suggested that the date for submission be set back to three weeks before the meeting rather than two weeks since the City’s code requires publication and notice 10 days prior to the meeting. At this time the City requires applicants to submit 10 days to two weeks prior to any meeting (see §285-118B for Subdivision applications and GCL §27(a)(8) for notice requirements). However, publication also has to be made at least 10 days prior to the meeting. Therefore, a buffer of a week or more would enable the Planner to ensure that all materials are in before publication is posted online, and submitted to the newspaper. Other municipalities require materials up to a month prior to the next scheduled meeting. At this time the planner also submits an agenda to the Common Council two weeks prior, then posts the agenda on the webpage and submits to the paper for publication as required by statute. At the same time the planner drafts a proposal and resolution for each project. The timeframe to complete paperwork and publish notice is tight, resulting in applicants who express an interest in being on the agenda, but fail to follow through with a complete submission. It was also noted the Common Council is considering mailing notices to neighbors for Planning Board meetings which would add more publication activity at the 10 day to two week timeframe. Board members decided to think about the proposed alteration in submission requirements. Member Carboni moved to adjourn at 8:30pm. Member Gariepy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.