Planning Board Agendas and Minutes

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COHOES PLANNING BOARD HELD AT 97 MOHAWK STREET COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS JUNE 12, 2023 at 6:30PM MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Joe Moloughney, Vice Chair Ms. Stephanie Couture Mr. Joe Nadeau Mr. Joe McCormick ABSENT: Jack Carroll, Chair ALSO PRESENT: Sharon Butler, Administrative Assistant Tess Drauschak, Assistant Planner Vice Chair Moloughney called the June Planning Board meeting to order at 6:30 pm and asked for roll call. Roll Call; Chairperson Carroll was absent CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FROM THE MAY 8, 2023 MEETING Vice Chair Moloughney; first order of business is the meeting minutes from the May 8th meeting, are there any comments, edits, changes, or clarifications, if not can we have a motion to approve. Motion to accept the minutes was made by Member Couture 2nd by Member Nadeau Motion carried unanimously. YES NO Chairperson Carroll ABSENT Vice Chair Moloughney X Member Couture X Member Nadeau X Member McCormick ABSTAIN Vice Chair Moloughney; we have 4 items on the rest of the agenda, as we call each applicant we ask that you come up to the podium and state your name and walk us through kind of simply and tell us what you are proposing and we’ll progress from there. CONSIDERATION OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR 42 THRID STREET Vice Chair Moloughney; next on the agenda is 42 Third Street, if you can come up and tell us what you are looking to do Ms. Sally Lennon approached the board. I am the owner of 42 Third Street it was actually my Mom’s property and she passed away I am trying to sell it and have it listed as a permanent in-law apartment. She took care of her Mom and when she passed it has been rented. It has been rented for some time, it is just a 500 square foot apartment. I have buyers and they are interested in buying the property but they want it deemed as a two-family, so that is why I am here. The building inspector did come and inspected the apartment and it passed. I just need it to be officially a two-family residence. Vice Chair Moloughney; understood Member Nadeau; you said it was inspected so it is a done deal as far as Code goes. Vice Chair Moloughney; we are in terms of parking, is there any off-street parking for this unit Ms. Lennon; there is a car port and probably enough space for 2 or 3 more cars off-street Vice Chair Moloughney; ok, does anybody have any follow up questions? Being none it was opened to public comment. There were no public comments so public comment session was closed. Vice Chair Moloughney then asked for a motion from the board Motion to approve the application was made by Member Nadeau 2nd by Member Couture Motion carried unanimously  YES NO Chairperson Carroll ABSENT Vice Chair Moloughney X Member Couture X Member Nadeau X Member McCormick X Ms. Lennon asked when she could expect a document stating that the residence is now a legal two-family Tess told her she would email her a letter tomorrow. CONSIDERATION OF A CHANGE OF USE/NEW TENANT APPLICATION FOR 92 MAIN STREET Vice Chair Moloughney; next on the agenda is 92 Main Street, Mr. Garry Carr approached. He told the board that he is proposing to put a mushroom growth shop in, much like what is in Troy. He stated that he wants to sell to restaurants and at some point open to the public and he wants to do educational sessions for the public. He stated that he is looking to start with mushroom tents, eventually get a permit and build an actual grow room, it would be free standing. Right now he is just cleaning the place up and getting it ready for his business Vice Chair Moloughney; asked the applicant if he owned the building or was the tenant Mr. Carr stated he is the tenant Vice Chair Moloughney; ok so consideration of 2nd floor those uses aren’t included we’re just talking about the first floor. As far as parking, there is no off-street parking. Mr. Carr no Vice Chair Moloughney so we would be considering a parking waiver, but as of now you are not planning any retail business, but eventually Mr. Carr no not right now, I will depend on people walking by and coming in to check it out. He stated he didn’t know about parking in the future but there isn’t any parking there now. Vice Chair Moloughney; ok Member Couture; asked the applicant about education to the public would that be as they come in and ask questions, there are no workshops or anything like that Mr. Carr nothing like that now, but may be something looked at later on to do some education workshops Member Couture; asked about hours of operation or delivery schedule Mr. Carr stated nothing now, but as far a delivery he would be delivering his own products. In the future if it expanded then he would come back in front of the board if there is going to be trucks or anything like that Member Nadeau asked the applicant what he was looking at for signage Mr. Carr replied he was looking at something in the window and maybe on the outside eventually. He said right now he didn’t know the whole thing behind the sign Tess explained to the applicant about the signs and going in front of the Historic Board Mr. Carr asked about a neon sign but was told that is not something the Historic Board would look at favorably – he can apply to do that but it is not something the Historic Board typically approves. Tess then asked the applicant about water usage Mr. Carr stated that he didn’t expect to use large amounts of water as he is going to have a reverse osmosis system. Basically it is a canister that holds about 5 gallons of water and it has 3 cylinders so each one is air pressured and it filters the water. As far as water he would be using would be 20 to 30 gallons a day. Tess asked if he would have a spritzer system Mr. Carr stated no the system is a 5-gallon tank and once that runs out it shuts off automatically, it is a small space and it is a humidification system. The humidification system would use 1 to 2 gallons a day at most for the rest of the system it would be around 10 gallons a day – it won’t use to much. Member McCormick; explained the usage and the osmosis system and how the discharge system works There was a discussion regarding the water usage, the osmosis system, humidification system and filteration. Member Nadeau asked if there would be a rest room in the future Mr. Carr stated that he would like to put in a rest room as some point, the space is all open now. He stated that he is still working on the space and is hoping to be open by the end of summer. Vice Chair Moloughney; so at this point you coming to the planning board is for the special use permit just to be able to have a business in this space and then all the other details like code review will be carried on administratively here at City Hall. Do any other board members have any questions? Being none opened it up to public comments. There were no public comments so public comment session was closed, he then asked for a motion. Motion to approve the application was made by Member Couture 2nd by Member Nadeau Motion carried unanimously. . YES NO Chairperson Carroll ABSENT Vice Chair Moloughney X Member Couture X Member Nadeau X Member McCormick X CONSIDERATION OF A SITE PLAN FOR 100 WATERS VIEW CIRCLE Vice Chair Moloughney; next is Waters View Mr. Tom Wheeler from AJ Signs approached the board, he stated that Aker Companies recently purchased the property and looking to rebrand, clean things up and put new directional signs throughout the property. Signs would go on the buildings, including unit numbers on the doors, no parking signs, directional signs, and a directory sign. It is just to clean it up Tess told the board members that item G after discussion with the owner is being removed because they have to apply for a variance for that sign. Vice Chair Moloughney told the applicant that for expediency the board can act on all of the other signs Member Nadeau asked the applicant if the location of the signs were going to be where they are now, they’re not going on corners or will have any vision issues Mr. Wheeler; no, they are only 1 foot by 2-foot directional signs Sharon; so Item G is being removed Vice Chair Moloughney correct so we would be approving A,B,C,D,E,F, H-1, H-2, and K. And all of these based on review are Code compliant dimensions and requirements so at this point I personally am not one to aesthetically redesign and applicants sign for them unless others have questions or comments or thoughts do we have a motion to approve as stated all except G the directory; Motion was made by Member Nadeau 2nd by Member McCormick Motion carried unanimously. YES NO Chairperson Carroll ABSENT Vice Chair Moloughney X Member Couture X Member Nadeau X Member McCormick X CONSIDERATION OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR 96 HEARTT AVENUE Vice Chair Moloughney; next up we have 96 Heartt Avenue the applicant is not here however when we met at the last meeting she understood that we would vote without her presence and she provided some supplemental information regarding the floor plan of the building so we are just going through the all the items we discussed last month and the home business and special use permit for that, the square footage falls well below the 40% requirement per the City Code. All we talked about was an occupancy of 4 to 6 people but not more than 10 a handful of cars, a very low impact home business based on everything that we were told. I will open it to public comment and he asked if any board members had any follow-up questions or comments or were we ready to make a motion on this application. Motion was made by Member Nadeau to approve the home business 2nd by Member Couture Motion carried unanimously. YES NO Chairperson Carroll ABSENT Vice Chair Moloughney X Member Couture X Member Nadeau X Member McCormick X Vice Chair Moloughney if there is no other business, then we will adjourn the meeting. Adjournment; Motion to adjourn by Member Couture 2nd by Member Nadeau, meeting adjourned at 6:53 PM. Submitted by: Sharon Butler Secretary