Planning Board Minutes - September 22, 2003

Those present at the September 22, 2003 Planning Board meeting were:

Planning Board Members: Steve Watts - Chairman
Don Roberts – Vice Chairman
Marcel Nadeau
Cindy Patenaude
Rich Berkowitz
Tom Ruchlicki
John Higgins

Secretary: Tara Anuszewski

Planner: Jeff Williams

Town Attorney: Bob Chauvin

Deputy Attorney: Lyn Murphy

CHA Representative: Mike Bianchino

Liaison: Walter Polak

Mr. Watts called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm

The minutes of September 8, 2003 were tabled.

Public Hearing:

03.196 Mechanicville Youth Soccer, McBride Road, Minor Subdivision
03.197 Mechanicville Youth Soccer, McBride Road, Commercial Site Plan. Mr. Watts opened the public hearing at 7:02pm and asked if anyone wanted the notice read. No one responded. Mr. Art Durvage was present and stated the McBride’s own a little over 80 acres of land on McBride Road and the Mechanicville-Stillwater Soccer club has approached them about utilizing a portion of their farm fields for their soccer league. The area according to the revised site plan is 14.6 acres. Minor re-grading would take place for the fields. They are proposing parking for 300 cars in a gravel parking area. Access would be off of the right angle bend in McBride Road and provide a 60-foot wide right of way that the McBride’s envision to be a future access for the remainder of the property. The proposal is for a long-term lease not a purchase of the property. They would like to have a building for a snack bar and partition off a section for the storage of their lawn maintenance equipment.
There would be portable toilets for sanitary facilities because of the seasonal use. Mr. Watts asked if anyone wished to speak. Mr. John Pingelski of 38 Johnson Road stated he is on the Board for the soccer league and feels this is a benefit to the Town to have something for the youth and also for the greenspace. Mr. Watts asked if anyone else wished to speak. No one responded. Mr. Watts closed the public hearing at 7:04 pm. Mr. Watts asked if anyone from the Board wished to speak. Mr. Nadeau asked if a lease agreement would be necessary to approve the subdivision. Mr. Chauvin stated he does not believe it is needed. Mr. Higgins is concerned with the well and sanitary conditions. Mr. Bianchino stated they would need Health Department approval if they had water consumption. Mr. Pingelski stated he is aware they would need Health Department approval if there would be water consumption. Mr. Watts asked if they would incorporate Halfmoon in the name of the soccer league. Mr. Pingelski stated he would do what he could.

Mr. Nadeau made a motion to approve the subdivision as presented. Mr. Berkowitz seconded. Motion carried.

Mr. Bianchino suggested they include in the resolution a SEQRA determination. The project is in within the GEIS area and the findings do include this parcel as a park use and is consistent to the findings. Mr. Bianchino stated the Board could find this is a Negative Declaration and is consistent with the GEIS.

Mr. Nadeau stated he would correct his motion to reflect that.

Mr. Nadeau made a motion to approve the subdivision as presented with a Negative Declaration. Mr. Berkowitz seconded. Motion carried.

Mr. Watts asked if anyone had any comments about the site plan. No one responded.

Mrs. Patenaude made a motion to approve the site plan contingent upon CHA review of parking and any future additions. Mr. Nadeau seconded. Motion carried.

Old Business:

03.143 Halfmoon Sports Complex, 6 Corporate Drive, Commercial Site Plan. Mr. Tom Andress was present and stated the proposal is for a 76,000 square foot recreational center. The applicant has provided a revised plan showing modifications to the building plan and parking. The applicant has also submitted a traffic study. The traffic study has information on traffic impacts to intersections near the proposed facility and a parking analysis. The proposal involves the construction of three major playing fields inside. The parking has been revised to show 201 parking spaces. Mr. Andress stated the parking analysis looked at similar facilities regionally and stated Charbonneau has 121 parking spaces. The ratio for this facility will be 57 spaces per field. Mr. Nadeau asked if the Charbonneau facility was the same size as this facility. Mr. Andress stated Charbonneau’s has two standard and one mini field. The proposed facility would have three standard fields and one mini. Mr. Andress stated all parking would be on site with potential of adding possibly 10 more spaces. The traffic study stated there were no traffic improvements warranted at any of the key intersections.
Mr. Paul Rogan stated that all recreation activities would be indoors and the fitness center would be used for training in conjunction with the people using the recreational fields. Mr. Rogan stated the hours of operation would be by demand but could possibly be 5 am and end at midnight. He continued that the peak times are usually 5 pm – 10 pm November thru April and the summer months would be by demand. Mr. Watts asked the applicants to better define their hours. Mr. Higgins questioned about the existing storm water management area and the gravel parking area represented on the site plan. Mr. Andress stated the storm water management areas were designed for full build out of the Capital Region Business Park. Mr. Andress stated that the gravel driveway could be revised. Mr. Nadeau asked about tournaments and capacity of parking. Mr. Andress stated he submitted a revised narrative, which explains the tournaments and the turn around times between games. Mr. Watts stated this would be referred to CHA and requested a committee meeting of Mr. Roberts and Mr. Nadeau.

03.177 Quik-Ag, 11 Sitterly Road, Commercial Site Plan. Mr. George Turner was present proposing a 3,200 square foot storage building. The applicant met with CHA on site to go over comments such as site distance. Mr. Bianchino stated that their concerns with site distance have been addressed and that the site will operate in a safer manner due to the allowance for trucks to turn around on site.

Mr. Berkowitz made a motion to approve the site plan. Mrs. Patenaude seconded. Motion carried.

New Business:

03.198 Pingelski Subdivision, Fellows Road, Minor Subdivision. Mr. Derek Pingelski presented a survey map of his fathers land and is proposing to subdivide 4.51-acre parcel from the existing 120 acres. The applicant was informed that the proposed subdivision is a flag lot and that only one flag lot is allowed per subdivision. A question was raised of road frontage where as the applicants father has several hundred feet of frontage on Fellows Road and Route 146. The applicant is proposing to build a single-family residential unit on the commercially zoned parcel.

Mr. Roberts made a motion to deny the application due to a residential unit being proposed in a C-1 zone. Mr. Berkowitz seconded. Motion carried.

03.199 Northway 8, Progress Drive, Minor Subdivision.
03.200 Northway 8, Progress Drive, Addition to Site Plan. Mr. Percy Cotton of Chas. H. Sells Inc was present and stated Northway 8 is proposing to add 3,100 square feet to the existing facility. The addition will be used for extra retail space, extra storage space and two climate controlled tee boxes and also a 960 square foot pole barn is being proposed. Along with the proposal the applicant is conveying a 25-foot strip of land to the rear of the Northway 8 site in order to comply with the rear yard set back requirements and a light industrial – commercial zone. Mr. Higgins asked if the future extension of Progress Drive would be affected. Mr. Cotton stated the addition will be in the rear of the facility and the road would not be impacted.

Mr. Roberts made a motion to set a public hearing for 7:00 pm or as soon thereafter on Wednesday October 15, 2003. Mr. Nadeau seconded. Motion carried.
02.207 Country Drive-In, 1455 Vischer Ferry Road, Addition to Site Plan. Mr. Hugh Mariaca presented a plan showing a 20 x 24 foot deck to be constructed at the existing drive in restaurant. Mr. Mariaca stated the need for the deck would be to give the customers a place to sit in inclimate weather and to improve the grade of the area. Mr. Mariaca stated no tables would be added and no impacts to the parking will occur. Mr. Chauvin stated that this proposal is an enlargement of a pre existing non-conforming site and would need relief by the ZBA to continue.

Mr. Roberts made a motion to deny the application due to the expansion of a pre existing non-conforming use. Mr. Berkowitz seconded. Motion carried.

Mr. Watts asked if anyone had anything else for the Board. Mrs. Patenaude made a motion to adjourn at 8:02 pm. Mr. Nadeau seconded. Motion carried.

The next Planning Board meeting will be October 15, 2003

Respectfully Submitted

Tara Anuszewski, Secretary
Town of Halfmoon Planning Board