Unofficial summary. This is a community summary of the town's official minutes, provided so the record is searchable and readable. It condenses the meeting and may omit detail. Some private individuals’ personal details have been left out. The official signed PDF is the complete record of authority.
Office of the Planning Board, Town of Schaghticoke — March 4, 2020.
Members present: Chairman Frank Alessandrini, Wayne Akin, Dan Clow, Brian Davidson, Robert Weir, and Scott Wiley. Elizabeth Hale was absent.
Public hearings (7:30 PM)
- Kardas Farm Events — Special Use Permit. The public hearing was postponed until the April 1 meeting; public notices will be sent for publication.
Regular meeting
- February 5, 2020 minutes approved as presented (Wiley · Akin — Ayes: Alessandrini, Akin, Clow, Davidson, Wiley; Nays: none; Abstention: Weir).
Old business
Stillwater Renewables Solar Farm — Special Use Permit & Site Plan (Tax Map #22.-1-7.1)
Dallas Manson appeared for the applicant with an update on the proposed solar farm on Stillwater Bridge Road, Schaghticoke, in the Residential Agricultural district. She addressed comments from the Town’s engineering consultant, the Laberge Group (March 2, 2020 letter), and said a fuller written response would follow, covering:
- Visual assessment — challenging because most of the site is surrounded by trees.
- Screening — utility poles (resembling telephone poles) in the landowner’s yard are hard to screen; battery storage and the equipment pad are in the rear and already screened. The applicant is trying to get National Grid to reduce a 6-pole requirement, though the decision rests with National Grid.
- Noise — the generator is about as loud as a dishwasher and does not run at night.
- Historic/archeological review — the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation found no anticipated impacts.
- Lighting — none proposed.
- Tree removal — only 1 or 2 trees.
- Wetlands — a jurisdictional determination is not needed as the project does not impact wetlands; a stream crossing will be addressed at building-permit stage.
- Access road — the existing farm road would be used for construction only and not afterward; a turnaround could be added if the Fire Department requires it. The Town Building Inspector (also Fire Code Official) will assess the road with the Fire Chief. Chairman Alessandrini suggested pull-offs may suffice for safety.
- Electrical system impact review — completed and submitted; interconnection is feasible.
- Monitoring system — included, without cameras or lights.
- Decommissioning agreement — can be amended to incorporate NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets guidelines for solar energy projects.
Herrington Solar Farm — Special Use Permit & Site Plan (Tax Map #41.-1-96)
Travis Mitchell, P.E., of Environmental Design Partnership presented a slide show updating the application for a solar facility at 33 Bracken Road, Schaghticoke, in the Residential Agricultural district. The parcel is roughly 126 acres; the project would occupy about 40 acres for a 7.5 MW facility, reduced about 10% to shrink the footprint. The applicant had just received the Town engineer’s comments and had not yet responded. Three additional visual-study locations were added based on public comment; Mr. Mitchell reviewed eight viewpoints along Route 40 and Bracken Road (panels generally 500–1,500 feet away, with existing vegetation and proposed hedgerow screening using plantings requested by the Board). Chairman Alessandrini noted visibility from roads and nearby homes remains a Board concern. The applicant said it had engaged the community both before the formal application and after the public hearing.
New business
Choice Physical Therapy — Site Plan Modification (290 Speigletown Road)
Choice, recently approved to operate a physical-therapy office, found it had one fewer parking space than expected after the lot was configured; employees have been parking in the Scriven lot and walking over, a safety concern. The applicant proposed two additional spaces in front of the building without removing existing trees, which would require backing out into Speigletown Road unless parallel parking is used. A revised site plan application will be submitted.
Curto Lot Line Adjustment (Knickerbocker Road)
Chairman Alessandrini and the Deputy Town Attorney received several calls from a resident about a lot-line adjustment the Board issued to Nicholas Curto in 2003. There appears to be a private property dispute between neighbors, unrelated to the lot-line adjustment; the 2003 map was apparently never filed with the Rensselaer County Clerk. The Chairman is awaiting word from Mr. Curto on whether he will resubmit the map. The Board discussed revising its procedure to require proof of county filing within a set timeframe, after which approval would become void.
Adjourned at 8:55 PM (Akin · Clow — Ayes: Alessandrini, Akin, Clow, Davidson, Weir, Wiley; Nays: none).
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