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.
The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Schaghticoke met at the Town Hall, 290 Northline Drive, Melrose, on Thursday, November 5, 2020. The Chairman opened the meeting at 7:30 PM with roll call.
Present: Ed McDonough (Chairman), Rich Geddis, Kristin Griswold, Jason Shover. Absent: Lettie Saheim. Deputy Town Attorney Kristin Pratt was present; Clerk Elizabeth Hale was absent.
- October 1, 2020 minutes approved as submitted (McDonough · Shover — Ayes: McDonough, Griswold, Shover; Nays: none; Abstention: Geddis).
Presentation — Christina Serson, 241 Stillwater Bridge Road
Applicant Christina Serson appeared to present an application to keep fowl (chickens) on an approximately 1.21-acre parcel in the Residential Agricultural district at 241 Stillwater Bridge Road. The property owner, Debby Vandenburgh, also appeared. Ms. Serson stated she was unaware the Town Zoning Law requires a minimum of 5 acres to keep fowl, and noted she adopts some chickens as chicks after a local elementary school hatches eggs and provides educational material (videos of chicks hatching) to students.
In response to Board questions she stated there are approximately 100 chickens and 5 roosters at the property, contained by a 3’-high electric poultry fence; the chickens have been kept there about 6 years, are pets, and the eggs are sold for profit. She has clipped the chickens’ flight feathers to prevent them from entering adjoining properties.
Deputy Town Attorney Kristin Pratt noted that Zoning Law Section V(N) requires the building housing the chickens and any manure/compost area to be set back 150’ from all side and rear property lines, so setback variances would likely also be needed once precise measurements are calculated.
- Public hearing scheduled for the December 3, 2020 meeting on Christina Serson’s area-variance application to keep chickens on a parcel smaller than the required 5 acres, pending receipt of setback measurements for the chicken building and manure area so the public notice accurately reflects all variances needed (Shover · McDonough — Ayes: McDonough, Geddis, Griswold, Shover; Nays: none).
Adjourned at 7:55 PM (McDonough · Griswold — Ayes: McDonough, Geddis, Griswold, Shover; Nays: none). Submitted by Kristin L. Pratt, Deputy Town Attorney (dated December 7, 2020).
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