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.
A note on the link above: the town’s PDF of these minutes is no longer available on the town’s website, so the “Official PDF” link is an unaltered copy we host. It is a scan, so the text in it is not searchable — our summary above is. For a certified copy, ask the Town Clerk.
The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Schaghticoke met at the Town Hall, 290 Northline Drive, Melrose, on Thursday, December 7, 2023.
Present: Chairman Ed McDonough, Kristin Griswold, and Jason Shover. Absent: Rich Geddis and Lettie Saheim. Deputy Town Attorney Kristin Pratt was present; Clerk Elizabeth Hale was absent.
The Board approved the November 2, 2023 minutes (Shover · Griswold · all).
Riverfront residence — application complete
The applicant’s surveyor presented an updated survey map — including contours and the precise location of the flood plain and floodway — showing that while part of the riverfront lot lies within the flood plain, the proposed residence sits outside it. The Board determined the application is now complete and will hold a public hearing at the January meeting.
St. Croix Solar — variance extension (14 Ridge Road)
SV St. Croix One, LLC submitted a written request to extend the area-variance approval for the height of its proposed solar panel arrays, originally granted December 8, 2022 (a 6-foot variance allowing arrays up to 18 feet, where the Town Zoning Law as amended by Local Law No. 1 of 2017 caps average array height at 12 feet). Because of delays with the substation upgrade, a building permit cannot be obtained within the one-year approval period. The Board granted a one-year extension, moving the expiration to December 9, 2024 (Shover · Griswold · all).
ABEI Energy inquiry
Chairman McDonough reported emails and calls from ABEI Energy about the viability of a commercial solar facility on Northline Drive in the Residential zoning district. He advised that a use variance would be required, followed by Planning Board approval, and that the Town has never received or granted a use variance to permit commercial solar in the Residential district.
Other inquiries
- Former Paradise Pools site (489 NYS Route 40). The Chairman took a call from someone considering an offer on the property; it was ultimately sold to another buyer.
- Subdivision inquiry. A landowner with roughly 23 acres asked about subdividing so a family member could build a home. With only about 60 feet of road frontage, the Chairman advised consulting the Planning Board, noting the parcel may not be viable for subdivision even under the Zoning Law’s flag-lot standard, and that a shared driveway had also been raised.
The Board adjourned at 7:45 p.m. (Shover · Griswold · all).
Respectfully submitted by Kristin Pratt, Deputy Town Attorney.
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