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 3, 2025.
Public hearings
There were none.
Regular meeting — 7:00 PM
Members present: Frank Alessandrini, Kasey Casas, Elizabeth Hale, Peter Klotz, Vince Ragone, and Chris Reynolds. Absent: Dan Clow. Austin Scarborough, Attorney, was present.
Approval of prior minutes
The February 5, 2025 minutes were approved. Motion: Casas · Second: Klotz · Ayes: Alessandrini, Casas, Hale, Klotz, Ragone, Reynolds · Nays: None.
Genesis Vault — Special Use Permit & site-plan review (Tax Map #41.-1-61)
David Baker, applicant, submitted one copy of a site plan for his burial-vault business in a Highway Commercial district at 943 NYS Route 40. The Board had reviewed an earlier hand-drawn plan at a prior meeting and found it lacking in detail, scale, and specificity, requesting a better-defined plan. Mr. Baker submitted one survey of an updated site plan, but the Chairman noted that copies are required for each Board member; copies will be made for review at the April meeting.
Messick one-lot subdivision — pre-filing conference (Tax Map #51.-2-11)
Brian Holbritter, land surveyor, proposed a one-lot 3± acre subdivision from a 6.04± acre parcel at 294 Skyline Drive, owned by Dorothy Messick; the new lot is for Mrs. Messick’s daughter. An earlier subdivision to the east was created for family members in 1965. The application, short-form EAF, and survey maps were submitted, and Mr. Holbritter will return when the engineering work is complete.
Public comment — Liberty Ridge Farm
A Bevis Road neighbor of Liberty Ridge Farm appeared to raise concerns about non-compliance issues at the farm. Chairman Alessandrini explained that the Planning Board is not an enforcement board and that it is currently reviewing other projects.
Code enforcement
Chairman Alessandrini, Code Enforcement Officer Scott Frisino, Town Attorney Dave Brennan, and Attorney Austin Scarborough will meet to discuss code enforcement. Officer Frisino submitted an updated report outlining non-compliant businesses in the Town, including Constable Tree, Eastside Marina, Remodel Now, Liberty Ridge Farm, Dan the Gutter Man, and a power-line company.
ASD Solar III — highway garage screening (Tax Map #21.-2-4.2)
Chairman Alessandrini met with Paul Kruger, Director of Development for Active Solar Development, along with the project manager and the forester who marks the trees, at the highway garage site to discuss screening for the proposed solar facility along the NYS Route 67 corridor. The Board found the previous marking slated an excessive number of trees for removal, so the red markers were removed and a smaller selection will be re-marked with red ties by the end of the week. A completed study showed that the grade of the site’s bowl-like depression — lower than road and screening level — could not be raised; to improve screening, ActiveSolar plans to add lower-growing evergreen bushes among the hardwoods. The Chairman asked members to visit the site and observe the trees scheduled for removal before discussing screening further at the next meeting.
Respectfully submitted by Elizabeth Hale, Clerk, Planning Board.
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