City of Auburn Planning Board
Tuesday, NOVEMBER 12, 2002, 7:30 p.m. Memorial City Hall
Present: John Breanick, Sam Giangreco, John Rogalski, Mark DiVietro, Joyce Cavanaugh, Laurie Michelman. Absent: Donna Bruno
Staff: Vijay Mital, Director of OPED; Steve Lynch, Special Projects Coordinator; Nancy Hussey, Assistant Corporation Counsel; Jim Moore, Code Enforcement Officer
The Chair called the meeting to order, the Pledge of Allegiance recited and roll was called.
Agenda Item 1: Approval of minutes from October 1, 2002
Chair asks for a motion on the 10/1/02 minutes. Motion made by John Breanick and seconded by Joyce Cavanaugh. All members vote approval. Minutes approved and accepted.
Chair states that the agenda item will be rearranged with agenda item #4 to be reviewed first.
Agenda Item 2: Public Hearing for Rezoning Amendment at 172 N. Division St.
Public Hearing is opened. Chair invites owner or agent to speak.
Craig Gallas – owner of parcel – as mentioned before business has been there pre-zoning, since about 1953 performing the same type of service as now. I think it was just as an oversight that is was classified as a “P” zone when zoning was created. Hopes this can be correctly zoned as now the business is precluded from receiving any type of Economic Development Zone benefits.
Chair invites members of the public to speak.
Ed Dean – 204 N. Division St. – questions why zoning wasn’t changed before this date.
Nancy Hussey – explains the history of this zoning – unable to hear on tape.
Chair – closes this portion of the public hearing and asks for staff comments.
Steve Lynch – Design review committee recommendation is for negative declaration on SEQR for environmental impacts and for approval of amendment to recommend zoning change to council for both of these resolutions. Will go over if anyone wants.
Laurie Michelman – briefly go over procedure.
Steve Lynch – the procedure for rezoning in this case is that it is brought by applicant to the Planning Board. The board holds a public hearing and determines whether or not to vote an amendment resolution recommending to City Council to amend the zoning ordinance. This will go before council, council will read the resolution, consider it and then take action. After council takes action the zoning will be changed, or not, at their discretion, typically acting on the recommendation of the Planning Board.
Chair asks for any comments from the Board members.
John Breanick – asks if there might be any other parcels zoned erroneously – (cannot hear on tape.)
Chair asks for any other comments from Board members.
John Rogalski – makes motion on SEQR, John Breanick seconds. All members vote approval. Motion passed.
Chair asks for a motion to approve and recommend to City Council to reclassify subject property as Industrial.
Motion made by Mark DiVietro, seconded by Sam Giangreco. All members vote approval. Motion passed.
Steve Lynch – (in answer to question re: SEQR) in this case when a negative declaration is made it means there is not any significant impact.
Agenda Item 3: Public Hearing for Subdivision of 65 – 77 Kearney Ave
Chair opens the public hearing and asks Steve Lynch for any comments before the public is invited to speak.
Steve Lynch – this is a vacant parcel in a residential zone next to Seward School at the end of Kearney Ave on the west side. It is owned by the City and they have circulated a request for proposal for sale of the property with positive interest by someone who wants to buy and subdivide the parcel. The city has approached the Board for the required subdivision. The subdivision you have before you takes a single empty parcel owned by the city, subdivides it into two legally existing lots with the intent to offer one lot for sale with the buyer building a single family, owner occupied dwelling.
Chair asks if any members of the public wish to be heard.
Bob Wood lives at 77 Kearney Ave. Is this the same parcel delineated as A on the request for proposal? (yes) And it is going to be divided into two lots?
Steve Lynch – in order to put the subdivision through “A” remained exactly the way it was on the request for proposal. The rest of the subdivision didn’t quite follow defined lot lines the way they should’ve been defined so we changed the subdivision map of which I have a copy if you need to see it.
Bob Wood – I have a copy of everything else – as I understand the proposal it was for parcel A – now there’s a new map that subdivides the entire parcel.
Steve Lynch – explains on the map what is going on. Parcel A stays the way it is. For the purposes of this subdivision B and C are back into one lot and parcel D is also consolidated back into that.
Laurie Michelman – the map we have has only 2 parcels.
Steve Lynch – we are just separating the lots.
Bob Wood – and that’s the information the Planning Board has – the city is requesting that parcel be made available for a house.
Steve Lynch – correct – parcel A
Bob Wood – that’s for sale & it’s been bid on
Steve Lynch – and now we’re subdividing it off the larger parcel so it can be sold.
Bob Wood – and that’s what the Planning Board is deciding, what parameters must be met.
Steve Lynch – yes, there’s lot size that have to be met, etc.
Laurie Michelman – the bidding process is outside the parameters of this board.
Chair – asks if any other members of the public wish to be heard. Closes this portion of the public hearing. Asks the board if there are any questions.
John Breanick – inaudible on tape.
Steve Lynch – we’re only looking at the subdivision of the parcel. The results of the bidding are not public information at this time.
Chair – any other questions or comments?
Steve Lynch – as the subdivision is a minor subdivision and the lot being created is a legal lot, it meets all the requirements of the zoning ordinance, the intended use is in line with the existing residential uses of the area, staff recommends a negative declaration on SEQR and to approve the subdivision.
Chair – asks for a motion to accept the SEQR.
Motion made by John Rogalski, seconded by Sam Giangreco. All members vote approval. Motion passed.
Chair – asks for a motion to adopt the final subdivision resolution.
Motion made by Sam Giangreco, seconded by Joyce Cavanaugh. All members vote approval. Resolution accepted.
Agenda Item 4: Public Hearing for Site Plan Review for 10 Evans St. – parking lot
Chair asks for the owner or representative to speak.
Glenn Carver – 5 Evans St. – family bought Evans St. school 20 yrs ago & tore down the school. Gave part of the lot to Trinity Methodist Church and kept the rest for parking at 5 Evans St. Additional off-street parking is needed. Used as parking since the late ‘70’s. Within the last year there has been problems from the City Code Enforcement Office who stated that a parking permit was never officially applied for or received. Applied to ZBA and Planning for approval. ZBA accepted the application with the contingency that a site plan would be presented.
Chair – asks if any members of the public would like to be heard. If not closes this portion of the public hearing and asks the board if there are any questions.
John Breanick – How many apartments at 10 Evans St. (4) How many cars?
Glenn Carver – We have 4 now but we need 10 – we are asking for an additional 7. We are going to put crush & run down and vibrapak it then sprinkle with Portland concrete to stabilize it and make dust free.
Chair – asks if any other board members have any questions. Asks staff for comments.
Steve Lynch – this went to the ZBA in September and received the required variance. Was brought before the design review committee to work with them and make sure the site plan complies. Staff recommends that if this is installed correctly and is well maintained will relieve on-street parking. Recommendation is for negative declaration on SEQR and approval of site plan.
Chair – asks for a motion on the SEQR.
Motion made by Joyce Cavanaugh, seconded by John Rogalski. All members vote approval. Motion passed.
Chair – asks for a motion to accept the site plan resolution.
Motion made by Sam Giangreco, seconded by Mark DiVietro. All members vote approval. Resolution passed.
Agenda Item 5: Public Hearing for Site Plan Review 297 Grant Ave Sunoco Optima Station
Item pulled by applicant.
Agenda Item 6: Public Hearing for discussion of Community Development Block Grant Action Plan for 2003 – 2004
Jim Galvin – I’d like to have the Board hold a public hearing tonight on the 2003-2004 CDBG plan. We anticipate 1.312 million dollars being available from HUD for the City of Auburn. We also anticipate about 34,000 dollars from program income to be added to that. For about a 1.7 million dollar budget for community development projects. We’ve already held a number of neighborhood meetings for 4 areas in the city. The subjects of the meetings was to discuss potential changes in the original 5 year plan and designate how funds will be used as well as any other issues that may have been brought forward. A couple things, there are some in the community interested in what’s happening with DestiNY and how it will impact the city of Auburn. The issue of the homeless was addressed as
a concern. There are efforts to offer some services especially to the children and we may see this coming more to the forefront within the next couple years. All comments will be considered in developing a plan. Schedule is to seek requests for proposals from human services agencies thru early December, look at those and develop a budget that will be available for comment beginning the end of the year. We will be accepting comments thru early January. This is the last meeting, the last public hearing, planning process of the plan. I welcome any comments at this time.
Chair – invites members of the public to be heard.
Glenn Carver – there used to be rehab grants, if these figure into the budget, give low income if you guarantee to maintain it as low income for 4 or 5 years, it was a give away grant for rehab of existing rental properties.
Jim Galvin – it has been several years since we’ve had grants at all. We do have the Home Repair Assistance Program that offers funding to primarily owner occupants who qualify. Investor owners are also eligible. All of the funding offered for normal rehabilitation is offered as a loan. We have to make the caveat as so much of what we do is now mandated with lead paint hazard abatement. Because people have to do that on a privately funded rehab we don’t make them pay that back.
Glenn Carver – so say 50% of a grant is for lead paint abatement one would have to pay back the actual grant for restoration, but however money spent thru a bonafide lead contractor to remove lead from the property would be in essence a give away grant?
Jim Galvin – yes
Chair – closes this portion of the public hearing. Asks the board if they have any questions.
John Breanick – asks about Owasco/Osborne neighborhood.
Jim Galvin – there has not been a budget developed yet.
John Breanick – any plans to reinstall curbing?
Jim Galvin – CDBG program offers sidewalk & curbing funding. Curbs are designated to the Engineering office for streets eligible for funding. Sidewalks are done on a neighborhood basis as well concentrating on the center of the city & working out. As far as the engineering aspects of that, the Engineering office, for any street that has to be reconstructed, they are milling streets down so curbing is not lost.
John Breanick – asks about N. Division, Clark & Wall St.
Jim Galvin – Engineering does not identify streets for any given year until the spring of that year. My understanding is they’re going around now to identify projects for next year.
Chair – asks staff if there are any comments (none). Next meeting is December 3, 2002. Asks for a motion to adjourn.
Steve Lynch – gives an update of Sunoco Optima in front of Wal-Mart. Application pulled from today’s agenda. Another issue was for Planning staff to talk with Lowe’s. The manager was met with and although they weren’t in favor of one solution they are willing to take a look at an alternate. There is another meeting scheduled to discuss this.
John Rogalski – asks about status of Rondina property.
Steve Lynch – it is my understanding there is a permit out & renovations are underway for retail, restaurant. They won’t be coming to the board for site plan.
Motion to adjourn made by Joyce Cavanaugh, seconded by John Rogalski. All members vote in favor.
Meeting adjourned.
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