By Peter Calvert
Present: Planning Board: Frank Winkler, Chair, Joanne Callahan, John Reynolds, Alex Adelson, Art Reed, Jim Darling, Bill Palmer, Kristen Schneider, County Planning Board Rep. and JoAnn Boerner, Clerk.
Planning Board met Sept. 14th at 7:34 PM for the first time since Feb. Minor subdivisions and boundary adjustments were on the agenda. Two Special Use Permit applications were also discussed. Regulations for local Air BnBs and commercial camping sites were briefly discussed with no decisions made at this meeting.
Dean and Irene Machetto applied to subdivide properties they own at the end of Coulter Road behind the Post Office and near the Andes Cemetery. They need to do soil testing but pending those results can be approved at a public hearing on Tuesday Oct. 13th. Kay Winner and Asa Winner requested a minor subdivision and boundary line adjustment on their Shaver Hollow Road properties. This was approved pending a public hearing Oct. 13th. Terry Walsh and his wife applied for a minor subdivision and boundary line adjustment on their three contiguous Bush Hill Road properties on the other side of the reservoir. They were approved and sent on to the public hearing.
A more complicated case involving a foreclosed property at 626 Jones Hollow Road was brought by Bill Walsh, Attorney, on behalf of the Delaware National Bank. The original property of 2.6 acres was secured by a mortgage by the Bank but about 12 years ago the property owners applied to the Andes Planning Board for, and received, a boundary line adjustment which connected 5.2 adjoining acres to the mortgaged property. However, they neglected to inform the Bank of the new property boundaries. When the original 2.6 acre property was abandoned and passed by foreclosure to the Bank, the adjoining 5.2 acres property was discovered and placed into a limbo situation. Not on the bank’s deed, it is being requested to disengage the 5.2 acres from the 2.6 acres to allow a clean title on the original property. The previous owners are no longer around the area and the Planning Board has found no case law precedent for a case like this with the research done to date. They will consult the Town’s Attorney and, pending written approval from the Town’s Attorney, sent the positive application decision conditionally to the public hearing Oct. 13th.
Special Use Permit Applications: Wilson Keenan, baker, submitted his Special Use Permit request for a retail outlet to sell bread and pastries from the front room of the former CitiHope building on Main Street. He has installed a bakery operation in the main part of the building. As the property has previously been used for commercial uses and he is not opening a restaurant, he does not need a Special Use Permit and was approved and applauded for the activity.
Roger Casas purchased the property at 40 Lee Lane, a private road, just behind Two Old Tarts and he wants to convert the house into three units: two apartments above and one living unit below where he will dwell. He also wishes to create three parking spaces side by side within his land to accommodate the additional occupancy. The town code supervisor has verbally approved the physical adjustments to the building. As this property is within 500 feet of a state highway, this request must be presented to the County Planning Board in Delhi. Kristen Schneider will present the case to the Delhi Board on Mr. Casas’ behalf. Conditionally, the request was sent to public hearing Oct. 13th.
All public hearings require adjoining neighbors to be notified by mail in advance, clued into the nature of the property owner’s request and informed of the Zoom link for the pertinent meeting where the application will be resolved. ~