Town of Varick Planning Board
Minutes
January 25, 2007
The Varick Town Planning Board met January 25, 2007 at 7 PM at the Varick Firehouse. Attending the meeting were Chairman Thomas Bjorkman, Larry Peterson, Kevin Swartley and Bill Larzelere. Absent were Frankie Long, Bob Kayser, and Anne Bachman. Barb Wells also attended the meeting.
Minutes. Chairman Bjorkman passed out the minutes of the last meeting which was November 16, 2006. Bill Larzelere made a motion they be approved. Kevin Swartley seconded the motion and it was carried.
Discussion items. Chairman Bjorkman passed out information relative to a requirement by the state that each member of the Varick Planning Board and the Varick Zoning Board of Appeals must complete a minimum of four hours per year of training. The town board needs to enact a local law to establish training requirements. The planning board agreed that its members should be reimbursed up to $75 for this training and for up to 100 miles of travel. It was decided that the town clerk should keep track of this training since she now keeps track of our terms. Chairman Bjorkman is going to forward a copy of our suggestions to the town board and a copy to the town attorney since he will have to write the local law.
Old business. We discussed the Use Table for the Agricultural and Rural Residential column. We got about halfway through it and stopped to discuss the new Biofuels plant on the depot. Kevin Swartley had maps and much information on the plant. Barb Wells also had information and questions and comments on it since she is secretary of the Seneca County Federation of Sportsman Clubs.
The proposed site of the Biofuels plant will be in the Town of Romulus but it will be within 500 feet of the town of Varick so Varick was asked to make comments on the Romulus Special Use Permit application.
New business. The Varick Planning Board concluded that the Biofuels plant will be a benefit to the area in many respects. Our main concerns were related to traffic, noise, appearance and odor control.
The board voted 3-0 (Swartley abstained) to have Chairman Bjorkman will present the following concerns to the Romulus planning board.
Odor: Require odor controls so that they don't impact Varick residents.
Traffic: Encourage transportation of distillers grain, logs and ethanol by rail rather than truck when it is practical.
Appearance: Design the gate on Rt 96A so that trucks waiting to enter are off the highway.
The Seneca County IDA is also lead agency for SEQR for a larger scope of development of the ethanol and biofuel facility. We also have the opportunity to provide input into the SEQR process.
The board voted 3-0 (Swartley abstained) to have Chairman Bjorkman will present the following concerns to the Seneca County IDA.
Item 7. Air quality. Require odor controls so that they don't impact Varick residents.
Item 9. Non-threatened species. Require a wildlife management plan, with appropriate mitigation to preserve the habitat for birds that justified listing the property as an Important Bird Area, and habitat to maintain the white deer herd.
Item 13. Open space and recreational opportunities. Include provisions for ecotourism, hiking, wildlife watching and hunting.
Item 15. Existing transportation systems. Encourage transportation of distillers grain, logs and ethanol by rail rather than truck when it is practical.
Item 20. Potential controversy. We expect controversy regarding the well-being of white deer and opportunities to see them.
The meeting was finally adjourned at 10:30 PM.
Respectfully,
Larry Peterson
Secretary
Approved February 22, 2007
