Village of Hunter Planning Board
Minutes of Regular Meeting of
January 25, 2024

Members Present:     Paul Slutzky, Chairman

                                    Carl Giangrande, Board Member

                                    Penny Sikalis-Spring, Board Member

                                    Ed Kaplan, Board Member

                                    Richard Volpi, Board Member

                                    Absent:  Gail Shegerian, Alternate Member


Also Present:              Christine Lucey, Secretary

 

Public Present:         Jesse Fraine, Trent Poole, Brooke Kasman, Abe Stefansky,

Harout Dermenjian, Ron San Fillipo, Fran Clark, Richard Rock

Open Meeting:  Chairman Slutzky opened the meeting at 7:00 PM

Review and Approval of the Minutes of the Planning Board Meeting of December 14, 2023, and Minutes of the Joint Public Hearing of January 2, 2024:

After review, Penny Sikalis-Spring made a MOTION to approve the minutes as presented. Paul Slutzky seconded the MOTION, which was approved and carried.

Privilege of the Floor: None requested

Old Business:

 

  • Hunter Peaks Major Residential Subdivision and Site Plan

Chairman Slutzky said that he expects to see this proposal back on the Planning Board’s agenda for action in March or April, per Walter Kubow of LaBella Associates. Mr. Kubow sent Chairman Slutzky an e-mail and packet of documents which were distributed to all Board members.

The Department of Health has approved the water system plan, according to Mr. Kubow. The realty subdivision plan should be approved well before the current extension of conditional approval expires in late February, Chairman Slutzky said.

Chairman Slutzky said the last major item for the Planning Board to review for this project will be a performance bond for the proposed infrastructure work

  • Hunter Mountain Ski Bowl Lift Replacement – Site Plan Review (construction of new base terminal for chairlift B)

 

Chairman Slutzky restated for the record the outcome of the January 2, 2024, joint public hearing and meeting with Town of Hunter Planning Board and the Village of Hunter Planning Board, at which the Village voted to defer lead agency status under SEQRA to the Town.

Chairman Slutzky reported that a negative declaration under SEQRA was decided at the Town of Hunter Planning Board meeting of January 2, 2024. He asked whether the Village of Hunter Planning Board sees any issue with the declaration.

Ed Kaplan made a MOTION that the Village Planning Board affirm the Town’s negative declaration under SEQRA. Penny Sikalis Spring seconded the MOTION, which was approved and carried.

Carl Giangrande made a MOTION to approve the proposed site plan. Richard Volpe seconded the MOTION, which was approved and carried.

  • 7705 – 7709 Main Street – Multiple Family Dwelling – Sketch Site PlanRichard Rock appeared before the Board to discuss the proposed modifications to structures located at 7705 and 7709 Main Street. The proposal included creating 4 apartments on the property, but the property is not large enough under the requirements of the Gateway Business District, in which it is located.

Mr. Rock and the Board discussed the possibility of amending the Village Zoning Law for the Gateway Business District and then applying for a “special use” permit to allow the plan to go forward. Mr. Rock expressed concern about the time that such a process would take, and said the property owner had hoped to be able to start the project in the spring of 2024.

Chairman Slutzky suggested that, as an alternative, the owner could re-purpose the existing one-story structure that is on the property as an apartment, and replace the larger two-story structure with two apartments instead of the proposed four. This would result in a total of three apartments rather than four on the property, and thus it would not require revision to the Zoning regulations for the Gateway Business District.

Mr. Rock thanked the Board for its ideas and said he will bring them back to the property owner for consideration.

New Business:

 

  • 7765 & 7759 Main Street—Lot Line Adjustment and Minor Subdivision—Harout Dermenjian and Ron San Fillipo presenting

 

Mr. Dermenjian presented multiple copies of a sketch plan for the proposed lot line adjustment.

Chairman Slutzky requested that the applicant provide the Board with copies of the existing deeds for the two lots in question, and with the proposed deeds for the subdivided lots.

He said that a short-form Environmental Assessment Form under SEQRA should be submitted for the lot line adjustment.

The Board discussed existing curb cuts, structural set-backs, access to the stream by the DEP, and flood protection regulations with Mr. Dermanjian and Mr. San Fillipo.

Ed Kaplan made a MOTION that the project be classified as a Minor Subdivision. Penny Sikalis Spring seconded the MOTION, which was approved and carried.

The Board discussed what connections may be available on the property currently for water and sewer service, and suggested a stormwater plan be developed for each lot, with the involvement of the DEP.

Richard Volpe made a MOTION that a public hearing be held on the proposed lot line adjustment and 3-lot Minor Subdivision on February 22nd, 2024, at 6:30 PM. Penny Sikalis Spring seconded the MOTION, which was approved and carried.

  • 8350 Main Street—Architectural Review of Modular Home—Abe Stefanski presenting

 

The Board reviewed the proposal for a single-family factory-built home on the subject property, and agreed that no site plan review or SEQRA application is required.  Chairman Slutzky noted that the DEP may require a stormwater review.

Chairman Slutzky said he had checked the setback requirements within the Gateway Business District and said that the proposal meets the requirements.

After further discussion by the Board, Ed Kaplan made a MOTION to approve the architectural plan. Richard Volpe seconded the MOTION, which was approved and carried.

Chairman’s Report:

 

Chairman Slutzky provided an update on Les Jardins de Hunter. Sufficiency of water for the project in times of drought remains uncertain, he said. If the applicant were to fund drilling a new deep well to augment water available to serve Village residents, it would probably mitigate the uncertainty.

Carl Giangrande and other members of the Board discussed ongoing concerns about:

  • Lighting on the Heller properties;
  • Lighting on the Hunter Mountain garage/snow shed;
  • Lighting on Hunter Mountain’s snow tubing park when it operates at night;
  • Lighting in the parking lot of the Central Mall; and
  • Size and lighting of the non-conforming sign at the Bluebird Hotel.

Correspondence:

None.

 

Adjournment:

 

There being no further business, Carl Giangrande made a MOTION to adjourn. Penny Sikalis-Spring seconded the MOTION, which was unanimously approved and carried at 9:34 PM.