Planning Board Regular Meeting Minutes, August 22, 2024

Members Present:     Paul Slutzky, Chairman

Richard Volpe, Deputy Chairman

                                    Carl Giangrande, Board Member

                                    Ed Kaplan, Board Member 

                                    Penny Sikalis-Spring, Board Member

                                    Gail Shegerian, Alternate Member

 Public Present:

Janet Volpi, Laurie Hannenburg, Eric Vaughn

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

Review and Approval of the Minutes of the Planning Board Meeting of July 25, 2024:

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

Privilege of the Floor: none requested

Old Business:  none

New Business: 

• Four Seasons Development—Tax Lots #164.00-2-19 & #164.15-1-10—Concept Plan Review
  Eric Vaughn and Laurie Hannenburg presentingEric Vaughn presented full size drawings of his concept development plan for tax Lot # 164.00-2-19 consisting of 127.1 acres located in the Town of Hunter and the adjoining Tax Lot #164.15-1-10 consisting of 13.9 acres in the Village of Hunter. He advised the plan consists of 44 single family home lots, 82 condominium units in 9 buildings and an amenity building with pool, all of which are located on the 127.1 acre Town lot. The 13.9 acre Village lot would include a 45+/- room hotel with restaurant and event space, as well as a gas station and market. He further stated that he is under a conditional contract to purchase the project site from Steve Botti’s estate.

  Chairman Slutzky gave a brief description of the two different development plans for the 13.9 acre Village lot that were under review by the Planning Board in 2008 and then again in 2014. He pointed out that the wetlands mapping study that was presented in 2014 was very different from the one that was presented in 2008 and the NYCDEP was skeptical of the accuracy of the 2014 mapping. He also noted that the prior applicant had commissioned a Phase ll Archaeological Intensive testing of the Village lot and that based on that study, the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation had advised the Planning Board that  in SHPO’s opinion the project will have no effect/ no impact upon cultural resources on, or eligible for inclusion in, the National Registers of Historic Places.

  The Board discussed at length with Mr. Vaughn the possibility of the Village and Town of Hunter jointly approving the annexation of the 127.1 acre Town lot into the Village and the probability of the development being able to connect to the Village water and sewer systems. The Board emphasized that the availability of sufficient potable water from the Village system to service the site was unlikely unless a new source of water could be found.

  To further the concept plan process, the Board asked Mr. Vaughn to supply topographical information for the site. He advised that his project engineer, Kaaterskill Associates, is planning to map the site to one foot increments via aerial lidar mapping after the leaves are off the trees this fall.

  Mr. Vaughn advised that Kaaterskill Engineering is in the process of having LaBella Engineering perform a wetlands mapping of the site.

  Chairman Slutzky advised that to continue the concept plan review of the proposed Major Residential Subdivision and Site Plan, all the required submissions as outlined on page 25 of the Village Zoning Law and pages 7 and 8 of the Village Subdivision Law would need to be provided to the Planning Board.

Chairman’s Report:  none

Correspondence:  none 

Adjournment:

There being no further business, Carl Giangrande made a MOTION to adjourn. The MOTION was seconded by Ed Kaplan, approved, and carried at 8:18 PM.

Transcribed by:
Paul Slutzky