Albany County, New York Audit & Finance, 26 Jun 2023

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From YouTube: CSGI (Conservation, Sustainability & Green Initiatives) Committee Meeting - June, 26 2023

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A

A

Okay, um first item is to approve the previous meeting minutes, we'll see any questions, no, no questions motion. Second, second, all right, any all in favor, aye minutes approved okay.

B

First item.

A

Is authorizing amendments to the Albany County planning boards list of non-referral items.

C

D

Evening, everyone I just want to quickly introduce myself. uh My name is senior planner and here, on behalf of the County planning board, proposing to add five more items to the non-referal lists that was established in 2007., um and the reason we're establishing this list is to reduce the time frame of the review. Not only does it allow the County planning board to focus more on projects that have more uh significant impact uh contributions going backwards, also reduce the time frame for the applicant by one month. So I'm happy to answer any questions.

D

I think you might have.

D

E

Anthony, what is the non-referral list.

D

So it is both action with the agreement between the municipality and accounting plan, a board planning code for review. It will be dealt at the local local level.

E

Currently, these three issues anytime, there's citing for one of these- they have to go to the County planning board. Okay, the current currently for these three EV Chargers fences, new sign proposals. These always have to.

F

Show the numbers yeah.

C

So there are certain.

F

Triggers that make the county have to review projects if.

G

F

To a municipal boundary, because then we have to weigh both municipalities. You know interests in there if there, within a certain distance of a stand or a County, Road, State or county building, like you know, 112 State Street would trigger if there's something across the street, so.

G

F

G

That these projects, specifically.

F

Would Trigger or review but they're saying if the project is within one of those other catchment areas? If.

C

F

Of these types of projects, these are so innocuous. They don't need to be reviewed by the county. We can just leave that to the town, because if.

C

You're working.

F

Say: you're right on the boundary of Bethlehem and the elderland, and you want to put an EV station in your driveway. What does it matter for the guy who lives across the line 100 yards down the street if it doesn't yeah.

C

F

C

Projects that could obviously have an.

F

Impact we want to still retain the.

G

F

On those levels but the status of the basic stuff and make it easier for them: selves, okay,.

E

Yeah that makes sense I'm curious because it says fences with this impact. The defense that's being discussed at the Board of Elections. Why.

F

I think this is more just for like if you want to put a fence in your backyard. Okay,.

H

Yeah I I apologize, you mentioned five items that would be added and.

G

At least my summary only has four could.

H

You could you list the five things signage you'd be charging. Yes,.

D

Chickens, fences and a lot.

A

How about adding solar panels to them, yeah.

D

I think solar panels.

D

Hang on the uh constrict and the zoning allowance I think it differs so really if we are going to add that into our list, it's it might have uh kind of running back in terms of like player or screening.

D

Usually, when we review a solar project, we don't just send it back to the town with the defer we usually recommend which state buffer make sure that the applicant provides enough screening that does not have glare so I I still believe that it might have some company wider insurance will impact and.

H

If I could interject.

C

I, don't think.

H

Whether whether or not it has county-wide impact is the is the salt criteria, I mean if I, if I were to purchase a home on a County, Highway I would purchase it with the understanding that my interests as I purchase, it would be protected by a series of things in which there would be two layers of of review right. I would be miffed if all of a sudden we I lost one of those abilities. If my neighbor wanted to put a solar field or something.

C

H

The street, knowing that when I bought it I at least, have two two bites at the Apple to express my objections. So even.

C

H

Seller wouldn't have county-wide impact; it would still have an impact of relevance to the county under the under the state uh planning act, but um I.

C

H

Would just maybe question signage um if any type of science so that the county won't have any any type of signage or basically white flashing their hands up if.

G

It's on a County Highway. If they look at the backup there, it.

H

G

Special types of signage, there's like three separate types of signage that are not included, and then every other type of signage would be yeah.

D

We have uh installation of replacement of three standing signs, which is something that we see very often and they have, with the exception of one or two, they all have no contact. We.

G

D

Signages signage applications for internal and or external illumination. They also have no county-wide or instrumental impact on an average. We see at least five cases just for signage proposals, so that that would we, if we include this item, we would be eliminating applications for signages, is.

H

It possible to add an item to the non-referral list in as it relates to close to the municipal boundary, but but retain it on the list for purposes of counting highways. Okay,.

G

H

We put it on the non-referral list, based on based.

G

On that nature, I, don't think that would be permissible. I mean this is a general Municipal law, 239m referral.

F

G

It's something that's deemed to have accounting impact based on its location or or again.

H

When you say County impact you're correct when you say county-wide impact I, don't think that's the correct reading of the statute. I, don't think I.

G

Don't think yeah it doesn't have to be county-wide, it's just something that the county is presumed to have and.

C

It's interesting so.

G

I mean that's the referral, so it doesn't have to be a county-wide, but something that the county itself would have an interest. In yes, I mean you're going to have an interest in screening and things like that.

F

G

You may not have an interest in a lot line. Adjustment that is not part of a subdivision review does not create any landlocked parcels and does not create any land disturbance. I mean those are two very, very different things, so I don't think you could exempt it from one and not the other, because, based on the statute that it's created by it it all of them are in the one. It creates one class based on a variety of factors.

H

Right and I would agree that you know the keeping of chickens doesn't have.

G

C

Impact, nor does it.

H

Impact any interest of the county, necessarily so I think that's appropriate, but.

G

I would also argue that signage placed.

H

On a County Highway, even though it may not be County Wide impact, it still is an interest of the county that we would want to preserve. Our ability to to weigh in on right I would not necessarily leave it just to the town of Guilderland to determine whether a sign on 155 is appropriate or not.

G

This does also specifically exempt things where there is a proposed site, visibility, issue or pedestrian obstruction, and also for and it's primarily for existing signs that are being replaced. I mean that's two of them, so it's not a huge really. There I mean because it does exempt out anything and same with the uh where's. The other.

C

G

There was another one that says it's it's it.

A

Wasn't a lot of signage still be covered, but oh yeah, it's very limited. What they're? Okay.

G

Yeah, this is only limiting out with certain things that really don't affect the county, except if they have that fight distance issue, if you're on a corner um like same with the fences, if the fence is on a corner, because it's these like distance issues as opposed to my house, which is mid, Street and nobody's going to care, if I put a fence up, unless it's literally right up to the roadway and again, that's a slight distance, so absent that there really wouldn't be a County or a county interest in a potential impact. Rather, okay,.

D

um Just so that we have the list of items that they are approving.

A

I want to just clarify my comment about solar I'm, talking about residential solar, either on your house or on an accessory building that you already have I'm, not talking about a solar farm I'm talking about just a homeowner who wants to put in solar I. Don't think that should be something the county cares.

G

About other than to say it's in.

C

A

To have more solar, that should be what we should be stressing if we want to stress accounting interest, although.

G

You only have to make a 239m referral if it's actually up for some sort of variance or approval by the municipality that you're located in and solar is not regulated, except for solar farms. In most local municipalities, most yeah and I can't speak to all of them, just because I've never.

B

Heard I can think about this before, but.

G

Most jurisdictions, don't say you can't have you have a small array on your own personal house? Oh no, like like I, know, Colony does not uh no.

A

It's more than it's more the accessory buildings where it becomes.

A

Okay, um any other questions or comments on this.

H

I would just say thank you for the for the clarification and certainly I applaud the effort to reduce the amount of time for for applicants. So with that, um but.

C

Again, just reiterating it the area I represent. There are a lot of County Roads.

H

There are a lot of people that live on County Roads. There are a lot of people who've come to. You know they don't always have the confidence in the rural, Planning and Zoning authorities, um and they appreciate the professional role of the county and I. Don't want to cut.

G

C

Too much on that.

H

That's that I'll make a move too.

B

Just be clearly before I even do that. What.

C

I heard you say.

B

Though is even in that case, though Jeff if they are proving things that they think are covered under this non-referral list, you're still getting the list correct. Is that what you just said yeah, so you can make sure that they're not scared. The.

D

B

So so, even if they're doing it, they can verify that they're getting that monthly list to make sure that if you're not all right any.

A

Other any other questions do I. Have a motion to uh approve I, think Jeffrey Jeff.

B

Made it on a second.

A

All right, all in favor all.

B

A

Opposed all right motion carries. uh The other item is uh adopting the proposed additions to Albany County Agricultural districts, numbers two and three and.

I

Laura is here good evening the final step of our annual agricultural District review process following the public meeting public hearing on the additions on May 23rd next step is to adopt those additions and send them to the Department of Agriculture.

A

B

The one in Queen position.

C

B

I

Rentschlerville.

B

One is new, yes,.

A

This is sort of a technical question: I guess Laura, you and I have talked in the past about some of the high-tech greenhouses, That I Used to Be, and that was a nice sort of the research Cornell did. If a farmer in an AG District, would you want to install one of these glass houses? This is not just the plastic High tunnels. These are high-tech buildings. Would that be allowed within an existing agricultural District.

I

Well, the agricultural districts don't determine what's allowed in them. By definition, greenhouses are included in the definition of agriculture in the agricultural District's law, so a parcel with the greenhouse would be eligible for inclusion in the egg District, but.

A

If someone who was already in the district wants to put in a greenhouse there, it doesn't change anything in terms of how they're treated as a as a part of a district. No it doesn't. They don't get kicked out because they're.

G

Putting up a building or anything, no and in fact they might be accepted, variety of code regulations and things that they otherwise would have to comply with, because they're intact history not fully necessarily but there's relaxed standards. Good.

A

I want to see these greenhouses flourish. That's my bias.

H

Across the street, from one of my constituents.

A

Well, actually, I mean there is an issue. There can be an issue with the kind of greenhouse I'm talking about as they.

H

C

A

They do often have lights at night, not not all night, but there can be a light issue, so you know it depends on what you're doing, but, okay uh any other any other comments on this.

A

Okay. Second, second, all in favor um all right, any opposed. No no motion carries and I think Frank made a motion to adjourn all right. Second, one for that all right.

A