KINDERHOOK–The village Planning Board met last week to review three applications for projects. They approved two–the Three Sisters Tavern and a change to gas pumps at the Stewart’s store–and voted to deny a special use permit for a bed and breakfast on Broad Street.
The board met earlier than usual on June 25 since otherwise their next official meeting would have been on July 4.
The board held a public hearings on the Three Sisters and the Broad Street bed and breakfast at their last meeting June 6. The board held a public hearing on the Stewart’s Ice Cream Co. Inc. application for a site plan amendment at the June 25 meeting.
Stewart’s plans to move the gas pumps at the station on Route 9 to the northeast side of the current site and expand the canopy over the pumps. Chuck Marshall, the representative from Stewart’s who attended the meeting last week, said that the company was changing all the lights in the canopy to LED bulbs and he agreed to keep them at 5700 Kelvin, making what he said would be more yellow light than very bright white lights.
As for the canopy, Mr. Marshall said it was expanding from about 700 square feet to 1,100 square feet.
Resident Alexandria Anderson was concerned about the expanded canopy and the lighting. She also asked if Stewart’s plans to add an electric car charging station at the store. Mr. Marshall said that the company did not plan to do that at this time but it was a possibility for the future. “Stewart’s wants to be in the charging business,” he said.
Mr. Marshall also talked to the homeowner on the south side of the property, saying that Stewart’s would put up a wooden fence along their property line for privacy.
Mr. Marshall also pointed out that the new gas tanks will be double walled and have a monitoring system for leaks, unlike the old tanks, which will be removed as part of the project. After the meeting Mr. Marshall said that the store will not close during the construction process.
The plan also includes a bike rack and picnic tables on a section of the company’s property that is on the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail, a walking and biking trail being built by the state.
Village Code Enforcement Officer Glenn Smith said he did not have any issues with the project and that he’d “pored over the code books.”
The Planning Board approved Stewart’s application.
The board then moved on to approve the special use permit for the Three Sisters Tavern. The application for the tavern, that will include the basement and first floor of the Old Dutch Inn on Broad Street, needed approval from the county Planning Board before the village could approve it. After the public hearing in early June when many residents came out in support of the project, the board said they would approve it once the county got back to them. Planning Board Chair Abram Van Alstyne said the county had approved the project.
This approval is just for the restaurants in the building. The board heard plans for a hotel on the other floors of the building at a meeting in April. But at the public hearing June 6, applicant Jennifer Ose-MacDonald said that they had not yet put in an application to the board to review the site plan of the hotel.
The other project that was discussed at both the June 6 public hearing and the meeting last week, was a bed and breakfast (B&B) on Board Street proposed by Paul Calcagno. Mr. Calcagno was not at the June 25 meeting.
At the June 6 meeting, only three Planning Board members were present and they voted 2-1 to deny Mr. Calcagno the special use permit. That vote failed for lack of a majority of the full board. Board members had asked Mr. Calcagno to move picnic tables on this property, which is in a residential zone, so that the tables would not be near the bagel shop next to his building, which is in a commercial/business zone. They also asked that he establish setbacks on the property.
Mr. Calcagno pointed out at the meeting on June 6 that having a B&B in the residential zone is a permitted use in the village zoning law.
At the June 25 meeting, with all five board members present, the vote was 5-0 to deny his application. Board members said that Mr. Calcagno would have to reapply or he could go to the Village Board to have the zoning changed.
The board also read a letter from resident Audrey Peckner that was addressed to the village Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Historic Preservation Board as well as the Village Board about safety issues in the village when there are events going on. The Village Board read and responded to the letter at the village meeting in early June. Mr. Van Alstyne read the Village Board’s response, which said that the board had talked to the School, a gallery on Broad Street, about having security to help with traffic during the gallery’s events like art openings. The letter also said that the village does take care of traffic and safety during events.
Ms. Peckner, who was at the Planning Board meeting, said, “I’m just concerned that someone is going to get hurt.” She talked about safety vehicles not being able to get down streets during events.
“I support all these events,” she said.
Mr. Van Alstyne told her that the Planning Board supported what she was saying but that it sounded like the Village Board was taking steps to deal with it.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com
