TOWN OF GRANBY ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Meeting Minutes
June 12, 2018
AGENDA: Majeski/Marathon LLC Public Hearing
Regular Meeting
MEMBERS: Michael French, Chairman
Peter LeoGrande
Patricia Simmons
Tom Thompson
Tina Sawyer
ALSO PRESENT: Mike Majeski.
Chairman
French opened the meeting at 7:00 pm.
The
Board Members welcomed new Member Tina Sawyer.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
PUBLIC
HEARING
Use
Variance Request
Michael Majeski for Marathon LLC –1024State
Route 48, Fulton
Tax Map #270.02-01-04.12
Chairman
French opened the Public Hearing at 7:01 pm.
Chairman French stated that the property is located within a residential
R-1 zoning district but has historically been used as commercial and predates
the Town’s zoning law. He then asked
Mike Majeski to present his request. The
applicant stated that he has a signed purchase offer that is contingent to Town
approval to use the property for his roofing business. He currently is located in Hannibal but has
outgrown the facility and would like to move the business. The property on State Route 48 is located on
a main thoroughfare to access Baldwinsville, Syracuse, Fulton and Oswego which
is where most of his work is located.
The property has large buildings that can be utilized to store
construction materials, equipment and trucks with ample room left to grow. He currently employs 30 people and expects to
increase that to 50 people next year so a large property that has commercial
development - double graveled
ingress/egress, graveled parking, two large storage structures that has been
maintained with heat and electric to protect finished interiors and plumbing –
is ideal for his proposed use. Chairman
French asked about planned outdoor storage, to which Mr. Majeski replied that
he intended to store everything inside including vehicles. He stated that one of the reasons the
property is well-suited to his needs is because he plans to store everything
inside for security due to possible theft of expensive construction materials,
it also preserves the quality and condition of the materials and
equipment. The Board responded
positively in that a neat, orderly and maintained appearance would be essential
for adapting and accommodating to the character of the residential neighborhood
the property is located within. The
applicant stated that he would have two dumpsters located behind the building
for refuse and recyclable aluminum that would be out of sight from the
road. The daily business activity would
be minimal on site and involve arrival of employees at 7:00 am, who will park
their vehicles and leave the property in company trucks for the day, arriving
back at the property at the end of the day to store company trucks and leave in
their own vehicles. The occasional
delivery of ordered building supplies and an office area for use as a showroom
to select colors and products for customers with contracts would be the only
other activity onsite. There would be no
retail sales or storefront business activity because contracts/work estimates are
prepared at work/job site as is common in the construction industry. Chairman French stated that all the
neighboring properties had received a notification letter and only one had
responded, James Barrett. Mr. Barrett
had called stating that he would be out of town during the Hearing, lived
directly across the road and was against approving a business use for the
property. He stated that State Route 48
already has enough traffic and use as anything other than a residence would
increase the traffic and inevitably create more noise as well. Mr. Majeski stated in response that the
church next door creates much more traffic with services and special events
than his business will. A large concern
of the ZBA was regarding the large strip of the property that runs between
residences and accesses Wilbur Road, and that any plans to use it as a second
driveway or access point for the business would not be acceptable. The applicant stated that he had no plans to
use the back property in that fashion and to do so would involve a lot of work
because most of it is wooded; he had instead considered the possibility of
subdividing a parcel to sell for a residence in the future. Without any further comment from the public
or Board members, Chairman French closed the Hearing at 7:10 pm.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
REGULAR
MEETING
Michael Majeski for Marathon LLC
-
The
Regular meeting resumed and discussion ensued amongst the Board members. Chairman French stated that he thought the
proposed business was good fit for a residential community because of the
limited business activity on the site as well as little traffic
generation. Member Thompson commented
that the property had always been used commercially and that the development
created difficulty to use it residentially without incurring great expense. The other Board members were in agreement and
added that the roofing company would be less invasive than other uses proposed
in the past. Chairman French added that
a property not used or abandoned is a detriment to the surrounding community in
it may attract rodents, vandals and be unkempt in appearance. Member Thompson asked the applicant to
describe the front area of the building that had been used in the past as a
storefront. Mr. Majeski definitively
stated that he had no intentions to have a storefront for retail sales; he
would use the space as a showroom for contracted customers to select materials
and colors only. Discussion ensued
regarding possible conditions, if approved, to regulate the second access point
and storefront/retail sales issue, but focus to the application for a requested
Use variance for commercial in an R-1 zoned district and the need for the
property to undergo Site Plan Review and approval from the Planning Board
limited that discussion. A condition to
stipulate that the showroom was subject to Planning Board approval was
agreeable to all.
Without any further discussion
from the Board Members a motion was moved by Member Thompson and seconded by Member LeoGrande,
to grant the Use Variance request to allow the commercial usage of a roofing
company with warehousing in the R-1 zoning district on property located at 1024
State Route 48, Fulton, NY 13069 Tax Map #270.02-01-04.12 is hereby GRANTED with the following express
condition:
1.) Showroom (not retail storefront) subject to
Planning Board Approval.
A roll call vote was taken:
Michael French, Chairman Aye
Peter LeoGrande, Member Aye
Patricia Simmons, Member Aye
Tom Thompson, Member Aye
Tina Sawyer, Member Aye
5 AYES 0 NAYES – Resolution
2018-01 - APPROVED.
MINUTES
A motion was moved by Member Thompson to approve the meeting minutes for
November 9, 2017 and November 20, 2017. The
motion was seconded by Member Simmons, all were in favor without further
discussion and the motion carried.
TRAINING
Chairman
French expressed the need for the Board members to receive training and
requested the secretary to contact Doug Miller (Town Engineer) to arrange a
training session to satisfy NYS requirements.
ADJOURN
With
no other business before the Board a motion
to adjourn at 7:24 pm was moved by
Member Thompson and seconded by Member Simmons, all were in favor and the motion carried.
Respectfully
submitted by:
Lisa
Somers
ZBA
secretary
