Hyde Park Planning Board
Sarah Sullivan, owner of Best and Brightest Daycare, located in the former Hyde Park Elementary School at 4327 Albany Post Road, requested site plan approval for the daycare at the board’s Feb. 19 meeting. The application proposes the expansion of a small area in the back for outdoor activities for infants and toddlers. However, no official site map was available because Sullivan is still waiting on data from the school district. It is also unclear whether signage for the daycare would be accomplished through a large directory of signs for all the tenants of the building or a single sign. The board will hear further explanation of the plans and review a detailed site plan once these issues are cleared up, and then a public hearing on the application will be set.
Mobil station sign requests discussed
The Zoning Board of Appeals had referred a request for multiple changes to signs at the Chestnut Mart/Mobil station, at 1110 Violet Avenue, to the planning board for an opinion, and the application was discussed at the board’s Feb. 19 meeting. Chestnut Mart had requested a ruling from the ZBA on whether the gas station canopy could be considered a wall, which might allow more signage. The planners said that a canopy should be considered a roof. In addition, planners requested construction drawings before deciding whether the blue band on the canopy could be considered a sign (if so, a variance may be required).
On a separate question of increasing the height of the station’s free-standing sign from 7 ft. to 21.75 ft. and its area from 30 sq. ft. to 60 sq. ft., the board determined that such an increase is “out of scale and character of the neighborhood,” and would be inappropriate in the context. The board also disagreed with a request to increase the sign lettering from 10 inches to 24 inches.
The planners’ comments will be sent to the ZBA, which is expected to make a final ruling at its Feb. 26 meeting.
Town of Clinton Planning Board
Positive recommendation for Sodom Rd. variance
The planning board on Feb. 18 granted Kevin and Nancy McDonald, of 110 Sodom Road, another positive recommendation on a side yard setback reduction. The first recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals was granted and got ZBA approval in October 2012. But due to a missing form, the McDonalds had to reapply for both the recommendation and the variance. They are seeking a side yard setback reduction from 50 ft. to 32 ft. 8 in. for the construction of a 24 ft. by 30 ft. storage barn. The application is on the agenda for the ZBA meeting Feb. 27.
Conditional approval for Stissing View Drive subdivision
Nancy Packes of 27-37 Stissing View Drive was back before the board Feb. 18 to continue discussion of her application to subdivide her property into two lots. Since the last presentation, Packes had received permission from the county for a second driveway, a requirement under the town code when creating a new lot, even though a second driveway is not planned at this time. The board granted conditional approval to the subdivision application provided Packes is granted the necessary area variance by the ZBA for the size of a proposed accessory structure.