Credit: Pine Plains Planning Board/YouTube
Site plans for a new slaughterhouse and a site plan for an existing parking lot extension at Tower Pizza were among the items approved by the Pine Plains Planning Board at its May 15 meeting. The board also discussed proposed modifications and repurposing of the former car service station at 2698 Rte.199.
Cichetti Slaughterhouse
The board reviewed a site plan for the proposed slaughterhouse at 424 Prospect Hill Road which will be accessed via a new road a short distance east of the Sugar Hill Farm store at 3580 Rte. 199. The seven-page plan included an area map, topography map, site survey, significant habitats sheet, lighting plan, landscape plan, environmental assessment form, and an agricultural data statement. There were several questions left unanswered in the environmental assessment form. In two 7-0 votes, the board set a public hearing for the project for June 12 at 7:30 p.m and to accept the amended, full, EAF, once received from the applicant.
Additional details of the proposed slaughterhouse were revealed, including plans for a 3-foot-by-5-foot sign on posts, which will be perpendicular to the road and illuminated. The facility’s operating hours will be from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The building, constructed of concrete and metal, will have a single straight ridgeline, a 20-foot sidewall and a 32-foot roof peak.
Tower Pizza Parking Lot Expansion
The board approved the site plan for a pre-existing expansion of a parking lot at 9 Main St. The lot, jointly used by Tower Pizza and the American Legion, was completed without a permit. After a neighbor complained, the Town requested that a permit application be filed, which necessitated the approval of a site plan. On Thursday, Wesley Chase, a land surveyor, presented the plan for formal approval, which was reviewed and approved by the town engineer. The motion passed, 7-0.
Hudson Performance Center
Poughkeepsie based architect Anthony Frisenda presented plans for renovations to the auto repair shop vacated in September 2023 at 2698 Rte. 199 in Pine Plains. The proposal includes a rear addition to the existing shop, adding three bays for a new garage and storage area. The expanded footprint and renovations will replace the flat roof with a gable roof and add a small showroom at the front of the structure with a large glass window. The applicant will use the space to conduct car-related, not arts-related, business.
The board noted that the New York State Department of Transportation will need to give an official opinion on entrances from the highway and the Dutchess County Health Department will need to give its opinion on septic systems. Additionally a full environmental assessment form is required due to the handling of hazardous waste and disposal of oil.
Sisco Minor Subdivision
Keith and Jeanine Sisco’s proposal for a minor subdivision was also on the agenda. Their property fronts North Main Street, Hoffman, and Ryan roads. They seek approval to create three lots: Lot 1, with 1.73 acres, with an existing cottage, septic system, and entrance, designated as rural in the zoning code; Lot 2, with 1.75 acres and an existing residence; and Lot 3, with 5.06 acres of undeveloped meadowland, which will require an entrance and a detailed map showing the driveway. After reviewing the zoning law, town attorney Warren Replansky advised the Siscos,, to request a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals. (Jeanine Sisco is a member of the town board.)
D&S Apartments
Douglas Weaver requested initial feedback on demolishing an existing four-unit apartment building at 7788 South Main St., (across from the clock tower) and replacing it with a rectangular structure housing similar apartments. The current L-shaped building includes a studio, two one-bedroom units, and a two-bedroom unit. Weaver owns an adjoining property that has a building with two apartments just behind the street-facing building. That property was once the site of the Pine Plains Post Office which burned in 1981. The board suggested Weaver merge the two properties, as the two apartments in the back of the L-shaped building own the rights to the driveway and septic system.
The full meeting is available to watch online.