The Pine Plains Planning Board demonstrated stamina and a keen attention to detail in a nearly four-hour monthly meeting that touched on issues ranging from private solar use to proposed renovations at Stewart’s and The Stissing Center and their impact on the town’s visual aesthetic.
Meeting July 26 at the Town Hall, the board was able to reach resolution on only a portion of its agenda items – in many cases because it was awaiting input from Dutchess County authorities. But it heard spirited debate on a number of ambitious commercial and social projects with the power to shape the Pine Plains landscape for months and years to come.
As the issue of solar power continues to roil portions of the local community – particularly residents with farmland properties on the eastern edge of the town – the board agreed that it had no objections to the Town Board proceeding with a proposed eight-month moratorium to examine the potential long-term impact of any future commercial solar projects that may arise.
The Town Board, which raised the issue at a public hearing last week, had asked for formal input from the Planning Board before imposing the moratorium. Michael Stabile, the board chairman, will prepare a letter to his Town Board counterparts informing them of the decision.
The pause will not affect the 24,000-panel Carson Power project at Pulvers Corners, which has already cleared several hurdles in the approval process.
The Planning Board also approved an application for a ground-based solar array at a private residence 31 Schultz Hill, saying it was satisfied the panels would be largely out of sight from neighbors and nearby roads.
Board members also heard input regarding the proposed expansion of Stewart’s convenience store at the southern entrance to the town on Route 82. The expansion envisions a new, larger retail area set further back from the road, the addition of diesel fuel pumps and increased parking and maneuverability for drivers.
The project has won vocal public support but also faced resistance from some town officials who say the project – with its large, streetside parking lot and dominant gas canopy — runs counter to zoning laws and other documents seeking to preserve the town’s rural, walkable character.
Stabile read aloud from a letter from Scott Chase, an experienced city planner and the chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals, who noted that the Stewart’s site “is one of the gateway properties to the historic hamlet of Pine Plains” and should set “a standard for design quality and appearance.”
Chase also accused Stewart’s of being “disingenuous” in its dealings with the town by falsely inflating the amount of time drivers would need to go without being able to fill up locally if the fuel stations were moved to a more secluded position at the back of the building.
Stabile, for his part, noted the board’s frustration with Stewart’s for initially claiming it had no intention of expanding after buying an additional half-acre at the rear of its property, only to proceed with expansion plans months later.
Project manager Marcus Andrews said he apologized “for being in the dark on this.” He said landscaping and LED lighting would improve the aesthetic impact of the site for drivers as they entered Pine Plains from the south.
The Planning Board also heard words of support for Stewart’s from a member of the public. Board members also noted that Stewart’s, which was built in 1992, predates the town’s zoning laws by nearly two decades.
The board, which is waiting for Dutchess County authorities to weigh in on the project, is expected to decide whether to approve the Stewart’s site plan at its next meeting August 9.
A similarly lively debate was heard regarding The Stissing Center arts building, which presented revised plans for an overhaul that includes office space, a gallery, dressing rooms and enhancements to the façade including a glassed-in side enclosure and a sweeping space for murals that Executive Director Brett Bernardini said would feature commissioned works of art that “capture the spirit of Pine Plains.”
Concerns were expressed by board members that the new design, by architect Doug Larson, was not in keeping with Pine Plains’ visual aesthetic. Bernardini pushed back, defending the design as fully in keeping with the town’s emerging reputation as the regional “center of arts and culture.”
On the perennial topic of the town laundromat, which currently functions at the back of The Stissing Center, Bernardini said he was still investigating where the facility could eventually be moved. “But until we have a where, it is comfortably ensconced where it is and will remain open,” he said.
Stabile said the board is currently awaiting county input on The Stissing Center plan, but is expecting to make a resolution at its August meeting.
The board also reviewed site plans for a proposed day care center at the Pilch Drive business complex. Sarah Hakobian, who recently opened the Heaven’s Light bakery in the same complex, has purchased additional space that she said could accommodate as many as 15-25 children. The board requested a professional site plan and asked Hakobian to continue speaking to child-welfare authorities about what such a facility would require.
Apex Modular Solutions, which uses a small plot of land just south of Stewart’s as a showcase for its sheds and tiny homes, applied to renew a retail permit that had lapsed under the previous business owner. The application was deemed incomplete and sent back for further details.
In its second resolution of the evening, the Planning Board formally approved plans by Alchemy Pure to operate a cannabis-packaging facility at 2775 West Church Street.
Stabile also noted that Helene Marsh had stepped down as an alternate to the Planning Board, and said the board would be seeking suggestions for new people to step into the role.
The Planning Board next meets on August 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Pine Plains Town Hall, 3284 Route 199.