The Stanford Planning Board granted conditional approval for a 5-acre subdivision of a 57-acre plot at 154 Knight Road at its meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26. The owner of the plot, Gayle Bontecou, plans to sell the subdivision to Karin Roebke after formal approval from the Planning Board.
To get approval, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation must first decide whether the subdivision falls within 800 feet of a potential vernal pool. If it does, the subdivision would require special permitting due to a recent regulation protecting the important breeding grounds for amphibians.
The other condition placed on the subdivision mandates that the property be marked for non-residential use. “A house cannot be built on it unless Board of Health approval is obtained,” said Planning Board Chair Thomas Angell.
Some members of the public said the environmental assessment read during the meeting — which determined no significant “change to the use or intensity of use of land” would be caused by the subdivision — did not account for the end goal of the subdividing and future sale of the property: residential use. They also expressed concern about the narrowness of Knight Road as an egress and ingress and the change to neighbors’ views if a structure were to be built.
The subdivision was conditionally approved and any future development of the property would be subject to town and county regulations.
In other business, the Planning Board made minor alterations along the lot lines of land belonging to Matt Salvia at 483 Cold Spring Road to conform to Stanford’s zoning requirements.
Additionally, a special use permit to build a guest cottage on land belonging to Zach and Amy Gage of 57 Wendover Road was deemed unnecessary to seek approval for. Angell pointed out to land surveyor and Gage representative Vincent Leto that Stanford has “as of right” laws, which allow property owners to put up a second home if they have a large enough plot and if they define it as a duplex or second family home, which does not have to be attached. The law did not previously account for ADUs which were granted as of right status on Feb. 13.
The next Stanford Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on March 26.