March 19, 2015
Cortlandville board OKs Gutchess Lumber rezoning
CORTLANDVILLE — The Cortlandville Town Board Wednesday approved Gutchess Lumber’s request to rezone nearly 58 acres of land near its facility on Luker Road from agricultural, residential and business use to industrial.
After a public hearing in June, owner Gary Gutchess said his company needs space to sort logs and store lumber, adding that is likely what the land will be used for in the short-term.
But residents living near the properties where the changes have been approved have been outspoken against the proposal for a number of reasons, including concerns about noise, flooding and the environmental impact of operations.
During the privilege of the floor portion of the meeting where residents can address the board, resident Lydia Ferro spoke on behalf of residents opposed to the rezoning.
“There’s so many issues,” Ferro said. “This is a very serious situation for the hundreds of people living in this area. More investigation should be done.”
The comments voiced at two public hearings — along with Gutchess Lumber’s responses to residents’ concerns, were collected and forwarded to Gutchess Lumber and the town’s consultants, Clough, Harbour & Associates for their review.
During the meeting, James Trasher, a representative of Clough Harbor, read aloud his firm’s recommendations relating to the zoning changes based on the firm’s research, residents’ comments and the lumber company’s responses.
Clough Harbor’s recommendations were also considered by the board as it conducted its state Environmental Quality Review, or SEQR, before determining rezoning would have little to no impact on the property.
Trasher explained since specifics on how Gutchess Lumber intends to use any or all of the land is yet to be determined, any concerns residents have are likely to be addressed when the company moves to obtain permits to build or expand on the property.
After the vote, Town Supervisor Dick Tupper reminded residents that even with the changes, future plans for development will have to be reviewed. Applications will require the necessary approvals and public hearings at which time specific concerns will be addressed more thoroughly, he said.
“You will have an opportunity to (attend) public hearings and speak about all your concerns — the same ones you’ve had before,” Tupper said. “This time, you’ll be able to look at a specific building or parcel or whatever they (Gutchess) plan on doing.”
In other business, the Town Board approved the rezoning of 75 acres of property along the east side of Route 13 from a B-1 neighborhood business district, to a B-2, a highway commercial business district.
In February 2014, attorney Meira Hertzberg brought the proposal before the Town Board and on behalf of the property owners calling for the change.
In December, the town Planning Board suggested the town approve the zoning change, though the board had initially been awaiting the completed revisions to the town’s land use plan.
To date, the landowners have not said what they intend to build though it is likely future developments will be similar to recent projects along the Route 13 corridor, such as retail uses.
The Town Board Wednesday also granted an aquifer protection permit to HBDR, LLC, a subsidiary of World Fuel Services, allowing it to proceed with plans to build a propane distribution facility along Route 11 in Polkville.
The company would store up to 750,000 gallons of natural gas on site to be picked up and shipped across the state, according to the plans.
In 2013, HBDR proposed building a similar site south of Song Lake Crossing in Preble near the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway, but plans were scrapped after the town passed a moratorium prohibiting such projects in March 2014.
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