Minutes of the Charlton Environmental Conservation Commission Meeting – August 29, 2006

1.   The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm with members Marv Schorr, Midge Dube, Lane Jastrebski, Teddi Smith and Bob Killeen in attendance.

2.   Town Board Meeting of August 14 was briefly discussed by Marv and Midge.

3.       County Water Committee – Teddi reported that there is money available for ag grants to use to plant crops and to help protect water quality.

4.       Marv discussed the stream blockages and flooding problem behind Wally Hughes house. Ron Gavin and his crew removed a dump truck load of junk from the stream bed. The stream area is now much better. Blue Neils, County MS4 Coordinator, is still drafting an action plan. 

5.       Comprehensive Plan – Marv gave an update on the status of the draft plan. There is a preliminary draft now available that is being reviewed before releasing it to the public. He again discussed the procedure that will be followed for completing the draft and presenting the plan to the Town.  

6.        Charlton Seniors – Midge reported that the proposed senior’s van may not become a reality for the present due to legal and insurance issues. She discussed some of the speakers scheduled for meetings of the Seniors.

7.       Outdoor open burn law discussion –The letter of recommendation to the Town Board on proposed changes to the law has not yet been acted on by the Town Board. It is on the agenda for the next town Board meeting.

8.       Founders Day – The ECC display at the Party-in-the-Park drew little attention except for the photo album of pictures of the Alplause Creek put together by Teddi Smith. The general feeling was that this is not the right venue for ECC displays; it is a family fun event. The ECC should have an educational article of some type in each Town Newsletter.

9.   Household Hazardous Waste – Marv reported that he gets several calls a month asking how to dispose of such material. Marv has information from the NY DEC and from Waste Management on the disposal of some hazardous materials and the cost of disposal. Because of possible interest on the part of the Town of Greenfield in participating, there may be a collection next year (Charlton, Galway, Ballston, Greenfield). In addition, the feeling was that we should have an article on a hazwaste in each newsletter.

10.  Cuchelo Variance Application – the application seeks to subdivide the property on Sacandaga Road into four lots, one of which does not meet the 200 foot road frontage requirement. The one lot has 133 feet of frontage and the narrow section extends back about 850 feet until it expands into a wide lot where the house will be located. The planning Board review indicated a concern with the long driveway. The narrow frontage is owner imposed. Environmental concerns include the visual impact of the new house behind an existing house, but since it is far back on the lot it will have two barns and the slope of the land shielding it from view of the existing house. Access to the house by emergency vehicles is of concern due to the excessively long driveway. Driveway maintenance, snow and ice removal could all be a problem.  

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

M.M. Schorr, Chairman

cc: ECC members

Town Board members