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1968-01-09The regular meeting of the Town of Wappinger Zoning Board Of Appeals was called to order on Tuesday, January 9, 1968, at �.. 807 p.m., at the Town Hall, Mill Street, Wappingers Falls, New York. on Members Presents Thomas I. Graham, Sr. Richard E. Jacobson Members Absent: Jason Morse Gordon A. Hirt H. Frederick Koehler Others Present: Joseph E. Ludewig, Building Inspector & Zoning Administrator Rudolph E. Lapar, Engineer to the Town Susan J. Pike, Secretary ADJOURNED PUBLIC HEARING 4 Appeal # 71, at the request of Margaret J. Card, seeking a variance to permit the relocation of a curb cut from Route 9 to Fowlerhouse Road, this being a change in the site plan which was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals on March 31, 1966, for the relocation of a legally non- conforming grocery store on the west side of Route 9, south of Fowlerhouse Road, in the Town of Wappinger. Chairman Graham re -opened the public hearing, which was adjourned on December 12, 1967. Mr. Charles Card and his Engineer, Mr. Anthony T. Rowan, were present. There had been much discussion, at the December 12th meeting, on the subject of elevations of the site and the new highway, and on the subject of the State's denial of the second curb cut for access to said highway. As a result, the Board adjourned the hearing to this date and requested that Mr. Card submit a written denial from the State for the second curb cut. They also requested that he have his engineer attend this meeting to discuss the matter of elevations with them. Further, Mr. Ludewig was asked to make an official request of the State Department of Transportation to have a representative present at this hearing to further discuss the matter of elevations. Mr. Sal Amico, Engineer in charge of the Route 9 Project from Fishkill to Poughkeepsie, was present as a representative of the New York State Department of Transportation. Mr. Rowan stated that he had not obtained the exact grades from the State Highway Department aball. He stated that he had contacted the State Highway Department and they had informed him that the new highway would be approximately 1 ft. above existing grade at the southern end of this site and 4 ft. above existing grade at the Fowlerhouse Road end of the site. Mr. Rowan further stated that he had set the grades on a block wall Zoning Board of Appeals -2- January 9, 1968 that was existing at the time that the foundation for the new building was started, but he did not know what happened after the grade was set. Mr. Amico came before the Board with a map showing the old and new grades of the highway in this area, and reviewed with them, in detail, the starting and finishing grades of the highway Along this particular site. He stated that these grades became official on September 15, 1965, and had not been changed since. The new highway is constructed in accordance with these grades. Mr. Jacobson asked if Mr. Card would have had access to this information. Mr. Amico's reply was yes. Mr. Ludewig pointed out that he had been in touch with the State Department of Transportation, and there has been no application for a curb cut, as such, made for access to new Route 9 from this site. Mr. Koehler, in behalf of the Board, thanked Mr. Amico for taking the time to come in and discuss this matter with them. Mr. Koehler remarked that there does not seem to have been any changes made in the design of the highway by the State since 1964, and the highway is essentially constructed according to plan. Mr. Card stated that the Contractor's engineer had placed a mark on the building, from which Mr. Rowan set his grades. Mr. Amico stated that Mr. Frasier is the Engineer for the contractor, and he had given Mr. Card a mark which was higher than the then -existing foundation. He pointed out, however, that the new building is lower than the old foundation was. Evidently, in transferring the grades to the new foundation, 2 ft. were lost. Mr. Jacobson asked Mr. Card if he is able to produce the written denial of the curb cut from the State. Mr. Card stated that the denials had been received verbally from Mr. Vogel and Mr. Veracca. Mr. Amico noted that once the State bought Mr. Card's building, the property was considered by them as vacant lane, which entitled him to one curb cut only. Mr. Ludewig noted that he had been informed by Mr. Vogel that no written application had been made for a second cut at any time. Mr. Jacobson asked what the approximate difference in elevations is. Mr. Lapar noted that the site is probably from seven to ten feet below the highway. Mr. Amico stated that, if the cut onto Fowlerhouse Road were to be granted, the State has a requirement that would CM on Zoning Board of Appeals -3- January 9, 1968 prohibit its being any closer than 35 ft. to Route 9. Mr. Harry Ries, Peggy Lane, noted that the minutes of the January 11, 1966, Public Hearing contain a statement by Mr. Card that he had been granted two curb cuts onto Route 9. There were no others present to speak for or against the appeal. The Chair declared the hearing closed. The Board had received the report and recommendation of the Dutchess County Planning Board on this appeal. The Planning Board recommended that the application be considered favorably by the Zoning Board. Said recommendation is filed with the records of this appeal. The Board went into an executive session at 8:47 p.m., and the meeting was reconvened at 9:25 p.m. In reference to Appeal ## 71, A motion was radde by Mr. Hirt, seconded by Mr. Koehler, to deny Appeal ## 71, requested by Margaret J. Card for a variance to permit the relocation of a curb cut from Route 9 to Fowlerhouse Road, being a change in her site plan approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals on March 31, 1966, on the grounds that no basis for a variance has been proven, and that the original stipulations imposed by the Zoning Board of Appeals on March 31, 1966, are reasonable and proper and have not been complied with. Roll Call Votes Mr. Graham voted Aye. Mr. Koehler voted Aye. Mr. Hirt voted Aye. Mr. Jacobson voted Aye. Motion Unanimously Carried A motion was made by Mr. Hirt, seconded by Mr. Jacobson, to adjourn the meeting. Motion Unanimously Carried The meeting was adjourned at 9:27 p.m. sjp APPROVED, MARCH 12, 1968 Respectfully submitted, c Susan J. Pike, Secretary Zoning Board of Appeals Town of Wappinger