OK for Highland brewery, parking hearing in April

David Hulse
Posted 8/21/12

ELDRED, NY — Lumberland resident Bill Lenczuk’s craft brewery plan became legal in the Town of Highland last week, with the town board’s final approval vote on a local law to amend town …

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OK for Highland brewery, parking hearing in April

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ELDRED, NY — Lumberland resident Bill Lenczuk’s craft brewery plan became legal in the Town of Highland last week, with the town board’s final approval vote on a local law to amend town zoning.

An April 14 public hearing for an amendment to the town’s stringent commercial parking regulations was also approved

The board voted following a public hearing on the “farm brewery” craft brewery amendment.

Lenczuk’s Shrewd Fox Brewery is to be located in the former Eldred post office building on Route 55.

With the approval, farm brewery operations become a special permitted use in both the HC (highway commercial), commercial and their adjoining R-1 districts.

That represented a change from the original proposal after reviews from both the county planning department and the Upper Delaware Council questioned the original inclusion of the R-2 district, which covers the majority of the town’s land area.

The county warned of potential conflicts with residential uses in R-2, while the UDC said the light industrial operation was compliant with the River Management Plan in the corridor hamlet areas, but not in the corridor R-2 zones.

As to the parking issue, Supervisor Andrew Boyar said he had consolidated the input and other municipalities’ handling of the issue to the attorney for the town, Michael Davidoff, for a “new version, less restrictive than current requirements.”

Boyar said the new regulations would allow the planning board latitude in reducing required spaces, and incorporate industry standards for use of unpaved or pervious surfaces that would mitigate stormwater runoff.

Boyar said that the planning board will have the new version in time to make timely recommendations and “a month from today, [the town board will] deal with it.”

Builder Charles Petersheim renewed his questions about the propriety of Boyar’s voting on the issue and the meaning of “recusal.”

Petersheim called on Boyar to recuse himself from “all of it based on your views.”

Earlier this year, Boyar had opposed the proposed Dollar General store, which was to be built opposite his home and office in Eldred.

“In a vote of two against two, plus a recusal, the motion fails. You need three affirmative votes to pass. As far as parking is concerned, I want to vote for it… Parking needs to be relaxed. We’ve improved it, and I’m going to vote for it,” Boyar said.

A public hearing for the parking amendment was scheduled at 6:30 p.m., preceding the board’s next regular meeting.

In other business, the board heard Boyar note that the town needs to advertise for a new alternate planning board member; and asked that advance copies of planning board and zoning board of appeals agendas be provided to the town board.

They also heard Petersheim warn that increased medical insurance, salaries and personnel expenses were themes central to recent tax increases that don’t go away.

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