Both the village and town have approved merging their planning boards and zoning boards of appeal. The change will occur within a month.
Separate resolutions were approved Monday and Wednesday evening by the town and village boards respectively.
“The economy and efficiency of creating joint boards is advantageous to both the town and village of Warsaw,” the town’s public hearing announcement read.
The two municipalities currently have their own separate planning boards and ZBAs. Each is composed of five people.
All members will resign within the next 30 days. A new, seven-person joint planning board and ZBA will then be named.
The village and town will each appoint three members to the new boards. The seventh member will be chosen by both municipalities.
The village and town are also considering merging their zoning and code enforcement operations, said Town Zoning Officer Robert Martin after the meeting.
Nobody spoke at a public hearing on the issue at Wednesday’s Town Board meeting. The towns and villages of Perry and Castile have used similar combined boards for about 25 years.
In other Town Board action:
— Board members approved a resolution objecting to a proposed co-op next to the new town hall at 83 Center St.
The building’s owner has requested a variance, which would allow the two-story, single family house to be used as a business. Martin said the owner has also asked to use the town hall’s parking lot.
Town officials noted numerous objections, including that the parking lot is meant for town and court matters. They also noted the area’s zoned as residential, and the house is still a viable residence.
“We didn’t build here to create a commercial center,” said Town Supervisor Rebecca Ryan. “We came here to provide an essential service.”
Town attorney David DiMatteo also raised potential safety, parking and house value issues if the variance was approved. He said the chief objection was because the house is still “very viable as a single-family residence.”
— The Town Board approved a change in its voting location.
Voting will now be conducted at the Warsaw Fire Hall on East Buffalo Street. It was previously located at the town Highway Department on 300 Favor St.
The latter location’s lighting had proven too dim, board members said. They approved the change with the stipulation the town would pay no new fees stemming from the change.
— The Town Board has proposed a local law allowing it to exceed state’s 2 percent tax cap.
Officials described the change as a formality of sorts: the newly-formed sewer district would automatically breach the cap, since it hadn’t existed before.
The sewer tax would be paid only by those within the district. A public hearing will be conducted at budget time in October.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Matt Surtel
Quelle/Source: The Daily News Online, 09.08.2012
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