County Planning Commission has Concerns With Cobleskill Project

COBLESKILL — A large planned residential development in the Village of Cobleskill rated an incomplete from the Schoharie County Planning Commission at its Monday, Nov. 2 meeting.

Maxim Equity Properties LLC of Hackensack, N.J. is proposing 278 townhomes at a spot on Mineral Springs Road. After reviewing the matter at the Nov. 2 meeting, the SCPC voted to deem the application incomplete because of no specific lighting plan, landscaping plan and other deficiencies.

Former Village of Cobleskill Mayor Rebecca Stanton-Terk expressed concerns that initial plans for the project listed condominiums.

"From a (tax) assessment standpoint, condos are assessed differently," she said. "The land below the buildings is not assessed. I'm sure it's in everyone's best interest to get the maximum amount of tax revenue from this project."

Some Planning Commission members also expressed concerns about whether there would be enough water and water pressure to adequately fight a fire at the new development should one occur, especially considering the varying elevations. A recent large fire that gutted a vacant motel tested Cobleskill's water capabilities.

Planning Commission member Paul Koopmann, who also works for the county Health Department, said he believed the water plant could sufficiently expand capacity if needed. Also, a planned pump station should ensure enough water pressure for later stages of the project, he added.

It was unclear what exactly comes next after Monday's incomplete ruling from the SCPC. It was mentioned at the meeting that the project had already received approval from the Village of Cobleskill Planning Board but it wasn't clear if there had been final approval.

County Planner Zachary Thompson, who sits in on all county Planning Commission meetings and advises the SCPC, said the Village Planning Board is not supposed to grant final approval until it gets some sort of recommendation from the county Planning Commission.

Stanton-Terk said she believed the Village Planning Board had granted its approval contingent on the county Planning Commission's approval. The SCPC issues recommendations regarding approval or denial of projects but does not actually approve or deny them.

Village of Cobleskill attorney Joanne Darcy Crum wrote in an email to this newspaper she didn't know if the Village PB had granted final approval. Other Village officials could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

In other matters from the Nov. 2 county Planning Commission meeting, the SCPC gave a finding of incomplete on a proposal for land at 379 Stryker Road in the Town of Gilboa. The vote of incomplete was based on a lack of information in the referral about elevations.

The applicant, Oneonta-based New York Land & Lakes Development LLC, is proposing to subdivide a 130-acre parcel into 18 parcels ranging in size from 2.5 to 20 acres.

"Parcels will be sold as vacant land for the buyer to decide if, when and what to build," the application stated.

The SCPC considered three proposed new Local Laws for the Town of Schoharie. Local Law No. 3 is a "Zoning amendment to codify the Gateway District and other changes, to implement the Town and Village Comprehensive Plan (2025) regarding the Gateway District and to prohibit battery energy storage systems and data centers."

The county Planning Commission recommended approval of Local Law No. 3 with modifications, with the modifications being there be more specificity on the size and nature of battery storage systems to be prohibited.

Local Law No. 4 proposes to "Establish Schoharie Gateway District and associated regulations, codify the Schoharie Business Park Planned Development District standards and amend related provisions and the official zoning map." The SCPC recommended approval of this Local Law.

Local Law No. 5 proposes "to add the Central Bridge Business District as an overlay zoning district." The county Planning Commission gave an incomplete ruling on this Local Law because the referral included no map.

Early in the meeting, Commission members voted to elect Ray Gillis of Esperance as SCPC Chairman for the next year and Ron Ketelsen of Sharon as Vice-Chairman.

Pictured: Schoharie County Planning Commission Chairman Ray Gillis (left) and county Planner Zachary Thompson at the Nov. 2 commission meeting.