Theodore Bielow – Chairman
Town of Kingsbury
Lee Comar – Vice-Chair
Town of Granville
John T. Pedersen - Secretary
Town of Jackson
H. Thomas Jarrett
Town of Fort Ann
Thomas J. Kearney
Town of Cambridge
Howard Hunt
Town of Whitehall
Robert E. Liebig Sr.
Town of Hartford
Rick Percoco
Town of Greenwich
Bob Somers
Town of White Creek
Peter Beyer
Town of Granville
The Washington County Planning Board meets the second Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise noted.
Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. with a half-hour workshop session followed by the regular the meetings, including the review of referred projects at 7:00 p.m.
All Washington County Planning Board Meetings are open to the public.
Complete referral submissions must be received by the Washington County LDC Planning Department by the deadline date to be considered for the subsequent meeting reviews.
Meeting Date
January 10, 2012
February 14, 2012
March 13, 2012
April 10, 2012
May 8, 2012
June 12, 2012
July 10, 2012
August 14, 2012
September 11, 2012
October 9, 2012
November 13, 2012
December 11, 2012
|
Deadline for Referral Submissions
December 30, 2011
February 3, 2012
March 2, 2012
March 30, 2012
April 27, 2012
June 1, 2012
June 29, 2012
August 3, 2012
August 31, 2012
September 28, 2012
November 2, 2012
November 30, 2012 |
The Washington County Planning Board Adopted their By-Laws on September 12, 2005 – Amended February 2008
By-Laws of the Washington County Planning Board (PDF File)
Referral Submission Requirements
New York State General Municipal Law Article 12-B - §239-M requires municipal boards to refer certain planning actions to the County Board for review before taking final action. The purpose of the law is to encourage local decision-makers to consider the countywide and inter-municipal impacts of their local land use decisions.
Applicants are not permitted to submit referrals directly to the Board; therefore referrals must be submitted by the referring body. However it is requested by the Board that the applicant be present at the meeting in which the referral is being reviewed to provide insight on the project and to answer any questions that may arise.
Referral submission forms must be completed and accompanied by a “full statement of such proposed action” as required by §239-M. Twelve (12) paper copies of all submitted materials must be included as well as a digital copy of all materials.
The following items are to be completed and are provided as a checklist to ensure the proper documents are complied by the referring body ensuring a “full statement of such proposed action”
- GML §239-M Referral Form
- Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) and all other materials used by the referring body to make a determination of significance pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA)
- Copy of the full text of ordinance or local law being proposed (if applicable)
- Copy of the application submitted to the referring body
Provide details of any requirements of the municipalities codes or regulations that were waived
- Maps and plans
Reduce oversized originals to 11”x17” for submission
- Arial photograph(s) showing the context of the site location
- Twelve (12) printed copies of the full statement
- Electronic copy of the full statement
An electronic copy my be submitted by CD or E-mail
Note: Aerial photographs can be found using the Washington County IMO system.
Please refer to the following steps:
Resources & Information Image Mate Online Map and Data
Enter the corresponding information (generally the Tax Map ID works the best) and ‘Search’
Once the information has loaded, select ‘Pin Property on GIS Map’ located under Maps in the lower right hand corner
Be sure to check the box for aerial photographs to be added to the image
This image can be downloaded and added to the full statement for submission.
All materials for referral must be delivered by hand or by postal mail to the Washington County Local Development Corporation office by 4:00 p.m. at least 11 days prior to the meeting date on which it wishes to be reviewed.
Referral Process
The referring body must complete the Washington County GML §239-M Referral Form accompanied by a “full statement of such proposed action” 11 days prior to the meeting date on which it wishes to be reviewed
The submitted materials will be reviewed to determine its completeness. If the referral is deemed incomplete the referring body will be notified. If the referral is deemed complete, it will be accepted for review by the Board.
After review by the Washington County Planning Board, the referring body will receive a notification of the Board recommendations as well as a ‘Notice of Final Action’ form which is to be completed by the referring body within thirty (30) days of the local board’s final action.
Printable Documents and Forms
Guide to Site Development Review (PDF File)
Guide to Planning and Zoning Laws (PDF File)
Permit Guide (PDF File)
GML §239-M Referral Form (PDF File)
The Washington County Planning Board is an advisory board with considerations to inter-community and county-wide impacts.
The Board has thirty (30) days after the receipt of the “full statement of such proposed action” to provide the referring body with recommendations.
The following recommendations can be taken by the Board after review:
- Approval
- Approval with Conditions/Modifications
- Disapproval
- Disapproval Due to Insufficient Information
- Matter of Local Concern (has no significant county-wide or inter-community impact)
Non-binding comments can be used alone or in conjunction with the aforementioned recommendations.
Subsequent to the Planning Board Meeting in which each referral is reviewed, a referral review will be sent to the referring body along with the notice of final action which must be completed and returned by the referring body within thirty (30) days of the local decision.
If the Board does not provide a recommendation to the referring body within thirty (30) days of receipt of the full statement, the referring body may proceed to take final action.
What actions are subject to review by the Washington County Planning Board?
As per the New York GML Article 12-B - §239-M, if the real property is located within five hundred feet of the following it is subject to review:
- The boundary of any city, village or town; or
- The boundary of any existing or proposed county or state park or any other recreation area; or
- The right-of-way of any existing or proposed county or state parkway, thruway, expressway, road or highway; or
- The existing or proposed right-of-way of any stream or drainage channel owned by the county or for which the county has established channel lines; or
- The existing or proposed boundary of any county or state owned land on which a public building or institution is situated; or
- The boundary of a farm operation located in an agricultural district, as defined by article twenty-five-AA of the agricultural and markets law (this shall not apply to area variances)
The following actions are subject to referral if the real property corresponds with the above stated designations:
- Adoption or amendment of a comprehensive plan pursuant to section two hundred seventy-two-a of the town law, section 7-722 of the village law or section twenty-eight-a of the general city law
- Adoption or amendment of a zoning ordinance or local law
- Issuance of special use permits
- Approval of site plans
- Granting of use or area variances
- Other authorizations which a referring body may issue under the provisions of any zoning ordinance or local law
What is the County Planning Board looking for in their reviews?
The Washington County Planning Board’s job is to determine if there will be any county-wide or inter-community impacts as a result of the proposed action.
This may include, but is not limited to the following:
- Compatibility of adjacent land uses
- Impact of any additional traffic
- Compatibility with existing municipal comprehensive plans
- Effects on community character and appearance
- Impacts on community facilities
How do the County Board’s decisions and recommendations affect local decision-making?
The Washington County Planning Board is an advisory board which gives only recommendations regarding county-wide or inter-community impacts on referrals submitted based on New York GML Article 12-B - §239-M. The municipality may act contrary to the County Board’s decisions and recommendations and approve the application. A simple majority vote will approve the application at the local level in most cases. In the event the County Board has ‘Disapproved’ or ‘Approved with Conditions,’ then the municipal board may approve the application with a super majority vote. The municipal board must then adopt a resolution citing the reasons for its decisions.
Note: A super majority vote is a vote of the majority of its members, plus one vote.
What are the consequences if a referral is not made?
Neglecting to refer a land use action pursuant to New York GML Article 12-B - §239-M may constitute a “procedural or jurisdictional error” that could legally invalidate the local municipality’s land use decision. In a court challenge, the local decision on an application may be nullified.
Note: To clarify any of these issues, the municipal board may wish to consult their town or village attorney.
