Farmland protection plan declared Type I action

NORTH EAST — The subject of the town’s Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan was raised at its April 8 Town Board meeting. A special committee has been working on the farmland preservation plan since receiving a $25,000 state-funded grant award in 2008.

Back at a Feb. 11 meeting, the plan, which was created with the help of consultants from the American Farmland Trust (AFT), was preliminarily declared a Type 1 action under SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act). Attorney to the Town Warren Replansky advised the Town Board at last Thursday’s meeting to use caution, and to complete a full Environmental Assessment Form (AEF) under SEQRA.

“Adopt a resolution and I’ll be prepared at the next meeting to give you the AEF,� he said, adding that it’s “better to be careful.�

Once that’s done Replansky will guide the board through Part II of the environmental review, which he estimated would take no more than half an hour; he anticipated that could  be done at the board’s May meeting.

“Be prepared to discuss any problems or issues you may have [at that time],� he told the board.

“We should also provide copies to the steering committee,� North East town Supervisor Dave Sherman said, adding that the Town Board is actually the lead agency for the environmental review, not the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan Committee. “[We] should declare it a Type I action under SEQRA.�

A motion was made by Councilman Dave McGhee and seconded by Councilman Steve Merwin, repeating Sherman’s comments. The resolution passed with unanimous support.

A question was asked from audience member and local resident Pamela Michaud if the upcoming meeting in May was in place of the February public hearing that had to be rescheduled due to a lack of a Town Board quorum.

“No,� responded Sherman, who explained the May 6 meeting will not be a public hearing. “It’s for us to work with [each other and our consultants] and it’s open to the public, but it’s not a public hearing. We will hold a public hearing later.�

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