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At its meeting Jan. 26, the Yates County Planning Board approved the Town of Torrey’s one-year moratorium on directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
Like numerous other towns in New York, and the Finger Lakes especially, Torrey is proposing the moratorium be enacted upon the DEC’s final ruling on whether or where high-volume hydraulic fracturing of horizontal gas wells in shale formations will be allowed. The one-year limit is intended to give the town sufficient time to amend its zoning codes to regulate heavy industry. As in several previous referrals addressing hydrofracking, member John Sawers, representing the Village of Rushville, was the only nay vote.
Other business:
Three area variances were sought by Milo residents Richard and Carol Correnti, of 312 East Lake Road. Represented by Keuka Area Design Service, the variances are for a detached garage and include two setbacks from the lot perimeter and a height variance.
The height variance was sought to allow the pitch of the roof to more closely resemble that of the house and to allow storage space. The board approved the referral with the understanding that the garage would never be used for habitation. As in several previous area variance referrals, member-at-large Ron Rubin cast the only nay vote.
Rubin, a resident of Jerusalem, was elected as the new chairman of the planning board. He has served three years on the county planning board and seven years on the Jerusalem Zoning Board of Appeals.
Member Chuck Mitchell, representing Jerusalem, was elected as vice-chair. He has served on the county planning board for more than a dozen years, and was chairman of the zoning board of appeals in Wayne in the 1980s. Outgoing chairman Jim Ritter will continue on the planning board, but decided to step down as chairman after being elected Supervisor of the Town of Starkey.
At its meeting Jan. 26, the Yates County Planning Board approved the Town of Torrey’s one-year moratorium on directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
Like numerous other towns in New York, and the Finger Lakes especially, Torrey is proposing the moratorium be enacted upon the DEC’s final ruling on whether or where high-volume hydraulic fracturing of horizontal gas wells in shale formations will be allowed. The one-year limit is intended to give the town sufficient time to amend its zoning codes to regulate heavy industry. As in several previous referrals addressing hydrofracking, member John Sawers, representing the Village of Rushville, was the only nay vote.
Other business:
Three area variances were sought by Milo residents Richard and Carol Correnti, of 312 East Lake Road. Represented by Keuka Area Design Service, the variances are for a detached garage and include two setbacks from the lot perimeter and a height variance.
The height variance was sought to allow the pitch of the roof to more closely resemble that of the house and to allow storage space. The board approved the referral with the understanding that the garage would never be used for habitation. As in several previous area variance referrals, member-at-large Ron Rubin cast the only nay vote.
Rubin, a resident of Jerusalem, was elected as the new chairman of the planning board. He has served three years on the county planning board and seven years on the Jerusalem Zoning Board of Appeals.
Member Chuck Mitchell, representing Jerusalem, was elected as vice-chair. He has served on the county planning board for more than a dozen years, and was chairman of the zoning board of appeals in Wayne in the 1980s. Outgoing chairman Jim Ritter will continue on the planning board, but decided to step down as chairman after being elected Supervisor of the Town of Starkey.
