May 6 2008 Woodstock Town Board Meeting

This article appeared in the Townsman, May 8 2008 edition

The so-called Farmers Market is actually two separate activities slated to go off on May 28 from the hours of four to eight pm and then on each Wednesday until September 24. On the Houst parking lot up to fifteen “certified” venders of produce will offer their wares, while on Mower’s Field, location of the long established weekend flea market, there will be a Woodstock Chamber of Commerce sponsored “Farm Festival” consisting of at least three outdoor restaurants, children’s entertainment, a small stage for amplified acoustic music and other attractions.
Apparently none of the proposed activities are to be subject to site plan review by the planning board, nor has the town board made any studies of the potential environmental impact, according to supervisor Jeff Moran. Nonetheless, the Town has issued a mass gathering permit, and will consider a barricade across Maple Lane to limit traffic. Technically everything hinges of the Woodstock Zoning Board of Appeal’s (ZBA) acceptance of a traffic plan provided by the festival promoters, but according to festival attorney Dick Goldman the ZBA is bound by a stipulation entered into by Town officials and festival representatives that will make such acceptance merely pro forma. Such stipulation was agreed to by a unanimous vote of the town board. The board also unanimously agreed to schedule a public hearing for May 20 at 8:00 pm on a proposition to close Maple Lane.
The Town has no assurance that “produce” will be the only wares offered at the Farmers Market, and directed questions on the matter to Cheryl Paff, market coordinator.
The Town has agreed unanimously to contribute up to $6000 in services, mostly for traffic control (see item later in this story concerning traffic and parking problems on the Comeau property).
Town board members maintain that the stipulation would avoid an Article 78 proceeding against the Town. However, when it was pointed out that since the ZBA had denied the Farmers Market variance “without prejudice” no such lawsuit would be possible, the town board had no response.
Attention now turns to the ZBA, which will review the traffic study at their May 8 meeting, although under what legal auspices no one can tell. The Farmers Market application for a variance expired, and no new application has been made.
Councilwoman Liz Simonson volunteered to spearhead a revision to the zoning law that would permit the exhibit of merchandise between structures and the curb, claiming the existing statute is “unenforceable.” She asked for help in loosening the zoning restrictions on sandwich boards used for advertising.
In other business the town board voted to re-advertise for a clerk-of-the-works for the town hall renovation project after receiving only one bid for the position. The highway superintended, Mike Reynolds, was given authorization to go out to bid on a new highway truck. An advertisement for volunteers to serve on the Commission for Civic Design and the Telecommunications Committee was authorized.
There was extensive discussion on the potential environmental impact of the proposed amendment to the zoning law regulating development nears streams, water bodies and wetlands. Planning specialist Dara Trahan will perform additional work in consultation with land-use attorney Drayton Grant. There was also discussion about the proposed zoning amendment to regulate development and activities in the area of the aquifer that feeds the municipal water supply, with an apparent consensus to separate the well head area from the larger aquifer area and impose different standards for development and land use.

There was another inconclusive discussion about the parking situation on the Comeau property, particularly on days of children’s soccer games. Councilman Collins reported having “one helluva conversation” with Keith Anderson, a soccer parent who has warned the Town many time of the dangerous existing conditions in the parking lot. Mr Collins said, without dissent, the soccer people should take responsibility for their activity and arrange for their own traffic management. Councilman Jay Wenk suggested that if everyone car-pooled the problem would be less severe. He also thought pounding iron stakes into the ground to delineate parking spots would help, an idea that others thought would create unsafe hazards. Sometime next week highway superintendent Mike Reynolds will provide the board with his proposal to improve the parking.

There was a short public hearing on the closing of the road between the village green and the Woodstock Reformed Church on days scattered throughout the summer to enable concerts on the green. There were some concerns about traffic patterns, councilwoman Simonson exclaiming, “Heaven help us if there is an accident.” At the hearing’s conclusion it was unanimously agreed to close the road for the concerts.

The meeting, with its unusual 3:00 pm starting time, ended at approximately 6:30.