Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Saratoga Springs City Center
522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Presenter: Terresa Bakner, Esq.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has just adopted regulations substantially modifying the old freshwater wetlands regulations found at 6 NYCRR Part 664. This presentation will cover all of the changes to the regulations and how such changes are likely to affect existing and future projects, and project reviews by municipalities.
Presenters: Paula Gilbert & Andrew Acker
This course addresses the powers and duties of municipal planning boards. The administrative and regulatory roles of the planning board, including its review of site plans, special use permits, and subdivision plats are discussed, along with its role in the comprehensive plan. The importance of board procedures, referral to the county planning agency, and making findings are also covered.
Presenters: Greg Connors, Chuck Marshall & Richard Harris
Economic Development is the attraction of private capital investment and the creation and/or retention of full-time job opportunities. An efficient and collaborative relationship between local government, its Planning Boards, Planning Departments, and the private sector is essential to enabling these job creation investments. In this interactive discussion, hear from local and experienced experts on how the process can be collaborative, efficient and successful!
Presenters: Monica Ryan & Christopher Eastman
This introductory course to the zoning board of appeals focuses on the statutory tests boards must follow to grant use and area variances and proper handling of zoning interpretations. Meeting procedures and notice requirements will also be discussed, along with the ZBA’s relationship with enforcement officials and the planning board, and the importance of making good findings.
Presenter: Daniel Ruzow, Esq. & Larry Weintraub, Esq.
This presentation will focus on legislative and regulatory developments deriving from Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, as amended, that affect SEQRA’s requirements and municipal land use reviews.
Presenters: Joe Grasso and Paul Goldman, Esq.
Giving disapproval to a land use proposal is not something that comes easy to our land use boards, nor should it. Human nature has taught us that saying yes may be the path of least resistance; less chance to have to defend your decision against others; less chance of litigation against the municipality you represent. In this session you will learn practical strategies in order to provide a very critical, deliberate and legally defensible review of projects. The session will touch on the human aspects, the regulatory aspects, as well as the legal aspects of your decision-making. You will learn when, and more importantly, how, to say no to land use proposals and when to require more from applicants. The end goal is to promote better development projects in your municipality that are in greater conformance with your land use regulations.
Presenters: Denise Riccardi-Bagramian, John Scavo, Matthew Jones, Esq. & Joe Dannible
Using best practices for planning and zoning board meetings through methods and developmental structure of processes to set your board meeting up for success for everyone. Learning and understanding the perspective from the planning board chairpersons, the municipal staff, attorney and engineering. An interactive forum to discuss issues and challenges of managing a meeting.
Presenters: Donald McPherson, Raymond Liuzzo & Michael Wieszchowski
This session is intended to walk through and explain how to read a site plan by identifying some of the more common terms, symbols, and abbreviations used during a review of a site plan, a survey and diagrams of traffic terms and patterns within the site. This course’s intention is to allow the land use board member to feel more comfortable when reviewing site plans by explaining details and information portrayed on a site plan.
Presenter: Mark Schachner, Esq.
Ethical issues arise more frequently in planning and zoning decision-making than many realize. This presentation will include discussion of ethical legal requirements, conflicts of interest, recusal, site inspections and other related issues.
Presenters: Charles “Chuck” Marshall
This topic will explain the technical and real life elements involved in evaluating Use Variance applications before Zoning Board of Appeals. But also from the applicant perspective for when they can be a successful tool vs. in pursuing a project vs. legislative resolutions including Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) and zone changes. The discussion will highlight successful Use Variance instances including successful litigation and applications that were not as successful.
Presenters: Melinda Acker, Erica Collins and Kerri Mains
In keeping with best practices of the NYS Open Meetings Law, this course will focus on the necessary duties of administrative staff with regard to proper and regulated record keeping for municipal planning and zoning boards. Topics to be covered will discuss tracking applications from intake to resolution, including public notices, agenda preparation and minute taking. The speakers will share their knowledge and tips and tricks for effective strategies to ensure Boards are compliant and efficient.
The Highway Work Permit is Too Late (Planning & Zoning Board’s Role in Highway Corridor Development)
Presenters: Mark Sargent, Sarah Carroll & Bob Rice
This presentation will focus on the relationship between land use and transportation, particularly the role that municipal planning plays in setting the vision and mitigation requirements as a highway corridor develops. Many times, the primary commercial corridor within a community is a state highway and there is a local expectation that NYSDOT will require adequate mitigation of a developer to accommodate new growth. In reality, it is the community, via the Planning & Zoning Boards, that sets the development conditions through comprehensive planning and land use regulation. NYSDOT will require the developer to mitigate storm water and “opening day” traffic, but any broader mitigation is really the responsibility of the municipality. Having the community vision in place well before receiving a highway work permit application is essential to achieve “complete streets” and desired land use goals. The session will discuss several examples of “complete street” designs and the community engagement that led to their success as well as some corridors that are a bit more challenging. Balancing desired land use goals with corridor mobility is a challenge that requires collaboration that begins with the municipal planning and zoning boards.
Presenters: William J. Keniry, Esq. & Andrew Clark, Esq.
A review of recent significant land use, planning and zoning cases pertinent to matters in the State of New York.
Presenters: Frank Palumbo, Alanna Moran, John Scavo & Steve Lashomb
In some municipalities, Zoning Codes pertaining to parking and landscaping requirements can lead Planning Board members feeling conflicted when reviewing developers’ Site Plans. Does this lead to projects either having insufficient parking, or an over abundant parking for the intended land use? In conjunction with this, landscaping requirements in parking areas may or may not be successful in the long term, when complying with the local code. The balance between impervious surfaces and quality landscape areas is important for “right sizing” developments as well as creating inviting and functional outdoor spaces. This panel session will provide an overview of how local codes can result in more sustainable site design and suggest strategies to enhance long-term landscape success in our communities. The panel will provide a basis of past development requirements, current trends in parking demands, highlight form-based code as compared to traditional code requirements, an arborist’s view on healthy tree designs, as well as possible solutions to meet long term balance between parking and sustainability.
Presenters: John Cannie, Esq., Melissa Cherubino, Esq., Justin Grassi, Esq. & Steven Wilson
Using the format of the popular television show, we will attempt to convey relevant information surrounding Planning, Zoning, and Land Use topics. The idea is to generate interest amongst the audience and participating contestants who are engineers, attorneys, and code enforcement officers. This year will feature instances of interactive polling with the audience as the contestants deliberate the questions they are faced.
Presenters: Matthew Rogers, Kai Lord-Farmer & Nicole Justice-Green
This course will delve into how local zoning and subdivision regulations can unintentionally hinder the development of affordable housing. It will discuss procedures to revise those regulations to encourage a broader range of housing types and densities. The overarching goal is to demonstrate that by rethinking our approach to regulations, we can unlock new possibilities for increasing the supply of quality, affordable housing in our communities, providing practical insights and actionable strategies to achieve this vital goal.
*These sessions MAY qualify for CLE credit. However, at this time, the details for this certification have not been finalized. There is no extra fee for CLE credits.
