JOHNSTOWN - All of Fulton County's zoning boards of appeals have now agreed to waive the state General Municipal Law requirement that the county Planning Board review their area variance applications.
In September, the Board of Supervisors authorized county planners to waive a longstanding requirement that local municipal zoning boards of appeals, or ZBAs, must submit area variance applications to the Planning Board for its review. State General Municipal Law now authorizes county planning boards to enter into agreements with specific municipalities stipulating certain actions such as area variances are not subject to referral requirements.
The county Planning Board in September authorized county Senior Planner Sean Geraghty to send a letter to see if there was initial interest in waiving the referral agreements. After that mailing, several municipalities still hadn't entered into agreements, including the towns of Caroga and Northampton and the village of Northville.
But Geraghty recently told the board at a meeting that a second letter was sent Dec. 17, and now all of the municipalities with ZBAs have signed off.
"All of the ZBAs in the county have agreed to this," he said. "It saves some of them the administrative responsibility."
According to the county Planning Board's 2009 annual report, that body last year found that area variances "generally have no regional implication" and they should be cut from the county review process to lessen the burdens on both the municipalities and county Planning Department.
In other business, the county Planning Board remained neutral on a site plan going through the Johnstown Town Planning Board that it sees as having no regional impact. Applicant Brad Dunlap wishes to convert a former residence at 2701 Route 29 into a chiropractic office.
The property is zoned RA - residence/agriculture -and requires a site plan for any professional office.
"They're actually going to improve the existing driveway," Geraghty said, which requires a permit from the state Department of Transportation.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached by e-mail at johnstown@leaderherald.com.