Frack action: Spa OKs road law, move onto to Comp. Plan

2/7/2012

By Patsy Nicosia

One down, one to go.
That's the status of the Town of Sharon's efforts to restrict hydrofracking through:
• Its Road Preservation Law, adopted Wednesday.
• Proposed changes to its 2009 Comprehensive Plan drafted by Nan Stolzenburg of Community Planning and Environmental Associates.
The town will consider the Comprehensive Plan and Land Use changes at its next meeting, March 7, the day after they go before the County Planning Commission for suggestions.
That's not a required step, said Supervisor Sandra Manko, but it's one backed by Sharon's Joint Planning Board.
"Nan and John [attorney John Lyons of Grant & Lyons LLC] did a great job reviewing our Comprehensive Plan and its goals," said Ms. Manko.
"Things have changed even since just 2009...We think these revisions will better protect the things residents told us are important. They're more detailed; more specific."
Among the town's 2009 goals: Protecting Sharon's small-town atmosphere, improving pedestrian and traffic safety, and protecting surface and groundwater supplies-all of which could be harmed by heavy-industrial land uses like fracking.
Residents feel there should be appropriate commercial development, Ms. Manko said, but don't want industrial, heavy industry, manufacturing, high-density residential and the like.
Ms. Manko said the proposed amendments would be an appendix to the Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Code and include maps developed with help from County Planning that define Sharon's natural resources, why they're important, and where they are.
Additionally, she said, much of the information documented in the amendments comes from the Department of Environmental Conservation, which should make it harder for DEC to ignore the data.
The town's Road Preservation Law was about six months in the making and drew on models from County Planning and other places.
It's intended to minimize and mitigate damage to town roads and bridges resulting from heavy truck traffic.
Councilmen unanimously approved the new law at their meeting Wednesday.
It will become law as soon as it's filed with the Secretary of State.
High-frequency or high-impact truck traffic will require a town permit, and an escrow account to address reasonable repairs; the bond per mile traveled will be $25,000 for dirt roads and $100,000 per mile for surface treated roads.
Copies of the law are available from the town clerk.