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Attorney for property owner asks Airmont trustees to relocate walkway easement and reduce conservation easement; board refers matter to planning board
Summary
Attorney Paul Baum asked trustees to shift a pedestrian easement at 27 Stillo Drive to the lot line and to reduce a conservation easement covering part of the owner's 69,000-square-foot lot; trustees directed staff to seek a planning-board recommendation before acting.
Paul Baum, attorney for property owner Sam Gruber, appeared at the April 7 meeting to request relocation of a walkway easement and a reduction of a conservation easement affecting 27 Stillo Drive.
Baum described the current pedestrian easement as running through the middle of Mr. Gruber's yard to a point that ‘‘doesn’t serve much of a purpose other than allow somebody to walk down the road and walk back up’’ because the planned road extension never occurred. He proposed shifting the easement to run along the property line so pedestrians would not cross the middle of the homeowner’s yard.
Baum also sought removal of roughly 12,931 square feet from an existing conservation easement that was imposed as part of an average-density subdivision. He said the lot’s total area is about 69,000 square feet and that the requested reduction would ‘‘allow Mr. Gruber to make use of that property in basically any way he wants’’ rather than limiting activity to passive use. Baum said the conservation easement as written provides few parameters about permitted or prohibited activity.
Trustees and the village attorney discussed potential effects on adjacent lots and the larger subdivision. A trustee said the conservation easement ‘‘was part of a larger subdivision that affected several other lots’’ and recommended planning-board review before the trustees consider any reduction. Trustees said the walkway relocation was a lower concern and that moving the walk to the lot line ‘‘would not be so much of an issue,’’ but they agreed to send both requests to the planning board for file review and formal recommendation.
No vote to alter easements was taken; the board directed staff to present the matter to the planning board, obtain the planning board’s recommendation and bring the item back to the trustees.
