Planning board approves preliminary subdivision at 68 Golden Road with drainage and certification conditions

The Town of Chili Planning Board on Tuesday conditionally approved Marathon Engineering’s preliminary site plan and subdivision to divide 68 Golden Road into three single‑family lots, subject to several engineering and filing conditions.

The applicant, James Turner, told the board he planned three lots (two roughly 2‑acre parcels and one about 1 acre), with utilities available and a private shared driveway. “We’re gonna we have all the utilities available at the property site,” Turner said. He also said the homes would be similar to others in the area.

During the public‑hearing portion, resident Fred Cropp raised concerns about fill placed on adjacent property, saying the developer had “filled the property substantially with the fill over, I would say, 7, 8 feet in fill,” and worried that raising ground elevations would increase runoff into his wetland. “I’m concerned that this water is gonna hang up in my swamp,” Cropp said.

Town staff and the building department manager, Paul Wisenreid, responded that the grading plan shown to the board does not change the overall direction of flow and—based on current plan thresholds—does not trigger a stormwater pond or formal stormwater management feature. “It’s my understanding that this does not exceed those thresholds,” Wisenreid said; the board said it would obtain confirmation from the town engineer.

To address neighbor concerns, the board imposed conditions that must be met before a certificate of occupancy is issued: the applicant’s engineer must certify that final topography is within a stated tolerance of the approved site plan (the board discussed tolerances cited in the hearing, from about 6 to 12 inches), all easements must be recorded with the Monroe County Clerk, and the town engineer and commissioner of public works must approve final materials and receive copies of correspondence with other agencies. The board also required submission of a licensed landscape plan and compliance with Monroe County Development Review Committee comments and fire marshal life‑safety permits.

A committee member moved to close the public hearing and to declare the planning board lead agency under SEQR, finding the applications to be unlisted actions with no significant environmental impact; both motions passed by voice vote. With the listed conditions, the board approved the preliminary site plan and subdivision and waived final submission, subject to the required certifications and filings.

Turner asked whether he would need to return for final approval; the board said that if conditions are met and certifications are provided as required, a return appearance would not be necessary. The meeting adjourned after confirmation that final signoff and recording of required documents would occur before occupancy.