Planning Board approves amended site plan and negative declaration for commercial garages after debate over fuel-truck parking

The Philipstown Planning Board voted to approve an amended site plan and adopt a negative declaration for the Kresnicki/Volone commercial garages application after focused discussion about truck parking and potential petroleum storage. Board member Bob Busardi proposed two edits — limiting future uses to those in the application’s statement of use and requiring a stormwater maintenance agreement acceptable to the Town Engineer and Town Attorney — that the board incorporated before voting to adopt the approval resolution.

Board member Bob Busardi raised environmental and legal concerns about parking service vehicles that might contain fuel near a trout stream: “I was prepared to vote for this application until I heard that, and now I have a problem,” he said, noting proximity to an intermittent watercourse and the potential for contamination if a vehicle leaked. The applicant told the board that bulk fuel storage had been removed from the proposal years earlier and that any service vehicles parked overnight might retain incidental oil; the application includes spill-kit provisions and an oil-water separator in the stormwater system.

Dominic, staff, advised the board on zoning interpretation: “You don't have to be specific. You can be specific if the board chooses to be,” clarifying that parked vehicles are treated differently from regulated bulk-storage facilities under the town code. After a brief pause so members could review EAF Part 2 and correct incomplete checkboxes, the board adopted the Part 2 findings and passed the negative declaration and the approval resolution with the two edits proposed by Busardi.

Next steps: the resolution will be signed and the town will ensure the required stormwater maintenance agreement and any stated limits on uses are incorporated into the final approval package.