Zoning board of appeals overrules Dutchess County to allow Stewart’s setback variance

Zoning board of appeals overrules Dutchess County to allow Stewart’s setback variance
Stewart’s at 7710 South Main St. in Pine Plains. Photo courtesy Daisy Sindelar, new Pine Plains herald

PINE PLAINS —  With a 4-1 vote on Monday, April 24, the Pine Plains Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) has granted the Stewart’s Shops at 7710 South Main St. a front yard setback variance for a proposed 4,000 square-foot Stewart’s, overcoming a determination by the Dutchess County Planning Department that the proposal is not in keeping with the character of the town.

The plans will next go to the Pine Plains Planning Board for approval on Wednesday, May 10, which will give the project a broader look.

Necessary to grant under Pine Plains’ zoning laws, which do not allow businesses to be set back more than 25 feet from their property lines, the variance will allow Stewart’s to build its new store up to 163.5 feet from the road (the current store is 104.5 feet from the road), and place its new gas pumps in the front of the new building.

The current store and gas pumps will remain available while the new store is built, after which point gas will become unavailable for one month. Without the variance, Stewart’s alternative plans were to place its new pumps in the rear of the building, a process that would cause gas services to become unavailable for closer to three months, according to Marcus Andrews, a project manager for Stewart’s.

Dissent to the generally favorable opinions of the proposal was voiced by Scott Chase, the ZBA chairman, who argued that granting the variance would directly contradict Pine Plains’ 2019 Comprehensive Plan, as well as current zoning laws, and that there were alternative building plans Stewart’s could pursue.

ZBA member Carl Baden had recused himself from the vote due to his business ties with Stewart’s, and an additional member had been added to allow the possibility of a majority plus one vote (a stipulation required by Dutchess County for an overrule).

Under the proposed plans, additional services offered by Stewart’s would include low-flow diesel, which would not accommodate use by trucks and larger vehicles. Rich Jewett, manager of the Pine Plains Stewart’s, spoke during public comment to indicate that diesel was an often-requested service by the community, and that a “nice new store for the community, with the looks of a new store, with new landscaping and everything” would represent an investment in the community by Stewart’s.

Latest News

Fallen trees injure man, destroy fences at dog shelter

Two uprooted locust trees still lie in the yard in front of Animal Farm Foundation’s original kennels where they fell on a fence during a storm on Thursday, June 19.

Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Fallen trees, uprooted and splintered during a thunderstorm, injured a man, destroyed fences and damaged a dog kennel at the Animal Farm Foundation facilities in Bangall.

Isaias Nunez was cleaning along a road on the property with Marco Ortiz, another employee of the dog shelter, when the storm rolled in on the afternoon of Thursday, June 19.

Keep ReadingShow less
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit millertonnews.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less