Pine Plains mulls proposed solar law text, zoning for cannabis distribution

PINE PLAINS — Between reviewing the proposed solar law text and discussing the future of cannabis zoning, the Pine Plains Town Board kept itself busy at its workshop meeting on Monday, April 18.

The meeting began at Pine Plains Town Hall at 7 p.m.; Town Board members attended in person while planners Frank Fish and Taylor Young from BFJ Planning attended via Zoom.

Solar law text

Regarding the proposed solar law text, Fish said there were few changes made. Young displayed the text and, pointed out the changes marked in red. The planners noted sentences had been added as a direct response to previous board discussions, where the language had been reviewed and revised.

“I think what we tried to do is answer your questions from the last meeting and make the additions that you asked for,” Fish said.

After complimenting the planners on their work, Councilmember Sarah Jones raised the statewide issue of agrivoltaics and farmland. Having circulated information about a study conducted by the American Farmland Trust, she explained it’s important to understand that New York State has very ambitious goals for solar energy.

Jones said though the state is also concerned with trying to preserve farmland. She said the town, and state, will be see a huge amount of solar development in the next 20 years — much aimed at farmland because it’s easy to install solar arrays there and the state has lots of farmland.

Jones noted it would be nice to give some flexibility to the Pine Plains Planning Board to help preserve farmland. She also raised the issue of how solar installations take farmland away from farmers who rent land out, which presents a larger economic problem.

Turning to the text section of the zoning update related to large-scale solar installations, Fish suggested adding a section that states applicants should indicate to the Planning Board the potential impacts of solar installations on agricultural uses.

Given the importance of solar siting, Jones said she would want the Planning Board to look at the best way to site solar. She added she would like to know the agricultural rating of the land on which solar panels might be placed.

The Town Board suggested the planners look at what the town already has in its zoning code in reference to agricultural districts and solar laws.

Cannabis discussion

Fish then initiated a discussion on cannabis zoning in town. Displaying a draft of the town’s cannabis retail dispensary zoning text on screen, Fish guided the board through the text. He said their biggest call for the cannabis law was permitting cannabis retail dispensaries in the hamlet business district with a special permit.

“This doesn’t restrict you someday from amending this or putting it in other districts, but that was our first call and that’s a major call, so we wanted to be sure there was some comfort level with this,” Fish said.

He added the planners internally discussed using the town’s new manufacturing district as a possibility for cannabis retail dispensaries before asking the board if it wanted to extend permitting cannabis retail dispensaries along Main Street.

The Town Board shared there were some areas of Main Street that might be appropriate for such businesses. Young made a note to add Main Street to the text.

Under special permit conditions, Fish said he and Young listed 10 conditions in which to allow cannabis retail dispensaries, including location, separation from other select uses, prohibiting drive-through components, having a ventilation plan and security system and lighting.

There was also a discussion about parking requirements. Getting into the text, Young said they’re currently adding new definitions for what constitutes an adult-use retail dispensary. With help from Fish, Young reviewed each of the special-use permit standards, making notes where needed.

For those standards, the planners said no building or structure associated with an adult-use retail dispensary shall be located within 100 or 200 feet of any school property, house of worship or another adult-use retail dispensary.

They explained the distance varies depending on whether it’s a school or house of worship. Hours of operations will be limited from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays. Here, the board said it was OK to have the dispensary open seven days a week given how busy the town is on weekends. Taylor made a note to permit sales on Sundays.

Cannabis retail dispensaries must be located in a permanent enclosed building, with a security system approved by the Pine Plains Police Department. The dispensaries must also provide for the secure disposal of marijuana remnants or by-products.