Irish pub’s exterior changes to require updated plan

Yesterday’s Irish Pub owner John Christison and his representative came before the Warwick Village Planning Board on Oct. 8 to review the restaurant’s amended site plan and discuss how to best handle the presence of storage containers on the property, which were in the flood zone. After some discussion, Christison determined that it would be easier to remove them. The board said they would need to see an amended site plan without the containers present. In addition, regarding landscaping, the board told Christison that they couldn’t give him approval to start planting anything until they reviewed the entire application. The board also discussed the proposed changes to the exit, which included widening it to 25 feet and using a porous material such as crushed concrete or blue stone, instead of blacktop. The board told Christison they would need to see an amended site plan showing what was originally approved, what is there today, and what changes are being proposed.

Warwick Feed & Grain

The board held a public hearing for Warwick Feed & Grain regarding the applicant’s request to place additional fill within the designated floodplain for the property at 15 Elm Street. The board discussed their concerns about increased flooding around the country and the potential for the fill to end up downstream. Property representative Joseph Irace explained that the area is already well-vegetated and shared that by adding dirt to the land that was mostly railroad bed and solid rock better enables him to put in trees and other plantings. In addition, planning board engineer Keith Woodruff, explained that, in its capacity as floodplain administrator, the planning board could request the applicant provide an elevation certificate that notes the elevation of the first floor and documents what equipment and other materials could be damaged in the event of a flood. Woodruff noted that while an elevation certificate is not required, the board could make it a condition of approval.

Village View Estates

The board reviewed Village View Estates’ request for a 180-day extension on the conditional final site plan and subdivision approval from Oct. 6 to Apr. 4, 2025. The representative for the applicant explained that the planning board already issued conditional approval for the subdivision but still need approvals from the Department of Environmental Conservation and Board of Health for water and sewer extensions. The representative said he met with Warwick Village Mayor Michael Newhard and Village Trustee Barry Cheney to revisit the idea of putting a water tower on land owned by Village View located within the town of Warwick. Planning Board Chairman Jesse Gallo asked the representative about the status on wastewater treatment. The representative said they were going to replace the existing Robin Brae pump station.

The representative said the applicant is considering implementing the project in two phases, with phase one being the lower portion of the site, which would have access to water and sewer before the new water tower was installed.

Gallo asked about the number of extensions granted to the applicant. The applicant said the original Village View was approved in 2011 and received extensions every 90 days until the board granted final approval on the project last year. He added, however, that for the current application before the board, only one extension was granted, not including the one the board was currently requesting. The planning board engineer explained that as long as the code allows it, there are no stipulations that prohibit a number of extensions. The planning board ultimately agreed to grant the extension.

Short-term rentals

The planning board reviewed the Warwick Village Board’s proposed short-term rental law. Planning board attorney Elizabeth Cassidy said this was a courtesy from the village and that they had no obligation to comment on the draft law. Cassidy offered suggested comments, including clarification on whether owner-occupied properties need the owner present while someone is renting their home, about a distinction between residential properties and those located in the central business district, and the possibility of getting consent from the homeowners’ association if a short-term rental property is located within an HOA, noting that this is the case for the town of Chester.

The board raised concerns about the code not covering unforeseen issues to which the attorney applied that you can’t draft for everything and the code can always be amended. She cited the town of Warwick as an example of short-term rental code that has gone through several versions. The board also discussed the code’s requirement for short-term rental permits to be renewed every year. Cassidy explained that this is common in most codes, because of the timing with the annual inspection, which checks for safety issues.