GLOVERSVILLE — The Common Council on Tuesday formally withdrew legislation to rezone the former Pine Brook Golf Club property on South Main Street from residential to commercial following concerns raised earlier this month by a neighboring homeowner.
During the Sept. 10 meeting the Common Council conducted a public hearing on a proposed local law to amend city code to rezone the 150 acre former Pine Brook Golf Club property at 280 S. Main St. from R1 residential to commercial.
The request to rezone the property reportedly came from the owner, identified in the city’s 2018 tentative assessment roll as 280 South Main Street Ventures, Inc., in light of plans presented by Eden Renewables during an open house on June 26 for the proposed development of a community solar project on approximately 58 acres of the 150 acre parcel. Solar farms are not an allowed use in an R1 residential zone according to city code.
A neighboring homeowner, Jeffrey Ashe, pointed out during this month’s public hearing that language included in the proposed local law stating “the properties bordering the subject parcel are presently situated in a ‘C’ zone” was inaccurate and questioned the implications of rezoning such a large parcel.
Only the portion of the Pine Brook Golf Club property with frontage on South Main Street is bordered by commercially zoned parcels. According to the city zoning map and Fulton County Geographic Information Systems map, the parcel at 280 S. Main St. touches approximately 24 parcels that are zoned residential.
Following Ashe’s comments the Common Council tabled action on the local law and a related resolution to adopt a negative declaration relative to the rezoning under State Environmental Quality Review indicating the action would not result in any significant adverse environmental impacts.
On Tuesday, Mayor Vincent DeSantis sought a motion from the Common Council to formally withdraw both pieces of legislation related to rezoning the Pine Brook Golf Club property citing concerns from neighboring homeowners.
DeSantis related to the council that after tabling action on the rezoning earlier this month he had contacted representatives with Eden Renewables and the property owner to gather additional information about plans for the site and confirmed that Eden plans to purchase only a portion of the 150 acre parcel for development of a community solar project.
“Therefore what we can do is we can entertain this in the future once they subdivide the property. That portion that’s closest to South Main Street would be in question and the rest of it would then remain residential. That, I think, would make everybody happy in the neighborhood that borders those. That’s the idea, but for now I think we would have to withdraw,” DeSantis said.
The Common Council signaled their support for DeSantis’ request and approved a pair of motions withdrawing both the local law and resolution related to rezoning the 150 acre parcel at 280 S. Main St. from residential to commercial.
To date neither the property owner nor Eden Renewables has appeared before the city Planning Board seeking a subdivision of the Pine Brook Golf Course property or to present plans related to the development of a community solar project on the site.
