Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The North Salem Planning Board held a work session on July 15, 2026, beginning at 7:00 PM. The agenda was reordered to first discuss the proposed Special Permits for Land Conservation, as no one was present for the AT&T Mobility Corp. item. The second major item was Chapter 189 (Tree Ordinance) amendments, clearance form, and FAQ.
Okay. All right. I'm gonna call the North Salem Planning Board work session to order. Um I'm gonna switch the order of the agenda because we have people here for number two, and nobody's expected for number one. Right, the CAC is not coming tonight. Yeah, okay. So we're gonna discuss the special permits land conservation. Um I don't have too much to add since the last meeting. I just wanted to give everybody time to absorb the new um idea of we're only going to make this work for pre-existing structures for any land conservation group that uh inherits or purchases uh or is given um land over 50 acres in our town. Um as I had mentioned previous meetings, there's two three, four, five, probably seven or eight parcels that could qualify for this um new thing that we're writing. Um we certainly have a case of a pre-existing condition that we're trying to work through for the open land foundation. So um and I think that we covered most of the concerns of the uh land the the open land foundation. Um want to delve into any part of the last draft. If not, I would like to give Will final instructions to um incorporate the pre-existing condition part to this draft. Um yeah, I like the pre-existing conditions because um there are parcels where things could grow if we don't do this, especially on Lake View, et cetera. Um so I think it's it's worth doing. Okay. Is there already is there already a conservation easement or whatever status protected space has? So conservation easements are different. Okay. Conservation easements the um, let's say I owned a hundred acres and I wanted to protect the back 50 of my property. I would um offer a conservation easement either to the town of North Salem or to a qualifying land conservancy. They would run it through their um criteria to make sure it meets their um, they have to follow certain rules on accepting conservation easements. That conservation easement can be different for every parcel in town. Some conservation easements we've seen would allow one or two farming structures. Some say absolutely no development, some say we can have public walking trails, some say absolutely no public walking trails, supposed to stay in its natural state. So the two parties that are involved with the conservation easement, they work out the particulars and the terms of that conservation easement. We are not talking about those lands here necessarily. We are talking about lands that are owned by the um conservation group. It could possibly be that there is a conservation easement, and it's said that you can do whatever you want, but it's I don't think it's gonna meet the requirements of the person of the entity accepting the conservation easement, that you can start putting structures on it. But you know, I'm not a conservation easement attorney, you know. It it it occurred to me that as we're we're trying to avoid setting precedents that one might regret with unforeseen, you know. Um if it's a pre-existing structure on a conservation easement, then it's well didn't it might it what if if that conservation easement allowed a use that they are contemplating, um then it might qualify because it's land that is under the control of a land conservation group. It it and if I could ask, I don't know if anyone has the answer. Was the intent that this uh gifted plot uh be in any way designated as you know uh the uh wild space was conservation easement ever brought into that in the first place? In in the case of the piece of property that triggered this, um it's my understanding there were no uh restrictions. It was gifted to the open land, it had structures on it, um, and they're allowed to use it in the I think there were expectations, but oh good.