By NEAL RENTZ
After years of review by the Lewisboro Planning Board, the proposal for changes at the Wolf Conservation Center might be approved at the January meeting.
Town Planner and Wetland Consultant Jan Johannessen will prepare an approval resolution for a vote by the board when it next meets Jan. 21.
The facility is located at 7 Buck Run, South Salem.
The private nature preserve has applications before the planning board for site development plan approval, special use permit approval, wetland activity permit approval and stormwater permit approval.
WCC is seeking to create a 4,200-square-foot education center on the site that would be used for additional education programs.
The dwelling at Buck Run would be demolished in order to build the new educational pavilion designed by KG+D architects. The site plan also calls for a freezer facility in the northern portion of the site and 12 camping pods, he said.
Attorney Janet Giris, who is representing WCC, previously told the board the mission of the center is to educate the public about wolves, the role they play in the environment and actions needed to protect them.
The center now comprises 32.5 acres and is home to 30 red wolves and Mexican gray wolves, and three “ambassador” wolves that are used for educational purposes.
“We’ve literally been at this for close to 25 years,” Giris told the planning board this week, “and I think we are right near the finish line.”The plan for the project was signed by the Westchester County Department of Health and revised drawings have been submitted to the planning board, Giris noted.
“We believe that we have addressed the remaining comments of your planning and engineering consultant,” she said.
A 72-hour pump test was recently conducted on the property and the results were submitted to the town, Giris added.
“That pump test demonstrated that there’s plenty of water for this project,” she said.
Engineer Matthew Gironda told the planning board that minor changes have recently been made to the project. There will be a bolstering of its roach control plan and the detailing of the sequencing of the construction work has been compiled, in response to comments from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, he said. In addition, two sediment traps will be placed on the property during construction to capture all the upstream runoff, he said.
“We are happy to see this moving along,” Planning Board Chair Janet Andersen said.
Zoning recommendations coming
The planning board is putting its finishing touches on its recommendations to the town board about zoning amendments.
The town board is considering the zoning amendments, which is related to the revision of the master plan, which was adopted earlier this year. The zoning amendments were proposed by the town’s comprehensive plan steering committee and its consultant, Nelson Pope Voorhis.
The planning board is slated to send a letter to the town board with its comments about the proposed zoning amendments prior to the town board’s resumption of its public hearing Jan. 13.
The planning board has recently held a series of discussions about the zoning amendments.
At this week’s meeting, the board voted unanimously to instruct a subcommittee including Andersen, Charlene Indelicato, Johannessen and counsel to the planning board, Judson Siebert, to meet in an effort to write a letter to the town board with the planning board’s comments about the proposed amendments and submit it prior to the resumption of the town board ‘s public hearing next month.
The subcommittee is to meet Friday, Jan. 3.