The Manlius Town Board has voted to keep the town’s planning board at seven seats despite previously drafting a local law that would reduce the number of board seats to five with the option to elect up to two alternate members.

This decision came after a public hearing on the matter at the July 8 meeting of the town board. The town board decided to look into this reducing the size of the board after two seats on the board opened in the beginning of the year and have remained vacant since.

“I believe we have a duty to the public to check ourselves every so often and make sure our government is working the way it should be,” said Councilor John Loeffler.

About 10 residents took the public hearing time to comment on their views of the situation, with a majority of the views in favor of keeping the planning board at seven seats, as it has been since at least 1962.

“I want to know the reasons why we would move to five and have less representation,” said Henry McIntosh during the public hearing.

“In my opinion, seven people carrying that board is way better than just five,” said Kathy Best. “Diversity is important in reviewing projects in the town.”

According to Manlius Town Supervisor Ed Theobald, records dating back to the 1960s show the planning board has been at seven seats since then, but there doesn’t seem to be a reasoning behind that number.

Manlius Town Attorney Tim Frateschi said under New York State statue, a town is not required to have a planning board, but the ones who do have one either have five- or seven-member boards.

“In the town of Manlius, we have delegated the responsibility of site plan approval and subdivision approval to the planning board,” said Frateschi.

There would be a small cost savings of about $7,000 if the planning board were reduced, said Theobald. Theobald also explained the opportunity for new development and expansion within the town has greatly been reduced because there is not much open land for large subdivisions as there were in previous decades and it might make sense to reduce the planning board seats.

“Right now what’s on the wall is not growth,” said Theobald. “Right now there’s some stagnation with pockets of growth.”

Not all town councilors supported with the idea of reducing the board, and some agreed with the sentiments made by the public.

“The board has functioned quite well with seven. … We have people from all walks of life with different strengths,” said Councilor Vince Giordano. “If we reduce it down, we risk losing some of those talents.”

The board then closed the public hearing and took a vote, which turned out 4-3 in keeping the planning board size at seven. Councilors Giordano, Dave Marnell, Karen Green and Richard Rossetti voted against the measure, while Theobald, Loeffler and Nicholas Marzola voted in favor.

“Although it was not the outcome I wanted, I think we had some good and healthy discussions between members of the board,” said Theobald. “We just need to look forward now and continue our work for the town as a board.”

Also at the meeting, the board agreed there should be a drafted and uniform process it has to go through when recruiting new members for both the planning and zoning boards, which Theobald said is being looked into for the near future.

Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].