The Victor Conservation Board reviewed a proposed subdivision at 364 Fisher Road and provided guidance on conservation easement rules Tuesday during its regular meeting.
The board reviewed the Bell minor subdivision, which seeks to divide a 6.395-acre parcel into two lots. Lot one includes an existing home on 3.233 acres, while lot two would host a proposed single-family home on 3.162 acres. Board members noted that the site is in a limited development district, meaning any future development will require a conservation easement on 50% of each lot.
Board members recommended placing the easement along the western portion of the property, where sensitive environmental features—including a creek and steep slopes—were identified. They acknowledged that a formal building proposal would require additional review.
“There are no major concerns at this stage,” a board member said. “We’ll need more detail on the conservation easement boundaries before any building occurs.”
Tree stand deemed noncompliant with easement language
The board also responded to a request from the town’s Code Enforcement Office for interpretation of conservation easement rules following a complaint about a hunting tree stand installed within an easement.
Members concluded that permanent or temporary structures, including fixed tree stands, are prohibited under standard conservation easement language. Portable stands that are carried in and removed the same day were deemed acceptable.
“A tree stand left in place would be considered a structure or equipment, which is not allowed in the easement area,” one member explained.
The board declined to rule on whether hunting itself is permitted within easement boundaries, citing ambiguity in the easement language and the presence of state and federal hunting regulations. Members noted that “quiet enjoyment” and “natural condition” clauses were too subjective to enforce without clearer definitions.
“It’s difficult to regulate conduct like noise through easement language,” a board member said. “It’s better to focus on the physical conditions—such as no structures or tree removal—and leave hunting regulations to state law.”
One resident attending the meeting voiced concern over public safety and the presence of armed hunters in residential areas. The board acknowledged the concern but reiterated its limited purview over behavior and noted that New York law prohibits discharging firearms within 500 feet of dwellings.
Other business
- The board postponed approval of its March 18 meeting minutes due to a lack of quorum.
- Members briefly discussed the Chick-fil-A proposal at Eastview Mall, noting that the site plan was “well thought out” from a conservation standpoint. Traffic impact was mentioned as a concern but falls outside the board’s review authority.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].