Planning Bd Report for April 10, 2018
PB Members Attending: Dalton, Mion, Austin,Milstein, Heider, Stuto; Magguilli in for Marinelli. Staff: LaCivita Town Bd: Carey, VonDollen, Rosano
1. Report on fire issues by Fire Official Joe: Firefighting in Town is hampered by a. Narrow streets without secondary egress; b. increasing use of new petroleum-based building & furnishing materials;c. trend toward ‘open concept’ homes allowing quick spread of fires, d. fewer volunteer firefighters signing up. Apparently this talk was triggered by new fire code requirements which, however, were not really discussed, except to mention that new residences “may” be required to have sprinklers in bedrooms and egress areas.
2. Soldier On PDD Amendments Resolution Passed
Chuck Voss, TDE
Redevelopment of former Ann Lee Home into 200 residences for homeless vets. Due to financing requirements, this project needed to be redesigned. New plan includes several garden apartment-style buildings rather than the original 2 large structures, which better meets the needs of residents. The buildings will match the existing 1920’s Ann Lee Home rather than the Shaker buildings on site. Working with the Shaker Heritage society to resolve some issues.
3. Starlite Mixed Use Traffic Mitigation Plan
629 Columbia St (RT 9R)
Joe Grasso, TDE
Mark Sargent of Creighton Manning presented. Helpfully using projection equipment and providing large maps for the audience, Sargent first explained the thinking behind the 2011 Boght Rd Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) with its two traffic mitigation alternatives: 1. do nothing, 2. build a connector road from Rt 9R north through this parcel to Rt 9 north at Auto Park Drive. (Query: Why were no other options explored? )The GEIS did identify other possible mitigation, including widening Rt 9R and adding another through lane onto the Northway. This would address the worst of the traffic tie-ups and may take place “down the road” said Sargent, but not as part of this project. Further, the proposed connector road would do little to mitigate the Rt 9/Rt 9R peak hours congestion.
Sargent discussed the CM traffic study (available at SAVE’s website) and admitted that their earlier peak traffic numbers were low by about 100 trips per hour. Neighbor Tom Sorenson had many questions about the traffic numbers CM presented. Kevin Bette, a developer from First Columbia that’s proposing additional offices at Century Hill Drive directly across Rt 9 from the proposed “connector rd”, stated that his traffic study numbers were considerably different from CM’s; that new data from actual development in the area should inform base figures being used, rather than estimates from 6 years ago; and the discrepancies between his expert’s study and CM’s should be resolved before the TOC makes any decisions here. Bette offered to work with the TDE and CM on this. (TB member P.Rosano didn’t seem to understand the importance of basing town decisions on good data and stated emphatically that CM’s numbers should be good enough.) However, PB Chair Stuto
suggested that the parties get together ASAP to do this and it should be done expeditiously so as not to slow down the project.
Commenting on the project in general were: Colonie residents in favor Caroline Ahl (we've learned that her husband is an employee of Galesi Group, a partner in Starlite Associates) and Lynn Romania, based mostly on "new jobs"; Paul Amedore, developer of Canterbury Crossing and the new owner of 3 Autopark Drive (the former Walmart site) and who has stated he wishes to develop a mixed use project for this site, “development is good for Colonie and Starlite is terrific”; Siena College VP Charles Carletta loves the public benefits given by AYCO, jobs & internships; Dean Devito of Prime (bro-in-law of PB Chair Peter Stuto), local developer: “development is good”; David Buicko of the Galesi Group & Starlite Associates, touting the benefits of having a Goldman-Sachs company such as Ayco headquartered in Colonie, getting the long-abandoned property “back on the tax rolls," and having deep pocket Goldman "fronting the money" for the connector road. (NB: on 4/23 they will seek tax exemptions for this project from the Colonie IDA. And the Town is proposing to use Boght Area mitigation fees for the proposed connector rd. Hmmmm.) Starlite Associates purchased the property in June 2012.
Commenting on the traffic issues, in addition to Tom Sorenson, were: Barbara Numrich, neighbor & Save member, stating that right now the traffic is untenable and the connector rd will not fix it; asking for public amenities to compensate for the damage; questioning CM authoring the GEIS & now flogging for Starlite; and suggesting that “the fix is in” on this project. (TDE Grasso responded that engineering reports are reviewed by the Town PEDD and in this case by CDC and the DOT, and that the fix is actually not in.) Susan Weber of Save asked that the traffic reports by the NYS DOT and CDC Grasso referred to be posted on line to help residents understand these esoteric issues; and that public amenities be required of this developer, such as opening the proposed walking trails to the community, in exchange for all the difficulties the Town residents will be subjected to.
(TDE Grasso responded that engineering reports are reviewed by the Town PEDD and in this case by CDC and the DOT, and that the fix is actually not in.)
No vote needed...Next steps: 4/23 IDA Public Hearings on tax breaks for Starlite & Ayco; 4/24 Planning Bd hearing re: wetlands.