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WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 6TH MEETING OF THE TOWN OF HAMBURG PLANNING BOARD.
WILL EVERYONE PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
OKAY, SO IT IS A NEW YEAR, AND I'M STILL HERE, WHICH MEANS I WAS REAPPOINTED TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR ANOTHER TERM, AND ANOTHER TERM IS CHAIRMAN.
SO I'D LIKE TO START OFF BY THANKING THE TOWN BOARD FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAY ON.
UM, I DID WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING UP.
I WANTED TO START WITH THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE GONNA REQUIRE SOME PUBLIC INPUT THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING IN, HAPPENING IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UH, THE BIGGEST IS THE TOWN'S UPDATING ITS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WE'RE GONNA START, UH, SOLICITING PUBLIC INPUT FOR THAT PLAN.
UM, OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT WE'RE GONNA WANT THE PUBLIC TO BE INVOLVED WITH IS WE'RE UPDATING OUR LOCAL WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION PLAN, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH ISSUES LIKE IT SOUNDS.
UH, IT'S ALSO LOOKING AT POSSIBLY REZONING THE AREA WHERE THE MCKINLEY MALL IS CURRENTLY LOCATED, AND, UH, THE AREA BY CAMP ROAD WHERE THE THROUGHWAY USED TO COME OUT.
AND ANOTHER THING THAT IS BEING WORKED ON THAT, UH, I'M EXCITED TO BE A PART OF AND WE'RE GONNA NEED THE PUBLIC INPUT ON IS POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS IN BROWNFIELD AREAS.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF MOVEMENT ON IN THE NEXT YEAR, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND I WANT THE PUBLIC TO BE EXCITED ALSO.
AND I, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT KIND OF INPUT WE GET FOR THOSE, THOSE THINGS.
AND BILL, AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE LWRP UPDATE IS THE ADDING OF THE INLAND WATERWAY, WHICH IS THE 18 MILE CREEK, WILL NOW BE PART OF THE TOWN'S LOCAL WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION PLAN.
BECAUSE LAST TIME WE DID AN LWRP 18, MILE CREEK WASN'T CONSIDERED A WATERWAY THE SAME WAY IT IS NOW, AND WASN'T PART OF THAT PLAN.
SO, SO IT'LL BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT.
AND I KNOW SOME OF THE TOWNS TO THE SOUTHWEST HAVE ALREADY STARTED DOING THAT, SO IT'LL BE THERE, THERE'S SOME EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING THAT'LL BE GOOD FOR THE TOWN.
AND I, I'M, I WANT EVERY, I'M ENCOURAGING EVERYBODY TO BE A PART OF THAT.
FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS CONTINUATION OF A PUBLIC HEARING BROADWAY GROUP, LLC, REQUESTING SITE PLAN APPROVAL OF A NEW DOLLAR GENERAL STORE TO BE LOCATED AT 6 5 0 5 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD.
AND WE DID GET A, A DECENT AMOUNT OF INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
UH, I HOPE MOST OF THAT'S BEEN SENT ALONG TO THE APPLICANT.
AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND FROM SARAH THAT, THAT SHE HAS SOMEBODY THAT'S ON ONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THE SCREEN THAT WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT BEFORE WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
YEAH, I'VE RECEIVED, UH, I A GOOD NUMBER OF EMAILS IN THE LAST FEW DAYS THAT I HAVEN'T FORWARDED TO YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR POLICY.
BUT, UH, THERE IS ONE GENTLEMAN, AND, AND JUST TO SPEAK ON THAT, WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISION TODAY.
THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL CLOSE TODAY.
ANY EMAILS THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE PAST FEW DAYS WILL BE REVIEWED BY THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD AND BE PART OF THIS RECORD AND CONSIDERED BEFORE ANY DECISIONS MADE.
SO JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A CUTOFF FOR
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DOCUMENTS TO HELP US BE PREPARED FOR THESE MEETINGS DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE SAYING WE'RE CUTTING OUT, WE'RE, WE'RE CUTTING OFF INPUT.UM, I MEAN, THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
SO AFTER THAT, WE WON'T RECEIVE ANY INPUT.
BUT EVEN AFTER PUBLIC HEARINGS CLOSED, WE, WE STILL RECEIVE LETTERS AND THAT STILL GOES IN THE RECORD, AND WE STILL CONSIDER THINGS THAT ARE SAID.
SO THERE'S NO, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT CUTTING ANYBODY OFF.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, NOT A SITUATION WHERE IF YOU DON'T MAKE A COMMENT BY A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME, YOU LOSE YOUR OPPORTUNITY.
UH, I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO BE CLEAR ON THAT BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION THE WAY IT'S BEEN DONE.
SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF, SARAH, AND I'M GUESSING IT WAS THAT GORDON STANSBERRY THAT WANTED TO MAKE THE COMMENT? NO, IT'S, UM, MARK, IS THAT YOU? YES, YES.
UM, SO THIS IS MY FIRST TIME AT THE ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS MARK HARLA AND MY FAMILY AND I RESIDE AT 5 8 5 4 PINEHURST COURT IN LAKEVIEW.
I'M SPEAKING TO THE TOWN BOARD, UH, PLANNING BOARD WITH QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS IN REGARDING TO THE ZONING OF THE LAND.
A DOLLAR GENERAL IS BEING PROPOSED TO BE BUILT UPON LOCATED AT 65 0 5 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD.
I'M NOT AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER TO THE PROPOSED BUILDING SITE, THEREFORE, I WANNA ESTABLISH, I AM NOT HERE TO VOICE OBJECTION DUE TO MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE OF WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED.
MY PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION IS TO OBJECT TO THE FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF ANY NEW COMMERCIAL USE BEING APPROVED OR CONSIDERED FOR THE LAND ZONED AS COMMERCIAL IN THE VICINITY OF AND INCLUDING 65 0 5 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD, UNTIL THE LAND CAN BE PROVEN TO INDEED BE LEGALLY COM COMMERCIAL ZONED BY THE TOWN OF HAMBURG.
AS I'LL FURTHER EXPLAIN, THERE APPEARS TO BE ENOUGH REASONABLE INFORMATION THAT THE TOWN OF HAMBURG COULD POSSIBLY HAVE AN ERROR TO THEIR ZONING MAPS IN THIS AREA.
HISTORICAL USAGE AND COUNTY OF ERIE NEW YORK RECORDS INDICATE MANY OF THE PROPERTIES ARE RESIDENTIALLY ZONED AND ARE RESIDENTIAL USAGE.
THERE WERE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES CONSTRUCTED IN THAT AREA, DATING FROM THE 1930S THROUGH, AND AS RECENTLY AS 1994.
I BELIEVE IT TO BE REASONABLE TO EXPECT THE TOWN OF HAMBURG TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE RECORDS SHOWING THE PROPER PROCEDURES WERE FOLLOWED, SHOWING WHEN THE LAND WAS FORMALLY CONSIDERED COMMERCIALLY ZONED DESPITE ITS RESIDENTIAL USE HISTORY.
ALTERNATIVELY, WITH THE VAST NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES WITHIN A SO-CALLED COMMERCIALLY ZONED AREA, THERE MUST BE DOCUMENTATION SUCH AS WAIVERS OR VARIANCES ON RECORD AT THE VERY LEAST FOR THE MODERN BUILDS OCCURRING FROM 1986 TO 1994 FOR THE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES TO HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO BE CONSTRUCTED.
I HAD SENT A LETTER, AND IN MY LETTER I SUPPLIED SOME RESEARCH AND MY SOURCES FOR SOME OF THE SELECT PROPERTIES, INCLUDING THE LAND AT 65 0 5 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD, OF WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AS 3 1 4 RURAL VACANT, WHICH IS DEFINED AS BEING LAND LESS THAN 10 ACRES IN A RURAL RESIDENTIAL AREA.
65 29 HEZ ROAD CONSTRUCTED IN 1994, LISTED AS A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE PROPERTY CLASS 2 1 0 1 FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, WHICH IS DEFINED AS A ONE FAMILY YEAR-ROUND RESIDENCE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES NOT NOTED, WHICH FOLLOW RESIDENTIAL TRENDS IN THE AREA.
THESE PUBLIC RECORDS AS INTERPRETED SUPPORT THE THOUGHT THAT THE LANDS INTENDED USE AS BEING RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL USE STRUCTURES WERE ONLY CONSTRUCTED, BEGAN AFTER 2012.
THE RECENT ERECTION OF COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES IN THIS AREA SHOULD ALSO NOT SET ANY PRECEDENT FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE CONSIDERATION, AS I BELIEVE THEY WERE CONSTRUCTED WITHIN IMPROPER ZONING.
IN ADDITION, NOT NOTED IN MY LETTER.
I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO POINT OUT SOUTH TOWNS CHRISTIAN CENTER LOCATED AT 66 19 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD, BUILT IN 1998.
THIS STRUCTURE IS ALSO WITHIN THE COMMERCIALLY ZONED LAND.
IN QUESTION IN REVIEW OF THE TOWN OF HAMBURG CODE BOOK ADOPTED IN DECEMBER, 1986, WITHIN CHAPTER TWO 80 TITLED ZONING WITHIN COMMERCIAL TWO PERMITTED USE AND STRUCTURES SECTION, A BULLET POINT ONE, IT IS SPECIFICALLY NOTED NO RESIDENTIAL HOUSING SHALL BE PERMITTED.
THERE IS NO MENTION OF RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES BEING PERMITTED WITHIN THE COMMERCIAL TWO SECTION.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT COMMERCIAL TWO IS NOTED AS INHERITING COMMERCIAL, ONE USAGE UPON REVIEWING COMMERCIAL ONE USAGE.
THERE IS ALSO NO MENTION OF CHURCHES OR OTHER PLACES OF WORSHIP, WHEREAS WITHIN RESIDENTIAL ONE, TWO, AND THREE PERMITTED USE AND STRUCTURES, IT IS STATED TO BE INHERITED FROM THE RESIDENT ESTATE DISTRICT WITHIN
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RESIDENT ESTATE AND ALSO RESIDENTIAL AGRICULTURE DISTRICT PERMITTED USE SECTION.A BULLET 0.2 CHURCHES AND OTHER PLACES OF WORSHIP OR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ARE MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY AS BEING PERMITTED.
SOME EXAMPLES OF OTHER RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES WHICH SHARE THE SAME 6 2 0 RELIGIOUS CLASSIFICATION AS THE SOUTH TOWNS CHRISTIAN CENTER ARE LOCATED WITHIN RESIDENTIAL ZONED LAND 49 99 MCKINLEY PARKWAY.
WATERMARK WESLEYAN IS ZONED RESIDENTIAL 1 50 17 LAKESHORE ROAD, WAYSIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ZONED RESIDENTIAL 1 47 37 LAKESHORE ROAD, ST.
MARY OF THE LAKE CHURCH, ZONED RESIDENTIAL TWO AND 2 0 4 2 LAKEVIEW ROAD, ST.
JOHN PAUL THE SECOND ROMAN CATHOLIC IS ZONED RESIDENTIAL ONE.
THIS WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE LAND IN QUESTION AT 65 0 5 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD, AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES ARE IN FACT ALLY ZONED.
THIS IS BASED OFF OF THE FACT OF HISTORY AND PUBLIC RECORD.
AS A PRESENT, I'M ONLY AWARE OF THE TOWN OF HAMBURG OFFERING EXPLANATIONS SUCH AS THE LAND HAS BEEN ZONED AS SUCH, SINCE OUR TIME BEING HERE, THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ACCEPTABLE.
PROOF OF LEGALITY OF THE ZONING AND PROPER DOCUMENTATION SHOULD BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY THE BOARD AND MADE AVAILABLE.
I ALSO OBJECT TO DEFAULTING DECISIONS BASED ON THE EXISTING TOWN OF HAMBURG ZONING MAP.
WHEN ITS ACCURACY IS WHAT IS IN QUESTION, IT WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS DISSERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA TO CONTINUE WITHOUT THE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE OF LEGALITY.
IF THE SATISFACTORY PROOF CAN BE SUPPLIED BY THE TOWN OF HAMBURG SHOWN THE PROPER PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED, THEN I WILL STAND TO BE CORRECTED.
OTHERWISE, THE LAND SHOULD BE STRONGLY CONSIDERED TO BE RETURNED TO A MORE APPROPRIATE ZONING, SUCH AS RESIDENTIAL AGRICULTURE, WITH PERHAPS AUTOMATIC EXCEPTION BEING GRANTED TO EXISTING COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES ERECTED DURING AIR.
UH, MR. HARLEY, DO YOU HAVE THAT, UH, THAT STATEMENT IN WRITING? I DO HAVE A TRANSCRIPT OF WHAT I, OKAY.
ACTUALLY WHAT I READ, UM, IF YOU CAN GET THAT TRANSCRIPT TO SARAH AND SARAH, PLEASE MAKE THAT I, MR. CALAMARI AND MS. PSI ALL GET COPIES OF THAT SO THEY CAN RESPOND TO, UH, THE, THE ISSUES RAISED IN THAT, BECAUSE THERE'S A, A NUMBER OF LEGAL ISSUES THAT I THINK THE ATTORNEYS WOULD'VE TO WEIGH IN ON.
I ALREADY HAVE IT, SO I'LL SEND IT OUT TOMORROW.
WHAT I HAVE, WHAT I EMAILED YOU IS JUST A, A LETTER.
IT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I HAVE.
THERE IS MORE INFORMATION OF WHAT I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT.
JUST SEND, SEND, SEND WHAT YOU SAID THEN JOURNAL PROBLEM.
AND THEN I'LL, I'LL EXPECT, UH, BOTH OUR LAWYER AND THE LAWYER FOR BROAD, THE ATTORNEYS FOR BROADWAY GROUP TO GIVE A RESPONSE TO THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING? UM, I, GENERALLY, AT PUBLIC HEARINGS, WE ONLY ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK ONCE.
AND YOU, YOU SPOKE AT THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING.
CAN I JUST GIVE A LITTLE PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT I FOUND OUT MINUTES BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED? VERY BRIEFLY.
UM, I FOUND AN ADDENDUM TO THE, UH, 2010 MASTER PLAN.
IT IS AN ADDENDUM FROM 20 2007 THAT HAS A MAP IN IT WITH ZONING.
AND THE ONLY LAKEVIEW PROPERTY THAT IS ZONED IN OUR LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD HERE THAT IS ZONED COMMERCIAL IS THE CORNER THAT IS OCCUPIED BY THE MOTEL AND THE PROPERTY THAT IS DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM IT ON ROUTE 20.
THE REST OF US ARE NOT ZONED COMMERCIAL ACCORDING TO THAT MAP FROM 2007.
AND I CAN SEND THE LINK TO THAT TO SARAH, BUT IT, IT IS AN OFFICIAL TOWN DOCUMENT.
NOW, WE, WE GOT A, A GOOD AMOUNT OF EMAILS.
WE'VE GOT A, A CHANGE.ORG PETITION THAT HAD, UH, MANY, MANY, MANY COMMENTS ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, THERE'S A FEW COMMENTS ON THE VIDEO THAT WAS POSTED A FEW WEEKS AGO ON FACEBOOK.
HOW DO THE BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING? UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TIME TO READ ALL OF THE COMMENTS WE RECEIVED IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
UM, I WANT EVERYBODY TO BE ASSURED THAT WE DID AS PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS READ ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO READ THEM ALL INTO THE RECORD.
UH, WHAT DO THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS SAY? CAN I SAY SOMETHING BY CHANCE? I'M A RESIDENT.
UM, WANNA SPEAK? YOU HAVE TO STATE YOUR NAME AND
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ADDRESS.MY NAME IS BRANDI RAI AND I LIVE AT 6 5 4 7 HEALTH ROAD.
I HAVE, I'M THE ONE THAT THAT CREATED THE PETITION.
UM, AND WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION BACK FROM THAT.
I WANTED TO SEE IF WE JUST WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES THAT, UH, HAD A CONCERN ABOUT IT.
UM, AND WE DID GET A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION BACK ON THAT.
UM, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE, AND I I STATED THAT RIGHT.
PARDON ME? I STATED THAT RIGHT.
I SAID WE GOT THOSE PETITIONS AND THEY HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS ON THEM.
I'M JUST, I AM JUST, YOU KNOW, REITERATING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY IN THE AREA, AND I'M ONE OF THEM.
UM, AND I JUST, I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE THE STORE IS GOING TO BRING A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T, THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT PLANNING ON IT.
IT WILL BRING A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC AND THIS IS NOT THE AREA FOR IT.
I, I, I THOUGHT YOU, I THOUGHT IF YOU, YOU PAUSE THERE FOR A, FOR A WHILE.
I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT YOU FINISHED.
OH, NO, IT'S, UM, UH, WHAT WAS I GONNA SAY? I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
UM, YEAH, IT'S JUST, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY AND, UM, IT JUST, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE, AND I DON'T FEEL THAT IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED ENOUGH.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER NEW COMMENTS? LET ME CHECK OUR CURRENT LIVE STREAM HERE.
UM, SO BILL, IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTS ON THAT, JUST TO ANSWER YOUR EARLIER QUESTION, UP TO THIS POINT, WE HAVE READ IN ANY OF THE COMMENTS FROM THE FACEBOOK PAGE, SO I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY READ THOSE INTO THE RECORD.
UM, THOSE THAT ARE NEW, A LOT OF THEM, I THINK WERE THERE ALREADY DURING THE LAST MEETING, UH, JUST TO BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE.
BUT I THINK THE PETITION COMMENTS, BECAUSE THEY ARE, WE HAVE THEM IN WRITING, THEY'VE BEEN PDFED, I THINK THEY CAN BE PART OF THE WRITTEN RECORD IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.
SO LET ME LOOK AT THOSE COMMENTS.
MAYBE WE CAN MAKE A NEW PDF IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
MOST OF THE COMMENTS I'M SEEING, IT SAYS THEY WERE TWO WEEKS AGO.
UM, BUT WHEN I, WHEN I PULL THEM UP, IT DOES THE COMMENTS BY RELEVANCY, NOT BY TIME.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE, WHEN I
YOU CAN CLICK THE TRIANGLE AND CHANGE IT TO NEWEST.
NEWEST, UH, YEAH, THE NEWEST COMMENT THAT I SEE IS, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO.
IT'S A FRANK PALUSO, WE DON'T NEED IT.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WEREN'T ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
UH, DO THE TOWN BOARD ARE THE PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE FEEL COMFORTABLE CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS POINT IN TIME? YEAH, I DO.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS TARA MATHIAS WITH THE BROADWAY GROUP.
UM, AND I'M SORRY, THIS MAY JUST BE A MATTER OF PROCESS THAT I'M UNSURE OF, BUT I WANTED TO ASK BEFORE YOU CLOSE THE HEARING IN CASE IT MATTERED.
WHEN DO, WHEN DO WE GET TO I'M RESPOND TO THOSE, UM, THOSE COMMENTS.
IS THAT PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING OR AFTER YOU CLOSE IT? THAT WOULD BE GENERALLY AFTER.
UM, I, I THINK SOME OF THE COMMENTS ALREADY, AND YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO RESPOND TO THAT, AND I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE SCHEDULED FOR OUR NEXT MEETING IN JANUARY.
UM, AND YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO THOSE COMMENTS BEFORE WE MAKE ANY TYPES OF DECISIONS AT THAT MEETING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CLARIFYING.
SO, SO THE COMMENTS WE RECEIVED, THE LAST MEETING YOU, YOU CAN ADDRESS, UH, TODAY IF YOU'RE PREPARED, AND, AND YOU WILL HAVE TIME AT THE NEXT MEETING TO ADDRESS BOTH THE, THE NEW LEGAL ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED AND, UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT A COPY OF THAT, UH, CHANGE.ORG PETITION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS SENT TO YOU YET OR NOT.
THERE WAS, THERE, THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMMENTS ON THAT.
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SO IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE PUT COMMENTS ON THAT INSTEAD OF ON FACEBOOK AS THEY HAVE IN OTHER PROJECTS.SO, UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY, THIS IS JOE CALBERRY ON BEHALF OF BROADWAY GROUP.
UM, I JUST WANNA CONFIRM, I KNOW WE DIDN'T HAVE THE TIMELY SUBMISSION BEFORE THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE IN RECEIPT OF THE TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, AND I APOLOGIZE, I WAS HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES I DIDN'T GET ON LIKE 7 0 1.
UM, WAS THERE ANY MENTION WHEN THERE, THERE A RESPONSE FROM NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S MADE IT INTO THE RECORD AS WELL? AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION YET.
UH, BILL CAN STATE THE BOARD ON THAT.
CAN SOMEONE MUTE THEIR LINE? WE HAVE A LOT OF ECHO.
UH, I SPOKE TO ED BROKOWSKI AT THE STATE DOT TODAY.
HE SAID HE'LL NEED, AND BECAUSE THEY'RE REMOTE NOW, HE DIDN'T PICK UP HIS MAIL.
SO HE KNOWS HE HAS THE SECRET LEAD AGENCY AND THE LETTER FROM US, AND HE NEEDS TO RESPOND.
HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE A RESPONSE BY TODAY, BUT HE IS GONNA WORK ON GETTING A RESPONSE BY MEETING TWO WEEKS FROM TONIGHT.
SO I DID SPEAK TO EDWARD RAKOWSKI TODAY AT DOT.
ALRIGHT, AT THIS TIME I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT I, I DO WANNA RE REITERATE FOR THE RESIDENTS AND THE PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME.
AND JUST BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS CLOSED DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T SEND US AN EMAIL OR A LETTER AND THAT THOSE THINGS WON'T BE CONSIDERED.
UM, WE, WE STILL WILL CONSIDER THOSE THINGS UP UNTIL A FEW DAYS BEFORE WE ARE, HAVE, ARE SCHEDULED TO MAKE A DECISION.
UH, AND WE DO CONSIDER THE APPLICANT WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW AND RESPOND TO.
UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO SOMETHING WHERE SOMEBODY SENDS SOMETHING A FEW DAYS BEFORE WE'RE SCHEDULED TO MAKE A DECISION AND, AND DON'T GIVE THE OTHER SIDE A CHANCE TO RESPOND.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE PROCESS WORKS.
ONE OF THE, WHAT WE KIND OF DO HERE IS THAT PROPERTY IS OWNED BY A, AN INDIVIDUAL, IT'S NOT OWNED BY THE TOWN.
AND WE TELL THEM WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO.
YOU CAN IMAGINE IN THOSE SITUATIONS, THERE'S A LOT OF RULES WE HAVE TO FOLLOW IF WE'RE GONNA TELL SOMEBODY WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO WITH THEIR OWN PROPERTY.
SO THAT'S, I I THINK PEOPLE ARE, ARE, UH, WONDERING WHY WE DON'T JUST TAKE SOMETHING AND, AND MOVE ON.
BUT WE'RE, WE GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, THEN OUR DECISIONS WOULD BE CONSIDERED CAPRICIOUS AND NOT VALID.
UH, HOLD ON, BILL, THERE WERE THREE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THAT CAME IN ON THE NEW FACEBOOK PAGE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU JUST WANNA THE, UH, THEY'RE PRETTY MINOR, BUT WELL BRIEF, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY NOT MINOR.
YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND READ THOSE? OKAY.
DO YOU WANT ME TO READ 'EM FOR YOU? UH, SURE.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M NOT SEEING OUR LIVE STREAM.
I'M, WHEN I PULL UP THE WEBSITE HERE FOR SOME REASON.
UH, THE FIRST TWO COMMENTS WERE FROM SCOTT RUSSELL.
THE FIRST ONE SAYS, LET THEM BUILT.
THE SECOND ONE SAYS, SAFETY ISSUES HAS BEEN ADDRESSED, I THINK MEANS ADDRESSED.
UH, THE THIRD COMMENT SAID IS FROM JUSTIN K. CRUZ KRAUS, THE DEVELOPMENT BEHIND WILSON DRIVE SLASH TO, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT A LATER COMMENT.
AND THEN THE LAST COMMENT IS DEFINITELY ABOUT, UH, A DIFFERENT PROJECT.
UH, THE, IT'S ABOUT THE AKA AND WILSON PROJECT.
THE SECOND PART OF THAT WAS SAFETY HAD BEEN ADDRESSED.
I I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE, THE COMMENT SAID.
YEAH, I, I GOT, IT'S COME UP NOW.
THIS TIME I WILL LET BROADWAY GROUP RESPOND TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE RECEIVED AT THE LAST MEETING.
THE PUBLIC HEARINGS OFFICIALLY CLOSED NOW, RIGHT?
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SAY OFFICIALLY CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING.ALRIGHT, WELL, UM, GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, HOSTING US ON THE WEBEX MEETING AND ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE THESE MEETINGS.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ALL TRYING TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT OUR, UM, SITUATION WITH THE COVID VIRUS, I, UM, AM GLAD TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
AS HAS KIND OF BEEN PREFACED IN OUR OTHER DIS IN THE OTHER INTRODUCTIONS, UM, OUR SITE HAS GARNERED A LOT OF INTEREST FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING.
I THINK IT THINK IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY THERE AND THE INVESTMENT OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY LIVE.
AND SO I DEFINITELY APPLAUD THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN COURAGEOUS ENOUGH.
I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY BECAUSE I DO IT AND IT'S NOT EASY FOR ME.
I DO IT FOR A JOB TO GET UP, UM, AND SPEAK PUBLICLY ABOUT THINGS.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE INPUT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED OVER THE COURSE OF THESE SEVERAL MEETINGS FROM THE PLANNING BOARD AND FROM MULTIPLE OTHER, UM, RESOURCES.
I DID PREPARE, UM, FOR THIS EVENING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMMENTS, UM, THAT WERE RECEIVED OVER THE COURSE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING, AS WELL AS, UM, RECAPPING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE, UM, OF, OF THE, UM, PROJECT.
SO I AM LOOKING FOR MY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT VISUAL A DOES HELP, UM, US ALL JUST VISUALIZE AND, AND UNDERSTAND MAYBE WHAT I'M TRYING TO EXPRESS TO THE BOARD AND, AND TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL TONIGHT, UM, ON THE PROJECT.
SO I GUESS JUST TO, UM, TO RECAP, AND I HOPE YOU ALL CAN SEE MY SCREEN.
UM, JUST TO RECAP, THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS, UM, ABOUT AN 8,900 SQUARE FOOT FREE STANDING SINGLE TENANT RETAIL STORE.
UM, WHAT WE WANT TO PROVIDE IS A CONVENIENT ACCESS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR A GENERAL VARIETY OF EVERYDAY HOUSEHOLD GOODS.
WE, UM, KNOW THAT OUR DEVELOPMENT WILL PROVIDE ABOUT EIGHT TO 10 JOBS FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHICH I WANT TO JUST REMIND, UM, THE BOARD BECAUSE WE HAVE HEARD IT THAT THE AREA PERHAPS IS GOING THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF AN ECONOMIC, UM, DEPRESSION WHERE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE MAYBE LOST THEIR JOBS OR HAVE BEEN FURLOUGHED OR LAID OFF TEMPORARILY.
AND SO THIS WOULD PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FOR SOME FAMILIES IN THE, IN THE AREA.
WE HAVE PROVIDED AN ENHANCED BUILDING DESIGN AND LANDSCAPING TO COMPLIMENT THE COMMUNITY.
AND NOT ONLY IS IT JUST THOSE IMMEDIATE, UM, BENEFITS, BUT IT'S A LONG-TERM STABLE TAX BASE FOR THE COMMUNITY SO THAT YOU CAN ENDEAVOR TO, UM, WORK ON SOME OF THE OTHER LONG-TERM PROJECTS THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO RESPOND TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, FROM, FROM THE REVIEW PROCESS.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE RECEIVED IT FROM MULTIPLE DIFFERENT SOURCES.
THE PLANNING BOARD HAS BEEN, UM, A WEALTH OF COMMENTS, UM, AND HAVE ECHOED, I THINK, VERY STRONGLY AND SHOWS HOW IN TUNE THE PLANNING BOARD IS TO THE COMMUNITY.
THAT MANY OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE RAISED ARE THE SAME ONES THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S BEEN THROUGH THEM ATTENDING THE MEETING ON THE FACEBOOK PAGE OR EVEN THROUGH THAT ONLINE PETITION.
WE HAD, UM, FEEDBACK FROM SDOT, THE HAMBURG TRAFFIC SAFETY ADVISORY BOARD, THE HAMBURG CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, AND ALSO, UM, DEC.
SO, UM, THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS, UM, THAT WE, WE CA TRIED TO CATEGORIZE THEM BECAUSE AS THE PLANNING BOARD, UM, CHAIRMAN MENTIONED GOING THROUGH AND READING EACH ONE OF THEM IS, WOULD MAYBE NOT BE THE BEST USE OF OUR TIME, BUT TO CATEGORIZE THEM AND ADDRESS THEM IN BROAD TOPICS, I THINK WILL, UM, BE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO ADDRESS THEM.
AND OF COURSE, IF THERE'S OTHER QUESTIONS, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I'M VERY, VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
SO, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE COMMENTS THOUGH, UM, OR TOPICS I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE PLANNING BOARD TO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS THAT WERE ISSUED OR PROVIDED THAT REALLY DON'T FALL INTO THE DECISION PROCESS OF THE PLANNING BOARD.
AND SO SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS WE HAVE TO SET ASIDE, UM, AND SAY THOSE DON'T REALLY DON'T APPLY TO THIS DECISION PROCESS THERE.
UM, WERE MULTIPLE COMMENTS THOUGH THAT DID.
UM, THERE WERE ALSO, I THINK, UM, IN THE COURSE OF THE, UM, THE INFORMATION SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE ONLINE PETITION THAT WAS PERHAPS MISINFORMATION.
[00:30:01]
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT THAT WAS POSTED ON THAT PETITION, IT'S A MISSTATEMENT OF HOW WE HAVE PRESENTED THE PROJECT TO THE PLANNING BOARD AND ALL THE DIFFERENT CONCESSIONS THAT WE HAVE MADE OVER TIME.AND SO WHILE THE PRESENTATION OF OUR PROJECT IN THAT FORUM MAYBE WAS NOT FULLY ACCURATE, UM, THE FEEDBACK THAT IT GARNERED IS STILL ITEMS THAT WE TOOK UNDER ADVISEMENT TO TRY TO, UM, RESPOND TO THIS EVENING.
THE MAIN TOPICS, UM, IN, IN BROAD, BROAD STROKES WERE ZONING, COMMUNITY, CHARACTER, CHARACTER AND AESTHETICS, TREASON CONSERVATION, TRAFFIC SAFETY, AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
AND IF YOU'LL HANG WITH ME TONIGHT, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO GET OVER TO THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY SIDE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVEN'T, UM, TO THE BOARD'S, UM, DETERMINATION PROVIDED AN ADEQUATE EXPLANATION OF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
SO, UM, I WANTED TO TRY TO GIVE A MORE COMPLETE, UM, REPORT ON THAT TO YOU TONIGHT REGARDING THE ZONING.
UM, AND DEFINITELY WE'VE HEARD THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE THIS EVENING AND THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD PREVIOUSLY.
BUT BASED OFF OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE FROM THE TOWN, THIS PROPERTY IS ZONED C TWO, WHICH IS THE GENERAL, UM, BUSINESS DISTRICT.
AND IT ACTUALLY COMPLIES WITH THE ZONING CODE AND THE TOWN'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE PRO THAT IS THE PROJECT THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED.
AND SO IT'S ALLOWED BY, RIGHT NOW, I UNDERSTAND AND DON'T WANT TO DIMINISH AT ALL THE, UM, FRUSTRATION THAT MAY BE FELT IN THE COMMUNITY OVER FINDING THAT THIS, UM, THEIR PROPERTY MAY NOT BE ZONED AS THEY THOUGHT IT WAS, OR, UM, IT, IT WAS A SURPRISE TO THEM.
BUT AS THE DEVELOPER AND THE PROPERTY, UM, OWNER, WE ARE FOLLOWING, WE'RE FOLLOWING THE RULES AS BEST AS WE CAN.
AND NOT ONLY FOLLOWING THE RULES, WE'VE IN SOME CASES, UM, WORKED AND WORKED WITH THE PLANNING BOARD, COLLABORATED OVER MULTIPLE MEETINGS, UM, PROVIDED CONCESSIONS.
WE HAVE TWEAKED AND FINE TUNED THE SITE LAYOUT UNTIL IT NOT ONLY JUST MEETS THE, UM, ZONING ORDINANCE ITSELF, BUT IT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ARE OF OUR, UM, ADJOINING NEIGHBORS.
SO, UM, WE HAVE PROVIDED, UM, AND MAXIMIZED WHERE WE CAN THE SETBACK SO THAT WE ARE AS FAR AWAY FROM PROPERTY LINES AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
WE HAVE SHIFTED THE DRIVEWAY, UM, WE HAVE, UM, INCREASED THE BUFFER AND PROVIDED MORE TREES.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF CONCESSIONS THAT WE HAVE MADE SPECIFICALLY TO THE SITE LAYOUT ITSELF.
UM, ABOVE AND BEYOND JUST THE LETTER OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
A PART OF THE ZONING IS WHAT IS OUTLINED BY THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND AS WE DISCUSSED LAST, UM, AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, AND LAID OUT, THE PROJECT ITSELF DOES COMPLY WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO I WILL NOT GO THROUGH THESE ONE BY ONE, UM, AS WE DID AT THE LAST MEETING.
BUT IN A NUTSHELL, UM, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BASICALLY WANTS TO PROVIDE, UH, BALANCED GROWTH IN THE AREA, BUT IT WANTS TO ALSO WEIGH, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND OTHER IMPACTS TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, WHAT WE, WHAT WE READ IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO RESTRICT ALL DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT JUST WANTS TO PLAN FOR IT IN PRIME LOCATIONS.
SO, UM, THAT IS BASICALLY WHAT WE HAVE SET OUT TO DO WITH THE, THE CURRENT ZONING AS IT IS NOW.
SO ONE OF THE OTHER, UM, TOPICS THAT WERE, WERE BROUGHT UP AND KIND OF STEMS OUT OF THAT WHOLE ZONING CONVERSATION IS, DOES IT MEET THE COMMUNITY CHARACTER AND AESTHETICS? WE HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO WE LOOK AT THE SURROUNDING AREA, WHAT IS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA THAT HELPS MAKE UP THE CHARACTER AND THE AESTHETIC OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THIS GRAPHIC BASICALLY SHOWS ABOUT A ONE MILE RADIUS AND SOME OF THE, UM, DIFFERENT ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE WITHIN A CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OUR SITE.
BEAR IN MIND THAT AS WE SAW ON THAT ZONING, UM, THE ZONING MAP, THE TOWN DESIGNATED A VERY TIGHTLY CONTAINED AREA FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S WHAT THE INTENT, I THINK, OF THE ZONING BOARD TO KEEP IT TIGHTLY CONTAINED SO THAT THE OVERALL AREA OF THE COMMUNITY COULD MAINTAIN THAT RULE, UM, RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER.
AND THEN, UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT WASN'T TO RESTRICT THE DEVELOPMENT, BUT BASICALLY TO PLAN FOR IT IN AREAS WHERE IT COULD BE DEVELOPED IN A PRIME LOCATIONS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, OF COURSE OUR SITE IS TO PROVIDE A GENERAL VARIETY RETAIL STORE
[00:35:01]
THAT SERVES THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOODS.AND SO ITS PLACEMENT WITHIN THE ZONING AREA IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE OTHER NON-RESIDENTIAL ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OUR SITE AS WELL.
SO THESE NON-RESIDENTIAL USES ALSO COME IN AND BECOME A PART OF THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY.
NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE IN A COMMERCIALLY ZONED AREA, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE AS A DEVELOPER WANTED TO TAKE FULL LIBERTIES OF THAT ZONING.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE SHARING THIS COMMUNITY WITH RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORS, PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND ENJOY THEIR LIVES ON A DAILY BASIS, RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO US.
BUT THE ZONING, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE ZONING ALLOWED FOR THAT TOO.
IT ACTUALLY BUILT IN DIFFERENT RULES.
IF YOU'RE NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, THEN THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO.
APART FROM THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE DEVELOPING ON ABOUT A LITTLE OVER A ONE ACRE LOT.
SO THE LOT SIZE IS NOT A HUGE DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S CONSIDER CONSIDERABLE TO THE SIZE OF OTHER RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AROUND US.
SO WE'RE NOT PLOPPING DOWN THIS HUGE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, NEXT DOOR TO EVERYBODY ELSE WHO HAS A SMALLER LOT, WE ARE VERY SIMILARLY SIZED.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, RESPECTED OUR NEIGHBORS BY PROPOSING A PRIVACY FENCE ON THE WESTERN BOUNDARY.
WE'VE PROPO PROPOSED LANDSCAPE BUFFERS TO SCREEN THE ADJACENT USES, UM, TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE EAST.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, PROPOSED DARK SKY COMPLIANT LIGHT FIXTURES TO BE TURNED OFF AFTER STORE HOURS.
AND THEN WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE AESTHETICS OF THE AREA TO SAY, OKAY, WELL NOW WE'VE DONE WHAT WE CAN TO BUFFER, UM, THE OTHER NEIGHBORS AROUND US.
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO MAKE THIS SITE LOOK LIKE A PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD? SO WE LOOKED AT WHAT WAS SURROUNDING US AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE SOME AESTHETICS OF THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WE COULD MIMIC WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT.
UM, ALL OF THESE THAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, IN LESS THAN A MILE, I MEAN A 10TH OF A MILE FROM US IN SOME CASES, THE FURTHEST ONE BEING 0.6 OF A MILE, UM, FROM OUR SITE.
AND SO WE LOOKED AT THESE, UM, CHARACTERISTICS AND TOOK THE ADVICE AND INPUT FROM THE PLANNING BOARD AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE CAME UP WITH A VERY BEAUTIFUL, UM, PROPOSAL OF HOW TO COMPLIMENT THE STRUCTURES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT WAS A GABLE ROOF.
WE ORIGINALLY HAD A FLAT ROOF.
UM, THE PLANNING BOARD SAID THAT JUST DOESN'T MATCH THE, THE COMMUNITY OF, UM, OR CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, WITH GREAT EXPENSE TO US AS A DEVELOPER, UM, NOT TO THE BIG BOX STORE, BUT TO US THE ACTUAL DEVELOPER, WE ARE PROVIDING A GABLE ROOF TO THIS DEVELOPMENT.
WE, UM, ARE DOING CLEAR SEE-THROUGH WINDOWS.
IT'S SOMETHING WE NORMALLY WOULDN'T DO BECAUSE IT DOESN'T GIVE A NICE VISUAL OF THE INSIDE OF THE STORE WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE THE BACKS OF FREEZERS, UM, OR SHELVING.
BUT THE PLATING BOARD WANTED, UM, CLEAR SEE-THROUGH WINDOWS AND WE'VE PROVIDED THOSE, UH, WE DRESSED UP THE FRONT WITH AWNINGS, UM, AND SOME DECORATIVE LIGHTING.
WE USE NEUTRAL COLORS THAT YOU WOULD SEE MORE IN A, A RESIDENTIAL SETTING.
THERE'S NOTHING LOUD OR OBNOXIOUS ABOUT THE COLOR SCHEME.
AND THEN WE DID A PANEL IN BRICK FACADE THAT ALSO MIMICKED SOME OF THE MATERIALS THAT WE SAW IN RESIDENTIAL, UM, DEVELOPMENTS AROUND US IN ADDITION TO THE MATERIALS THAT WE WERE SEEING BEING USED ON THOSE COMMERCIALS, UM, DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL.
SO, UM, THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THAT, UM, CONCEPTUALLY SHOWING HOW THE LANDSCAPING WOULD ALSO PLAY IN AND HIGHLIGHT, UM, THE, THE SITE AND BEAUTIFY THAT CORNER OF THE, OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN, UM, THIS IS KIND OF A, A CORNER SIDE VIEW, JUST SHOWING HOW WE HAVE THE WINDOW ON THE SIDE, UM, THERE AGAIN, BREAKING UP THE PLANE, BRINGING IT DOWN TO A SCALE THAT FITS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, ADDING IN SOME OTHER DETAILS TO KIND OF JUST BREAK THE LONG PLANE OF THAT WALL INTO SMALLER BITS SO THAT IT DOES FIT WITHIN THAT SCALE.
SO WE TOOK A VERY COMPREHENSIVE VIEW AT THE LOOK OF THE BUILDING, AND IT'S A FAR CRY FROM A CINDER BLOCK BUILDING THAT THE, UM, PETITION ONLINE DESCRIBED OUR BUILDING AS.
SO, UM, WE, WE MADE MULTIPLE CONNECT CONCESSIONS TO BRING A BUILDING LIKE THIS TO THE PLANNING BOARD, A BUILDING DESIGN IN FACT THAT OUR TENANT IS NOT REALLY EVEN OFFERING ANYMORE, BUT WE PRESSED THE ISSUE UNTIL WE COULD SUPPLY SOMETHING THAT WOULD MEET THAT GABLE ROOF ROOF APPEARANCE THAT EVERYONE
[00:40:01]
HAS BEEN VERY, UM, INTERESTED IN ACHIEVING.ANOTHER TOPIC THAT CAME UP WAS TREASON CONSERVATION.
THIS CAME UP FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE DID RECEIVE AT THE LAST MEETING A LETTER FROM THE HAMBURG CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD COMMENTING ON SAVING THE TREES THAT WERE, UM, EXISTING ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT, UM, SEE ANY IMPACT OF REMOVING THE EXISTING TREES.
NOW, WHETHER IT'S NO IMPACT OR NOT, UM, WE KNOW THAT THE PRESERVATION OF THOSE EXISTING TREES WAS CONSIDERED PART OF THE COMMUNITY CHARACTER.
AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE TWEAKED THE SITE LAYOUT, UM, SAVING ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT FEET ON THE HES ROADSIDE SO THAT WE COULD PRESERVE, UM, 20 OR SO OF THOSE EXISTING TREES ALONG THAT PROPERTY BOUNDARY.
WE ALSO PROPOSED TO PRESERVE A GENEROUS THICKET OF TREES IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PROPERTY CORNER WHERE OUR PROPERTY COMES TOGETHER TO POINT, UM, WITH SOME OTHER PROPERTIES BACK THERE.
UM, WE ALSO PROPOSE TO ADD 19 NEW TREES AND 77 NEW SHRUBS.
SO OUR LANDSCAPING IS, UM, PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE AS WELL.
UM, AND THEY ARE SPECIES OF TREES AND SHRUBS, PLANTS THAT WOULD BE, UM, INDIGENOUS AND WOULD BE HARDY ENOUGH FOR THIS AREA AS WELL AS VERY PLEASING BECAUSE OF THE BEAUTIFUL COLORS THAT THEY WOULD, UM, PROVIDE TO THE PROPERTY.
THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD CONSIDERED MULTIPLE DIFFERENT THINGS, NOT JUST THE TREES.
THEY CONSIDERED, UM, THE TREE REMOVAL, BUT ALSO WETLANDS OR SENSITIVE AREAS, HISTORICAL LANDMARKS, ENDANGERED TREES OR ANIMALS, AND THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND GIVEN THEIR REVIEW, UM, AND, AND THAT THEY ARE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AS WELL, THEY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO ADVERSE IMPACT WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT.
NOW, THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD DID RECOMMEND THAT WE CONSIDER AN EARTH AND BERM ALONG THE LTZ ROAD BOUNDARY.
AND, UM, THAT IS NOT OBJECTIONABLE AT ALL TO US AS A DEVELOPER.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A TRADE OFF.
AND, UM, THAT TRADE OFF WOULD BE THE TREES.
SO WE KNOW THAT THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD ISN'T REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING THE EXISTING TREES, BUT, UM, THE ADVI, THE PLANNING BOARD AND SOME OF THE RESIDENTS WERE.
UM, WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE THE GUIDANCE AND DETERMINATION FROM THE PLANNING BOARD AS TO WHICH ONE WOULD BE PREFERRED, AN EARTH AND BERM THAT WE COULD LANDSCAPE OR KEEPING THOSE EXISTING TREES BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO WAY TO DO BOTH.
WE HAVE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH TRAFFIC SAFETY.
SO, UM, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, STARTED OFF WITH A SITE DESIGN THAT HAD AN ACCESS POINT ON SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD.
WHEN WE SUBMITTED OUR CONCEPTUAL DESIGN TO SDOT, THEY REPLIED BACK THAT WE NEEDED TO MOVE OUR DRIVEWAY ONTO THE COUNTY ROAD BECAUSE OF THEIR POLICY FOR ACCESS MANAGEMENT INVOLVING CORNER PROPERTIES.
SO AT THAT POINT, WE REDESIGNED OUR SITE TO HAVE AN ACCESS ON HEALTH ROAD, WHICH IS A COUNTY ROAD.
THE PROJECT, UM, MET WITH SOME OPPOSITION BECAUSE OF THAT AND, UM, THE PLANNING BOARD REACHED OUT TO THE HAMBURG TRAFFIC SAFETY ADVISORY BOARD FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
THE TRAFFIC SAFETY ADVISORY BOARD REVIEWED THE SITUATION AND CAME BACK WITH A VERY STRONG RESPONSE THAT IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO HAVE THE DRIVEWAY ON HEALTHS ROAD, WHICH IS THE COUNTY ROAD.
WE, UM, THEN DECIDED, UM, AFTER HEARING FROM THE PLANNING BOARD THAT THERE WERE STILL SOME OVERARCHING CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY, UM, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE, UH, AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC AND THEN CONCERNS ABOUT TURNING MOVEMENTS FROM THE INTERSECTION AS WELL AS THE ACTUAL GEOMETRY OF THE INTERSECTION, THE ANGLE OF THE ROADS.
UM, THERE WERE SOME UNDERLYING CONCERNS THERE THAT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE COULD BE RESOLVED WITHOUT A TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY.
AND SO WE CONTRACTED FOR THAT TO BE COMPLETED BY GTS CONSULTING.
SO THE TRAFFIC, UM, IMPACT STUDY INVESTIGATED THIS ON A, ON A DETAILED BASIS.
IT WENT SPECIFICALLY TO THE SITE AND INVESTIGATED ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, CHARACTERISTICS.
SO, UM, THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER LOOKED AT THE EXISTS, NOT JUST THE EXISTING, BUT ALSO THE FUTURE TRAFFIC COUNTS ONCE THE DEVELOPMENT IS THERE AND PERHAPS EVEN WITH THE, UH, A GROWTH FACTOR.
AND WHAT WE DID IS BASICALLY VEERED AS CONSERVATIVE AS POSSIBLE, WHICHEVER NUMBER GAVE US THE, THE NUMBERS THAT ARE MOST FAVORABLE TO THE TOWN, THE MOST CONSERVATIVE NUMBERS, THAT'S WHAT WE VEERED TOWARDS.
WE LOOKED AT THE GAP DATA TO MAKE SURE THAT
[00:45:01]
THERE WAS SUFFICIENT GAPS IN THE TRAFFIC TO ALLOW FOR SAFE TURNING MOVEMENTS.UM, INTO AND OUT OF, UM, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT, WE LOOKED AT THE SPEEDS, UM, THAT PEOPLE WERE TRAVELING.
UM, WE LOOKED AT SITE DISTANCE MEASUREMENTS TO SEE IF YOU COULD SEE PEOPLE COMING AND GOING SO YOU COULD SAFELY MAKE THOSE TURNS WITHOUT TURNING INTO A VEHICLE.
UM, AND THEN WE LOOKED AT THE OPERATIONAL DATA, WHICH AS I MENTIONED IS BASICALLY THE GEOMETRY OF THAT INTERSECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE UM, ANGLE OF IT WOULD NOT CAUSE A SAFETY CONCERN.
SO CONSIDERING THE INPUT OF THE TRAFFIC SAFETY ADVISORY BOARD, WHICH THEIR QUOTE WAS THE OVERWHELMING OPINION IS AGAINST THE ACCESS ON SOUTHWESTERN AND TO KEEP THE EGRESS ONTO HEALTHS AS PLANNED.
AND THEN OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER CONSULTANT, UM, AT THE END OF HIS DETAILED REPORT PROVIDED A SUMMARY THAT SAID THAT IT WOULD NOT HAVE ANY, UM, SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE TRAFFIC OPERATIONS FOR SOUTHWESTERN OR FOR HEALTHS ROAD, THAT THERE WERE AMPLE GAPS TO ACCOMMODATE THE TURNING MOVEMENTS INTO AND OUT OF THE DEVELOPMENT, GOOD SITE DISTANCES IN EACH DIRECTION, AND NO CAPACITY CONCERNS AS A RESULT.
THERE WERE NO MITIGATION MEASURES RECOMMENDED.
THE, UM, AS MR. RILEY UH, MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE MEETING, SDOT HAS BEEN CONTACTED ON A FEW DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, I THINK TWO OR THREE OCCASIONS BY THE TOWN ITSELF.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH ED RAKOWSKI ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AS WELL, TRYING TO SEE IF I CAN, UM, FIGURE OUT ANY WAY TO RESOLVE ANY OF THIS.
AND I CAN JUST TELL THE PLANNING BOARD, ED RAKOWSKI HAS BEEN VERY CONSISTENT.
HE HAS NOT WAVERED, HE HAS SAID, UM, THAT BASIC THE END RESULT CONSIDERING THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER OVERRIDING SAFETY CONCERNS HERE.
UM, AFTER WE'VE DONE TRAFFIC STUDIES, AFTER WE'VE TALKED TO THE TRAFFIC SAFETY ADVISORY BOARD, THERE'S REALLY NO WAY, UM, OR GOOD JUSTIFICATION TO OVERTURN A, UM, THE BEST PRACTICES IN ENGINEERING.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO UPHOLD IS A GOLD STANDARD FOR ACCESS MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE MADE, GIVEN THIS GUIDANCE, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NOT PERHAPS WRITTEN BACK FORMALLY TO THE TOWN, THAT IS THEIR POSITION.
AND, UM, MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THEY DON'T PLAN TO CHANGE THEIR POSITION ON THIS SUBJECT.
NOW I WANNA GET TO THIS TOPIC OF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S BEEN OF KEEN INTEREST TO MULTIPLE PEOPLE AND, UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, UM, ON, ON MULTIPLE MEETINGS.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST, UM, UTILIZE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE LEARNED FROM OUR TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY, UM, AND ALSO USE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN JUST SEE WITH OUR OWN EYES IN TERMS OF THE SITE CHARACTERISTICS.
SO LET'S LEARN JUST MORE ABOUT THIS SITE IN GENERAL AND VIEW IT MAYBE FROM A PEDESTRIAN STANDPOINT.
SO FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE EXTREMELY A SIDE DISTANCES AND WIDE CLEAR ZONE OF VISIBILITY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND MOTORISTS.
THIS ROAD IS, IT'S CLEARED BACK.
THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT TONS OF VEGETATION GROWING UP ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAY.
IT'S CLEAR, IT'S FLAT, YOU CAN SEE FOR AN EXTREMELY LONG DISTANCE LONGER THAN YOU WOULD NEED FOR AASHTO REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND THAT MEANS THAT MOTORISTS AND PEDESTRIANS ALIKE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY KIND OF DANGEROUS CONDITION HEADING THEIR WAY.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE TIME TO MAYBE CORRECT COURSE OR SLOW DOWN OR GET OUTTA THE WAY.
UM, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO VISUALIZE THAT FROM A LONG DISTANCE AND REACT TO IT.
WE CAN ALSO SEE THAT IN THIS AREA THERE'S A VERY WIDE SHOULDER.
UM, IT DOESN'T DROP OFF INTO A DITCH.
AND SO IT'S GONNA ACCOMMODATE THOSE PEDESTRIANS THAT MAY CHOOSE IF THEY CHOOSE TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM THAT INTERSECTION AT HETS ROAD IN SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD, THEY COULD TRAVEL ALONG THAT WIDE CLEAR SHOULDER AND THEY COULD ALSO HAVE A PLACE TO WAIT TO CROSS THE ROAD SHOULD THEY NEED TO.
SO, UM, WE HAVE SOME IMAGES AS WELL.
OTHER SITE CHARACTERISTICS IS LIGHTING.
YOU MAY SAY, WELL, TARA, THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD IN THE DAYLIGHT, BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN IT GETS DARK AT NIGHT? THIS SITE HAS AREA STREETLIGHTS ON EITHER SIDE OF IT.
THERE'S ONE THAT IS AT THE CORNER OF TRO AND SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD, AND THEN THERE'S ONE THAT'S JUST ABOUT 200 AND, UM, 10 FEET WEST OF OUR PROPERTY LINE ON SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD.
SO A PEDESTRIAN WOULD BE ABLE TO MAYBE SEE THE AREA.
UM, IT PROVIDES MORE LIGHTING FOR MOTORISTS.
AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SITE CHARACTERISTICS THAT ADDS SAFETY TO THE SITUATION.
[00:50:01]
VISUAL, UM, SINCE I JUST HAD THOSE INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS, I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THE PLACEMENT OF THOSE AREA STREETLIGHTS SO YOU COULD SEE HOW IT BASICALLY BOOKENDS THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY WHERE WE'RE PROPOSING TO PUT THE STORE.SO NOW LET'S TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS.
WE'VE LOOKED AT THE SITE CHARACTERISTICS, THOSE PHYSICAL SITE CHARACTERISTICS, BUT NOW LET'S LOOK AT THE GAP ANALYSIS FROM THE TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY IMPACT, BECAUSE IT BASICALLY WAS EXAMINING TURNING MOVEMENTS.
AND FOR A VEHICLE TO TURN, ESPECIALLY TURNING LEFT OUT OF THE INTERSECTION, THE TRAFFIC NEEDS TO BE CLEARED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
OKAY, SO WE CAN LOOK AT THIS GAP ANALYSIS SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE LEFT TURN MOVEMENTS AND SAY, OKAY, WELL IF IT WAS CLEAR IN BOTH DIRECTIONS FOR A VEHICLE, THEN ARE THOSE GAPS LONG ENOUGH THAT A PEDESTRIAN COULD CROSS AS WELL? SO CROSSING SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD, WHICH IS ABOUT 36 FEET WIDE, WOULD TAKE AN AVERAGE OF 10.3 SECONDS FOR A PEDESTRIAN TO WALK ACROSS SAFELY.
SO THEN WE WANNA MEASURE HOW MANY GAPS DO WE HAVE AVAILABLE THAT ARE AT LEAST 10.3 SECONDS LONG WHERE A PEDESTRIAN COULD CROSS.
SO IN THE TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY THAT THE PLANNING BOARD HAS A COPY OF, UM, THERE IS A PAGE SPECIFICALLY ON THE LEFT TURNS EXITING FROM UM, HEALTHS ROAD.
THIS AGAIN, IS WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE A CLEAR PA CLEAR GAP IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ON SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD.
THE NEXT THING WE WANNA DO IS WE WANNA LOOK AND SEE THE TIME INTERVAL.
IS THE TIME INTERVAL LONG ENOUGH FOR A PEDESTRIAN TO CROSS? SO WE STARTED EXAMINING AND COUNTING THOSE GAPS IN TRAFFIC WHEN THE INTERVAL IS AT LEAST 14 SECONDS LONG.
SO WE'RE GIVING THE PEDESTRIAN LONGER THAN AVERAGE TO BE ABLE TO CROSS THE ROAD.
WHAT WE FOUND IS IN THE MORNING DURING A PEAK HOUR, THERE WERE 51 GAPS WHERE A PEDESTRIAN COULD CROSS THE ROAD AND HAVE MORE THAN THE AVERAGE TIME NEEDED.
IN THE EVENING PEAK HOUR, THERE WERE 18 GAPS WHERE A PEDESTRIAN COULD CROSS THE ROAD, UM, WITH SUFFICIENT TIME TO, TO MAKE IT ACROSS SAFETY SAFELY.
SO BREAKING THIS DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE, I WAS CURIOUS, WELL, DOES HOW LONG IS A PEDESTRIAN MAYBE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT? YOU DON'T WANT 'EM HAVING TO WAIT TOO LONG? I DON'T WANT 'EM, I MEAN, AS A, AS A STORE OWNER, I WOULDN'T WANT MY CUSTOMERS HAVING TO WAIT TOO LONG AND YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GET ANTSY EITHER.
SO, UM, WITH THE GAPS OF 14 SECONDS, SO LONGER THAN AVERAGE THAT THEY NEED IN THE MORNING, WE HAD THOSE 51 GAPS.
AND SO THEY WERE OCCURRING ON AVERAGE ABOUT EVERY MINUTE, EVERY MINUTE OR SO A PEDESTRIAN WOULD BE ABLE TO CROSS THE ROAD.
AND THAT'S DURING A PEAK HOUR.
BOTH OF THESE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEAK HOURS WHERE YOU HAVE MAXIMUM TRAFFIC GOING ON.
SO IT'S GONNA BE EVEN BETTER IN THOSE TIMES OF THE DAY THAT ARE NOT PEAK TRAFFIC HOURS.
IN THE EVENING PEAK HOUR THERE WERE FEWER GAPS, BUT THERE WERE STILL 18.
AND SO, UM, THAT MIGHT MEAN A PEDESTRIAN WAITING ABOUT THREE MINUTES TO BE ABLE TO CROSS, UM, SOUTHWESTERN IF THEY FOR A 14 SECOND INTERVAL.
OKAY, UM, SO LET'S PUT THAT INTO SOME PERSPECTIVE.
WE'VE GOT SOME NUMBERS, WE'VE GOT SOME DATA.
SO FOR PERSPECTIVE IN DOLLAR GENERAL, IN OUR PEAK HOUR, OR EXCUSE ME, OUR AVERAGE HOUR, WE'RE ONLY GONNA HAVE ABOUT 15 TO 20 TRANSACTIONS.
SO EVEN IF EVERY SINGLE CUSTOMER CAME INTO THE STORE WAS PEDESTRIAN, THERE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT GAPS IN TRAFFIC TO ACCOMMODATE EACH ONE OF THEM.
SO LET'S LOOK AT ANOTHER PIECE OF PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAYBE WAS BROUGHT UP AND WE GENERATE A LOT OF IDEAS AND NOT ALL OF THE IDEAS, UM, MAYBE COME TO FRUITION AND NOT, MAYBE NOT ALL OF THEM ARE REASONABLE FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT SOMETIMES WE JUST THROW THINGS OUT AND SEE WHAT STICKS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KIND OF CAME UP WAS, WELL, SHOULD THIS BE A SIGNALED INTERSECTION TO ALLOW PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS? AND SO I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT AND I CALLED AROUND, I SPOKE AGAIN TO, UM, S SDOT AND THEIR PEDESTRIAN, UM, PEDESTRIAN UNIT.
I SPOKE AGAIN TO ED KOWSKI AT SDOT, UM, AND THEY SAID, WELL, TARA, WHATEVER WE DO, IT WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW THE MANUAL, UM, FOR UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.
AND SO THIS IS BASICALLY STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR WHEN DO YOU USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SIGNALS AND SIGNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON THE HIGHWAYS.
AND IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THEM, STATES COULD LOSE FUNDING BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES.
SO IT'S KIND OF A IMPORTANT RULE BOOK, UM, THE ENGINEERS
[00:55:01]
AND TRA UM, UH, DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION EVERYBODY LOOKS AT OR THEY'RE AT LEAST AWARE OF.AND SO I FOUND IN THESE, UM, IN THIS MANUAL A BENCHMARK, IT'S TO SHOW WHEN DOES IT WARRANT FOR THERE TO BE A, UM, SIGNALED INTERSECTION.
SO THIS MISSED ON THE FAR, FAR END OF THE SPECTRUM, UM, OF, OF THE DISCUSSION, BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US TO GAIN PERSPECTIVE AND TO LEARN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED HAVE BEEN SINCERE QUESTIONS AND A SINCERE CONCERN.
AND SO I WANT TO ADDRESS THEM AS DETAILED AS I CAN.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR GRAPH, IT'S BASICALLY COMPARING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEDESTRIANS CROSSING A STREET PER HOUR TO THE NUMBER OF VEHICLE APPROACHES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS PER IN THAT HOUR.
SO IN THE MORNING, UM, WE KNEW THAT WE HAD ABOUT 814 VEHICLES, AND SO THE WARRANT FOR THAT FOR A SIGNALED INTERSECTION WOULD BE 350 PEDESTRIANS CROSSING PER HOUR IN THE EVENING WHERE WE HAD A HIGHER VEHICLE COUNT, UM, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE 200 PEDESTRIANS CROSSING PER HOUR.
THERE AGAIN, OUR SITE IS ONLY GONNA GENERATE 12 TO, EXCUSE ME, 15 TO 20 TRANSACTIONS ON AVERAGE PER HOUR.
SO IN NO WAY WOULD WE MEET THIS PARTICULAR WARRANT.
THERE WAS ANOTHER WARRANT THOUGH, AND IT WAS MORE, UM, CONSERVATIVE AND MAYBE MEANT FOR SMALLER COMMUNITIES.
SO I THOUGHT, WELL, TO BE FAIR AND TRANSPARENT, I NEED TO LOOK AT THAT TOO, UM, BECAUSE I WANT THE BOARD TO BE ABLE TO TRUST WHEN I TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU THE BEST INFORMATION THAT I CAN ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
SO THIS PARTICULAR ONE KIND OF TAKES A MORE, UM, CONSERVATIVE LOOK AT IT.
AND SO I LOOKED AT, AT THAT AND IT'S AGAIN, ANYTHING YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE VOLUMES ABOVE THAT LINE ON THE GRAPH FOR IT TO WARRANT A CONSIDERATION OF ANY KIND OF SIGNAL ICE INTERSECTION.
SO IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, UM, USING THE SAME VOLUME OF TRAFFIC WE WOULD NEED, UM, TO HAVE 150 PEDESTRIANS CROSSING PER HOUR IN THE MORNING OR 90 PEDESTRIANS CROSSING PER HOUR IN THE EVENING WITH OUR TRAFFIC NUMBERS.
AND AS YOU UNDERSTAND, WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR REACHING THOSE KIND OF METRICS WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT.
SO JUST AS A SUMMARY, UM, WHAT WE'VE REVIEWED TONIGHT, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE GARNERED OVER, OH MY GOODNESS, I THINK IT'S BEEN ABOUT FIVE MONTHS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT ABOUT EVERY OTHER WEEK.
SO WE HAVE DONE AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF DUE DILIGENCE TOGETHER AND I AM PROUD OF THAT.
UM, I'M PROUD THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME BACK AND DISCUSS IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND THAT WE ARE, I THINK, GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO MAKING A DETERMINATION ABOUT THE SITE.
SO JUST TO REVIEW EVERYTHING THAT WE DISCUSSED, IN A NUTSHELL, THE SITE, AS WE KNOW IT MEETS THE ZONING REQUIREMENTS.
IT ALIGNS WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES TO MAKE SURE, UM, AND GONE THROUGH MULTIPLE CONCESSIONS TO ENSURE THAT IT COMPLIMENTS THE COMMUNITY CHARACTER AND THE AESTHETICS OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE PROVIDED SCREENS AND BUFFERS BECAUSE WE ARE PROPOSING TO BUILD IN A MIXED USE AREA, WHETHER IT'S ZONED COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL.
IT'S A MIXED USE AREA AND WE WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THAT AND RESPECTFUL OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
WE HAVE PROPOSED AND GONE THROUGH GREAT LINKS TO PRESERVE AS MANY TREES AS POSSIBLE ON THIS SITE.
UM, AND WE'RE OPEN AGAIN TO THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY ADVISORY BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION OF A EARTH AND BERM IN PLACE OF THE TREES.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY STILL OPEN TO THAT.
UM, WE HAVE PROVEN THROUGH THE TRAFFIC SAFETY STUDY THAT UM, WE HAVE SAFE ACCESS FOR MOTORISTS, UM, AND THEN WE'VE USED THAT INFORMATION AND EXTRAPOLATED IT TO, UM, ALSO SHOW THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE SAFELY PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC OF PEDESTRIANS THAT MAY WANT TO ACCESS OUR STORE FROM ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD.
SO I KNOW THAT I HAVE PROVIDED A LOT OF INFORMATION TONIGHT AND YOU ALL HAVE ABSORBED A LOT OF INFORMATION OVER THE COURSE OF THESE VERY MANY MEETINGS AND WE MAY STILL HAVE SOME MORE COMMENTS IT SOUNDS LIKE, TO ADDRESS AT THE FOLLOWING MEETING, BUT, UM, I JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO WELCOME ANY COMMENTS, UM, OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD AND, UM, AGAIN, HOPE THAT WE ARE GETTING MUCH CLOSER TO RESOLVING THOSE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD, UM, SO THAT WE CAN COME TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THIS SITE PLANNING PROCESS.
[01:00:01]
YOU.UM, SO I, I GUESS AS THE SLIDE SAYS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR THE APPLICANT AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME? TARA, I READ OVER THE TRAFFIC REPORT AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING IT CORRECTLY.
THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTHWESTERN AND HEALTH IS OPERATING CURRENTLY AT A LEVEL D.
I HAVE THE, UM, TRAFFIC ENGINEER ON THE CALL, GORDON STANSBERRY.
HE'S THE ONE THAT DID THE, THE TRAFFIC, UM, INVESTIGATION THERE AT THE SITE.
SO IF GORDON IS AVAILABLE, I'D LOVE FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO, UM, UNMUTE AND COMMENT ON ANY OF THOSE DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE THE TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY.
UH, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? MM-HMM
UH, MY NAME IS GORDON STANSBERRY WITH GTS CONSULTING.
UH, JUST FOR EVERYONE'S CLARIFICATION, UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO GIVE MY CREDENTIALS.
UH, I AM A, UH, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER IN NEW YORK STATE AS WELL AS A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL TRAFFIC OPERATIONS ENGINEER WITH THE INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS.
UM, THE OVERALL INTERSECTION, YES, IT OPERATES, UM, WITH A LEVEL OF SERVICE A ON THE MAIN STREET ON SOUTHWESTERN.
AND THE HEALTH, UH, ROAD APPROACHES OPERATE BETWEEN A LEVEL OF SERVICE C OR D UH, DURING THE PEAK HOURS.
UH, GENERALLY FOR AN UNSIGN INTERSECTION, UM, THE SIDE STREET APPROACHES, ANYTHING LEVEL OF SERVICE E OR BETTER IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE BY DOT STANDARDS.
SO THIS INTERSECTION IS WELL WITHIN ACCEPTABLE RANGES.
BUT ACCEPTABLE DOESN'T, DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THE SAFEST.
IT'S JUST THE BARE MINIMUM THAT WE CAN ACCEPT.
WELL, THE, THE, UH, CAPACITY DOESN'T, UH, DOESN'T NECESSARILY CORRELATE TO SAFETY.
UH, CAPACITY IS, IS JUST OPERATIONAL FOR, UM, IS THERE ENOUGH GAPS IN TRAFFIC FOR VEHICLES TO GET ON AND OFF THE ROAD? UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT SAFETY, WE'RE GETTING MORE INTO THE ISSUE OF SIGHT LINES.
UM, UH, OBVIOUSLY GAPS IN TRAFFIC SPEEDS, THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION.
WHAT IS THE WAIT TIME FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S LOOKING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AT THAT INTERSECTION OF SOUTHWESTERN AND HEALTH? UH, GIMME ONE SECOND.
THE, UH, THE CURRENT DELAYS ARE RIGHT AROUND, UM, 20 SECONDS, UH, DURING THE MORNING PEAK HOUR AND RIGHT AROUND 30 SECONDS DURING THE EVENING PEAK, UM, PEAK.
UM, FOR COMPARISON, UH, IF YOU WERE AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, UH, THAT TYPE OF DELAY WOULD GENERALLY BE A LEVEL SERVICE C WHICH IS, UH, WHAT MOST PEOPLE FIND TO BE AN AVERAGE DELAY.
SO A 20 TO 32ND DELAY MINIMUM WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR A LEFT HAND TURN COMING OUT OF HEALTH ROAD ONTO SOUTHWESTERN, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES.
AND I DIDN'T SEE THAT INFORMATION IN YOUR TRAFFIC REPORT.
IS THERE A PLACE I CAN GO BACK AND LOOK TO FIND THAT CHART AND THAT DATA? YES.
IF YOU GO, UM, THE, THE FIRST EIGHT PAGES ARE THE LETTER THAT, UH, JUST DOCUMENTS EVERYTHING.
UM, THE, THE PAGE AFTER THE, UH, LETTER IS THE SITE PLAN AND THEN THE PAGE AFTER THAT HAS THE TITLE ON AN INTERSECTION LEVEL OF SERVICE SUMMARY THAT INCLUDES THE LEVEL OF SERVICE GRADE, WHICH IS LIKE A SCHOOL GRADE.
AND THEN THE NUMBER IN PARENTHESES FOLLOWING IS THE, UH, AVERAGE DELAY PER VEHICLE.
NOW IS THIS DELAY, HAS IT BEEN ADJUSTED FOR COVID OR IS THAT JUST WHAT WE SAW? BECAUSE ON DECEMBER 10TH WHEN THE STUDY WAS DONE, SCHOOLS WERE PRODUCED.
UM, SO THE EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUMES, WE DID COLLECT UPDATED COUNTS, UH, IN DECEMBER.
UM, BUT WE ALSO DID COMPARISONS TO HISTORICAL TRAFFIC VOLUMES, UH, IN THE AREA AND FOUND THAT, UH, BASED ON 2018 TRAFFIC COUNTS THAT THE, UM, THE PEAK HOUR EASTBOUND TRAFFIC IN THE MORNING, UH, OUR COUNTS WERE ABOUT 17% LOWER.
I'M WONDERING IF THE TRAFFIC TURNING YES.
SO WE FOUND THAT OUR COUNTS WERE 17% LOWER IN THE MORNING AND 6% LOWER IN THE EVENING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
SO WE INFLATED EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE SIDE STREET TURNING MOVEMENTS BY 20% IN THE MORNING AND 10% IN THE EVENING.
SO WE CONSERVATIVELY BUMPED UP THE ENTIRE INTERSECTION, UH, TURNING MOVEMENTS, UH, ON AND OFF THE SIDE ROADS AS WELL.
YEAH, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED, I WILL BE HONEST THAT, AND THERE'S NOTHING REALLY YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, BUT THAT THE DATA WAS TAKEN WHEN THE SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED, WHICH THEN MEANS THE BETTER MAJORITY OF FAMILIES ARE WORKING FROM HOME TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHILDCARE NEEDS.
AND SO I DEFINITELY THINK THAT SKEWED YOUR TRAFFIC RESULTS.
[01:05:01]
WITH, UH, COUNTY AND STATE, UH, AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WE STILL HAVE TO DO STUDIES EVEN DURING THE COVID, UH, PANDEMIC.
UM, AND EVERYTHING, THE PRACTICES THAT WE'RE USING TO, UM, ADJUST TRAFFIC VOLUMES TO ACCOUNT BASED ON HISTORICAL NUMBERS HAVE BEEN UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
CAN WE GET A COLOR COPY OF THIS TRAFFIC STUDY? 'CAUSE MINE'S IN BLACK AND WHITE AND SOME OF THE GRAPHS, IT'S, UH, LIKE HIGH RISK, MEDIUM RISK COMPLIANT, ALL LOOK TO BE THE SAME COLOR.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT, UH, WHAT I LOOKING AT THE RIGHT THING.
YOU WOULD BE LOOKING FOR COLOR IN MY STUDY BECAUSE MY STUDY'S ALL BLACK AND WHITE.
THE ONLY THING OF COLOR ON MY STUDY IS MY LOGO.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THE, THE ALL TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS.
WELL, THAT'S THE ONE THAT A RESIDENT SUBMITTED AND IT WAS, UM, DONE IN SEPTEMBER AND IT WAS JUST MARKING LIKE THE SPEEDS OF CARS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THE ONE HE DID IS, UM, IT'S GOT LIKE A RED, A YELLOW AND A GREEN CIRCLE AT THE TOP, LIKE A TRAFFIC LIGHT.
UH, GORDON ON THE GORDON ON THE TRAFFIC.
DID, ON YOUR STUDY, DID YOU CALCULATE HOW MANY CARS WOULD GO DOWN HOUSE, ROAD MAKING A RIGHT OUT OF THE STORE TO AVOID THE LEFT TURN TO GO TO THE LIGHT? UH, WE DID PROJECT A, A SMALL AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC WOULD GO TO THE, UH, THE RIGHT.
UM, GIVEN THAT THE SITE ONLY GENERATES, UM, 15 TO 20 CARS PER HOUR, UH, DURING THE MORNING AND 20 TO 30 DURING THE EVENING, UH, WE'RE ESTIMATING TWO TO FIVE CARS IN EACH DIRECTION, UH, TRAVELING TO THE SOUTH ON HEALTH ROAD PER HOUR.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING A CAR EVERY FIVE TO 10 MINUTES.
WHEN I TALKED TO NEW YORK STATE DOT TODAY, THEY WERE WONDERING, IN YOUR TRAFFIC STUDY, DID YOU DO A TRAFFIC, UM, UM, UH, ACCIDENT ANALYSIS? WAS THERE ANY DATA ON ACCIDENT ANALYSIS THERE? UH, I DID NOT COMPLETE AN ACCIDENT HISTORY REVIEW.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IF, IF WE NEED TO PROVIDE, WE CERTAINLY COULD, UM, JUST, UH, BASED ON TIMING OF TRYING TO GET THE STUDY COMPLETED FOR THE MEETING, WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GET THE DATA.
YEAH, HE WAS INTERESTED IN NOT KNOWING, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME CALLS ABOUT ACCIDENTS AND PROBLEMS AT THAT INTERSECTION.
HE WANTED KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, SO HE MAY ASK THAT OF YOU, BUT JUST LET YOU KNOW.
I, I WOULD NEED TO TALK WITH, UH, TARA, BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY, UM, WE COULD CERTAINLY GET THAT DATA AND PROVIDE IT.
RIGHT, BECAUSE GORDON, WHAT, WHAT THE QUESTION'S BEEN OF, OF THE DOT AS YOU KNOW, THEIR POLICY IS, YOU KNOW, NOT TO HAVE THE ACCESS ON THE SOUTHWESTERN BECAUSE OF ACCESS MANAGEMENT ISSUES.
THE QUESTION THE TOWN HAS RAISED, AS YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE INTERSECTION OF HEALTH AND SOUTHWESTERN AND SAID IT WILL OPERATE ACCEPTABLY WITH THIS ADDED TRAFFIC.
THE QUESTION THAT'S BEEN RAISED, AND, AND EVEN ED SAYS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN GET AN ANSWER TO THAT, IS THAT, WHAT IS THE BETTER SOLUTION? WOULD IT BE SAFER TO HAVE AN ENTRANCE OUT ONTO SOUTHWESTERN? I MEAN, THERE ARE ACCESS MANAGEMENT RULES, OR IS IT SAFER TO HAVE THE CARS GO OUT ON THE HEALTH AND USE THAT EXISTING INTERSECTION? HE SAID PROBABLY THAT HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED.
AND, AND HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, THEIR POLICIES OR POLICY, IT'S NOT BASED UPON THAT IT'S GONNA, THAT ONE ONE IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER.
HE SAID THEY'D HAVE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, DOES THE NEW ENTRANCE CREATE A GREATER PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH DISTANCE AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE CONFLICTS.
DID YOU, YOU DIDN'T HAPPEN TO LOOK OR GIVE YOUR OPINION ON THAT, THAT THAT IS A, A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER BECAUSE ULTIMATELY YOU'RE, YOU'RE SENDING WHETHER WE HAVE A NEW DRIVEWAY ON SOUTHWESTERN, OR WE'RE USING HEALTH ROAD, THE NET TRAFFIC THAT WE'RE SENDING ON AND OFF SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD'S THE SAME.
RIGHT? SO FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT, THE, THE NET NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS I WOULD EXPECT TO BE GENERALLY COMPARABLE WITH EITHER COMING OFF OF HEALTH OR COMING OFF A DRIVEWAY.
UM, THE ONE CONCERN THAT I'VE HEARD IS, IS THE, UM, THE ANGLE AT WHICH HEALTH ROAD COMES INTO SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD, WHICH IS JUST ABOUT PERFECTLY A 45 DEGREE ANGLE.
UM, AND THE CONCERN WITH WHAT THAT DOES TO SIGHT LINES, LOOKING TO YOUR LEFT AS YOU'RE TURNING OFF OF HELPS.
UM, WE DID GO OUT THERE AND, AND LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT THAT, UM, WITH THE LONG FLAT
[01:10:01]
STRAIGHTAWAY OF SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD AND THE WIDE CLEAR ZONE OFF THE ROAD.UM, THOSE REALLY ADDRESSED THE CONCERN WITH THE ANGLE OF THE ROAD.
UM, SO I DIDN'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS WITH ABILITY TO SAFELY SEE EACH WAY AS YOU'RE TURNING OFF THE ROADWAY.
UM, WHICH WOULD BE THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A A RIGHT ANGLE DRIVEWAY OR THE ROADWAY.
RIGHT? AND MY QUESTION WAS, IT WAS AN ED AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT TOO, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION, UNSIGNED INTERSECTION, SO YOU'RE NOT ONLY LOOKING LEFT AND RIGHT, YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE TRAFFIC ACROSS THE STREET THAT MAY BE COMING THERE.
YOU KNOW, IS IT BETTER THAT YOU HAVE AN ENTRANCE ON THE SOUTHWESTERN WHERE YOU'RE, YOU JUST HAVE TWO POTENTIAL CONFLICT POINTS OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, AND HE KIND OF SAID, WELL, IT DEPENDS UPON, YOU KNOW, HOW CLOSE THAT, THAT THAT ENTRANCE IS ON SOUTHWESTERN TO HEALTH.
'CAUSE THEN YOU HAVE THAT, THOSE CONFLICTS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT HELPS YOU, YOU HAVE TO LOOK ACROSS THE STREET TOO BECAUSE YOU HAVE ONCOMING TRAFFIC ALSO.
I, I GUESS I WOULD OFFER MY CONCERN, UM, FROM AN OVERALL SAFETY STANDPOINT, I LIKE TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF CONFLICT POINTS ON A HIGH SPEED ROADWAY, RIGHT? UM, SO OBVIOUSLY SOUTHWESTERN IS A, IS A FAIRLY HIGH SPEED ROADWAY.
SO TO HAVE THE ACCESS ON HALTS, WHERE I'M COMING OFF OF HALTS, EVERYTHING IS IN FRONT OF ME, THE SIDE ROAD ACROSS THE STREET, UH, THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC, IF I'M NOW MOVED DOWN, UH, TO THE SOUTHWEST ON MY DRIVEWAY, I'M LOOKING EACH WAY ON, ON SOUTHWESTERN TO TURN LEFT OUTTA THE DRIVEWAY.
UM, AND THEN IF I MAKE THAT MOVE AND I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO HEALTH ACROSS THE STREET, AND SOMEBODY'S NOW TURNING, RIGHT, THERE'S WHERE YOU COULD CREATE ADDITIONAL CONFLICT BECAUSE NOW I NEED TO NOT ONLY BE LOOKING AT APPROACHING TRAFFIC, BUT OFFSET TRAFFIC ON THE SIDE STREET.
UM, SO THERE IS A SAFETY BENEFIT OF KEEPING EVERYTHING CONSOLIDATED AT ONE LOCATION.
AND AGAIN, THE JOB OF THE PLANNING BOARD, AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE ON THE JOB OF THE PLANNING BOARD AS I EXPLAINED TO ED, IS THAT THIS IS NOT, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT THE PLANNING BOARD HAS TO MAKE A SECRET DECISION ON, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY ARE WE, YOU KNOW, IS THIS THE BEST SOLUTION? IS THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR, FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, WHICH IS A TRAFFIC IMPACT, IS THIS THE BEST SOLUTION? SO, UM, IT'S NOT JUST FOLLOW AND I SAID TO THE ED, IT'S EASY TO SAY WHAT A POLICY IS, BUT THE PLANNING BOARD CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS ON POLICY.
THEY GOTTA MAKE DECISIONS ON WHAT'S BEST.
SO FROM, FROM AN ACCESS MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, THE, THE, THE BEST PRACTICE IS TO CONSOLIDATE DRIVEWAYS ON THE SIDE STREETS AND HAVE PRIMARY FOCUSED ACCESS POINTS ON THE MAIN ROADS, WHICH IS WHY DOT HAS THEIR PRACTICE.
UM, AND I GUESS THE ADDED BENEFIT WOULD BE THAT IN THE FUTURE, IF THE INTERSECTION IS EVER SIGNALED, THEN YOU HAVE ALL CONTROL ON THE MAIN ROAD WITH ALL SIDE STREET TRAFFIC BEING CONTROLLED.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, WE'RE PRESSING THIS ISSUE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD OTHER PROJECTS WHERE THAT ISSUE IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO USE THE EXISTING ROAD BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER CONFLICTS AND PROBLEMS. AND THAT'S WHAT ED AND I AGREE IS THAT TO GO AGAINST THE POLICY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAKE IT NOT, NOT WORTHWHILE.
THAT'S WHY THE PLANNING BOARD IS PRESSING ON TAKING A LOOK AT THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S NO, NO UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES THERE, THE 45 DEGREES OR WHATEVER, UH, THAT WOULD CREATE A PROBLEM THAT WOULD SAY, HEY, THIS OVERRIDES THE POLICY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
'CAUSE IT'S BETTER TO DO THIS.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE JUST DOING OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE COVERED THOSE BASES.
SO SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAFFIC, UM, I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS DOING SOME HOMEWORK, LIKE TERRORIST PRESENTATION.
I WROTE DOWN SOME COMMENTS, UM, TO MAKE SURE I HAD MY THOUGHTS ORGANIZED AND BASED ON SOME OF THE TARA'S PRESENTATION, SOME OF WHAT GORDON SAID, I'VE, I'VE INSERTED SOME STUFF, BUT I, I THINK BASED ON THE CONVERSATION HERE, THAT GORDON, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE ROBBERY GROUP'S ON BOARD FOR YOU TO MAYBE PROVIDE, UM, SOME WRITTEN THOUGHTS ON SOME OF THESE, ALL THOUGHTS ON THE SOUTHWESTERN DRIVEWAY.
BUT I'LL, I'LL READ MY THOUGHTS HERE AND AND WE CAN OPEN UP FROM THERE.
UH, THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE TRAFFIC STUDY SUBMITTED BY THE BROADWAY GROUP FOR THE DOLLAR GENERAL PROJECT FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON TRAFFIC COUNTS AND SITE DISTANCES.
WHILE THE REPORT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE ANGLE OF THE INTERSECTION WITH HEALTH ROAD IS 45 DEGREES, IT DOES NOT EXPLAIN HOW THE SPECIFIC GEOMETRY AFFECTS THE USE OF THE AVAILABLE SITE DISTANCES.
WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THE RESPONSE FROM NEW YORK STATE DOT IN RESPONSE TO OUR REQUEST FOR INPUT.
THE UNDERLYING TRAFFIC FLOW CONCERNS RAISED IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY EVALUATED OR ADDRESSED BASED ON THE INFORMATION DATE.
UH, MANY OF THE ARGUMENTS PRESENTED IN TODAY'S MEETING BY THE APPLICANT SUPPORT THE ACCESS ON THE SOUTHWESTERN COULD LIKELY BE DONE SAFELY.
UM, IT REMAINS CRITICAL THAT THE PLANNING BOARD ENGAGE AND RECEIVE THE INPUT ON THIS ALTERNATIVE DRIVEWAY LOCATION FROM THE NEW YORK STATE DET,
[01:15:01]
PARTICULARLY WITH THE OPTION OF A RIGHT TURN ONLY EXIT FROM THE PARKING LOT AT DOLLAR GENERAL.UH, AND, AND ONTO SOUTHWESTERN.
SOME OTHER THOUGHTS, UH, BEYOND THE TRAFFIC FLOW CONCERNS, THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN FOR THE PROJECT PLACES THE DRIVEWAY ON HEALTH ROAD FOR THE DOLLAR GENERAL, DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY WHERE LIGHTS FROM EXITING VEHICLES WILL SHINE DIRECTLY INTO THE RESIDENCE.
THE PROJECT IS ALSO LOCATED DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND SITE SCREENING IN A TRANSITIONAL ZONE BETWEEN EXISTING RESIDENTIAL USES AND THE PROPOSED COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ARE CRITICAL.
THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY LIMITS THE FLEXIBILITY TO PLACE THE STRUCTURES IN THE ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE TO ALLOW THE SITE TO BE FUNCTIONAL, RECOGNIZING THESE LIMITATIONS, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE REAR OF THE STORE AND THE RESIDENCE ON THE NEIGHBORING PRO PROPERTIES TO BE THE MAXIMUM DISTANCE POSSIBLE OPTIMALLY THE FRONTAGE OF THE PROPERTY ALONG SOUTHWESTERN TO SERVE AS, AS THE LOCATION FOR THE DRIVEWAY, THE CHARACTER AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROPERTY WITH FRONTAGE ALONG AND ACCESS ALONG SOUTHWESTERN, PARTICULARLY WITH THE RIGHT TURN EXIT ONLY DRIVEWAY INTO SOUTHWESTERN WESTERN WOULD FIT WITH THE EXISTING USES AND CHARACTER ON SOUTHWESTERN, UM, THAT HAVE A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES SIMILAR TO THAT.
AND THAT WOULD, THAT HAD BEEN CONSIDERED BY THE APPLICANT WHEN DESIGNING THE DOLLAR GENERAL.
THAT WOULD THEN ALLOW FOR AN APPROPRIATE VEGETATIVE BUFFER OR A BERM AS SUGGESTED BY THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD TO BE DEVELOPED ALONG HEALTH ROAD AND TO PRESERVE THE EXISTING RURAL RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER.
IT WOULD ALSO INCREASE, ALLOW FOR INCREASED DISTANCE BETWEEN THE DOLLAR GENERAL AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH.
UM, BASICALLY I I I FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING A LITTLE BIT CONSTRAINED BY THIS DRIVEWAY AND THAT JUST ONE FACTOR, UM, ON PUTTING THIS DRIVEWAY ON HEALTH ROAD IS REALLY LIMITING OUR OPTIONS TO USE THIS SITE CREATIVELY AND OPTIMALLY, AS HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY SHOWN IN SOME OF THE LAYOUTS PROVIDED BY DOLLAR GENERAL OR BY BROADWAY GROUP FOR DOLLAR GENERAL.
CAITLIN, WHAT, WHAT, I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHERE WERE, WHAT WERE YOU READING FROM? I WROTE MYSELF SOME NOTES.
OH, I WAS TRYING TO FIND A FACEBOOK COMMENT TO GO WITH WHAT YOU SAID.
NO, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A CAITLYN SPECIAL
I GUESS THE, THE ONE THING I WOULD OFFER FROM A TRAFFIC STANDPOINT, AND UM, TARA AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS IS AS I UNDERSTAND ORIGINALLY THEY PROPOSED THE ACCESS ON SOUTHWESTERN.
UM, THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THAT WE FOUND, YOU KNOW, WITH REGARD TO SITE DISTANCES THAT SAYS A DRIVEWAY ON SOUTHWESTERN WOULD NOT WORK.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE, WE'RE TIED BY THE JURISDICTIONAL ISSUE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF WHETHER DOLLAR GENERAL WAS WILLING TO PUT A DRIVEWAY ON SOUTHWESTERN.
IT'S WHETHER DOT WILL ALLOW IT.
UM, SO I GUESS, UM, THAT'S THE BIGGER QUESTION IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE HAVE FOUND.
DOT IS LOOKING FOR THE SILVER BULLET TO SAY THERE'S A REASON WE NEED TO HAVE THE ACCESS ON SOUTHWESTERN.
THERE'S, THERE, THERE ISN'T A REASON, UM, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A REASON FOR US TO NOT BE ABLE TO BE ON HEALTH.
AGAIN, THERE'S REALLY NOT A REASON.
UM, BOTH LOCATIONS WILL OPERATE SATISFACTORILY AND THERE'S NOT ANY SIGNIFICANT SAFETY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
SO HOW DO WE GET DOT AND THE TOWN TO COME TOGETHER TO AGREE ON ACCESS ONE VERSUS THE OTHER? WELL, I THINK THE PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, ISN'T, I MEAN, FROM YOUR TRAFFIC PERSPECTIVE, I THINK YOU, THAT STATES ONE THING, BUT SEEKER REQUIRES US AS A, AS A PLANNING BOARD TO CONSIDER A WHOLE SUITE OF FACTORS.
AND THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT WHILE THE, THE DOT IS LOOKING AT THIS RELATED TO ONE SPECIFIC ISSUE RELATED TO THEIR GUIDANCE, WE HAVE TO RECONCILE THAT WITH THE FACT THAT THE ADJACENT LAND USES, REGARDLESS OF HOW THEY'RE ZONED, ARE, ARE RESIDENTIAL AND THEIR PREEXISTING USES.
AND I HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME RECONCILING PLACING A COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAY DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY SHINING INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES.
I, AND NOT MAXIMIZING THE DISTANCE.
I, I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGING SITE TO DEVELOP.
IT'S SMALL, IT'S LESS THAN AN ACRE AND A HALF, BUT WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SITE IS SMARTLY DEVELOPED, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A PROPERTY OWNER IS WELCOME TO DO, PARTICULARLY IF IT'S ZONED THE WAY IT IS.
UM, AND, AND MRS. KY, THE, I DID PULL UP THE 2007 ADDENDUM TO THE MASTER PLAN, AND YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIGURES.
THE LAND USE IS RESIDENTIAL, BUT, UH, DREW IS STILL CORRECT THAT THE ZONING, WHICH IS A COUPLE FIGURES LATER ON, IS, IS, IS CORRECT AND IT IS SHOWING AS COMMERCIAL.
SO I CAN SEE THERE, I WAS GONNA MENTION THAT I LOOKED AT IT TOO.
YOU, YOU, MR KY, YOU REFERRED TO THE LAND USE MAP AND NOT THE ZONING MAP.
ZONING MAP IS TWO DASH SIX, WHICH SHOWS THE IDENTICAL ZONING THAT WE SHOW ON THE MAP.
NOW, THE LAND USE MAP IS CORRECT, THE LAND USE MAP SHOWS AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE NOT A LOT OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA.
IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF COMMERCIAL
[01:20:01]
USES IN THE WHOLE AREA.EVERYTHING ELSE WAS VACANT OR RESIDENTIAL.
I, I, I THINK THAT THE CHALLENGE IS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT TARA HAS REALLY TRIED TO BALANCE THESE ISSUES AND SHE'S, SHE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO TAKE THESE COMPETING INTERESTS, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A CHALLENGE HERE, I GUESS THE SITE AND, AND WE ARE W***Y ALLOWED TO CONSIDER EXISTING LAND USE AS PART OF OUR DECISION BILL.
ALSO, I DO THINK THAT MR. HARLO HAS AN INTERESTING POINT THAT IF THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN ZONED COMMERCIAL SINCE A LONG TIME AGO, HOW WERE HOMES ALLOWED TO BE BUILT THERE? WHEN I THINK THE INTERESTING ASPECT OF THIS POINT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF THE REZONING WASN'T DONE PROPERLY? ALSO, BUT THAT'S WHY I REFERRED IT TO THE ATTORNEYS ON BOTH SIDES BECAUSE I THINK MR. HARK BROUGHT UP LEGAL ARGUMENTS THAT, UH, IT'S PROBABLY BEST THAT WE LET THE ATTORNEYS ADDRESS THEM AND ACTUALLY HAVE TIME TO LOOK INTO THE THOSE.
ONE ISSUE I CAN ADDRESS IS THE CHURCH, THE CHURCH FALLS ON, WE APPROVE THAT CHURCH, RIGHT? WE PROTECTION ACT, THEY CAN GO ANYWHERE THEY WANT.
ZONING DOES NOT MATTER, RIGHT.
UM, SO YEAH, CHURCH CAN GO ANYWHERE WANT NO MATTER WHAT WE PUT IN THE ZONING CODE, THEY'RE ALLOWED ANYWHERE.
THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT I, I THINK THE ARGUMENT ABOUT HOUSES IS STILL, WELL, YOU HAVE TO FIND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT WE'D HAVE TO ASK THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT HOW THEY ISSUE.
THEY DON'T COME TO THE PLAN BOARD, THEY GO THROUGH THE BUILDING DEPART OF, OF COURSE.
WHICH, UH, LET ME ADD TO THAT, THAT, THAT MR. HAR, UM, HARK MADE A GOOD POINT, SARAH.
AND WE HAD A, WE HAD A PROJECT JUST DOWN THE ROAD YEARS AGO THAT PEOPLE WENT WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN WE USED TO MEET AT THE TOWN HALL, SAID WHEN THEY BOUGHT THEIR HOMES OVER IN THAT PROJECT AND THEY WERE GONNA DEVELOP THE TIM HORTONS, WELL, IT WAS THE DEVELOPER THAT TOLD 'EM IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A POST OFFICE.
I MEAN, WE CAN'T CONSIDER THE VALUE, YOU KNOW, THE VALUE LOSS OR THE VALUE OF THEIR HOMES.
WE, I KNOW THAT, BUT WHAT THAT WAS, WHAT THEY WERE TOLD, IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A POST OFFICE.
AND THEN WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THE DEVELOPMENT GOING IN THERE, IT CHANGED WHAT THEY WERE TOLD THAT WAS THE DEVELOPER BUYER'S, BUYER'S REMORSE, WHATEVER YOU WANNA SAY IT HERE, THIS MR. MR. HARLEY BRINGS UP A GREAT POINT.
IS IT POSSIBLE DREW THAT THIS WAS A MISTAKE OR ZONE, BUT WE HAVE NO, NO PAPERWORK THAT SAYS IT WAS, YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A MAP OF THE LAND, THE LAND MAP THAT SAYS IT WAS ZONED PROPERLY, RIGHT? I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO LEGAL ISSUE, THAT'S JENNIFER.
BUT THE PROPERTY'S BEEN ZONED 50 YEARS THAT WAY.
AND WHEN THEY ADOPTED THE ZONING MAP AGAIN IN THE NINETIES, THAT BECOMES THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE TOWN.
RICK, WE TALKED, SARAH TALKED TO RICK LARDO AND HE SAID THE ZONING IN 1972, THAT APPROXIMATE TIME IS WHEN THAT PROPERTY WAS SET ASIDE AS COMMERCIAL.
AND, AND AGAIN, I CAN'T GIVE YOU LEGAL ADVICE, BUT BASICALLY WHEN THE TOWN ADOPTED THAT MAP, SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE CHALLENGED THAT AT THE TIME IF IT WAS A MISTAKE OR WHATEVER.
IT'S THE MAP BECOMES THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE TOWN.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU LEGAL ADVICE, I'M JUST TELLING YOU THE HISTORY OF IT.
THE HISTORY TOO IS THIS, THIS SITE WAS, THIS AREA WAS ARGUED VEHEMENTLY IN THE 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO REMOVE ALL COMMERCIAL ZONING IN THE LAKE VIEW AREA AND SOME PEOPLE WHO WANTED THE COMMERCIAL ZONING THERE AND MORE OF IT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO SUPPORT THE, THE HOUSES THAT WERE THERE.
THE COMPROMISE IN THE 1995 PLAN WAS WE WROTE IN THE PLAN THAT THERE'S NO MORE COMMERCIAL REZONING IN THE, IN THE LAKEVIEW AREA.
AND THE TOWN HAS KEPT TO THAT SINCE 1995.
IT'S PROHIBITED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT THE COMPROMISE WAS WE LEFT THE SMALL AMOUNTS OF PARCELS THAT WERE ZONED COMMERCIAL AS COMMERCIAL ZONING.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A HISTORY THAT I KNOW OF, I CAN'T, AND MR. HARK BRINGS A GOOD QUESTION.
I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT WHY ORIGINALLY IT WAS ZONED, WHAT WAS THE PLAN, BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER.
BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW JUST WHY IT WAS ZONED IN 1972 TO COMMERCIAL.
WHAT WAS THE THINKING AT THAT TIME? UH, BUT ALL THE MAPS SINCE THEN HAVE SHOWN IT BEING COMMERCIAL.
THAT'S NOT A, THAT'S KIND OF A MOOT POINT.
JENNIFER WILL LOOK AT THAT FOR US.
YOU'RE DEALING UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE FACT THAT IT'S ZONED GOOD, BETTER, AND DIFFERENT ZONE C TWO AT THIS POINT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
ZONE C TWO, WE'RE GOING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW AND WITH THE SEEKER REGULATIONS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE, AND THERE'S A OVERLAY DISTRICT THAT YOU MUST CONSIDER IN YOUR DECISIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, I'LL STAND FIRMLY BEHIND WHAT'S IN MY MEMO.
IF A PROJECT MAY IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT, YOU ISSUE
[01:25:01]
A POSITIVE DECK.IF THE PROJECT WILL NOT IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO YOU, ISSUE A NEGATIVE DECLARATION.
THE SECRET LAW AIRS ON THE SIDE OF POSITIVE DECKS VERSUS NEGATIVE DECKS.
IT IS ALSO NOT, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT GIVING YOU LEGAL ADVICE, JUST MY 40 YEARS OF WORKING IN THE SECRET LAW.
IT IS NOT PRECEDENT SETTING EVERY PROJECT IS UNIQUE IN ITS UNIQUE SITUATION.
AND AGAIN, NOT GIVING YOU LEGAL ADVICE, YOU CANNOT BE SUED OVER A POSITIVE DECK BECAUSE IT'S NOT A FINAL DECISION.
IT'S A DECISION TO ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION.
I'M NOT SAYING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT YOU HAVE TO FEEL STRONGLY ENOUGH, TARA AND HER GROUP HAS PRESENTED INFORMATION TO TRY TO PROVE THAT THE PROJECT WILL NOT IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT.
IF YOU HAVE DOUBTS AND KAITLYN'S ASKED SOME QUESTIONS, SHE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE SHE'S DOING HER JOB.
THE LAW REQUIRES YOU TO ISSUE A POSITIVE DECK.
YOU GET SUED FOR NEGATIVE DECKS BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A CLEAR RECORD THAT YOU, THAT THE PROJECT WILL NOT IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS PUT A GOOD RECORD TOGETHER TO SAY IF TOGETHER IF IT WILL NOT, OR IT MAY, AND IF IT, AND IF IT MAY IMPACT, YOU HAVE TO ISSUE A POSITIVE DECK AND IT'S A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
SORRY, SARAH, DOUG IS ON THE PHONE, RIGHT? DOUG, ARE YOU THERE? YEP.
DOUG, WERE YOU PART OF THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMITTEE FOR THAT LAST ROUND OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? DO YOU HAVE ANY REMEMBRANCES OR THOUGHTS ON THAT, THAT UPDATE IN THIS PORTION OF THE TOWN? OH YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY FIRST? YES.
UH, JUST LIKE DREW SAID, THERE WAS MIXED FEELINGS, UH, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT ON BOTH SIDES ABOUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN, IN LAKEVIEW AND, UH, SOME SECTIONS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
I THINK WE ONLY GOT, UH, THAT SECTION WHERE THE, THE, UH, UH, TIM HORTON'S IS, THERE'S A LITTLE STRIP IN THERE THAT'S OPEN YET, AND APPARENTLY THIS, UH, DOLLAR GENERAL, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY MORE DREWS, THERE'S NOT TOO MANY IF ANYMORE, THAN THOSE TWO.
IT'S, IT'S UNFORTUNATELY, AND THAT'S WHAT THE HEALTH ROAD RESIDENTS HAVE FOUND OUT.
IT'S A LITTLE LARGER AREA THAN JUST THE, THE, UM, UH, THIS SITE.
IT'S AN AREA THAT ENCOMPASSES, AND AGAIN, DON'T KNOW THE REASON BEHIND IT, BUT IT WAS BEEN THAT WAY AND WE GOT IN A BIG ARGUMENT AND THEY LEFT IT THAT WAY.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE RESIDENTS, THE AREA SHOULD BE NOT RELATED TO THIS PROJECT, BUT SHOULD STRONGLY BE INVOLVED IN A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND A DECISION ON WHAT TO DO WITH LAKEVIEW, BECAUSE WE CAN MAKE CHANGES IN LAKEVIEW IF THE RESIDENTS REALLY WANT CHANGES TO, TO THAT AREA.
BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF DIFFERENCE OF OPINION IN LAKEVIEW ABOUT PEOPLE WANTED SERVICES OUT THERE.
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE EVERYTHING, BUT OTHER PEOPLE SAID, NO, WE MOVED TO LAKEVIEW TO NOT BE IN SUBURBIA.
WE DO NOT WANT SUBURBAN GROWTH OUT HERE.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ON THAT.
SO IT'S AN INTERESTING PLANNING TOPIC.
BUT FOR NOW, AND GOOD, BAD OR INDIFFERENT, THE PROPERTY IS ZONED C TWO, IT'S ZONED, IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR A LONG TIME.
WE CAN DO THE RESEARCH ON MR. HARK HAS ASKED, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT AND FOUND OUT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE REASONING IN 1972, BUT ALL SUBSEQUENT MAPS AND EVEN THE ONE WE DID WITH THE GIS SHOW IT AS BEING C TWO.
SO THERE'S A UNFORT, A CLEAR HIT HISTORY OF IT BEING C TWO ZONING.
UM, SO BACK TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
THE PLANNING BOARD SHOULD, I MEAN, CAITLYN'S ASKED SOME GOOD QUESTIONS.
TARA'S ASKED, SHE WANTS TO TRY TO ADDRESS IN TWO WEEKS, ALL THE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN RAISED.
BILL IS ASKING THE PLANNING BOARD, IS THERE OTHER STUFF THAT YOU NEED FROM THEM? I'VE QUESTIONED, AND TARA WILL HAVE TO WORK WITH GORDON AND TALK TO TALK TO ED RAKOWSKI, BUT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A NEED FOR, UH, AN ACCIDENT REPORT OR ANALYSIS AT THE INTERSECTION JUST TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT, IS IS THERE, IS THERE NOT AN EXISTING ACCIDENT PROBLEM AT HEALTH ROAD, UH, THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT? OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD BE A WEIGHING FACTOR IF THERE WAS ADDITIONAL THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD RAISED WITH WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO ED RAKOWSKI ON IT.
SO, GORDON, JUST SO I CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE TRAFFIC REPORT, IT SAID IT WAS ADJUSTED, UM, LOOKING AT DATA FROM UM, HALF MILE, ABOUT A HALF MILE, I THINK 4.8 OR 0.48 MILES WEST OFF LAKEVIEW.
DOES THAT TAKE IT FURTHER DOWN SOUTHWESTERN TOWARDS ANGOLA OR THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON SOUTHWESTERN TOWARDS LIKE THE CITY OF BUFFALO? UH, IT'S, IT'S TO THE, UH, TOWARD ANGOLA, THAT'S WHAT, BUT THE DISTANCE, YEAH, THE DISTANCE OF, UH, A HALF MILE REALLY IS NOT THAT FAR FOR THAT TYPE OF CORRIDOR ROUTE.
UM, THE VOLUMES ARE PRETTY CONSISTENT, UM, FOR THAT STRETCH.
BUT AGAIN, WE ADDED, YOU KNOW, FIVE, UH, THREE TO 5%
[01:30:01]
EXTRA ON TOP OF THE VOLUMES.SO WE ACTUALLY, WE WERE OVERLY CONSERVATIVE ON HOW MUCH WE INFLATED THEM.
I KNOW, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT IT, LOOKING, REALIZING THAT'S GONNA BE BEYOND WHERE THE SIGNIFICANTLY LARGE DEVELOPMENT IS WITH THE LARGE NUMBER OF HOUSES THAT PULL IN AND OR CARS THAT WILL PULL IN AND OUT OF THAT DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT MAY, AND WITH LIVING IN THAT AREA FOR YEARS, A LARGE OF TRAFFIC MAKES LEFT AND RIGHTS UP AND DOWN LAKEVIEW, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE LAKEVIEW ENDS.
AND THE NEXT REALLY RURAL LAKE LAKEVIEW'S RURAL.
BUT WHEN YOU GO PAST LAKEVIEW ROAD, IT GETS REALLY RURAL, SO.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS BY ANY OF THE PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS? SO, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DIGEST WITH SOME TRAFFIC ISSUES AND PEDESTRIAN ISSUES.
ONE THING THAT CAME UP THAT, UM, I MEAN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW, UM, IN THE PRESENTATION, UH, TARA MENTIONED THE FIRM DESCRIBED BY THE, UH, OR SUGGESTED BY THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD.
UH, SHE SAID THAT THEY WOULD, MIGHT BE WILLING TO DO THAT, BUT IT WOULD BE AT THE SACRIFICE OF SOME OF THE LANDSCAPING.
SO WHAT DO THE PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS THINK ABOUT THAT? UM, IF, IF YOU WANT MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT, LET ME KNOW, BUT DOES ANYBODY HAVE AN OPINION ON WHAT THEY THINK A BERM VERSUS LANDSCAPING WOULD BE? WHICH WOULD BE BETTER THERE? I THINK JUST TO CLARIFY, I THINK, UH, WHAT TARA HAD SAID WAS THAT IT, THEY WOULD ADD LANDSCAPING ONTO THE BERM, BUT IT WOULD REMOVE THE EXISTING VEGETATION.
AND I KNOW I'M THE ONE THAT THE FOLKS WHO'S PUSHING FOR VEGETATION THERE, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THE BERM BECAUSE IT WOULD BLOCK MORE, UH, LIGHTS, PARKING FROM VEHICLES, PARKING ON THAT SIDE AND, AND THE, WITH THE VEGETATION ON IT IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT THE, THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDED.
UM, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE AN OPINION? UH, BERM? I HAVE A QUESTION FOR CAITLYN.
MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW THIS, CAITLYN, BUT I HA I THOUGHT THAT THE CONSERVATION BOARD WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT BERM IN TERMS OF THE ACCESS BEING TO SOUTHWESTERN.
THEY WERE, AND I WOULD, I THINK THAT MIGHT NOT, I THINK THEY WERE REFERRING TO THAT ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH, ALONG TS ROAD WITH THE ACCESS ON SOUTHWESTERN, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING.
BUT I THINK THAT YOU COULD STILL EMPLOY THE BERM WHERE THE PARKING IS FROM THE DRIVEWAY, UH, SOUTH ON HEALTH ROAD.
OBVIOUSLY MY PREFERENCE IS MOVE THE DRIVEWAY TO SOUTHWESTERN.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT? OKAY, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE THE NEXT ONE, I UNDERSTAND THAT SARAH'S GOTTEN A LOT OF TECH FROM RESIDENTS THAT FEEL LIKE THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN HEARD ON THIS PROJECT.
AND I DO WANT TO ASSURE EVERYBODY THAT THIS BOARD REALLY, REALLY ENJOYS HAVING PUBLIC INPUT AND THAT WE ARE READING ALL THE COMMENTS AND WE'RE LISTENING TO EVERYONE.
I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT WHEN WE'RE ALL ON THE SCREENS TO, TO FEEL THAT WAY, BUT THE PUBLIC INPUT REALLY HELPS US DO OUR JOB AND HELPED US FOCUS WHERE, WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING OUR EFFORTS.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT AND WE ARE LISTENING, AND I WANT TO KNOW THAT, UM, I I'M, I'M DOING MY BEST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY FEELS HEARD, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE IF SOME PEOPLE DON'T FEEL THAT WAY, BUT I, I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE HEARD, AND I HOPE BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE END OF THIS PROCESS THAT YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE HEARD AND THAT YOU, YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT IT THAN YOU DID WHEN WE STARTED.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I WILL TABLE BROADWAY GROUP LLC TO, UM, 20TH SECOND MOTION, CLARK.
OH, NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS CLOSED GARDEN CENTER REQUESTING SITE PLAN APPROVAL OF AN ADDITION IN GREENHOUSE AT 4 7 6 7 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD.
BILL, BILL, MR. UH, GULLO IS NOT ON BECAUSE HE SAID THAT YOU SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE
[01:35:01]
TO BE TODAY.I, I, I THINK I DID SAY THAT, YES.
SO HAVE WE, WE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS THAT WE CLOSED AT THE LAST MEETING.
AT THE LAST MEETING, WE AUTHORIZED CONSULTANTS TO DRAFT RESOLUTIONS WHICH WERE FORWARDED TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
UH, ANY OBJECTIONS TO PROCEEDING WITH THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO US? NO.
ANYBODY WANNA VOLUNTEER TO READ THE RESOLUTIONS? YEAH.
N DECK FIRST AND THEN THE SITE PLAN, RIGHT? SO, SO THE SEEKER RESOLUTION FIRST, BOB, THE GALLS, YES.
GOLOS GARDEN CENTER 4 7 6 7 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD DRAFT SEEKER RESOLUTION.
WHEREAS THE TOWN OF HAMBURG RECEIVED A SITE PLAN APPLICATION FOR GOLOS GARDEN CENTER LOCATED AT 4 7 6 7 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADDITION.
AND WHEREAS ON DECEMBER 16TH, 2020, THE HAMBURG PLANNING BOARD HELD A REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARING AND WHEREAS THE HAMBURG PLANNING BOARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW YORK STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT, SEEKER HAS DONE A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE PROJECT AND IS IN POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENT IMPACTS COMPLETING PARTS OF TWO AND THREE OF THE S-E-E-A-F.
AND WHEREAS THE HAMBURG PLANNING BOARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SEEKER HAS DETERMINED THAT PROPOSED ADDITION WILL NOT A ADVERSELY AFFECT THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE STATE AND OR THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC, AND IS CONSISTENT WITH THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE TOWN OF HAMBURG PLANNING BOARD HEREBY DETERMINES THAT THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS NOT ANTICIPATED TO RESULT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, AND THAT THE NEGATIVE DECLARATION IS HEREBY ISSUED AND BEING FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE PLANNING BOARD CHAIR IS AUTHORIZED TO SIGN THE EAF, WHICH WILL ACT AS THE SEEKER NEGATIVE DECLARATION.
SECOND, A MOTION BY MR. MAHONEY, SECOND BY MR. SHAW.
A MOTION CARRIED THE DRAFT SITE PLAN, APPROVAL RESOLUTION GOALS GARDEN CENTER PROJECT 4 7 6 7 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD 12 17 20 20.
THE PLANNING BOARD BASED ON THEIR INSURANCE OF THE SECRET DECLARATION NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THIS PROJECT.
REVIEW OF THE PROJECT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ARTICLE 56 SITE PLAN, APPROVAL OF THE T HAMBURG ZONING CODE HAVE RECEIVED AND CONSIDERED INPUT FROM THE TOWN DEPARTMENTS, COMMITTEES, AND ADVISORY BOARDS HAVE COMPLETED THE REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARING AND HAVING THE APPLICANT AMEND THE DRAWINGS BASED ON THE PLANNING BOARD'S COMMENTS, THEREBY GRANTS CONDITIONAL SITE PLAN APPROVAL FOR THE GALLOWS GARDEN CENTER PROJECT TO BE LOCATED AT 4 7 6 7 SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL IS CONTINGENT UPON THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT COMMENT LETTER DATED JANUARY 5TH, 2021.
NUMBER TWO, THE FINAL LANDSCAPE PLAN WILL BE APPROVED BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
NUMBER THREE, LIGHTING SHALL BE SHIELDED AND DARK SKY COMPLIANT.
NUMBER FOUR, THE OWNER SHALL PROVIDE PROOF THAT THE ADJOINING PURCHASE LANDS HAVE BEEN CONSOLIDATED INTO THE EXISTING GARDEN CENTER.
THAT IS IT FOR GULL'S GARDEN CENTER.
UM, FINAL ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS DAVID MANKO REQUESTING PRELIMINARY PLAT APPROVAL OF A 67 LOT SUBDIVISION TO BE LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF PARKER ROAD.
UH, I THINK, IS IT THIS PROJECT, SARAH, OR WAS IT, UH, THE OTHER ONE IN THE SAME AREA WHERE WE GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT THE EMERGENCY ACCESS ROAD? NO, THAT WAS ABOUT THE WETZEL REZONING.
SO THIS ONE, THIS ONE HAS AN EMERGENCY ACCESS ROAD CLOSED ALSO, DOESN'T IT? THE, THE OLD VERSION, SORRY.
THIS IS CHRIS WOOD, THE OLD VERSION WITH THE CLUSTERING HAD AN EMERGENCY ACCESS ROAD.
BUT THIS VER DOESN'T, RIGHT? THIS VERSION HAS EVERYTHING HAS A NEW PUBLIC ROAD.
I MEAN, THE ONLY COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE ON THAT WAS, UM,
[01:40:01]
THE EMERGENCY ACCESS ROADS.WE WOULDN'T HAVE THEM IN THERE IF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE NECESSARY.
SO, UM, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THE PUBLIC ACCESS ROADS AND I GUESS I'LL BRING IT UP AGAIN.
NEXT PROJECT FOR US IF MR. WOOD OR MR. HOPKINS OR MR. MANKO, UH, DO YOU WANNA TELL US WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, PLEASE? YEAH.
SO BASICALLY, AS YOU RECALL, WE PRESENTED DURING YOUR LAST MEETING THE UPDATED PLAN BY WHICH WE WENT WITH PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND MORE TRADITIONAL LOTS.
UM, I DID FINISH TODAY THE PRELIMINARY PLAT APPLICATION IN PART ONE OF THE FULL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FORM.
SO THE LAYOUT ITSELF HAS BASICALLY REMAINED THE SAME.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO IS AUTHORIZE THE COMMENCEMENT OF A COORDINATED ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
THE OTHER COMMENT I WANNA NOTE, I THINK IT WAS DREW AT THE MEETING ON DECEMBER 16TH, ASKED US TO ADD THE ZONING LINE.
A PORTION OF THE SITE IS ZONE C3.
SO WE ARE NOW SHOWING THAT ON THE UPDATED PRELIMINARY PLAT PLAN, THE GOOD NEWS IS NONE OF THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES WILL BE CONSTRUCTED ON PROPERTY THAT'S ZONED C3.
SO THE ZONING LINE ITSELF WON'T RESULT IN ANY DETRIMENTAL CHANGES TO THE LAYOUT.
AND OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK BASICALLY IT'S A LAYOUT THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF THIS BEING THE PREFERENCE VERSUS A CLUSTERED LAYOUT.
I THINK WE SHOULD START THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, WHICH WOULD THEN WE WOULD COME BACK ON THIS PROJECT LAND, SARAH, PROBABLY THE FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY.
SO I'LL, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF THE
WELL HOLD ON BEFORE YOU TABLE.
UM, SARAH, DID YOU FORWARD THE LETTER FROM THE CAB ON THIS PROJECT TO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF BILL FORWARDED IT TO YOU A LETTER WE GOT SENT FROM BILL AND I ON THE 19TH FROM THE CAB REGARDING THIS SITE PLAN? IF I FORWARD THAT, I NOT FORWARD IT TO SARAH.
IF I FORWARD THAT TO SARAH, SARAH, CAN YOU FORWARD THAT TO THE REST OF THE PLANNING BOARD? AND THEN CAN YOU ALSO FORWARD IT TO SEAN FOR THEM TO RESPOND TO THE COMMENTS? YES, OF COURSE.
YEAH, WHEN WE GET THAT, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, SO, UM, SO, SO AGAIN, I, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF THE COORDINATED ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW ON THE DAVID MINK PROJECT.
AND TABLE THIS TO, UH, FEBRUARY 3RD, SECOND.
SECOND I, MR. CLARK SECOND BY MR. MAHONEY.
SO WE WILL SEE YOU IN, UH, ON THE THIRD.
I'LL WORK WITH YOU AND MAKE SURE WE GET ALL THE AGENCIES WE NEED TO SEND THIS TO MS. I ALL SET THROUGH.
IT SHOULD HAVE JUST GOTTEN THAT EMAIL FROM ME.
THAT WAS THE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
UM, DIDN'T GET MUTED, UH, MINUTES FROM THE SPECIAL MEETING, RIGHT? NO, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THIS YET.
UH, LET ME KNOW WHEN THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, PROJECT FROM THE SPECIAL MEETING IS READY FOR ME TO SIGN.
I SAW THAT HE SENT THE, THE PLAN WITH THE SIGNATURE PAGE.
THEY, YEAH, I TOLD, I TOLD HIM THAT TOMORROW I WILL COMPARE HIS EMAIL WITH THE FACEBOOK AUDIO, AND IF I AGREE THAT WHAT HE SAYS IS WHAT YOUR CONDITIONS WERE, THEN I WILL GET CAM GET WITH CAMMIE AND ROGER.
JUST, JUST LET ME KNOW SO I CAN SWING BY AND SIGN THAT.
UM, ANOTHER THING IN OTHER BUSINESS, SO FOR, FOR 2021, UM, I, I MADE SOME CHANGES.
UH, CAITLIN IS GOING TO BE OUR VICE CHAIR AND MEGAN IS GONNA BE OUR, OUR SECRETARY.
SO I WANNA THANK THEM FOR, I WANNA, WELL, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR ALL THE, THE HARD WORK WE'VE
[01:45:01]
PUT IN OVER THIS PAST YEAR.IT'S BEEN A EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT YEAR FOR ALL OF US.
SO THAT MEANS, BILL, YOU JUST FIRED ME THEN, RIGHT? WELL, I DID TELL YOU THAT I WAS GONNA DO IT EARLIER, DOG.
I SO
THINK OF IT AS, UM, SOME TYPE OF REASSIGNMENT.
IS THAT ANY BETTER? I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? MAYBE, MAYBE.
I THINK IF IT'S SOMETHING ELSE, BECAUSE, UH, I'VE BEEN THERE LONGER THAN ANYONE ELSE ON THIS BOARD AND YOU JUST, UH, PUT ME DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, DIDN'T YOU? WHO? UH, WHO? NOBODY'S AT THE BOTTOM.
DOUG, YOU, YOU TOLD ME A BUNCH OF PEOPLE CALLED WHO CALLED YOU ARE, ARE WE STILL LIVE? YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL LIVE.
I, I DIDN'T REALLY WANNA BRING THAT UP.
SO, SO, WELL, CONGRATULATIONS.
WELL, BILL, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN BILL, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T, YOU'RE THE CHAIRMAN.
IF MY DECISION, IF YOU WANNA TALK MORE ABOUT IT, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT, UH, PLEASE GIMME A CALL.
WE'LL, WE'LL GO OVER I THE CALL, TALK ABOUT, OKAY.
SO I'LL MAKE AYE MOTION TO ADJOURN.
MOTION BY MR. CLARK, SECOND BY MCCORMICK.