Economic Development Plans For Petersburgh

by Alex Brooks
Petersburgh Town Supervisor Siegfried Krahforst attended the Petersburgh Planning Board meeting on Monday, February 25, to tell that Board about his economic development plans for the Town. His primary goal is to get a bank and a gas station to set up shop in Town. [private]He said there are grant funds available to give these businesses a break on their property taxes as an incentive to build here. Krahforst has been contacting banks and gas stations to invite them to locate a facility in Petersburgh. “I have a lot of feelers out,” he said.
Krahforst has traffic studies in hand documenting how much traffic there is on Route 2 and on Route 22, and he feels the intersection of  the two major highways is the strongest selling point for attracting a business to build a new facility in Petersburgh.
Krahforst asked the Planning Board to help him identify parcels of land near the intersection of Routes 2 and 22 which might be suitable for a bank or a gas station to build on. Although some members of the Planning Board expressed some skepticism about the prospects for success, they agreed to brainstorm it and assist the Supervisor in any way they can.
Automotive Repair Garage
Arnold Brock came before the Planning Board for an informal discussion on his plan to open a new business offering automobile repair and maintenance services in the old Church Garage, on Route 22 next to the Route 2 overpass. This building was Steve Church’s garage for many years. After Steve Church closed his business, it was operated as a car repair facility for a while by Dion Church. After that it served as the local office of Pioneer Fuels, and, since that business left, it has been vacant.
Brock said he has replaced the roof and the electrical system has been updated and refurbished. Planning Board Chairman Dave Miller said after a place has been vacant for a certain amount of time, it is no longer grandfathered and must comply with current building code. Miller advised Brock to check with Building Inspector Doug Hull about building codes for an automotive garage.
Miller also asked about the septic system on the property. Brock said he wasn’t sure. Miller said he would have to comply with Rensselaer County’s rules on septic systems, which may mean a “tight tank” which must be pumped out regularly, given the lack of space on the property for a leach field. Brock said he will look into these things and will be back with his application.
Revised Subdivision Regulations
Supervisor Krahforst asked Miller about the status of the revised subdivision regulations that the Planning Board has been working on for a year or so. Miller said they are with Planning Board Attorney Dennis King. King has reviewed them and they are pretty much done except that a Civil Engineer is needed to write the “specs.” Miller said that once these are done, the new regulations will be ready to implement.[/private]