800 New Jobs in the Offing
By Doug La Rocque
The Article 78 proceeding brought by some residents of Schodack attempting to stop the construction of an Amazon warehouse near the corner of Routes 9 and 20 in Schodack, has been dismissed by State Supreme Court Judge Patrick McGrath. The decision, released on Monday, January 28, clears the way for the on line shopping company to construct a new warehouse along the Route 9 corridor. Part of the lawsuit brought by the town residents, challenged the Schodack Planning Board’s review of the project. Schodack Town Supervisor David Harris released a statement, that said in part “The Planning Board’s approval of the Amazon project followed an extensive process undertaken by the Planning Board’s members with the assistance of the Town’s Director of Planning and other planning staff, the Town’s reviewing engineer, the Town’s attorneys as well as many others. A significant amount of time, energy, and resources was expended to ensure the Planning Board’s review of the project was both thorough and in full compliance with all legal requirements, and the Court’s Decision validates those efforts. The Town now looks forward to completing the project and bringing Amazon to Rensselaer County.”
In a press release issued on Monday, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said “This is great for Rensselaer County and the Town of Schodack, with the Amazon project set to create hundreds of new jobs and millions in investment in the Route 9 corridor. We believe this project will help attract other investment and job creation and help many more county residents work close to home and not be forced to leave the area to find employment.”
It has been speculated by the company and local officials, it could well mean 800 new jobs. The proposed location is in the south central part of the county, near the Columbia County border.