Aldi’s Proposal Draws Neighborhood Ire
by Doug La Rocque
Certainly not all of the neighbors around the proposed Aldi’s/Plant Fitness complex on Hoosick Road (NYS Route 7) were in attendance at the Thursday, October 15 joint public hearing before the Brunswick Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), but about 20 were, with many speaking out against the plan. One person said he thought the neighborhood already had enough grocery stores (there is a Market 32/Price Chopper and Super Walmart nearby), especially since the board also has a proposal before it for a 50,000 square foot food store across the road from where Aldi’s hopes to build.
The most spoken about topic involved plans to build an access road into the rear of the complex that could be entered from Woodward Avenue. This proposed road would be 26 feet wide, but would only be a one way in. 26 feet is what is required for a two way road, and some suspect it is there to eventually accommodate a large apartment complex on land to the rear of the Aldi’s.
Just such an apartment complex was proposed last year, but eventually withdrawn. There was a very lengthy public hearing at that time with vehement opposition, particularly to the additional traffic it would generate along Hoosick Road. That plan also called for a new traffic light at Hillside Avenue, that did not meet with NYS Department of Transportation approval.
The Aldi’s/Planet Fitness concept calls for a traffic light at Lord Avenue and Hoosick Road, something MJ Engineering’s Jamie Easton says is in the final stages of approval with DOT, and he is 99% certain will be forthcoming.
This again brought concerns about traffic, and in particular how it might affect Lord Avenue, which by using a couple of other roads, can connect with North Lake Avenue. The fear here is drivers will try to avoid the Hoosick Road backups (often legendarily long) by cutting through the neighborhood to the north.
The applicant, David Leon, represented by MJ Engineering, must now respond to all the expressed concerns in writing at the Planning Board’s November 4 meeting, or more likely, the November 18 gathering.
A Second Hearing
Both boards also sought public input on a special use permit and zoning variance requested by HDIGSL, LLC concerning property at 394 Pinewoods Avenue. The matter involved setbacks for a primary and accessory structure on the property, with the stated reason for the request being to bring everything into compliance. The Planning Board declared there was no significant environmental impact, but is waiting on approval by the Rensselaer County Department of Health for septic improvements, before it and the ZBA approve the request.
Other Business
Representatives for the proposed Brunswick Acres complex of 26 single family homes to be built on land north of Brunswick Road (NYS Route 2) near Heather Ridge Road, said they needed more time to respond to comments generated at their public hearing, and those brought forth by consulting engineer Ron LaBerge. A 30 day extension of the so called “shot clock,” the time allowed for the board to act after the conclusion of the public hearing, was approved by both parties.
The Blue Sky Towers application for a cell tower at the corner of Creek Road and Menemsha Lane still needs some more tweaking, including a better conceptual drawing of how the proposed tower would be disguised to look like a pine tree. The applicant also spoke of a possible third antenna array on the tower (currently Verizon and AT&T are proposed) but did not think such was feasible.
A proposed 3 lot minor subdivision on Deepkill Road, requested by Sean Gallivan, needs more time to address engineering comments and the representative of a proposed retail and apartment complex at the corner of Brunswick Road and Brick Church Road (NYS Route 2 and 278) was not in attendance.
New business saw the introduction of a pair of minor subdivisions requested by Charles (Butch) Farrell, one involving the Doubleday Estates off Town Office Road and the other on McChesney Avenue. No action on these requests was taken at this time.