A Potpourri For Planners
by Denise Wright
The January 4 Schodack Planning Board was a busy meeting that involved plenty of community comments. A proposed dog training retreat on Boyce Road was a major topic of discussion.
During the public hearing residents voiced concerns about the signage used for the facility. Property owners were concerned with the size and lighting of a sign for the business mounted to the property’s barn. Residents wanted to be assured that the sign’s size and lighting would not affect “the character” of the neighborhood. Another resident voiced concern about the soundproofing against the dogs’ barking that will be on the property. The proposed business hours will be Monday-Saturday, 7 am to 5 pm, and residents are concerned about the dogs’ supervision on Sundays and holidays. Mr. Ali addressed the Board’s questions about the property’s timber harvesting and facility construction. Members of the Board requested that Mr. Ali provide references from his other facilities’ neighbors and municipality and submit a sample of the exterior soundproofing wall to quell some of the concerns before the special permit and site plan will be approved. Still, the negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) was approved. The Planning Board will discuss the project at the February board meeting.
Taylor Mitchell and his firm presented the Green Dale Community Solar Farm on Route 32 for a sketch plan review. This 105-acre site will contain a 7 ½ megawatt solar farm that will be partly in Kinderhook and partly in Schodack, which will sit on 37 acres of land. The Board questioned the designers about the visibility of the project from I-90 and Route 32. The presenters were hoping that Schodack will become the lead agency because 97% of the project will be in Schodack.
The Board was also presented a plan for the Hart Commercial Business Park on US Route 9. This 25-acre area, initially designed to be a sports complex, will now hopefully be developed into a five parcel business park. Lot 1 will be a 4.7-acre area with 16,000 square feet, while lot two will be a 2-acre lot with a 10,000 square foot building, and there are prospective tenants already interested in those buildings. The park will have a private road with individual sewage and water systems for each building. The goal is to develop the first two lots and cultivate the other three lots in the future. While the Board expressed concern for the environmental impact on this project’s development, the developer was willing to revise his plans to incorporate the Board’s concerns.