Moratorium On Apartments And Multi-Family Housing Proposed
by Doug La Rocque
In his more than 20 years as Brunswick Town Supervisor, Phil Herrington has never supported a moratorium on any form of development in the town. Time, however, changes everything.
At the Thursday, February 11 Town Board meeting, Supervisor Herrington proposed a local law enacting a six-month moratorium on the filing, acceptance, review or determination pertaining to apartments and multi-family housing. Why can be summed up in one word, density.
Over the past two years, the Brunswick Planning Board, when considering various forms of housing requests, has expressed its concern as to whether Brunswick might be reaching a saturation point when it comes to multi-family dwellings. Some other points mentioned in the local law include “strain on public water and sewer infrastructure” as well as “increased traffic and transportation infrastructure impairment.”
In 2017, Brunswick approved a major revision to its zoning laws, changing what was about a 10 page document from 60 years ago, to what is now more than 150 pages of rules and regulations. As with most large scale changes, there are usually some unintended consequences. In this case, the new zoning districts opened up some areas to such multi-family developments where they may not have been permitted in the past. As a result, Supervisor Herrington says the town board wants to review potential changes or corrections, “without developmental pressures.”
Town Council member Mark Cipperly voted in favor of the measure, telling The Eastwick Press he feels the town must step back and look at the issue, in regard to where such multi-family housing is appropriate, how much, particularly in terms of density, and that any such future projects are a good fit for the town.
Brunswick Democratic Chair and potential Town Board candidate Jennifer Mann says of the moratorium, “I give the Brunswick Town Council and Supervisor Herrington so much credit for this positive move in the right direction. It is a wonderful start to taking a conscious approach to the future of our town’s development. I hope as a community we can find creative ways to make our beautiful open land beneficial for residents in the denser parts of town so they too will have a reason to support the preservation of our rural character.”
The board will hold a public hearing on the proposed law (moratorium) at 6 pm on Tuesday, March 11, prior to its regular meeting.
Access Road Controversy Continues
The issue of the proposed rear access road for developer David Leon’s plans to construct an Aldi’s Grocery store along with a Wendy’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food outlets on his land along Hoosick Road (NYS Route 7), was kicked back to the town board last month by the planning board, to consider the legality of a private firm building over land dedicated to be a town road, albeit a paper one. The width of the proposed road as well as its existence has brought forth many negative comments from residents who live near the planned development.
They have questioned the need for such a road, as well as indicating it might be used as a two way thoroughfare in the future, should Mr. Leon decided to reintroduce his application to build a 202 unit apartment complex behind the current Planet Fitness building. His original application, which met with vehement opposition, was pulled.
The board’s attorneys are still looking into these legalities and hope to have everything sorted out in time for a special town board meeting on Thursday, February 25, to perhaps make a decision on the matter.
Mr. Leon’s development, as well as the proposal for a new 50,000 square foot grocery store across the road on land known as Duncan’s Meadow, are apparently contingent on the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) approval of a new traffic light at the intersection of Hoosick Road and Lord Avenue. DOT has indicated any such approval would be contingent on this access road being built, and the interconnectivity it would create and present vehicles looking to turn left on Hoosick Road (sometimes very difficult because of traffic volume) with a way to do so safely.
It was brought up at the meeting that DOT should look to make some traffic improvements to Hoosick Road. Supervisor Herrington says he has those conversations with the state frequently and always gets the same answer. “You think Route 7 is the only problematic road in the state? We have many Route 7s, and nothing is going to happen with it anytime soon.”