Creek Road Cell Tower Approved
by Doug La Rocque
The tower proposed by Blue Sky Towers, doing business as Verizon Wireless, was first presented to the Brunswick Planning Board back in May of 2019. Since that time, the proposal has undergone may changes and experienced COVID-19 related delays. However, at its Thursday, March 18 meeting, the planners finally said yes to a new cell tower on land at the corner of Creek Road and Menemsha Lane in the southern portion of the town.
Verizon wireless said it needed the new tower to help cover dead spots in coverage and to offer the latest 5G cell service. The plan, in its original form, was met with stiff opposition from area residents, who said their service was fine, and did not like the idea of looking at a cell tower from their yards or windows.
The Planning Board itself expressed concern about the original site, after looking at what is called a “balloon fly,” where colored balloons are flown up to the projected tower height and then photographed from various locations to simulate views of a tower.
Put It In The Pines
Verizon Wireless adjusted its site plan last summer, and suggested it could put the tower in a grove of pines trees and camouflage it, so to speak, to make it look like a pine tree. This is done by placing the antenna array on the top of a monopole, with simulated pine branches extending outside of the array. Only the top of the tower is above the tree line, and that looks like a tall pine.
The change met with the board’s approval, and once some environmental issues and a zoning variance were set, the planners, two months short of two years on the project, said yes.
Aldi Complex Takes A Big Step Forward
While not two years old, Developer Davids Leon’s proposal to construct an Aldi Supermarket and two fast food restaurants on either side of the Planet Fitness building on Hoosick Road (NYS Route 7), has undergone a number of changes as well. At this meeting, the planners approved the full Environmental Assessment Form, also know as a SEQRA. This is a major step toward approval, and often one of the biggest hurdles developers face.
With this approval in hand, Mr. Leon can now request a minor variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, and then return to the Planning Board for a final determination. This is the project that proposes to build a rear entrance site, to meet Department of Transportation (DOT) demands to install a new traffic signal on Hoosick Road at Lord Avenue. It was suggested at the public hearing on the proposal, this rear entrance would later be used as a conduit to bring back his application to build a 202 unit apartment complex in the rear of the Aldi store. That application was withdrawn after solid public opposition, and would be on hold now anyway, because of the town’s recently enacted six-month moratorium on multi-family house starts.
You Said How Many Trucks?
One development that would make that Aldi’s rear entrance road not necessary (according to DOT) would be the development of another supermarket across the road, and that is just what the Hannaford Company plans to do. Earlier, the Eastwick reported that the Brunswick’s Water and Sewer Superintendent Bill Bradley was urging Hannaford to speak to him about storm water management on the site, as it annually floods. Mr. Bradley said they had spoken the morning of this meeting, and things were smoothed out. One of the ways to alleviate some of the flooding problem is to bring in a very large amount of fill on which to construct the store. How much fill? Hannaford says about 100 trucks a week for four to five weeks. It indicated the trucks would be coming south on NYS Route 142 (Grange Road) turning right onto Hoosick Road and right into the site. The planners asked what kind of traffic controls Hannaford is planning for trucks to exit the site and the answer was none. Wrong answer according to some of the members, who pointed out turning right onto Lord Avenue may not be big a deal, but coming back out and turning left into the Hoosick Road traffic is. Hannaford replied it will look into putting flaggers at the intersection to assist with the traffic flow and for the safety of all.
Hannaford is now working on questions about its site plan and SEQRA.
Gallivan Subdivision Is Approved
Verizon Towers was not the only project to get the green light that evening. Sean Gallivan’s request to split up his property on Deep Kill Road has been hung up attempting to obtain a NYS Department of Environmental Conservation permit, for driveways on two of the newly proposed lots that cross over 100 foot of wetland. After many months of back and forth, that permit is now in hand, and the sub-division was approved.
Joint Public Hearing
The Planning Board has scheduled a joint public hearing with the Zoning Board of Appeals on Eden Renewables proposal to construct a commercial solar field on land located at 126 Brick Church Road (NYS Route 278). The hearing is scheduled for 7 pm on Thursday, April 1, at the Brunswick Town Hall.