Controversial Bus Parking Lot Proposal is Withdrawn
by Doug La Rocque
When the Brunswick Planning Board held its public hearing on a proposal by Matopato, LLC to construct a school bus parking facility at 291 Oakwood Avenue, it met with strong opposition by neighbors, who were concerned about traffic, noise, diesel fumes and lighting. The site plan also met with several concerns, including not enough parking spaces for the number of proposed buses to be housed there, problems with the circular driveway and traffic congestion on the lot itself while drivers were switching out the buses and parking their own cars in that bus’s spot. The problems for Matopato just continued to mount with each subsequent Board meeting, and at the Thursday, November 4 session, the bus proposal was formally withdrawn.
One of the original concerns dealt with the land’s use. The initial site plan was approved for retail, but bus parking was not considered retail. Matopato then submitted a proposed subdivision of the land to obtain a new site use. While the bus idea is now history, the firm is continuing with the subdivision application to clean up some other site technicalities.
There Won’t Be a Rear Entrance After All
The saga of a Aldi Supermarket on Hoosick Road has been ongoing for years, with the focal point being a traffic light at the intersection with Lord Avenue. Aldi was approved years ago by the Planning Board, but never came to fruition, because the food chain demanded that traffic light be installed to construct the store. At that time, the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) said no. Hoosick Road is actually NYS Route 7, thus all traffic devices are under the auspices of DOT. Fast forward to 2020 when developer David Leon asked to again build an Aldi, this time with a Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wendy’s on the site as well (the original approved application had expired). In this new instance, DOT indicated it would approve the traffic signal, if there was interconnectivity with the neighborhood behind Aldi. This meant an entrance into the parking lot off Hillcrest Avenue and a rear entrance (one way in) behind the store connecting with Ferdinand Avenue. That road drew the ire of the neighbors to the rear, who vehemently opposed it in a lengthly public hearing. The concept was eventually approved by the Planners after many changes (including the one way requirement). Also in 2020, Lord Avenue Properties came forth with a plan to build a Hannaford Supermarket across the street, with its entrance off Lord Avenue. Mr. Leon indicated at that time, DOT had told him they would no longer require the rear entrance to the Aldi complex if Hannaford were to be built. That construction was approved and has begun.
At last Thursday’s meeting, it was disclosed DOT has sent the Town a letter confirming they no longer require the back road, and Mr. Leon has submitted a site plan amendment eliminating it. The Planning Board has determined another public hearing is not needed, but the amendment has some sewer and easement issues to be ironed out. It was placed on the agenda for the November 18 Board meeting.
Not a Good Omen
The Hannaford project approval process took much longer than the developer would have liked, running into issues such a stormwater management (the field the store is being built in is notorious for springtime flooding), the amount of fill needed, parking lot lighting and not the least of which, the traffic impact on the roads accessible from Lord Avenue. Work on the site began in earnest last week, clearing the site and trucking in the fill. On Tuesday, November 9, a contractor was removing shrubs and trees, when a branch struck wire attached to a power pole, pulling the pole down across Lord Avenue. The pole itself was apparently quite rotten out.
While crews cleared the site and replaced the pole, truck traffic had to be re-routed over Otsego Avenue, something that did not please the residents of the road. In all, eight trucks waiting to unload were detoured, and the contractors stopped all further deliveries until Lord Avenue was reopened.
