by Denise Wright
Even though the Christmas holiday is quickly approaching, the Schodack Planning Board was busy at their December 20 meeting. After the minutes were approved, a Schodack resident voiced questions about the Muslim Community of Troy cemetery project proposed on Phillips Road. The resident asked for clarification about the burial process, the phasing of the project and the impact on groundwater. Members of the Board explained that the burial ceremonies involve simple pine boxes with no embalming process.
The project presenter from Environmental Designs updated the Board that a geotechnical consultant had completed an environmental study. According to the report, there will be no impact on groundwater and wells because of the gradient of the land. A change in the phasing of the cemetery project has been made to allow the final stage of the project to be the closest to the residences which should be implemented in approximately 50 to 100 years. There is a plan to augment additional vegetation along the boundary to add more of a buffer on the property. The 5,000 grave cemetery plans to be a three-stage process that will take approximately 100 years to complete. Stage 1 will involve the creation of a parking area, loop road, pavilion, maintenance building and 1,400 graves with an estimated four burials a month. The proposal was sent to engineering, and the Board thanked the presenter for updating them.
The two public hearings on the American Tower/Dish Wireless towers on Beagle Club Way and US Route 20 had their site plan modifications approved. Beagle Club Way’s 123’ tower will have three new antennas installed at 91 feet, and the US 20 150’ tower will have antennas installed at 115 feet. The site plan modification and a special permit were also approved for the Crown Castle/Dish Wireless tower on Route 150.
The meeting concluded with the approval of a resolution to make Schodack the lead agency on the Schuurman Road Schodack Golf project. A public hearing was set up for January 3, for a ground mount solar project by Hudson River Solar on Simons Road. A Route 9 site plan and a special permit were approved with modifications for an auto sales lot. Auto repairs will not be allowed at the lot.