by Doug La Rocque
KFC, which is part of the Aldi complex still under construction, had sent out a press release that they planned to open for business on Tuesday, August 16. However, a condition imposed by the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) stated the newly installed traffic light at the corner of Lord Avenue and Hoosick Road must first be functional. It is not. Speaking with Brunswick officials, they tell The Eastwick Press the DOT has indicated it might put the light on flash by the end of the week.
Code Changes Not Yet Ready for a Vote
The Brunswick Town Board is once again looking to extend the ban on two-family and multi-family housing construction and project consideration, while it further looks into changes in the Town codes. A local law that would extend the moratorium on such housing another six months was introduced at the August 11 meeting and will be voted on in September.
Changes to the Town codes have been introduced that look into where such structures could be built and introduce a density determination formula, among some other considerations. A public hearing on these changes was held July 11, with only limited comment, one concerning property setbacks. The time period for written comments just recently ended and the Board feels they need a little more time to review these comments. The present moratorium expires in September.
Slow It Down, Please
Residents of Oneida Avenue were again in attendance at the meeting complaining about the volume of traffic on the road and the speed some vehicle are traveling. One speaker fears that once Hannaford and Aldi open, the problem will be exacerbated by additional traffic using the neighborhood as a cut through to Hoosick Road.
These are Town roads, but Brunswick does not have a Town police force. Supervisor Phil Herrington says he has asked both the Sheriff’s Department and the State Police for increased patrols in the neighborhood.
As to the traffic study of Hoosick Road, Supervisor Herrington says he has been in contact with the Capital District Transportation Committee (the agency that provided for and administers the grant) and is hopeful it will begin soon.
Goodbye Sharon and Thanks for the Memories
This was Tracy Broderick’s first meeting as the new Town Historian, replacing Sharon Zankel, who retired after the July Board meeting after serving in the position for 28 years. At that July meeting, Board members approved as resolution honoring Ms. Zankel, noting her dedication to the Town as well as her length of service.
Ms. Broderick indicated there might soon be a search of the Forest Park Cemetery by ground penetrating radar. She indicated it is believed there are a number of bodies buried there without headstones or markers, and this might help locate some of these graves.
News and Notes
The Board approved, by a 3 to 2 vote, a $75,000 reduction in Walmart’s assessed valuation. The store is still assessed at $2.6 million. The Brunswick Library reported they believe their per capita funding when compared to other localities in the Upper Hudson Library System is considerably below average, while the participation level in library programs is much higher than average. Brunswick will hold as Hazardous Waste Recycling event on Saturday, August 27 from 8 am to 1 pm. This is limited to Town residents. All voting locations for the August 23 primary will return to their normal locations and the Town’s Summer Day Camp was extremely successful, with 135 participants.