by Doug La Rocque
Ever since the Aldi complex and Hannaford projects were introduced along Hoosick Road (NYS Route 7) residents of the Sycaway neighborhood have been attending Board meetings complaining about what has been labeled as cut through traffic along Oswego and Oneida Avenues, as well as Greene and Genesse Streets, to get to the recently opened Hannaford store or the new traffic light at the end of Lord Avenue. They speak of the volume of vehicles using these narrow roadways, the excess speed, callous and dangerous behavior, as well as litter. Several of the residents say they are now in fear for their families and pets when trying to walk on their neighborhood roads. One speaker went so far as the tell the Board that if anything were to happen to his family “my face will be the last one you’ll ever see.” Nothing more came of the threat, and the speaker apologized the next day.
Solutions
The residents spoke of perhaps making some streets one way, the installation of speed bumps, weight limits (some large trucks are also using these roads), and local traffic only signs. Brunswick has posted no truck traffic signs and the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office placed two radar carts (equipment that shows how fast you are traveling), as well as some increased patrols in the area. As to other possible remedies, Supervisor Phil Herrington says several other options are under consideration.
Solar Moratorium
Enough is enough, especially when it begins to impact tax revenues and undesirable locations. With three commercial solar collectors already constructed, two approved for construction, three more under consideration, and perhaps another two in the pipeline, the Town Board introduced a local law to place a 12-month moratorium on commercial solar installations. Where allowed, residential ground mounted solar is excluded from the restriction.
Supervisor Herrington mentioned the move toward more residential areas by these solar firms and the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program as two of the driving reasons behind the proposed law. The Town had worked out a PILOT program they were using with the solar applicants, but Herrington says some of them are now balking at the level of remuneration, looking to have that payment further reduced. Herrington says the Town wants to take a comprehensive look at the entire solar issue. He admits the moratorium may not be popular with Rensselaer County government and certainly not with New York State, which has been pushing for more solar energy for several years.
A public hearing on the law was set for Tuesday, November 15, at 6:30 pm.
Separate from the moratorium but involving solar, the Board voted to reject the bond form submitted by CVE Solar for the decommissioning of solar equipment for a facility to be located on Belair Lane. This bond guarantees the money is in place to remove the solar collectors once their life span is complete, generally 25 to 30 years.
Zoning Changes
In April of this year the Board introduced a local law that would have repealed the 2017 Zoning Law and replaced it with a 2022 version that contained changes as to where two-family and multi-family housing could be constructed as well as a few other general code amendments. It was some of these general code changes that were challenged at a public hearing, resulting in the Board deciding not to pursue the law any further. Instead, a new local law was also introduced that evening that does not replace the existing codes but incorporate the housing changes into the current zoning law. A public hearing on this law was set for 6:15 pm on Thursday, November 10.
Other Notes
The Board formally made the 2023 tentative town budget the preliminary budget. As has been the case in many recent years, the budget has a zero percent tax increase. A public hearing was set for November 10.
Jennifer Fitzpatrick was re-appointed to the Board of Assessment Review.