Planning Board, 5/7/2012
Mr. Riina advised the board that based on a new delineation of the site’s wetlands, as well as preliminary discussions with the DEC, several changes have been made to the original plan, including:
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the building has been moved further away from the wetlands
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the building has been reduced by 27,000 square feet
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the number of proposed parking spaces has been reduced to 119 from 161
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the green roof concept has been eliminated
The revised plan also includes several new mitigation measures, including:
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Capturing and treating stormwater runoff from the Ceola Manor site where no system currently exists
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Constructing a pier/boardwalk at the rear of the site to provide public access to the lake (there have been no discussions to date with the town whether the town would be interested in such a facility)
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Restoring the existing lawn on the site to a wetland
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Cleaning out the lake outlet (still be be determind is who owns the property the outlet is on and who would do the work)
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Provide more shared parking with Ceola Manor
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Repair the existing pump station along Hill Blvd.
Mr. Riina said that the applicant had also suggested enhancing the existing wetland area but that the DEC was not interested in such a plan.
While the current plan that provides 119 parking spaces does not meet the 135 required spaces, the Planning Board can reduce the parking requirement by up to 25%.The parking area is proposed to be porous pavement.One of the key elements of the parking plan was the need to allow sufficient turning radius for delivery trucks.
The proposed three story building will have one story buried and will be two feet above the flood level.
Planning Director Tegeder advised Mr. Riina that before the applicant went back to the DEC with the latest revised plan, he should meet with town staff to work out details for several aspects of the plan so that when he returns to DEC, he has a better idea of what the town wants. He repeated a concern expressed at the previous meeting about the architectural appearance of the building and the need to address design standards in the CR (Commercial Recreation) zone.
To start the process moving, Mr. Tegeder advised the applicant to file a formal application which will then en able the Planning Board to refer the plan to the advisory boards for review and comment.Once that is done, a public informational hearing can be set to get additional feedback from the community.
Planning Board, 1/23/2012
The applicant presented preliminary plans to get the “sense of the board” for a proposed 3-story 30,000 SF medical office building and 160 parking spaces on a 4.4 acre site located behind the existing medical buildings on Hill Boulevard. (There’s a house currently on the property.) The site is in the Country Commercial (CC) zone. The majority of the site is in a wetlands buffer and approximately a half acre is in the wetland. The site is sewered. The site would share parking with the abutting Ceola Manor.
