Residents in the town of Halfmoon expressed concerns over increased traffic and water drainage issues that would result from a 92-lot subdivision along Johnson and McBride roads during a public meeting on Monday. Meanwhile, members of the town planning board said that they would like time to look at wetland issues associated with the proposed development.
We have a traffic problem out here. It’s like the Indy Speedway, said Johnson Road resident, Dave Papura. Papura also expressed concerns over a four-way intersection that would exist near a farm.
`Sight distance at the farm is horrid. There’s going to be a collision at the four-way intersection that will be along Johnson Road,` Papura added.
In response, Dean Taylor, who represented Leyland Development LLC of Clifton Park, said that a traffic consultant reviewed the site and that the new development would add only 100 cars on the road during peak hours in the morning and evening. He also said that the project couldn’t correct existing traffic problems, though it would contribute $92,000 that the town of Halfmoon can use at its discretion.
According to Ivan Zdrahal of Zdrahal and Associates, the development would be built on wetlands, and water from the new subdivision would discharge into existing drainage ways, including a nearby creek.
Papura argued that adding more water to the stream would be too much.
`That’s a lot of water,` said Papura. `That’s the way I go to work every day and that’s where the bridge went out before.`
Board members agreed to table the project until town engineers could study the impact that the new development would have on surrounding wetlands.
`We would like to know how much land is wetland,` said planning board chairman Steve Watts. `Town engineers will look at wetland issues.“