The Guilderland Planning Board approved the preliminary design for the Woodfield Estates housing development to be located on 107 acres along East Lydius Street in Guilderland at its meeting Wednesday, Dec. 12.
The proposed 45-lot, clustered subdivision was approved after the board unanimously accepted the state environmental quality review statement of findings.
The statement of findings found that the proposed development either avoids or minimizes negative environmental impact on the ecology of the Pine Bush Preserve habitat.
The review did point out some adverse environmental effects of the project, including the loss of 26 acres of open space; loss of some wildlife due to the removal of vegetation and habitats; and a minor increase in traffic.
However, the report stated that more than 80 acres, or 80 percent, of the site will be donated to the town and will remain as permanently protected open space due to the clustering of the development.
Joseph Bianchine, representing the developer Traditional Builders Ltd., said, as part of the project, a sidewalk is proposed along the south side of East Lydius Street from Traber Road to DiCaprio Park.
He said the developer also proposes creating and maintaining trails from the nearby woods to the park.
We want to maintain public access to the park, planning board chairman Stephen Feeney said.
`As a resident, it is a nice plan. I am pleased that you are connecting trails to the park,` Benjamin Street resident John Watts said.
Other residents weren’t as pleased with the housing project.
Carol Williams of Siver Road said she thought it was a good design and a good plan, but said it would be better located somewhere other than in a fragile ecosystem.
She said since she first moved to the area, she has seen deer, turkeys and an occasional fox or bobcat outside her window.
`It is our duty to safeguard this habitat,` Williams said.
Williams said she hoped that state, county, town and other local representatives would find a means to preserve the parcel in its entirety.
`This is an endangered area to have a sustainable preserve,` she said.
Feeney said the planning board has added to the preserve by negotiating with the developer for the donated 80 acres of the parcel.
`We are as restrictive to development as you’ve seen anywhere,` he said. `We have worked hard to preserve significant areas of this space, but people have the right to pursue development.`
`We have done the best and as good as we can get,` planning board member James Cohen said.“
