If the Town Council adopts a proposal by Windhover Farms, Clifton Park residents could see a 45-lot subdivision and horse farm in the Western end of town.
Attorney Kevin Dailey, who is representing Windhover Farms said, If the town does not accept this proposal, the project would not be economically viable.
He said the project would require the installation of water and sewer and the creation of infrastructure, like stables and corrals, which are both costly.
In exchange for allowing a greater number of properties on the land, the town would receive a permanent conservation easement on 104 acres of land owned by the Springel family.
Daily presented the proposal for incentive zoning to the Clifton Park Town Council during its meeting Monday, July 21.
The conservation easement would preserve the land from future development.
Although, uses for the land have not yet been discussed formally with the Town Council, Dailey said the land could be used for a nature preserve.
`We want to make this special for our town,` Dailey said.
Dailey said when the town completed an environmental impact study of Western Clifton Park, the town looked at placing a nature preserve in the same vicinity where Windhover Farms is proposing to provide a permanent conservation easement.
`We are proposing something that is unique in Clifton Park and Saratoga County,` Dailey said during the July 21 meeting.
The proposal includes plans for a working horse farm and trails for riding throughout the property.
After hearing the proposal, Councilman Sandy Roth said, `I have always preferred land in place of money.`
In order to obtain incentive zoning, a developer can either provide the town with land or money at a rate of $30,000 for each additional unit desired on the specified land.
Adoption of the incentive zoning proposal would allow Windhover Farms to build 45 units on 75 acres of land, which is typically not allowed in conservation residential zoned areas. An area zoned conservation residential allows a developer to place one unit on 3-acre lots, however the developer only has 75 acres to build 45 lots.
Dailey said while all the homeowners will be farmers, he does not expect all homeowners to own a horse. He said the developers considered using the stables on the land for boarding horses outside the subdivision.
The council said they could act as early as Monday, Aug. 4, on the issue.
If the Town Council adopts the proposal, the Planning Board would review the application and send it for final site approval. The final site approval would require surveying of the property to ensure that at least 60 acres of the 104 acres donated to the town does not contain wetlands.
Dailey said he was confident that 60 acres of the land for a permanent conservation easement is useable, but that he would get surveyors to look at the land soon.
Town Planner John Scavo said the developer takes on the responsibility and cost to survey the property and ensure that the land provided is useable to the town.
According to Dailey, the town already owns several parcels of land in that area that could be combined to make a larger parcel of land.“