With most of the funding and execution regarding the inter-municipal Route 20 corridor project a good deal of time away, officials say that having a long-term plan in place will help secure funding and set both towns in the right direction.
The towns of Guilderland and Princetown have prepared a plan to guide development of a 4-mile stretch of Route 20 between Route 158 and Duanesburg, which made recommendations for land use and transportation upgrades, according to information provided by the towns. The plan is part of a linkage study conducted by the Capital District Transportation Committee.
A public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 30, at Princetown Town Hall featured a presentation of the recommendations.
John Behan, of Behan Planning Associates, said the meeting yielded a lot of success. Behan has been hired as a consultant for the project, and he emphasized the importance of mutually beneficial agreements between localities.
The towns can help reinforce the others’ goals, he said.
He said Princetown is primarily looking to develop its end of the corridor commercially, while Guilderland is hoping to receive water from Princetown. The deal could result in revenue generated from Princetown’s water supply, as well as the ability for Guilderland to more easily develop its end, since it does not have access to water from within the town.
`A policy point of view has been reached,` Behan said. `That is an important step.`
He also said safety enhancements for the roads are a priority in the area. The state Department of Transportation and the CDTC have made recommendations to perform highway and traffic safety improvements that could help consolidate and organize driveways and parking lots, be a positive step for real estate values and create `less of a chance for cars coming out onto the highway at the same time.`
Chris O’Neill, a representative of the CDTC, said it’s important to get local communities to talk about their vision cooperatively. He said there is strong support for the transportation recommendations of the corridor project, specifically a traffic signal for the Route 20 and Route 397 intersection, along with sidewalks and pedestrian crossings along Route 20 and the potential construction of a roundabout where 158 and Route 20 intersect.
Discussions at the Oct. 30 meeting also included a path along Route 20 that could serve as a bike path or walking trail. `It could be a nice amenity for both towns,` Behan added.
O’Neill said money is tight for state and federal government, but that does not mean the project cannot be funded.
`We want to get a plan that allows the towns to take advantage of opportunities as they arrive,` O’Neill said. `It’s a challenge, but it’s worth it.`
Behan added that funding could likely be done on a `project-specific basis,` and added that both towns mutually endorsing the project could help attain state or federal grants in the future.
Donald Csaposs, a grant writer for the town of Guilderland, said a long-term plan for both communities would make development easier as residents begin pushing for it.
`When development pressure does come from the community, [we now] have the framework to begin the actual process,` he said.
Csaposs also agrees that planning now will help with grant funding from the government, as well as getting private developers on board to helping pay for infrastructure expenses.
Paul Hasbrouck, a representative for Princetown emphasized the importance of cooperation between the two towns.
`Inter-municipal agreements need to be done,` Hasbrouck said, `especially in rural areas.`
He also said Princetown is in the process of updating its comprehensive plan and is considering using some of the recommendations for areas of Route 7 that are under similar circumstances.
Stephen Feeney, chair of the Guilderland Planning Board and County Planner for Schenectady, said the meeting was successful in laying out long-term plans and that `development is always going to happen incrementally.`
`You need to have a goal in mind,` Feeney said. `It’s
important to get out in front of these issues,` he said.“