A decision on how the Guilderland Town Board will proceed with the proposed Glass Works Village has been tabled until its Tuesday, Nov. 18, meeting.
A public hearing was held Thursday, Nov. 6, to discuss adopting a local law to rezone a more than 57-acre parcel of land near the Guilderland Library to a Planned Unit Development, and stakeholders voiced concerns about the dissemination of information and the scope of the project.
The village will include 1,400 parking spaces, 310 residential units and 195,000 square feet dedicated to retail and non-retail professional developments.
Town Supervisor Ken Runion said a good deal of information came out of the meeting, and he wants to give all the parties involved a chance to distill what they heard.
Jim Schultz, a representative for Atlantic-Pacific properties, addressed concerns about a road that would connect the development to the Guilderland Public Library, an issue that has dominated conversation about the development for months.
`[The legislation] is designed to be a flexible document,` Schultz said. `If Village Road was to be constructed, it would not be done for a minimum of two years.`
Robert Ganz, a member of the library’s board of trustees, has been a critic of a connector road running behind the library because, he said, the noise would be distracting to those using the children’s reading room in addition to other aesthetic concerns.
Ganz at one point asked the town to consider building a one-lane road behind the library instead, if no other solution could be found.
However, based on recommendations from the Planning Board and the highway supervisor, Runion said, if a connector road was to be built, `it has to be two-way.`
Runion suggested that the library, along with the adjacent property owners, discuss ways to improve Mercy Care Lane, which could eliminate the need for a connector road.
Ganz said he brought nine out of the 11 trustees to the meeting to show that the library’s board supports the elimination of a back road.
`We continue to take the position that the Mercy Care Lane solution is better than the new road,` said Ganz.
Ganz said the best chance for a successful cooperative effort would be a town-led initiative to improve Mercy Care Lane, and said the library would attend a meeting of the stakeholders if the town called one.
Runion pointed out that it would be a substantial tax increase that would probably come in the form of a `special improvement tax, for the landowners if they decided to pay for Mercy Care Lane.
`I’m a little confused at what you mean by ‘the library has to do this,` Ganz said in response to the board suggesting the library take the initiative of organizing a meeting. `It’s the town working with the adjacent landowners that has to do this. If you call a meeting we will make the follow-up calls.`
Runion said Mercy Care Lane is a private road and organizing a meeting should largely be the responsibility to the library.
`I think they have to take the initiative,` he said.
Ganz said, though, the benefit to improving the Mercy Care Lane extends
beyond just the library’s patrons.
`Safety is a concern of the town,` he said.
Ganz said he is worried that if an agreement cannot be reached on upgrading Mercy Care Lane then there will be little choice but to put a two lane road behind the library and said that is `distressing` to the board of trustees.
Councilman Warren Redlich suggested using a $1 million environmental mitigation fee to upgrade the road, but it is unclear if the money could be used for the road.
Runion said the money goes directly toward enhancements such as parks, sidewalks and bike paths related to the entire scope of the project and Mercy Care Lane only represents a small number of travelers coming from the library who would benefit from its upgrade.
Councilman Mark Grimm said he supports upgrading Mercy Care Lane.
`That’s the real solution here. Not destroying that ambiance behind the library,` Grimm said.
Councilman Paul Pastore questioned the feasibility of legally avoiding the construction of a connector road if one is included in the legislation.
Schultz said that would be possible, and Runion pointed out that the law could always be amended after it passed.
Schultz also said Atlantic-Pacific has no preference about whether or not to include the road, and would contribute the funds that would have gone toward the road to bring Mercy Care Lane up to standards.
Several residents spoke in favor of holding off on a decision to rezone the parcel and approve the project.
Guilderland resident George Koh said more time is needed to give people a chance to learn about the project, and Paul Bashton, a resident of Hamilton Street, agreed that more public exposure is needed.
Rosemarie Centi, the town’s clerk, assured the residents that notice goes out to all of the residents within 750 feet of the project and said there are public notices published in local media outlets and on information about the project on the Internet.
John Candemi, also a resident near the proposed community, is opposed to the size and magnitude of village and said the traffic generated from the village will be severe.
He said that although the community is being marketed as a `walkable` community, there will still be traffic generated from the development.
`They’re still going to drive into their community, and they’re still going to drive out,` he said. `I’m concerned about the quality of life, the traffic, the noise.`
Candemi said the village is too large for that portion of Western Avenue.
Several other locals mentioned a loss of habitat for wildlife if the project is approved. “