Bethlehem isn’t bypassing any options in its quest to connect the Selkirk industrial district to the state’s Thruway, CSX rail yard and the Port of Albany in what would be the ultimate trifecta in economic development.
The connectivity of being able to ship by road, rail and water would be a financial boom to the town, as Bethlehem would instantly be placed on the radar of any number of businesses around the Northeast.
However, residents already living in the area are concerned about how all of this could affect quality of life.
Several petitions have been filed with town hall against the proposed Selkirk Bypass from residents in that area who don’t want truck traffic in their neighborhoods or to have their property values diminished by any possible course of action.
Town Engineer and Industrial Development Agency Chairman Terrance Ritz gave an update to the town’s Planning Board on Tuesday, Feb. 17, on the activities of the Selkirk Yards Industrial District Focus Group.
Ritz expressed optimism in the infrastructure that’s already in place, including CSX railroad and the proximity to the Port of Albany and Thruway.
We want to make that the next wave of industrial expansion, Ritz told board members, adding, `National Grid got an earful` at the group’s last meeting because many businesses were frustrated with the cost of electricity.
The Planning Board’s next meeting is slated for 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Of the seven-member Bethlehem Planning Board, no member lives in the Selkirk area since interim chairman Howard Engel retired and current chairman George Leveille was appointed to the post. According to Town Clerk Katherine Newkirk, five members live in Delmar and two live in Slingerlands.
A possible connection to the Thruway in that area has been in the works for 20 years, according to Ritz.
`There is some money out there supposedly for an interchange, but I’m not sure it’s there anymore,` Ritz said. `Creble Road and Clapper Road is probably the best alignment.`
The group is working with local leaders and the state’s Thruway Authority on two possible options: an E-Z Pass-only interchange at the Clapper Road bridge or a new full toll booth interchange about 1,500 feet north of the bridge.
Ritz said the E-Z Pass interchange would cost an estimated $21.1 million, while the full tollbooth interchange would cost an additional $16 million, coming in at $37.1 million.
`Building the interchange will hopefully take a lot of traffic off of 9W,` said Ritz.
Levielle said Bethlehem has been talking to state and federal officials, and that the E-Z Pass option would be the first of its kind on the state’s Thruway system.
`The Thruway Authority is in talks about this and so is the Federal Highway System,` Levielle said, adding the E-Z Pass option is `an idea they are very interested in.`
The areas surrounding any possible new roadway could be considered for re-zoning, and the new connects would help reduce the cost of doing business in Bethlehem.
`This really is an underachieving asset there’s a tremendous upside here,` he said of having rail, road and water connections coming together. `Very few people are disturbed by what goes on down there.`
Levielle said the interchange is `a sensible approach to the future.`
However, a large proposed Clapper Road development could be potentially be affected by a new interchange as well as some residents living in the area.
Director of Economic Development and Planning Michael Morelli said mostly low-impact businesses such as warehouse and shipping would take place in the industrially zoned area.
He stressed that any new roads built to detour truck traffic to the Thruway would not be a giant highway or byway like the Delmar Bypass. Morelli said the road would be a simple boulevard like Fisher Boulevard, but would cater to trucks instead of regular commuter traffic. There would be two, 12-foot lanes with a small shoulder and bike path on one side.
Board member John Smolinsky disagreed with Morelli’s Fisher Boulevard analogy and said a road built for trucks is vastly different than a residential road.
As for local residents, many see any option for an interchange as
controversial and could have a possible negative effect on their homes. In August, a petition to `say no` to the bypass with 440 names was given to Town Supervisor Jack Cunningham by several residents including: Anthony DeLuca; Stephen Downs; Lisa Evans; Eugene Hoffert; Appleton Mason III; Dawn Pratt; William Weisheit; Harry Wilbur; and Stephen Wiley.
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