Representatives from Dutchman Acres were denied a zoning change due to stormwater concerns voiced by the Town Board at the Tuesday, Feb. 17, meeting.
Christopher and Gregg Meyer, of O.J. Meyer and Son Land Surveyors presented to the board their plans to develop a plot of land across the street from Guilderland High School located near School and Depot roads.
The plans to rezone the 40-acre plot of land were put on hold when the Town Board decided to let the town planner study a revised development plan and comment on the location of the stormwater retention basin.
The Meyers came before the board hoping to change the zone from Residential-Agricultural Three, or RA-3, to a Country Hamlet. A rezoning is needed for the development to move forward.
The development is slated to have 25 single-family units, 4 twin units and 12
senior apartments, Chris Meyer said, and the residential units would range between 2,000 and 2,600 square feet. The plot features 7 to 8 acres of unusable wetlands that will not be developed.
Chris Meyer said he was hopeful for a positive outcome, and a successful rezone of the land, but he understands the Town Board has the best interests of the town in mind.
I’m looking forward to working with the board, he said.
The developer presented plans to have the Home Owners Association maintain the stormwater basin, however town Supervisor Ken Runion said he has reservations about giving the association the large responsibility and has seen cases in the past where the HOA could not handle similar task. If such a case were to occur, the town would then have to step in.
`I don’t think we would be doing our jobs here if we allow that to be maintained by the Home Owners Association,` Runion said.
Town Board Member Patricia Slavick said she supported sending the matter back to the planning board to review the updated plan.
Runion said he is especially concerned with runoff into Black Creek, since that creek feeds into the Watervliet reservoir, a source of water for both the City of Watervliet and the Town of Guilderland.
Meyer said he is working on an alternative to the HOA maintaining the basin, but the location will likely not change.
`The location is pretty well locked in,` Chris Meyer said. The land is at one of the lowest points, large enough and offset from the units, all requirements of a retention basin.
Chris Myer said the HOA idea was recommended by the planner, highway superintendent and water and sewer departments, and he is actually in favor of an alternative.
He said if the basin is properly maintained, the runoff into Black Creek would actually be cleaner than if no development was there, and he is working on having that validated by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Chris Meyer also said he is working with Highway Superintendent Todd Gifford to possibly create a storm-water district that would be assessed, yield a minimal fee and be maintained by the town.
He also discussed the nature of some changes in the style of the units. He said the project began two and half years ago, and in April of 2008, Town Planner Jan Weston recommended the project be redesigned to closer represent a `hamlet` style.
Hamlet developments typically include narrow roads, less pavement, homes set closer to the street and front porches. They also generally hide the garage structures from the front of the units. The style is supposed to reflect architecture of the early 20th century.
In 2005, the town of Guilderland passed a law that created a `country hamlet` zoning designation. This is the first development that is proposing changing any zone to that designation.
`Since then we have completely redesigned all the buildings to have a hamlet look,` Chris Meyer said.
His brother echoed the idea.
`We’ve designed it so that the garages will be offset from the front of the houses, so it has that country hamlet feel,` Greg Meyer said.
Meyer said Creighton Manning, an engineering firm, conducted a traffic study and they recommended access from School Road be limited to emergency vehicles only, with the main access coming from Depot Road.
He said the Albany County Department of Public Works is investigating the potential of a roundabout at the corner of School Road and Depot Road, and would have information in seven months, although that would not directly affect the development. Albany County is in the process of hiring a traffic consultant to study the area.
Delaware Engineering has been hired by the Town of Guilderland to review the project. They recommended there be some work on the storm-water basin, but overall they were satisfied with the project.
`In general, they’ve done a good job with the project. We’re happy with it,` said Delaware Engineering consultant Ken Johnson.
Dave Dodge, a resident of Neilson Road, said he is in favor of the project, but he inquired about the green space buffers, unit size and storm-water management of the project.
The proposal also includes a possible donation of land to Neilson Road.
Chris Meyer said costs to design the development have already run close to $50,000 and to finish the work after it is approved could cost as much as $70,000.
The entire construction process is estimated at four to six months preparation and infrastructure and two to three years construction. “