Many in Bethlehem see the Glenmont area as primed for growth, but some who live there told town officials at a recent community forum they are concerned about the rate of development in the hamlet, and with the traffic that comes along with it.
Bethlehem Supervisor John Clarkson held a second community meeting, this time in the Glenmont area, on Thursday, March 21, at Glenmont Elementary School on Route 9W. The forum lasted for about two hours and there were about 60 people in attendance. Town officials plan to host a series of such forums, stopping in each of the town’s hamlets to discuss matters of interest with residents.
Town officials and staff took questions and comments from the crowd, and presened updates on several development proposals for the area. Topics ranged from the building of several new housing developments, the future of the Route 9W Study and the installation of sidewalks along Feura Bush Road.
The meeting was also attended by Councilwoman Joann Dawson, Councilman Bill Reinhardt, Councilman Jeffrey Kuhn and Town Attorney Jim Potter.
One of the first projects discussed was a proposal Clarkson made during his State of the Town address to install Sidewalks along Feura Bush Road. Commissioner of Public Work Erik Deyoe gave the presentation alongside Clarkson.
The plan is to build the sidewalks from Wemple Road to Route 9W, with construction to begin in 2014. The supervisor has proposed bonding for the work, and the project would need the approval of the Town Board. Deyoe said his department is looking into cost before a plan is brought to the board. The area is ranked highly when it comes for the need for sidewalks because of the amount of development in the area.
“We have a lot of families with children in the area, along with the elderly, and there’s no safe way to get down Feura Bush to Glenmont Plaza, so we want to address that problem,” said Clarkson. “We also want a way to get up to Elm Avenue Park from Wemple.”
Town Planner Jeffrey Lipnicky discussed the progress of the Route 9W Study and commercial development in the area. Proposals include the eventual installation of a traffic circle at the corner of Feura Bush Road and Route 9W, the addition of bike lanes and sidewalks, more traffic lanes and a raised median. However, the project could take up to 15 years to be fully completed because the development relies on approval from the state and state funding.
Lipnicky also gave an update on the Wemple Corners development proposed by Midtown Plaza. The huge mixed-use project would consist of 526 residential units and 160,000 sq. ft. of retail space. The units would include about 150 senior apartments, 56 single-family twin homes and about 320 multi-family apartments. The 95-acre site is currently zoned mixed economic and the applicant is looking for a zone change to commercial hamlet zone.
“The process they have to go through to accomplish this is a zoning change and then following that, depending on which portion of this overall portion is being proposed, they also have to come back to the town for subdivision approval and/or site plan approval,” said Lipnicky, who told the audience to expect the project on an upcoming Planning Board meeting.
Deputy Town Planner Robert Leslie discussed the proposal to build a senior housing development off of Glenmont Road behind St. Matthew’s Cemetery. Called Glenwood Village, the 15-acre site would include 148 housing units in two building for those 55 and older. The development would also include a clubhouse for activities.
Many residents at the meeting were most concerned about the amount of development in the area. They wanted to know how it would affect their property values, how the developments would impacts their taxes and what would be done to handle traffic.
“The market really drives what is built,” said Clarkson. “My personal feeling is, we’re seeing a lot of new proposals lately for developments and I’m a little leery because if the market overshoots, we’ll be left with a bunch of apartments at a degraded value.”
Clarkson added he does not feel residents should be worried about their tax rates. He said studies show senior residents are typically seen as a positive for towns because they contribute to the tax base, visit local businesses and are no loner putting children though school. Town officials said they are attempting to alleviate traffic issues through the comprehensive plan and Route 9W Study.
Other topics discussed at the forum included waterfront revitalization, development of a new CVS Pharmacy on Route 9W and the need for a public meeting space in Glenmont.
The next community forum is scheduled for Monday, April 15 at 7 p.m. at the Elsmere Fire Department, and will focus on the Delmar and Elsmere hamlets of Bethlehem. The first meeting was held in January in Selkirk.