One major concern for traffic generation on Albany Shaker Road was alleviated after the Planning Board voted unanimously against the 80-unit development across from Shaker Elementary School. The Planning Board’s Tuesday, Aug. 11, meeting was attended by concerned residents ready to speak out against the Foegtli Farms development, which many felt would only add to the growing traffic problem along Albany Shaker Road. The board ultimately decided to not recommend a Planned Development District (PDD) for the 499-507 Albany Shaker property, halting the project from moving forward. Originally, Foegtli Farms had been 38 units of single-family housing, which would not have needed the PDD designation. The developer changed the application to the 80-unit development, limited to 55 years old and over, in attempt to generate less traffic with the project. However, Planning Board members agreed there was no current need for 55 and older housing in the area, and due to the density of units on the property, traffic generated would still be too high. Several members, including Chairman Peter Stuto and Tim Lane, said they also felt the project did not meet core PDD requirements. Board members unanimously voted to not recommend a PDD rezoning to the Colonie Town Board, which would have the ultimate jurisdiction on the matter. The board voted against concept acceptance as well. “I don’t see the public benefit,” said board member Kathleen Dalton. She cited several 55 and older developments where houses were not selling well. “I’m concerned about the character of the town being changed by all of the building that is going on, and I really do believe we need a comprehensive view (of the town),” Dalton said. A majority of the residents who attended the meeting agreed during public comment, and said the board should wait for the Albany Shaker Road corridor traffic study to be complete before moving forward with developments in that section of town. “My objection is twofold,” said resident Laura Vincent. “The Shaker Elementary School on Shaker El will be adversely affected. The school buses carrying our drivers and our children to school daily cannot enter or exit Shaker El road currently without facing extreme danger from the overcrowded road conditions.” She, and other residents, also cited The Crossings of Colonie as another area of concern. Since the park already sees a lot of use, traffic backs up during the summer months. Adding another housing development would only worsen the problem, she said. Developer Daniel Hershberg, of Hershberg and Hershberg civil and site engineering, explained why the project had been changed from 38 single-family houses to 80-unit townhouses. According to Hershberg, one singe-family house has about two cars, whereas one dwelling in the senior housing would have less. The 38 single-family houses would generate 36 new trips total in the morning peak hours and 44 at night, but the senior housing complex would generate about half as much, said Hershberg. “The main question all along has been traffic. … There is an impact. We’re not saying there’s zero impact,” he said, but 55 and older housing, studies showed, generates less traffic on average. However, residents argued adding more units onto the property would not alleviate traffic, and it would be difficult restricting the development to 55 and older when homeowners wanted to sell in the future. People also said being over 50 years old did not mean no children were in the house, as expected in the single-family units. One resident said she was in her early 50s with three college-aged children still living at home, all of who had cars of their own. Sharon Smith, a Danielwood Drive resident, said she moved to the Town of Colonie for her children, but that could change in the coming years with the amount of developments. Although The Crossings is geared toward children, many parents are hesitant to send their kids out on bikes to go to the park, Smith said. “It’s not only a traffic thing. I moved from Albany for a reason. We all came to Colonie for a reason, because it’s a suburban area. Times change. Traffic changes. We moved to the Town of Colonie for our kids. …. We want kids to get on bikes and go,” said Smith. “We really have to take a look at why people are coming to Colonie to live.”