Concept acceptance for a two-lot subdivision at Edward and John Engels’ property was tabled until a traffic study is completed to justify installing a new town road across from the future Northway Exit 4 interchange.
Planning Board members had to postpone making a decision on the Lands of Engel application for concept acceptance Tuesday, Aug. 25, until developers of the 681 Albany Shaker Road property completed a traffic study and master site plan for further subdivision in the future.
The traffic study and site plan are necessary to look at possibly installing a new town road, which would be the only way to access the property if it were developed into homes. The new town road would also potentially connect to Terminal Road and allow direct access to Albany Shaker Road for the Albany International Airport’s economy parking lot.
According to Nick Costa, of Advance Engineering and Surveying, the currently proposed subdivision includes only two lots on the 38.5-acre parcel. One lot, at about two acres, would potentially be for a Stewart’s shop facing Albany Shaker Road. The second, 35.8 acres, would remain undeveloped until plans are made for further subdivision.
However, Joe Grasso, of the town designated engineer Barton & Loguidice, said the Planning Board needed to look at several factors surrounding the project before making any decisions.
A larger site plan would help with completing the environmental review, since the property has protected wetlands and the review should be done as a whole, rather than look at subdivisions for the same property separately.
In addition, the site plan and traffic study would allow the town to see the project would generate enough traffic altogether for a new road and stoplight.
Potential new town road
Since the only way to access any future development on the property would be a town road, Grasso said site developers needed to create a traffic study to necessitate the new road.
“We need the justification to say, oh yes, it’s the smart thing to do to develop a new town road off Albany Shaker Road,” Grasso said.
He compared this project to Autopark Drive in Latham, where a connection to Century Hill Drive, as well as future traffic from neighborhood development, was studied before the road was installed. Similarly, the connection to Terminal Road should be taken into account in addition to future development of the larger 35.8 acres Engel parcel, said Grasso.
While the connection to Terminal Road was a town request, the new town road could also connect the airport’s economy parking lot to Albany Shaker Road. Travelers currently have restricted left-turn access onto Albany Shaker from the lot.
“Development of this intersection is crucial for traffic in the airport,” said Steve Iachetta with Albany International. “An internal road connection to the airport should be firmly established as part of the approval.”
Iachetta said the Airport Authority is working to create its own traffic study of the area, but Costa said neither he, nor any Engel brothers representative, were contacted to participate.
Grasso said including the connection to the airport should be considered, “and it makes sense,” but Planning Board members were concerned about rights of the property owner.
“We shouldn’t be taking the land to essentially give to the Airport Authority,” said board member Brian Austin. He said the Airport Authority should work something out with the Engels.
Impact on Northway
If built, the road would require a traffic light at Albany Shaker Road, across from the future Northway Exit 4 interchange. The developer would need to install the temporary light until the I-87 interchange is complete, and a more complex light would be installed for the multiple lanes.
Grasso said careful coordination between any development on the Engels’ property and the Northway project is required. Without the new town road, the Northway traffic light would only include three ways with the Albany Shaker Road intersection.
“The development of the subject property has the ability to negatively impact the Exit 4 improvements if not properly planned,” said Grasso. Development of the fourth leg would need to “maximize development of [the] project site” and take into account all use of the traffic signal, he said.
Austin questioned what would happen if the Department of Transportation (DOT) plan shifted 100 feet when the time came to lay out the Northway interchange.
Grasso said in his discussions with DOT developers said the project has gone under rigorous review over the years, so even two feet off the planned mark would be a lot. Anything higher, Grasso said, would be very unlikely.
A full traffic study of the site with Terminal Road, the airport lot and possible future development will ensure a new road and traffic light is the best course of action for the property. If the study reveals a new road with a traffic light would not be sustainable, the project would likely not move forward.
“We want to make sure that we don’t develop a fourth leg that only serves Stewart’s. That would be disastrous,” Grasso said.
He said the town would not recommend a project on the property if there were no traffic signals for left turns. Right-in and right-out turns would be dangerous due to drivers not complying with the restrictions.
Area traffic studies
After some neighboring residents questioned why potential development on the Engel farm was not included, and in-depth look at traffic being conducted with town and county officials, Planning and Economic Development Department Director Joe LaCivita clarified.
“This site needs to have its own study,” he said. “Typically, this Planning Board asks applicants to make a study. That’s what we’re doing with the TU…. I don’t know how that study should have any merit by this.”
Like the Planning Board is asking of the Engel property developers, LaCivita said developers of the potential retail center on the Times Union property at 645A Albany Shaker Road conducted a site-specific traffic study.
Due to the “major traffic impact,” LaCivita said the town asked the retail center developers to widen the study and include other intersections, like Maxwell Road and Old Niskayuna, and Albany Shaker and Osborne. That study cut off just before Engel farm.
From the retail center traffic study, Town Supervisor Paula Mahan suggested an ad hoc committee be formed with all affected parties, like Albany County, the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) and DOT, as well as various town departments.
The committee, LaCivita explained, was formed to look at “what was happening with development, neighbors, numbers and analysis,” rather than present a recommendation for best uses of the land.
According to LaCivita, the committee had a second meeting Monday, Aug. 24, to look at a revised copy of the retail center traffic study. A public meeting should be held in mid- to late-September, he said.
In addition to the site-specific study, Albany County began its own Albany Shaker Road corridor study with CDTC, which LaCivita said the Town of Colonie was brought in on last week. A resolution was passed for the partnership at the last County Legislature meeting Aug. 10.
“There was so much going on in the Albany Shaker area… the county then enlisted their own study, which has become a corridor study,” LaCivita said. Albany County’s study includes Engel and Constantine farms.
