Plans to build a four-story Residence Inn by Marriott hotel in Clifton Park have new life after years of sitting idle. The Clifton Park Planning Board wrapped up its review of the project on Tuesday, March 13, giving the developer license to seek a building permit.
The plan for the four-story, 57,000-square-foot hotel and 5,200 square foot restaurant with 163 parking spaces was first brought to the town in 2007. The project site sits on Route 9, near the Northway’s exit 9.
The site is 5.2 acres, with approximately 45 percent of the parcel to be left as open space. Approximate cost for the project was pegged at $10 million.
Melanie Osterhout of OSPA Engineering, presented site plans to the board and staff members.
To date, all of the comments received by Osterhout’s office have been addressed, she said, with the exception of 10 relatively minor issues.
A sidewalk is proposed on the site, and it was the topic of much of the meeting’s discussion, along with grading the site. The sidewalk, in particular, would be an expensive addition to the project.
“Since the last meeting we did meet in the field and walked the site out front and we spoke with the Department of Transportation,” said Osterhout. “Their feeling was that the site driveway down to the next public road was a logical terminus. Anything other than that would not be. So the question came up basically, what is that going to cost?”
The cost estimate for the sidewalk is $136,000 and grading for the site is estimated at $37,000. Osterhout noted that the sidewalk crosses a stream and accounts for some of the cost. The sidewalk will connect with one on Clifton Park Village Road.
“I thought the topsoil for grading at $37,000 was a little on the high side considering that the whole area needs to be graded anyway,” said Planning Board Chairman Rocco Ferraro.
Osterhout’s response was, “We can debate some of the unit costs…that’s something that could be added. There is a decent amount of grading to be done…to bring that site up and flatten it out, it’s a very steep slope there right now.”
According to said John Scovo, town director of the Planning Department, one of the steepest areas of the site has about a 15 percent slope and is near the southern perimeter of the site.
“There will be excavation though to build the hotel too, so it’s not like you have to purchase soil,” said Ferraro, pointing out that it could be reused.
“It could be,” responded Osterhout.
“There’s a fair amount of fill that we’re going to need to do so I don’t think we necessarily think that there’s all of this soil that will be available. … at $136,000, we certainly view that as a reasonably expensive sidewalk for this size of project. We’re certainly looking to accommodate the town but would look to your guidance as far as your viewpoint on the costs,” said Daniel Mahoney, a principal with NOI Hospitality.
A cost estimate was emailed to the staff and board members onthe day before the meeting but was not available at the meeting. Bringing inthe soil for the cost as it was discussed was a “reach” according to Ferraro.
“There is a public benefit here,” said Ferraro of the sidewalkand more than hinted at support of it from the board.
Safety concerns for patrons and community members who would use the sidewalk were brought up and a majority of the board used the opportunity to comment on that asset.
“I’m not generally a big sidewalk guy. I’ll be the first to say that there are times when we can get a little carried away with these things, but in this case given what’s going on, on that section of Route 9 and the businesses that are adjacent to this business, the likelihood that there will be foot traffic between those businesses and the fact that this has been part of the deal from day one … this is not something that got sprung on anybody late in the game. I think in this case it needs to be done,” said board member Joel Koval.
Koval said he could sympathize with the developer over the highcost, but is in favor of the sidewalk and noted that in the future the board would likely be looking for this type of public benefit from all developers.
Sidewalk connections have been supported in regional meetings, and attention has been given to walkability and the use of alternative modes of transportation on other projects, according to Scovo.
