COLONIE — The Planning Board will meet remotely on Tuesday, March 31 to address site plan revisions submitted by Cillis Builders for its Donna Drive subdivision.
The project was shut down on Feb. 12 because Cillis clear cut and graded areas that were protected under stipulations granting a conservation subdivision, which allows for smaller lots and more density in exchange for the preservation of more greenspace.
Sean Maguire, the newly appointed head of the town Planning and Economic Development Department, said the number and dimension of lots has not changed but the town “worked with the builder to either add or improve 461 planting across the site.”
In getting its initial approval, Cillis was required by the Planning Board to plant at least two trees per lot to help buffer the neighbors.
It remains unclear when Cillis can begin construction again, though, since Gov. Andrew Cuomo, by Executive Order, halted all non-essential construction to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
The meeting will be broadcast on the link below. Members of the public who want to comment can follow the second link below.
The Industrial Development Agency and the Local Development Authority will also hold its meetings remotely on Monday, March 30 at 5:15 p.m. and can be viewed on the agencies websites.
The town initially wanted to hold the meetings last week but opted to cancel. Maguire said the town has since reassessed the situation and tested the logistics associated with holding the meetings remotely.
“Based on our success with those exercises, we decided to reschedule the cancelled IDA, LDC, and Planning Board meetings so we can continue our work but with a limited agenda,” he said.
DONNA DRIVE
In July, 2018, the Planning Board gave Cillis Builders permission to build 24 homes on 12 acres of land on what is an extension of Donna Drive, which runs between Hackett Avenue, the main road leading to Colonie Central High School, and Alfred Avenue East. Donna Drive is accessed from Nina Drive off Sand Creek Road and used to dead end in both directions. The subdivision road would connect both ends of Donna Drive and encircle a cul-de-sac called Raffaele Court.
In granting the conservation subdivision, there was a no clearing and no grading line that surrounded the lot to buffer the existing homes.
That line was compromised — cleared and graded — which led to the shutdown. The Feb. 12 order was violated on Feb. 20, said Town Attorney Michael Magguilli, when crews from National Grid showed up on the site to install gas lines.
On March 10, during a meeting where neighbors were highly critical of the project, the board opted to keep the stop work order in place until a mitigation plan could be formulated.
To view the March 31 meeting visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAEwcIkO-Rthar8R38fU2Kg
To comment visit: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/v50vd-6trjguCnt1AqKi_zPE8GQ_1IRm0w and follow instructions.
