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Mont Luzerne
TOWN OF LAKE LUZERNE
PUBLIC HEARING/SCOPING SESSION
FRONT PORT PARTNERSHIP LLC
WEST MOUNTAIN PROJECT
JULY 24, 2007
SUPERVISOR OPENED THE MEETING AT 7:30 PM WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS PRESENT: COUNCILMAN MCLAIN, COUNCILMAN SHIEL, COUNCILMAN DIEHL, ATTORNEY RUSSELL THARP, JR., CHRIS ROUND (CHAZEN COMPANIES).
CHRIS ROUND – PLANNER WITH CHAZEN COMPANIES, ENGINEERING FIRM FROM GLENS FALLS ACTING AS THE TOWN'S ENGINEER FOR REVIEW OF THIS PROJECT .
TONIGHT IS A PUBLIC SCOPING SESSION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE MONT LUZERNE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
WE ARE AT THE START OF THIS PROCESS FOR REVIEW OF THIS PROJECT. SCOPING IS A PROCESS BY WHICH WE DEFINE WHAT THE APPLICANT IS GOING TO LOOK AT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT. SCOPING BY NATURE MEANS WHAT ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS, WHAT FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS, ETC. WILL BE INCLUDED IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT TO BE PREPARED BY THE APPLICANT, AND THAT WILL HELP US TO REVIEW THE PROJECT AND FOR THE COMMUNITY TO REVIEW THE PROJECT.
IN THIS CASE, THE APPLICANT HAS VOLUNTARILY IDENTIFIED THE NEED
TO PREPARE AN IMPACT STATEMENT. THEY ARE GOING TO DO SO, AND TONIGHT WE ARE ALLOWING THE APPLICANT TO MAKE AN INTRODUCTION ABOUT WHAT THE PROJECT IS. WE HAVE MICKEY RICCIARDI AS THE APPLICANT AND DEVELOPER AMONG SEVERAL PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT, DONALD ZEE, ATTORNEY REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT. THEY ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE PROJECT AND THEN DON WILL GIVE AN INTRODUCTION ABOUT WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE SCOPING DOCUMENT. THEN WE WILL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WITH THE IDEA THAT WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM YOU FOLKS TONIGHT. WE WILL ALLOW WRITTEN COMMENT UP TO 30 DAYS AFTER THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND THAT IS AUGUST 23. WE WILL SUMMARIZE THE COMMENTS, REVIEW THOSE COMMENTS ON THE SCOPING DOCUMENT WITH THE TOWN BOARD. IT IS THE TOWN BOARD'S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT. ALTHOUGH THE APPLICANT IS PREPARING IT, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TOWN BOARD TO IDENTIFY THE ANALYSIS THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE EIS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EIS IS TO THEIR SATISFACTION. WE EXPECT AT THE END OF THE 30 DAY PERIOD
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TO MEET WITH THE BOARD, REVIEW THOSE COMMENTS, PREPARE A REVISED SCOPING DOCUMENT AND HAVE THE BOARD ADOPT THE FINAL SCOPING DOCUMENT AT SOME POINT, PROBABLY DURING EARLY SEPTEMBER. THERE IS NO FIXED DATE AT THIS JUNCTURE.
MICKEY RICCIARDI - GAVE A POWER POINT PRESENTATION OF THE PROPOSED CONCEPT AND LAYOUT OF THE MONT LUZERNE PROJECT PUT TO MUSIC…….
THERE IS RECREATION, COMMUNITY, RATHER SELF-CONTAINED, THE MARKET IS LARGELY GEARED TOWARD RETIREES, ACTIVE BABY BOOMERS, HEALTH IS A GROWING CONCERN. THOUGH BUILDING ON THE OTHER SIDE, THERE IS ACCESS TO THE SKI MOUNTAIN, SWIMMING TENNIS. STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE OVERVIEW. IT IS A REGIONAL PRECEDENT. THE ARCHITECTS ARE FROM MARYLAND. WE WENT INTO GLENS FALLS AND SARATOGA AND TOOK SOME OF THE REALLY GREAT HOUSING DESIGNS THAT ARE INDIGENOUS TO THIS AREA. STARTING PRICES WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 200'S AND GOING UP TO CUSTOMS THAT WILL GO INTO SEVEN FIGURE NUMBERS.
JOE ARTALE – LAKE LUZERNE – EVERYTHING YOU ARE SHOWING ON THERE WE HAVE NOW. WHY DO WE NEED ALL OF THIS ADDITION TO RAISE OUR TAXES. YOU SHOWED THE HUDSON RIVER, YOU SHOWED THE PARK, YOU SHOWED PAPA'S, WHICH WE HAVE NOW, SO WHEN WE HAVE 2200 HOUSES, WE ARE GOING TO LOSE ALL THAT. I'M JUST SAYING THAT YOU HAVE NOT SHOWED US WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO, IT SHOWS US WHAT WE HAVE.
CHRIS ROUND – WHERE WE ARE IN TONIGHT'S PROCESS IS THAT WE WANT TO GIVE YOU INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT. THERE ARE A LOT OF UNKNOWNS. DON (ATTORNEY ZEE) WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE SCOPING DOCUMENT AND SOME OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS ASPECTS OF WHAT IS IN THE PROJECT. QUESTIONS LIKE THAT AREN'T GOING TO BE ANSWERED TONIGHT, THOSE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO IDENTIFY TO MAKE SURE WE GET.
MR ARTALE – I HAVE BEEN COMING HERE FOR 40 YEARS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS GOING TO DO FOR HERE.
CHRIS ROUND – THAT IS SOMETHING WE WILL CAPTURE FOR THE RECORD AND GET THE APPLICANT TO ADDRESS AS THE PROCESS MOVES FORWARD.
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DONALD ZEE, ESQ. – FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE HERE TODAY. THIS HAS NOT BEEN A PROJECT THOUGHT UP ON THE BACK OF AN ENVELOPE. THE DEVELOPERS IN FACT WENT OUT AND OBTAINED A MARKET STUDY WHICH IS PROBABLY 50 – 100 PAGES IN LENGTH. IT WAS DONE BY ONE OF THE LARGEST MARKETING FIRMS IN THE COUNTRY. IT IS THE COMPANY WHO DID THE STUDY FOR DISNEY WHEN THEY CREATED "CELEBRATION". SO WE WENT OUT AND HIRED A MARKETING FIRM TO ANALYZE AND LOOK AT THIS COMMUNITY AND LOOK AT WHAT IS DESIRABLE AND MARKETABLE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO BUILD SOMETHING HE CAN MARKET HIMSELF, AS THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING MONEY. I UNDERSTAND THIS GENTLEMAN'S CONCERN ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE , AND THE QUESTION IS WHAT ELSE CAN WE BRING TO THE COMMUNITY THAT IS GOING TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, AND WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT TO COME IN AND BUY AND WHY THEY WANT TO COME TO THIS AREA TO LIVE HERE. THEY PROBABLY WILL WANT TO COME TO LIVE HERE FOR THE SAME REASON YOU HAVE BEEN HERE 40 YEARS. BUT WE, IN FACT, WENT THROUGH AND DID A MARKET ANALYSIS. THAT WASN'T A SECRET. WE HAD A ONE WEEK EVENT AT WEST MOUNTAIN WHERE WE INVITED THE PUBLIC, THE TOWN BOARD, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, IT WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER ETC. AT THAT EVENT, WE HAD THE MARKETING STUDY PERSON MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT HIS FINDINGS, WE ALSO HAD A LAND PLANNER, A COMPANY FROM MARYLAND COME OUT TO LOOK AT THE MOUNTAIN, WALK THE MOUNTAIN, SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH A SERIES OF VISITS TO THE COMMUNITY AND LOOK AT THE SURROUNDING AREAS TO SEE WHAT KIND OF ARCHITECTURE , WHAT KIND OF DESIGNS WERE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. THEY SPENT A LOT OF MONEY GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE SOME MONTHS AGO, WE MET WITH THE TOWN BOARD AND THE PLANNING BOARD AND THEIR ENGINEERS AND THEIR ATTORNEYS AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH REGARD TO THE PROCESS? WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS REALLY A NEW CONCEPT WITH REGARD TO THE CREATION OF A VARIETY, A VILLAGE, SOME HAMLETS, SOME RURAL HOUSING AS WELL, ALL WITH A VARIETY OF THINGS. AFTER THE MEETING YOU ARE WELCOME TO LOOK AT THEM. THIS IS GOING TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS. AT THE MEETING WITH THE TOWN BOARD IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED AND WE AGREED (WHICH IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR A DEVELOPER) THAT THE MOST THOROUGH AND MOST DETAILED ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS IS NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE TOWN AND THE PUBLIC'S INTERESTS. SO PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THE FACT
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THAT WE ARE DOING A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT LIGHTLY. IT IS A VERY LENGTHY DETAILED PROCESS WHICH I MENTIONED TO THE TOWN BOARD WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE DOCUMENTS WHICH WILL WEIGH 50 POUNDS BECAUSE OF THE REPORTS AND ANALYSIS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT TO THE TOWN FOR THEIR REVIEW. WHAT WE ALSO ASKED AT THAT MEETING SOME MONTHS AGO, WAS, THERE HAS TO BE A POINT PERSON, A LEAD AGENCY. THE PARTY THAT IS GOING TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT WHETHER THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT PASSES MUSTER, WHETHER THE PROJECT WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE COMMUNITY, BE IT FROM A SOCIAL ECONOMIC STANDPOINT, IMPACT ON SCHOOLS, TAXES, TRAFFIC, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS ALL THOSE, AND I WILL GET INTO MORE DETAIL ON THAT. AT THAT POINT IN TIME THE TOWN BOARD THOUGHT, THEY ARE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE AGENCY TO TAKE THAT STEP TO BE LEAD AGENCY. THEY MADE A RESOLUTION SAYING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE LEAD AGENCY STATUS, BUT IT DOESN'T STOP RIGHT THERE. UNDER DEC REGULATIONS, UNDER SEQR, THE TOWN THEN HAD TO NOTIFY ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO GET PERMITS FROM, IF A PROJECT LIKE THIS WERE TO BE APPROVED. SO WE SAT DOWN WITH THE ATTORNEY FOR THE TOWN AND HE SENT OUT A LETTER ON JUNE 7, 2007 TO NYS DEPT OF HEALTH, WARREN COUNTY DPW, THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD, WARREN COUNTY PLANNING BOARD, THE US ARMY CORP. OF ENGINEERS, THE ZONING BOARD, NYS DEC REGIONAL PERMITS, AND TO D.O.T AND SAID THIS IS A PROJECT BEING SUBMITTED TO THE TOWN OF LAKE LUZERNE FOR CONSIDERATION. THE TOWN BOARD WANTS TO BE LEAD AGENCY. WE BELIEVE IT IS APPROPRIATE TO BE LEAD AGENCY BUT PLEASE TELL US WHETHER YOU THINK SOMEONE ELSE SHOULD BE LEAD AGENT OR NOT; AND IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT YOU BELIEVE THE APPLICANT NEEDS TO ADDRESS. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, AS OF A COUPLE DAYS AGO, ONLY ONE AGENCY WROTE BACK AND THE COUNTY, BUT NYS DEC ON JULY 5TH WROTE TO RUSSELL THARP, ATTORNEY FOR THE TOWN, ADVISING THEM THAT THEY CONCURRED WITH THE TOWN BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY BE LEAD AGENCY UNDER SEQUR AND THEN THEY SUBMITTED WITHIN THEIR RESPONSE, A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THEY THOUGHT WE AS THE DEVELOPERS WOULD NEED TO ANSWER FOR THEM TO GET A BETTER FEEL FOR THE PROJECT. RIGHT NOW, ABSENT ANYTHING ELSE, THE TOWN BOARD IS GOING TO BE LEAD AGENCY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE WERE TWO AGENCIES THAT SUBMITTED RESPONSES TO ALL THE LETTERS THAT THE TOWN ATTORNEY SENT OUT AND THEY WERE IN FACT FROM DEC AND FROM THE COUNTY.
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DURING THE PROCESS WHEN WE WRITE OUR RESPONSES, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD ALREADY, THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTACT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE HAVE TO SIT DOWN WITH POLICE, FIRE, SHERIFFS, AND ALL THE EMERGENCY AGENCIES TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IMPACT THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO HAVE AND WHAT CONSIDERATION WE NEED TO GIVE TO ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES AS WELL AS ANYTHING ELSE THAT COMES OUT AS LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS. PEOPLE OFTEN GET INTO A PUBLIC SETTING, SOMETIMES THE QUESTIONS ARE IRRELEVANT AND THAT IS REALLY WHAT THE TOWN IS GOING TO DECIDE – WHICH QUESTIONS WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO ADDRESS. BEFORE I GO THROUGH THE QUESTIONS THAT THE DEVELOPER AND MY OFFICE THOUGHT NEEDED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT . I DO WANT TO POINT OUT BECAUSE IT IS ALWAYS A CONCERN TO THE PUBLIC, TO THE TOWN BOARD AND TO MY CLIENTS: WHO PAYS FOR THE ATTORNEY FOR THE TOWN, AND THE ENGINEER TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS? WELL, THE DEVELOPER DOES. IN FACT, PART OF THE DELAY WAS IN GETTING TOGETHER TO FINALIZE AN ESCROW AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN FOR PAYMENT OF MONIES IN ADVANCE FOR THE ENGINEER'S REVIEW AND THE ATTORNEY'S INVOLVEMENT. MR. THARP AND I WENT THROUGH A COUPLE OF TIMES LOOKING AT DOCUMENTS, THEY HAVE BEEN EXECUTED AND MONIES HAVE BEEN PUT IN ESCROW AND WE ARE OBLIGATED TO PAY FOR THE REVIEWS ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN WHEN WE MAKE THE SUBMITTALS. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS PROCESS IS A LENGTHY, DETAILED PROCESS IN THE PAMPHLET THAT IS AVAILABLE HERE, A GUIDE TO THE SEQUR REVIEW PROCESS, BUT THERE ARE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS SO THAT WE CAN'T SET UP A MEETING TOMORROW FOR EXAMPLE AND PASS IT THE NEXT DAY. THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR NOTICE, DOCUMENTS HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED TO A VARIETY OF AGENCIES FOR THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ONCE WE START PREPARING THOSE DOCUMENTS. BEFORE THE TOWN BOARD CAN EVER VOTE ON ANYTHING, BY LAW, THEY MUST MAKE A FINAL SEQR DETERMINATION. BEFORE THEY CAN VOTE YES ON OUR RE-ZONE, BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD CAN TALK ABOUT SITE PLAN APPROVAL, SUBDIVISION APPROVAL, THE ENTIRE SEQR REVIEW PROCESS HAS TO BE COMPLETE. I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. I CAN CONCEIVABLY SEE MYSELF STANDING HERE A YEAR FROM NOW OR LATER, ASKING THE TOWN BOARD AT THAT TIME TO FINALLY MAKE THEIR SEQR DETERMINATION BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE SCOPE AND DEPTH OF WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO ASK US TO DO IS GOING TO BE SUBSTANTIAL. SO LET ME GET TO WHAT WE AS THE APPLICANT PREPARE AS THE DRAFT SCOPING DOCUMENT. TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE WE HAVE HERE JUST UNDER 2300 ACRES OF LAND ALL IN THE TOWN OF LAKE LUZERNE THE ENTIRE PROJECT THAT WE ARE
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PROPOSING IS EXCLUSIVELY IN THE TOWN OF LAKE LUZERNE. THE CONCEPT PLAN IS HAVING UP TO ( AND THIS IS CRITICAL) UP TO 2400 HOUSING UNITS PLUS HAVING SOME COMMERCIAL COMPONENT, WHICH WOULD BE RELEVANT TO THE VILLAGE SETTING, RESTAURANTS, SMALL RETAIL SHOPS. MIXED USE HOUSING SUCH AS HAVING OFFICES ON THE F FIRST FLOOR AND APARTMENTS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OR CONDOMINIUMS ON THE SECOND FLOOR. THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, UNITS THAT COULD SERVICE THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE HERE AS WELL AS THE VISITORS WHO ARE HERE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HAVING UPSCALE RENTAL UNITS AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES, CONDOMINIUMS, COTTAGE LOTS, ESTATE LOTS AND CONVENTIONAL SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE IN THE HADLEY LUZERNE AS WELL AS CORINTH SCHOOL DISTRICTS. DURING THE PROCESS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET LETTERS AND COMMUNICATIONS, HAVE DIALOGUE WITH THEM TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT THE PROJECT AS WE DESIGN IT IS GOING TO HAVE ON THIS COMMUNITY. WHEN WE DO THIS PROJECT, 2400 UNITS ARE NOT GOING TO BE BUILT IN ONE YEAR. IT IS NOT GOING TO BE BUILT IN 10 YEARS. MOST LIKELY IT IS GOING TO BE 15 TO 20 YEARS. SO WE HAVE ALREADY HAD A DIALOGUE WITH THE TOWN UNDERSTANDING THAT, WE HAVE A MARKET STUDY, WE HAVE A CONCEPT OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN HERE.
AT A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME, LET'S SAY FOR GENERALITY PURPOSES, THERE'S ONLY GOING TO BE ONE CAR THAT'S GOING TO COME UP DURING THE PEAK HOURS BECAUSE OF THIS PROJECT. THEN LET'S SAY IT'S 100 CARS DURING PEAK HOURS AND IT TURNS OUT WHEN WE DO THE FIRST PHASE, WE WERE WRONG AND IT'S NOT. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT AN ALTERNATE DOCUMENT IN MITIGATION FOR BENCHMARKS, STOPS IN THE PROCESS FOR THE TOWN AND THE LANDOWNER TO SEE IF SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT THAN ANTICIPATED. SO WE TALKED ABOUT PROTECTIVE MEASURES AS WE GO ALONG AND THOSE WILL BE DISCUSSED AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A VARIETY OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ON THE PROPERTY, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CREATING OUR OWN WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM, WE HAVE ENGINEERS TO DESIGN ALL THAT. MICKEY HAS ALREADY STARTED TESTING FOR WELL WATER AND THE CAPACITIES. HE DID HIT ONE WELL RECENTLY WITH 100 GALLONS PR MINUTE AND THEY ARE NOW LOOKING FOR BACKUP WELLS. IT WILL BE A PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM WHICH WILL BE OWNED BY A STATE CREATED ENTITY CALLED A TRANSPORTATION CORP., REGULATED BY THE STATE OF NEW YORK AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. THE PROJECT AS DESIGNED WILL HAVE 1600 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE, GREEN AREAS THAT ARE PRESERVED FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES OR LEFT FOREVER WILD AND THOSE WILL BE BROUGHT OUT AS THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED FURTHER. WITH REGARD TO
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THE PROJECT ITSELF, WE TALK ABOUT THE EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING. WHAT IS THE ZONING FOR THIS PROPERTY AND HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO THE ZONING MY CLIENTS PROPOSE TO PUT HERE AND WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF CHANGING THE ZONING? SECONDLY, WE TALK ABOUT THE VISUAL IMPACT? WHAT ARE THE NEIGHBORS AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES GOING TO SEE ON THIS PROJECT? WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT, THE POTENTIAL REDUCTION OF VEGETATION, BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO BE CLEARING. WHEN WE BUILD COMMUNITIES IN THESE AREAS, THERE WILL BE HOUSING, WHAT IN FACT SHOULD THE RESIDENTS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES SEE AT THIS PROJECT? (POINTING TO MAP) THE WEST MOUNTAIN SKI CENTER IS DOWN HERE. WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE STEEP SLOPES AND LOOKING AT THE SOILS, DEC TALKS ABOUT HOW THE ROADS WILL BE BUILT AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THE MATERIALS, ETC.? OBVIOUSLY DEC IS THINKING ABOUT THE TRUCK TRAFFIC IMPACT COMING IN AND OUT OF COMMUNITIES, TOWN AND STATE ROADS, WHAT KIND OF HOMES ARE WE GOING TO BUILD? WE HAVE SOME UNIQUE DESIGNS. WE HAVE A COMPANY OUT OF SILVER SPRINGS MARYLAND. THEY HAVE WON NATIONAL AWARDS EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS AND THEY WILL BE HERE AT THE FORMAL PUBLIC HEARING AS WILL THE MARKETING STUDY PERSON. I APOLOGIZE TO THOSE WHO REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS THAT THIS IS REALLY NOT A QUESTION AND ANSWER. WE ARE HERE TO GIVE YOU WHAT THE PROJECT IS, WHAT WE THINK THE ISSUES ARE, AND THEN WHAT THE TOWN BOARD AND WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR YOU TO ANSWER TODAY. THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR WRITTEN COMMENT FOR 30 DAYS TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TALK ABOUT IT AND SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN. WE ARE LOOKING AT THE BIOLOGY OF THE VEGETATION, THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. ARE THERE ANY PROTECTED SPECIES, WHAT ABOUT STREAM QUARTERS? DEC HAS ALREADY INDICATED THAT THERE ARE NYS DEC WETLANDS AS WELL AS CLASSIFIED STREAMS WHICH ARE MORE HEAVILY REGULATED THAN ARMY CORP WETLANDS. WE DEAL WITH ARMY CORP WETLANDS AS WELL. WITH REGARD TO DEC, NOT ONLY DO YOU WORRY ABOUT THE WETLANDS AREA THEMSELVES, BUT DEC REQUIRES THAT IF YOU DISTURB WITHIN 100 FT OF THE WETLANDS YOU HAVE TO GET PERMITS AS WELL.. SURFACE AND GROUND WATER RESOURCES, RUNOFF FROM THE PROPERTY ABOVE AND UNDERGROUND WATER. HOW WILL IT BE IMPACTED/PROTECTED?. STORM WATER RUNOFF MAINTENANCE. NYS HAS VERY STRICT GUIDELINES, AND WE HAVE TO SUBMIT REPORTS AND THEY REQUIRE A STORM WATER MANAGEMENT POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN FOR APPROVAL. UNDER NYS DEC REGULATIONS YOU ARE ONLY
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ALLOWED TO DISTURB 1 ACRE AT A TIME. OBVIOUSLY ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS THAT WILL NOT WORK AND WE WILL HAVE TO ASK THEM FOR A WAIVER OF THAT 1 ACRE, AND EVEN A WAIVER FOR 5 ACRES WHICH WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SCRUTINY BY NYS DEC IF THE PROJECT WERE TO BE APPROVED.
WATER AND SANITARY SEWERS: HOW WILL WE ADDRESS THAT? WE WILL HAVE OUR OWN SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT? ISSUES WILL BE ADDRESSED HOW TO MAINTAIN THOSE.
TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION: TRAFFIC STUDY WILL BE DONE LOOKING AT THE LEVELS OF SERVICE ON THE EXIT 18 RAMPS, EXIT 16 RAMPS, EAST RIVER DRIVE, CALL STREET, CORINTH ROAD, WEST MOUNTAIN ROAD INTERSECTIONS AT PITCHER ROAD, LUZERNE ROAD, MAIN STREET AND EAST RIVER ROAD, MAIN STREET AND PALMER AVE. THOSE ARE THE INTERSECTIONS WE FELT WE NEED TO ADDRESS WHEN GOING THROUGH THIS PROJECT. WE ANTICIPATE LOOKING AT THOSE IN THE A.M. PEAK HOURS, P.M. PEAK HOURS DURING THE WEEKDAY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AS WELL AS THE WEEKENDS. WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF FOLKS WILL BE LOOKING AT THIS AS A SECOND HOME, VACATION HOME AND THAT A GOOD NUMBER OF TRIPS WILL BE WEEKENDS WHICH NORMALLY DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SOCIAL ECONOMIC FACTORS; WHAT IS THE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT EXIST IN THE COMMUNITY NOW, WHAT KIND OF DEMOGRAPHICS ARE WE ATTEMPTING TO BRING TO THE COMMUNITY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE COMMUNITY.? WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE POPULATION OF COMMUNITY, THE RESOURCES OF THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO THE TAX BASE AND DOES IT POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE TAXES ON THE REST OF THE PROPERTY IN THE COMMUNITY? THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT OBVIOUSLY THE TOWN BOARD IS CONCERNED ABOUT AND ALL THE RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT. WE PUT THAT IN OUR DOCUMENT RIGHT UP FRONT. COMMUNITY FACILITIES,: AS I SAID EARLIER, POLICE, FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES: WHAT ARE RESPONSE TIMES FROM OUR PROJECT TO THOSE PLACES? WILL THERE BE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES? WHAT IS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE HOMES GOING TO BE LIKE WITH REGARD TO THESE MIXED USE FACILITIES WITH APARTMENTS, CONDOMINIUMS, COMMERCIAL ON FIRST FLOOR RESIDENTIAL ON SECOND FLOOR, HOW DO THEY COMPLY WITH THE STATE BUILDING CODE, HOW CAN WE WORK WITH FIRE DEPT TO BETTER PROTECT RESIDENTS?
SCHOOLS: WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. I KNOW MICKEY HAS TALKED TO ONE DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT, BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE CAPACITY OF THE SCHOOL, CLASSROOM SIZES, ETC.
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SOLID WASTE: OBVIOUSLY GARBAGE IS GOING TO BE GENERATED HERE. HOW DOES THAT GET REMOVED FROM THE SITE, C&D WASTE, IN FACT DEC SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT THAT, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH EXCESS TREE MATERIAL, WHERE WILL THAT GO? HOW WILL THE LANDFILLS BE IMPACTED.
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES: PARKS, OPEN SPACE, WHO CAN USE THEM.? MY OFFICE GETS INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AND CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATIONS. AND AS WE HAVE INDICATED IN THE PAST, THIS IS GOING TO BE A MULTI TIERED HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND SOME CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATIONS WHICH WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A VARIETY OF OPEN SPACE. THERE WILL BE OPEN SPACES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, THERE MAY BE AREAS AVAILABLE ONLY TO THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THERE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A VARIETY OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ACTIVE AND PASSIVE AREAS OPEN TO JUST THE RESIDENTS THERE AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL. THE EXACT AREAS IN THE SCOPE OF IT ALL IS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS ITSELF. THE NEXT THING TO LOOK AT IS HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES. WE WILL BE REQUIRED, AND DEC SAYS WE HAVE TO DO AN ARCHEOLOGICAL STUDY TO SEE IF ANY AREAS NEED TO BE PROTECTED OR ANY ARTIFACTS THAT NEED TO BE PRESERVED ON THE PROPERTY. WHEREVER THERE WILL BE DISTURBED AREAS THERE WILL HAVE TO BY ANALYSIS. IN ADDITION TO THOSE ISSUES, WE LOOK AT THE SHORT TERM DESTRUCTION, THE DUST, ETC., THE TRUCKS THAT WILL GO IN AND OUT OF THE SITE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD, AND ONCE CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETED, WHAT IN FACT ARE THE LONG TERM IMPACTS OF THIS PROJECT? WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES AS WELL. DEC REQUIRES US TO LOOK AT, WHAT IF NOTHING HAPPENS ON THIS PROJECT, EVER? THEY CALL IT "NO ACTION" AND THIS LAND IS LEFT VACANT AND NEVER DEVELOPED? WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY ON THAT.? I HAVE TO SAY THAT MICHAEL BRANT, ONE OF THE PARTNERS HERE, HAS OWNED THIS LAND FOR 44 YEARS, HE HAS PAID TAXES ON THAT PROPERTY FOR ALL THAT PERIOD OF TIME, AND HE BELIEVES THAT NOW IS AN APPROPRIATE TIME FOR HIM. HE DID TALK SEVERAL YEARS AGO ABOUT DEVELOPING IT, THERE WAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT DRAFTED AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND SOME OF THESE ISSUES WERE ADDRESSED, BUT CHRIS ROUND AND I HAVE TALKED AND WE HAVE TO UPDATE ALL OF THAT, OBVIOUSLY THE SOIL CONSISTENCY ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE, THE FLORA AND FAUNA WILL CHANGE, THE ARCHEOLOGY ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, WE HAVE TO ANALYZE THE MIX OF USES, WE ARE
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TALKING ABOUT MOM AND POP STORES, BOOK STORES, WE DON'T WANT TARGET, WAL-MART, HOME DEPOT, THAT IS NOT IN CHARACTER WITH WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING HERE. DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING MIXES. A VARIETY, THERE IS EVEN A TREE HOUSE DESIGN WHICH TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION VIEW AND VEGETATION. OUR FIRST PHASE PROPOSES UP TO 700 UNITS . THEN WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AND SEE IF WHAT WE PROPOSED IN THE BEGINNING, THE IMPACTS ON THE COMMUNITY, SCHOOLS ETC, OR DID THE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMUNITY REAL ESTATE MARKET ETC, CHANGE TO CHANGE THE CONCEPT?
WHAT ABOUT THE CHANGES IN SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, EXAMPLE: THE PROJECT IN MALTA, AMD, IF THAT COMES IN A SECOND CAMPUS GETS BUILT, THERE COULD BE MORE OF A NEED FOR PERMANENT, NOT VACATION HOMES, LAKE LUZERNE IS NOT THAT FAR FROM MALTA, OR IF SOME NEW INDUSTRY COMES TO THE AREA CREATING A NEED FOR MORE PERMANENT HOUSING. THOSE ARE THE THINGS THE TOWN BOARD WANTS US TO LOOK AT IN CASE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE AREA CHANGE.
TRAFFIC ALTERNATIVES, ENERGY CONSERVATION,: THOSE ISSUES ARE BEING THOUGHT ABOUT BY THE DEVELOPER, DEC AGREED AND ADDED A COUPLE MORE. DEC'S LETTER IS HERE, PUBLIC RECORD, AND WE ARE ASKING TONIGHT AND FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS FOR YOU, THE PUBLIC, TO COME UP WITH ANY OTHER ISSUES WE NEED TO ADDRESS. I APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING SO MUCH TIME, BUT BASED ON THE GENTLEMAN'S QUESTIONS AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS I HEARD EARLIER, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO EXPAND ON WHAT A SCOPING SESSION IS. AS CHRIS SAID, ONCE WE GET ALL THIS TOGETHER, ALL THE COMMENTS, THEN WE ARE GOING TO SIT WITH THE TOWN AND EXAMINE THE ISSUES, ADD THESE ADDITIONAL ONES, AND THEN WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THEM ALL. I HAVE ASKED THE TOWN BOARD TO RECEIVE THE REPORTS WE WILL SUBMIT THEM TO THE TOWN, HAVE CHRIS ANALYZE THEM, HAVE THE PUBLIC LOOK AT THEM, TO BE SURE WE ARE ON COURSE, THEN AS WE GET TO THE WATER AND SEWER ANALYSIS, THE GRADING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, WE WANT TO SIT AND WORK WITH THE TOWN. NOT TO BE HERE ONE DAY AND THEN MONTHS LATER COME IN WITH 50 POUNDS OF PAPER. WE WANT DIALOGUE WITH THE COMMUNITY. YOU LIVE HERE, WE WANT TO KNOW THAT SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS WE HAVE MADE MAY OR MAY NOT BE CORRECT. ONCE WE HAVE ALL OF THE REPORTS AND ANALYSIS, THAT IS WHAT WE CALL THE DEIS. BEFORE THAT GETS REVIEWED IN A PUBLIC FORMAL ARENA, THE TOWN BOARD HAS TO DETERMINE THAT THE DEIS IS COMPLETE FOR COMMENT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY AGREE WITH WHAT WE WRITE OR THAT THEY AGREE WITH OUR CONCLUSIONS, ALL THEY ARE SAYING IS THAT ALL OF THE ISSUES RAISED IN THE SCOPING DOCUMENT, WE HAVE TRIED TO RESPOND
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TO THOSE COMMENTS. AFTER THEY SAY IT IS READY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, THAT IS WHEN THEY HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TO REQUIRE A CRITIQUE OF THOSE DOCUMENTS, AND THEN THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE VERBAL SAY AND PROVIDE MORE WRITTEN COMMENT. THE DEIS WILL BE COPIED TO THE TOWN BOARD THE PLANNING BOARD, ALL THE INVOLVED AGENCIES, TOWN HALL, LIBRARIES, AND WHEN WE HAVE THAT PUBLIC HEARING THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC STENOGRAPHER FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT, THEN THE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT OUR DOCUMENT, WE ALONG WITH THE TOWN BOARD, ENGINEER, ATTORNEY, ETC, HAVE TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC CONCERN, IF WE MISSED IT, AND IT, OR ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, WILL BE ADDRESSED. AT THAT TIME THE FDEIS WILL BE WRITTEN.
IF THE TOWN BOARD ADOPTS THE FINDINGS STATEMENT AND ISSUES THE APPROPRIATE SEQR FINDINGS FOR US, THEN WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE REZONE OR PDD, THEN THAT IS A ZONING CHANGE. THERE MIGHT BE A JOINT HEARING OF THE PDD AND THE SEQR DOCUMENTS, BUT THAT IS A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT VOTE. DURING THAT PDD PROCESS, AND BEFORE THE PDD GETS ADOPTED, THE TOWN BOARD WILL REFER THE MATTER TO THE PLANNING BOARD AND LOOK CONCEPTUALLY, AND WHEN I DO PROJECTS, THE FIRST THING THEY NEED TO KNOW IS WHERE IS THE MAIN ROAD, BECAUSE EVERYTHING WORKS OFF THE MAIN ROAD. WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH THE TOWN AND PLANNING BOARDS GOING THROUGH WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT WHERE IS THE BEST AND APPROPRIATE PLACES FOR THE ROAD. THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR GRADING PURPOSES, WHERE WATER AND SEWER LINES ARE GOING TO GO, WHERE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT AREAS ARE GOING TO BE, ETC, AND WHERE THE VISUAL IMPACTS ARE. THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS. AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PDD, IT IS IN FACT A WRITTEN DOCUMENT WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THE FINDINGS STATEMENT UNDER SEQR WHICH ANTICIPATES HOW MANY HOUSES, THE PRICE, THE LOCATIONS OF THE AREAS GOING THROUGH THAT ENTIRE PROCESS, AND THEN AFTER WE GET THE PDD APPROVED, THEN WE GO BACK TO THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD FOR A FORMAL REVIEW FOR THE ACTUAL SUBDIVISION AND SITE PLAN REVIEW, BECAUSE THE PLANNING BOARD CAN'T ADOPT SITE PLAN BECAUSE THE ZONING HASN'T BEEN ADOPTED YET. SO IT IS ONLY AFTER SEQR, ONLY AFTER PDD IS ADOPTED, CAN WE REALLY GO TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR DETAILED SITE PLAN AND SUBDIVISION. OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER DURING THE ENTIRE PROCESS, SO IN SOME WAYS IT IS A THREE PRONGED APPROACH TO IT ALL; BUT THE FIRST THING THAT HAS TO BE DONE IS THE DEIS, FDEIS SEQR REVIEW PROCESS, THEN THE
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PDD AND THEN THE SITE PLAN APPROVAL AND SUBDIVISION APPROVAL. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE IN DOING A VARIETY OF THESE PROJECTS, I CAN SAFELY SAY THAT WE WILL BE HERE A YEAR FROM NOW BEFORE ANY FINAL DETERMINATIONS ARE GOING TO BE HAD WITH REGARD TO THE PROJECT. BASICALLY, THAT IS THE SCOPING DOCUMENT, THAT IS THE PROCESS AND I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARD TO THAT.
STANLEY GOLDBERG - COULD YOU CLARIFY THE HADLEY LUZERNE/CORINTH SCHOOL DISTRICT SPLIT, IS THAT GEOGRAPHIC ISSUE?
CHRIS ROUND – WE NEED TO CAPTURE NAME. WE ARE WRITING A TABLE OF CONTENTS AND THE OUTLINE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE WHAT YOU WANT IN THAT ,. I KNOW THERE IS A BIG NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROJECT IS AND WHAT THE INFORMATION IS, SO TO THE EXTENT WE CAN RESPOND TO SOME THINGS QUICKLY WE'LL ASK THE APPLICANT TO DO THAT, BUT WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE YOU FOCUS ON WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO SEE ANALYZED IN THE EIS, BUT PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD.
MICKEY RICCIARDI - IT IS A STRANGE LINE, ABOUT 50-50, AND THE MAP WILL BE INCORPORATED WITH ONE OF OUR MAPS IN THE DEIS.
STANLEY GOLDBERG – IS THAT AN ISSUE THAT EITHER ONE OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT, IN OTHER WORDS IF THERE IS A PROJECT AND THERE ARE HOMES AND THERE ARE STUDENTS, THEN IT IS A GIVEN THAT THEY MUST TAKE THOSE STUDENTS?
MR. ZEE: YES
GOLDBERG: THEN WHAT IS THE ISSUE OF SPEAKING TO THEM?
MR. ZEE - WE HAVE TO DISCUSS WHAT ARE THE CAPACITIES AND WHAT IS THE IMPACT FOR INSTANCE, IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CONDOMINIUMS WITH TWO BEDROOMS IN AN AREA, THAT MOST LIKELY WILL NOT GENERATE THE SAME NUMBER OF SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN THAN A CONVENTIONAL SINGLE FAMILY HOME WITH 4 BEDROOMS AND 2 ½ BATHS.
FRANCINE FORTE – LAKE TOUR ROAD - I AM GETTING A MIXED MESSAGE, IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU MAKE MENTION OF YOUR MARKET. WHO
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ARE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO MARKET TO, RETIRED COMMUNITIES, SECOND HOMES, AND IF YOU ARE, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WOULDN'T HAVE THAT MUCH IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IF THOSE ARE THE TWO MARKETS YOU ARE MARKETING.
MR. ZEE - AND I AGREE WITH YOU 100%, AND THAT IS WHAT WE BELIEVE WHAT OUR MARKET IS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHER RESIDENTS WANT US TO DEMONSTRATE WHY WE BELIEVE THAT IS GOING TO BE OUR MARKET, AND THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO PRESENT THAT INFORMATION. JUST BECAUSE WE SAY IT, THE PUBLIC DOES NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH IT. SO WE NEED TO PUT THAT IN WRITING, TELL YOU WHY OUR ASSUMPTIONS, WE BELIEVE, ARE CORRECT.
ROBERT FORTE – WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE TOWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. IF SEEMS TO ME THAT A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE SHOULD BE PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OR WHAT YOU WANT TO DO SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THAT COMMITTEE. I WOULD THINK THAT SOME REPRESENTATION OF YOUR COMPANY SHOULD BE AT THE AUG 8 MEETING TO PRESENT WHAT YOU HAVE. OR MAYBE SOMEONE COULD TELL ME WHERE THEY WOULD FIT IN TO OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
MR. ZEE: I THINK YOUR QUESTIONS COULD BE ANSWERED IN OUR DEIS, HOW DOES THIS PROJECT RELATE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN THE TOWN OF LAKE LUZERNE,?. WE COULD DO IT TWO WAYS, WE COULD SAY STOP EVERYTHING . DON'T PAY ANOTHER NICKEL FOR THE TOWN'S REVIEW OF THIS DOCUMENT BECAUSE THE TOWN IS GOING TO DO IT NOW . LET'S JUST GO TO THE COMPREHENSIVE MEETINGS AND ASK THE COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT RIGHT NOW AND SEE IF THEY'LL ADOPT IT AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GO FURTHER. BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO WHEN YOU DO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVIEW IS WHAT WE CALL A GENERIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT WHICH IS BASICALLY, AN ANALYSIS OF A PARTICULAR AREA OF TOWN ISSUED BY THE COMMUNITY, AND AT THE COMMUNITIES EXPENSE, AND THEN GO AND DO THAT DOCUMENT. WE ARE IN EFFECT SAYING TO YOU, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE BALL AND RUN WITH YOUR PORTION OF THAT BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE PROPOSE ON THAT AND WE ARE WILLING TO PAY THE FREIGHT. WE COULD RIDE ON THE COAT TAILS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEE WORKING ON THE COMP PLAN?
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MR. FORTE - ABOUT 4 MONTHS, WE HAVE ANOTHER APPROX 14 MONTHS TO GO.
CHRIS ROUND – ARE YOU WORKING WITH SOMEBODY?.
MR. FORTE – ELAN OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, LISA NAGLE.
SO MY POINT WAS, IF WE ADOPT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT SAY DOESN'T INCLUDE THIS AND THEN YOU COME BEFORE US WITH YOUR STUDIES AND EVERYTHING SEEMS TO FIT, BUT IT IS AT ODDS WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN………..
MR. ZEE - OH NO, WE WILL HAVE TO INTERACT AND THIS IS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS..
CHRIS ROUNDS – WHAT WE ARE CAPTURING IS, WHAT IS THE QUESTION THEY NEED TO RESOLVE, WHEN WE INTERPRET WHAT WE HEAR TONIGHT THEN WHEN THEY PREPARE A REVISED SCOPING DOCUMENT.
MIKE FORTUNATO - THE CONCEPT I AM HAPPY WITH IT AFTER LISTENING TO IT TONIGHT. TWO QUICK THINGS: THE WATERSHED TABLE: IS THERE ANYWAY TO SEE IF THERE IS AN IMPACT ON ENOUGH WATER FOR THE LOCALS TO HAVE?. AND TWO: ARE YOU GOING TO BRING NATURAL GAS, OR PROPANE.?
MR. RICCIARDI: PROPANE. WE HAVE TALKED TO NATIONAL GRID, BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET NATURAL GAS OVER THERE.
MR. FORTUNATO – IF THAT PROJECT WAS BIG ENOUGH FOR THEM TO BRING NATURAL GAS IN, THAT WOULD HELP THE COMMUNITY A LOT.
MR. RICCIARDI - THE THING THAT MAKES PROPANE ACCEPTABLE IS BECAUSE IT IS A SECOND HOME MARKET. THAT SEEMS TO BE THE PRODUCT. TYPICALLY, IF YOU GO UP TO A MOUNTAIN TOP YOU DON'T GET GAS.
JIM MANDLE – TWO QUESTIONS. DOES A SMALL SEGMENT OF THIS FALL UNDER THE BLUE LINE OF THE APA OR NONE OF IT?.
MR RICCIARDI : NO. WHAT WE DO HAVE IS AN ENTRANCE WAY. THERE IS ONE ROAD MIKE BRANT HAS HAD FOR 20 YEARS, THAT SHOWS ON THEIR MAP THAT'S GRANDFATHERED IN.. TERESA SAYWARD SPOKE TO THE APA ON THAT.
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MR MANDLE: WITH THE DEMOGRAPHICS YOU PRESENTED, I DIDN'T HEAR THE IMPACT ON HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL SERVICES.
MR RICCIARDI – WATERSHED – WE ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES.
CHRIS ROUNDS – THE QUESTIONS WE WILL ASK OF THE APPLICANT IS WHAT IS THE WATER WITHDRAW RATES, IMPACTS ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL RESOURCES AND THAT ADJACENT WELLS WILL NOT BE DEPLETED. THAT IS THE KIND OF QUESTION THAT WILL BE ASKED.
VANCE PLANT – CALL STREET
MR. FORTE MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. I DON'T THINK IT IS RIGHT TO PLAN A MASTER PLAN FOR THE TOWN AROUND THIS OR ANY DEVELOPER. CONSIDERING THERE IS A LOT OF ZONING YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH, I DON'T THINK IT IS RIGHT TO HAVE THEM INVOLVED IN IT. I READ THROUGH THIS THING TONIGHT AND I HAVE ALSO ATTENDED TWO OTHER MEETINGS. I FEEL THAT TO THE PUBLIC THERE IS A DISSERVICE BEING DONE BECAUSE THE PUBLIC KEEPS HEARING THAT IT IS GOING TO BE PREDOMINANTLY SENIOR CITIZEN HOUSING. AND THAT IS WHAT I KEEP HEARING, I WORK FOR THE PUBLIC I AM ALL OVER THIS AREA AND A LOT OF PEOPLE KEEP HEARING SENIOR HOUSING WHEN IN TRUTH, WHEN MR. MERLINO WAS ON TV AWHILE AGO, IT WAS SPOKEN ABOUT AS SENIOR HOUSING, OR A GATED COMMUNITY OR 55 OR OLDER OR PRIVATE COMMUNITY OR BABY BOOMERS AND THAT WAS WHAT IS WAS DIRECTED TOWARD. BUT NOW YOU ARE TRYING TO SLIDE IN THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS, SO I THINK THE PUBLIC HAS TO BE AWARE THAT IT IS NOT NECESSARILY A GATED COMMUNITY OR SECOND HOMES, BUT A LARGE VARIETY OF OTHER HOMES. THE PUBLIC IS NOT AWARE OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT THIS PROJECT IS.
MICKEY RICCIARDI – I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS SAID.
CHRIS ROUND - I THINK THE COMMENT IS THERE HAS NOT BEEN A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION OUT IN THE PUBLIC. THIS PROCESS IS DESIGNED TO DO THAT.
PLANT - ANOTHER THING WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT TO THE ROADS, I AM NOT SURE WHEN PEAK TIMES ARE, BUT THIS IS A RESORT AREA, AND A SUMMER AREA, SO I THINK PEAK TIME WOULD BE JUNE TO SEPT RATHER THAN IN THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER FOR TRAFFIC STUDIES.
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ANOTHER COMMENT THAT WAS MADE WAS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PHASING STUFF IN, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY SO, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GUARANTEE THAT THERE IS 700 HOUSES BUILT AND THEN YOU WAIT 10 YEARS AND YOU BUILD 700 MORE, POLITICIANS CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT, AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO PHASE IN THEN IT HAS TO BE OVER TIME, BUT WHAT I'VE SEEN DEVELOPERS DO IN QUEENSBURY, THEY TAKE PHASE ONE AND THEY BLOW IN 200 OR 300 HOUSES AND THEY ARE CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO DO PHASE 2 BECAUSE THEY'VE SOLD THEM ALL AND A LOT OF TIME IN QUEENSBURY WHICH IS HALF OF WARREN COUNTY, THERE IS TROUBLE WITH DRAINAGE, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND WHEN YOU ARE GOING THROUGH THIS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, SAY PHASE ONE IS GOING TO TAKE 5 YEARS AND 700 HOUSES AND PHASE 2 IS THIS MANY HOUSES OVER THIS MANY YEARS, BECAUSE BOARDS CHANGE,.
CHRIS ROUND – SO YOUR QUESTION IS ; WHAT CONTROL IS THERE OVER PHASING, HOW DO WE MONITOR PHASING, WHAT CAN WE DO TO MEASURE THAT PHASING PROCESS?.
VANCE PLANT - THE IMPACT TO THE SCHOOL. YOU HAVE MIXED HOUSING YOU CAN DOUBLE THE POPULATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THEY COULD NOT PHYSICALLY TAKE IT, YOU ARE ON SEPTIC SYSTEMS OVER THERE YOUR NOT ON TOWN WATER AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO 2400 HOUSES OVER 10 YEARS COULD BE 4800 STUDENTS, YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU'D HAVE TO PUT A SEWER TREATMENT PLANT BEHIND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. YOU ARE USING 1500 ACRES OPEN SO YOUR HOUSING DENSITY IS 1.07 PR ACRE BUT YOU HAVE 2400 UNITS ON 664 ACRES.
CHRIS ROUND – DENSITY FROM AN OVERALL PERSPECTIVE IS NUMBER OF UNITS OVER TOTAL SITE, THE ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT DENSITIES ARE GOING TO BE MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT, THE TREND AND WHAT THE APPLICANT IS TRYING TO HIT FROM A MARKET STANDPOINT IS, YOUR GOING TO SEE 3 AND 4 HOUSES PER ACRE OR EVEN HIGHER. MAYBE WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS WHAT IS THE OVERALL DENSITY AND WHAT IS THE MIX OF DENSITY PER DEVELOPMENT STOCK.
VANCE PLANT – WHAT IS THAT CURRENTLY ZONED PER ACRE?.
CHRIS ROUND - IT IS A MIX OF R1 AND R3
WHICH IS ONE UNIT PER ACRE AND 3UNITS PR ACRE.
VANCE PLANT – SO YOU ARE GOING WAY OVER THAT AMOUNT.
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CHRIS ROUND – WHAT IS THE CURRENT PERMISSIBLE DENSITY VS. THE PROPOSED PERMISSIBLE DENSITY.? THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT.
VANCE PLANT - THAT IS A LOT OF CHANGE.
CHRIS ROUND - THEY ARE ASKING FOR A SPECIAL ZONING DISTRICT FOR THIS PROJECT, A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT FOR THIS PROJECT WHICH WILL BE ITS OWN DISTRICT WHICH WILL SPECIFY DENSITIES, HOUSING TYPES, PERHAPS ARCHITECTURE, IDENTIFY HEIGHT AND AREA REQUIREMENTS, COMMERCIAL OR NON RESIDENTIAL DENSITIES, SERVICES, USES AND RECREATION AND WHAT IS ALLOWED UNDER THIS PDD.
VANCE PLANTE - PEOPLE LIVE HERE BECAUSE THEY LIKE THE RURAL LIFE IN THIS AREA AND TO CHANGE THAT MUCH ZONING, YOU KNOW I HAVE COME TO ZONING MEETINGS AND APPEALS MEETINGS AND TO WATCH SOME POOR GUY TRYING TO MOVE HIS DRIVEWAY 10 FEET AND HE HAS TO HAVE A SURVEY AND ALL THIS STUFF DONE AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO CHANGE THAT MUCH ZONING YOU MIGHT AS WELL ABOLISH IT FOR THE WHOLE TOWN AND LET EVERYONE DO WHAT THEY WANT.
MR. ZEE - WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ZONING AREAS OF 1 AND 3 ACRE ZONING. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING IN INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW IN THIS AREA. WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET 3 OR 4 UNITS PER ACRE IN HIGH DENSITY AREAS IF WE DON'T PROVIDE PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER. THAT IS ONE OF THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES, AND YES, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE COST AND TYPES OF HOUSING, THOSE ARE PART OF THE ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. AS I SAID INITIALLY IN MY PRESENTATION, MY CLIENT HAS DONE A MARKET STUDY, HE KNOWS WHAT THE MARKET IS BASED ON MARKET ANALYSIS AND HE IS POTENTIALLY INVESTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO SOMETHING AND IF HE IS WRONG, IT COMES OUT OF HIS POCKET, SO WE THINK THE HOUSING TYPES ARE MARKETABLE, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME TO THIS AREA, WHEN YOU SAY YOU WANT A RURAL LOOK, THERE ARE HOUSING TYPES IN HERE THAT ARE VERY RURAL.
PLANT – I JUST WANTED TO BE ON THE RECORD
WHAT IS THE POPULATION OF THE TOWN OF LAKE LUZERNE.?
TOWN BOARD – APPROX 3200
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VANCE PLANT - SO WITH 2400 HOMES YOU WILL HAVE A COMPLETE POPULATION SHIFT IN THE TOWN OF LAKE LUZERNE. POLITICALLY YOU COULD CHANGE TO A WARD SYSTEM AND HAVE 3 WARDS THERE. FOR THE RECORD JUST SO YOU KNOW.
MR ZEE - WHEN YOU SAY POPULATION , ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT FULL TIME RESIDENTS?
JOE ARTALE – IN LAKE LUZERNE HERE A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, THERE WERE NOT MANY YEAR ROUND HOUSES, EVERYBODY CAME UP, BUT THINGS HAVE CHANGED, RIGHT NOW THERE ARE VERY FEW HOUSES THAT ARE NOT BUILT THAT PEOPLE CAN'T LIVE IN ALL YEAR ROUND. SO YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME UP TO THAT AREA, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING THERE SPECIFICALLY THAT ANYBODY'S GOING TO WANT UNLESS THEY COME OVER HERE TO THE RIVER. ALMOST LIKE THE TRAVEL LOGS YOU SEE IN FLORIDA. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IN 10 OR 15 YEARS IT IS A MESS. I LIVED ON STATEN ISLAND THE SAME THING WAS DONE THERE, AND I'M IN FT. MYERS FLORIDA AND THEY'VE DONE THE SAME THING THERE AND IN 5 OR 10 YEARS YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE PLACE. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE IF YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE KIDS IS THAT COMMUNITY GOING TO PAY FOR THE SCHOOLS? WE CAN JUST ABOUT AFFORD THE SCHOOL WE HAVE, THE TAXES HAVE GONE UP CONSIDERABLY. HOW MUCH ARE THEY GOING TO PAY IF THAT'S A CITY, PUBLIC WATER, PUBLIC SEWER. YOU KEEP SAYING PUBLIC PUBLIC PUBLIC, BUT IT'S NOT , IT'S FOR THAT COMMUNITY.
CHRIS ROUND – SO YOUR QUESTION AND MR PLANT BEHIND YOU. HOW SIGNIFICANT A POPULATION CHANGE, HOW WOULD CHANGE IMPACT SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY CHARACTER? AND YOU QUESTION WHETHER THEY WILL BE SEASONAL OR FULL TIME.?
MR ARTALE – SO YOU ARE GOING ADD MORE PEOPLE THAN WE HAVE NOW, WHETHER THEY ARE SEASONAL OR YEAR ROUND. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. WHY CAN'T HE TAKE THAT THOUGHT AND MAKE ANOTHER COUNTY ?
MR PLANT – WELL YOU LAUGH BUT THERE IS A PORTION OF QUEENSBURY IN THE PROCESS OF BREAKING AWAY FROM QUEENSBURY. IF THERE IS ENOUGH POPULATION TO FORM THEIR OWN TOWNSHIP. THEY WOULD HAVE THE VOTE, THE VOTE WOULD BE THERE IT WOULD NOT BE HERE.
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MICKEY RICCIARDI- - TAX IMPACT, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE. ALL THOSE ISSUES WILL BE ANSWERED BY THAT ONE QUESTION. REALLY.
CHRIS ROUND - IT IS THE GOAL OF THE APPLICANT TO REACH THIS AND HAVE A POSITIVE OUTCOME. WHAT CAN OCCUR IS TO FIND OUT THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT THE PROJECT IS TOO BIG, OR HAS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, FOR INSTANCE, THAT THE PROJECT CAN'T SUPPORT AN EXPANSION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE COMMUNITY VOTES NO ON IT. IT IS NOT AN OUTCOME THAT'S A GUARANTEED AFFIRMATION, BUT IT'S THE GOAL OF THE APPLICANT TO GIVE YOU, THE COMMUNITY, THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. IT IS NOT FOR THEM TO DECIDE FOR YOU.
MR. RICCIARDI – 79 MILLION PEOPLE STARTED TO RETIRE LAST YEAR. THAT'S WHERE ALL THE PROBLEMS ARE COMING FROM SOCIAL SECURITY. WHO'S GOING TO PAY IT, THE GROUP BEYOND IS SO MUCH YOUNGER. 79 MILLION START TO RETIRE TO THE SECOND HOME AND THE RETIREE MARKET IS GOING TO BE HUGE, MUCH BIGGER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN BEFORE. SO IN THEORY, ON OUR PROJECT RIGHT NOW, AS THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE RETIREES WITHOUT SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN, START TO OCCUPY, AGAIN IN THEORY, MONT LUZERNE , YOU HAVE TAX DOLLARS BEING GENERATED INTO THE TOWN OF LAKE LUZERNE WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL. NOW ALSO, THESE ARE NOT MY IDEAS, THESE ARE WELL DOCUMENTED STUDIES THAT SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN ARE ON THE DECLINE, THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY IS ON THE DECLINE. I DON'T LIKE THAT, BUT THAT IS A FACT RIGHT NOW. IF YOU LOOK AT, AND IN CONVERSATION WITH EARL SUSSMAN, OF THE HADLEY LUZERNE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU WILL SEE THAT THE SIZE OF A 4TH OR 5TH GRADE CLASS VS. A SENIOR CLASS IS CONSIDERABLY SMALLER. SO COMING UP OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS THERE IS GOING TO BE A DEFINITE DECREASE, OUR PROJECT ASIDE, IN THE AMOUNT OF SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN . IT HAS HAPPENED NATIONALLY TOO. IF YOU ACCEPT THE IDEA THAT IT IS A RETIREMENT OR ACTIVE ADULT RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, OCCUPIED BY BABY BOOMERS, AND THAT 85% WHICH IS WHAT OUR MARKET RESEARCH HAS SAID, WILL BE SECOND HOMES FOR PEOPLE THAT WILL BE THERE AN ABBREVIATED PERIOD OF TIME, THEORETICALLY, YOU COULD HAVE A LOT OF TAX DOLLARS COMING IN WITHOUT A BIG IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND IF WE ARE CORRECT, IN THAT OUR RETAIL IN THE SMALL CONCENTRATED AREA WE WANT TO BUILD OUR RETAIL IN , WE ARE LOOKING OT HAVE A LITTLE CAFÉ, AND A LITTLE BOOKSHOP , REALLY TO SERVICE SOME OF THE NEEDS OF THAT AREA, MAYBE A CORNER STORE FOR MILK, BREAD, AND
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EGGS, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE GET IN THEIR CAR TO GO EVERYWHERE ELSE. AND WE DO FUEL EMISSIONS, A WHOLE DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. BUT IF YOU BUY INTO THE IDEA, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE A DELUGE OF PEOPLE ALL OF A SUDDEN SHOWING UP 4,000 PEOPLE SHOWING UP DOWNTOWN TO GO TO PAPA'S AND LINING UP FOR ICE CREAM. THEORETICALLY, IT COULD BE FAIRLY SELF CONTAINED, BUT IT COULD SPILL OVER INTO THE TOWN, WHICH SOME MIGHT VIEW AS POSITIVE AND SOME MIGHT LOOK AT AS NEGATIVE.
MAX TRAVER – I DON'T THINK YOU TOUCHED ON THIS . YOU DID MENTION SOME SEASONAL HOMES, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO CLEAN THE ROADS OF SNOW IN THE WINTER. WHO IS GOING TO DO THAT?.
MR RICCIARDI – THAT IS ONE OF THE BIG DISCUSSIONS WE ARE ALREADY HAVING CONVERSATIONS ON. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO DO IT, AS DON SAID, WE ARE GOING TO FORM A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION. THOSE WHO LIVE THERE WILL PAY DUES TO HAVE LAWNS MOWED, AND TO GET THOSE THINGS DONE, WILL THEY PAY DUES TO GET ROADS PLOWED OR WILL THE TOWN PLOW THE ROADS?. THAT IS A HUGE ONE THAT WILL GET MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES OF DISCUSSION IN GREAT DETAIL. AND I AM SURE WE WILL BE HELD TO GREAT SCRUTINY ON THAT ONE, GARBAGE REMOVAL, ALL OF THAT.
DAVID COLLINS – DO YOU HAVE A ROUGH WISH LIST IF YOU WILL AS FAR AS NUMBERS AND TIME FRAME ARE CONCERNED.?
MR RICCIARDI- - THE MARKET RESEARCH SAID IN THE AREA OF ABOUT 20 YEARS IT WOULD TAKE TO ABSORB THE PRODUCT. THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCT WE'VE GOT. THAT'S A FUNCTION OF A THOUSAND THINGS WITHOUT GETTING INTO A LOT OF DETAIL. HOW MUCH DO YOU PUSH PRICING. I KNOW AS A BUILDER BEFORE, A FEW YEARS AGO IN SARATOGA, WE HAD SO MUCH DEMAND , WE RAISED PRICES JUST TO SLOW DOWN THE DEMAND. A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH PRODUCTION CAPACITIES, THE BUILDERS INVOLVED. 20-25 YEARS IS OUR TARGET WITH 16 PHASES THAT WE SHOW RIGHT NOW. PHASING IS AN ARBITRARY THING AND A MATTER OF WHERE YOU STOP YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THAT. A WEEK LATER YOU COULD START ANOTHER PHASE.
SHAWN PRICE - STRESS ON NIMO SUPPLY OF POWER FOR AVAILABLE POWER?
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MR RICCIARDI - NIMO IS PRETTY COMFORTABLE THAT THEY CAN HANDLE IT IN THE TIME PERIOD WE TALKED ABOUT INTRODUCING HOMES. 60-65 HOMES PR YEAR THEY WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH.
SHAWN PRICE – YOU ARE BORDERING ON A LOT OF MULTI USE LAND AND MY FAMILY ENJOYS A LOT OF THAT USAGE AS FAR AS HUNTING. WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THAT? A LOT OF THE HOUSING ON THE FRINGES COULD BE AFFECTED. DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS ETC.
MR. RICCIARDI - IF YOU LOOK AT THE AREA OFF RALPH ROAD, THIS AREA HERE (MAP) YOU ARE UPHILL, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON DRAINAGE.
CHRIS ROUND - DEC DIDN'T ACTUALLY ADDRESS THAT, A GOOD QUESTION.
JIM MANDLE - IT LOOKS WONDERFUL AND THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS HERE AND WHETHER IT IS GOOD OR BAD FOR THE TOWN IS NOT MY POINT, MY CONCERN IS THE DOWN SIDE. YOU GET INTO PHASE 1, 200-300 HUNDRED HOMES AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, ECONOMIC TIMES TURN BUST WHATEVER, WHAT PROTECTION DOES THE TOWN HAVE FOR THAT KIND OF THING? A BIG EMPTY CLEARED AREA, WHAT LIABILITY DOES THE TOWN HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE ROADS ETC.
CHRIS ROUND – THE TOWN BOARD HAS ASKED THAT IN EARLIER MEETINGS, IT IS A VALID QUESTION AND YOU ASKED IT CORRECTLY, AND ONE OF THE COROLLARIES TO THAT IS THAT IT IS A HUGE SECOND HOME MARKET IN THE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE MARKET CHANGES, IF THE ANALYSIS RELIED ON NO CHILDREN IN THE HOMES, WHAT HAPPENS IF IT SHIFTS AND IT IS AMD, AND IT IS ALL OF A SUDDEN FAMILIES, OR IF IT GOES BUST COMPLETELY?.
MR RICCIARDI - IT IS RIDICULOUS FOR US TO GO IN AND BUILD 20 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF ROADS, A THOUSAND HOMES WORTH OF ROADS AND WATER AND SEWER TO ONLY SERVICE 100 ROADS. SAY WE PUT IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO SERVICE 100 HOMES, MAYBE WHEN THE 85TH HOME IS SOLD WE'LL START TO PLAN, BASED ON MARKET CONDITIONS IN OUR CLOSING REPORTS AND THEN DO THE NEXT HUNDRED. THERE ARE STOP GAPS ALONG THE WAY. WE DO THAT FOR FINANCIAL PURPOSES SO IN THAT LIGHT, WE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT. . THE WORST EXPOSURE WOULD BE 100 LOTS WORTH OF A VACANT ROAD. IT WON'T ALL BE PUT
"MONT LUZERNE" PUBLIC SCOPING SESSION
7/24/2007
IN AND THEN HAVE IT BECOME A GHOST TOWN. WE HAVE TO PHASE THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FINANCIAL REASONS TOO.
CHRIS ROUND – WE WILL KEEP YOU APPRISED OF THE PROGRESS AND THE TOWN'S REVIEW. THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR WRITTEN COMMENT SO IF YOU LEAVE HERE AND HAVE COMMENTS, DIRECT THEM TO THE SUPERVISOR, OR DROP OFF AT THE CLERKS OFFICE. WE WILL REVISE THE SCOPING DOCUMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY AND THE TOWN BOARD TO MAKE SURE THE ANALYSIS IS GOING TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE PROJECT.
VANCE PLANTE - WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THE DEMOGRAPHICS CHANGE. PEOPLE ARE MOVING FROM COUNTRY TO URBAN AREAS AND DEVELOPED AREAS. THAT WHY WE SEE SCHOOLS LIKE SHENENDAHOAH, SARATOGA, WITH ALL THE DEVELOPMENTS WENT IN , IT WASN'T SENIOR CITIZENS, IT WAS FAMILY, IT SHIFTED. LOOK AT THE SUBDIVISIONS HUNTER BROOK ANY OF THEM, KIDS ARE LINES UP OUT THERE. PEOPLE ARE MOVING FROM RURAL AREAS TO URBAN AREAS OR DEVELOPMENT AREAS. I DON'T THINK YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THE SHIFT IN LESS STUDENTS. THERE WILL PROBABLY BE MORE THAN IN OTHER AREAS. LOOK AT THE TREND. CHRIS YOU WORKED IN QUEENSBURY. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT QUEENSBURY DID, THE POPULATION SHIFTED AWAY FROM RURAL AREAS.
CHRIS ROUND - QUEENSBURY HAS NO URBAN AREAS. QUEENSBURY IS THE ULTIMATE SPRAWL COMMUNITY AS IS CLIFTON PARK.
CHRIS ROUND – OK I THINK WE CAPTURED IT, THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL 30 DAYS FOR COMMENTS, THE SCOPING DOCUMENT WILL BE ISSUED AND ADOPTED BY THE TOWN BOARD OFFICIALLY, AND THEN THE APPLICANT WILL PREPARE A DRAFT IMPACT STATEMENT AND THAT WILL BE A NUMBER OF MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF STUDIES, YOU WILL HEAR SOMETHING LATER FALL OR EARLY WINTER SEASON WHEN WE HAVE A DRAFT. MR. ZEE IS TALKING ABOUT INTERIM SUBMISSIONS OF DOCUMENTS FOR REVIEW WHICH IS APPROPRIATE, BUT A DRAFT IMPACT STATEMENT AT SOME POINT WILL BE DETERMINED TO BE COMPLETE TO COMMENCE THE PUBLIC REVIEW PROCESS. THERE WILL BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, A PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON THAT, WHERE THERE WILL BE A MUCH MORE ELABORATE PRESENTATION, MUCH MORE DETAILED ABOUT WHAT THE PROJECT IS THAT WILL BE SHARED, IN A LARGER VENUE TO HOLD MORE PEOPLE.
"MONT LUZERNE" PUBLIC SCOPING SESSION
7/24/2007
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:15 UPON A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DIEHL, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN SHIEL, ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
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CYNTHIA SHERWOOD, CLERK
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