Environmental review issues continue to delay final site plan approval for the construction of a Rite Aid proposed for the southeast corner of the Nichols Street/Union Street intersection in Spencerport.
On February 11, members of the Ogden Planning Board acknowledged the receipt of two Environmental Assessment Forms (EAFs) for the Spencerport Mixed Use Center and classified the review as a Type 1 Action, which requires the Planning Board clerk to send out notices to interested agencies that the Ogden Planning Board would like to be lead agency for the environmental review. Any further action on the project was tabled until the March meeting of the Planning Board.
Project Engineer Tim O’Brien said he had met with town staff recently to review utilities at the sight. “The meeting went extremely well,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien noted developers are working with the NYS Department of Transportation to determine where the driveway onto Route 259 (Union Street) will be placed and that the curb radii have been increased to aid in the entry and egress of delivery trucks.
He said the NYSDOT has some concerns regarding development that is planned across Route 259 (Union Street) and explained that both a traffic signal and an offset in driveways is being considered. “We are looking at different options with the DOT,” O’Brien said.
The Conservation Board continued to express concerns over what its representative called, “many inaccuracies in the completion of the forms. We are not against the project, but the paperwork was not filled out right,” he said. “It is small stuff, but we did not feel comfortable in making a SEQR recommendation.”
Planning Board attorney Keith O’Toole said based on the two EAFs submitted – one for the entire 33.1 acre site and one for the Rite Aid project alone – the environmental review appears to be a Type 1 Action under SEQR which means it is, “in need of a coordinated review.”
Additionally, developers were asked to submit changes, which come out of further discussions with the NYSDOT to Town Engineer John Freel within the next week or two.
