Make sure you tell them what you want.
That’s the advice Lamont Engineers’ Mike Harrington had for members of the Schoharie Planning Board Tuesday as they began reviewing Highbridge Development’s plans for a 453,600 square-foot warehouse and more off I-88 and Route 30.
With Mr. Harrington’s help, the Planning Board spent more than two hours going through Part 2 of SEQR—State Environmental Quality Review—weighing the proposed project’s likely impact on everything from noise to Main Street, something he’ll now take back to Highbridge.
“You can mark your score sheet however you want,” Mr. Harrington said; it’s meant to be part of a conversation and there’s still a lot of missing information—in part because developers are themselves waiting for their own consultants to report back.
“By rights, they should have given us an updated submission, but you have to start somewhere. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get into this,” he said.
Schenectady-based Highbridge Development bought the 48-acre site in July of 2021 and this June, unveiled plans for a warehouse and office facility, a convenience store with up to 12 gas pumps, and a fast food restaurant across from Dunkin Donuts.
All are allowed uses, but would require a special use permit and a zoning variance for the height of the building; Highbridge has said the project could mean more than 600 jobs.
Neighbors have expressed concerns over lighting and traffic and whether the project fits into Schoharie’s Comprehensive Plan.
The first few issues will be relatively easy to address, Mr. Harrington said.
Answering the more subjective ones—Is this how Schoharie sees its future? What should the warehouse look like from I-88 and Route 30?--will be a lot harder.
Planning Board member Dawn Johnson said she’s concerned about the impact of a 24/7 facility on lights, noise, neighbors, and traffic.
“Even the quarry can’t send out trucks on Sundays,” she said.
Fellow Planning Board member Andrew Rowles asked about landscaping and whether the buildings’ “look” would match Main Street, Schoharie.
“Everything they’ve shown us [landscaping] is totally inadequate,” added Planinng Board member Joe Bozicevich. “This is a gateway and I think that’s critical.”
“Do you care if they screen I-88?” asked Mr. Harrington.
“Absolutely,” answered Mr. Bozicevich.
“Not really,” said Planning Board chair Kathryn Saddlemire, more concerned about what it looks like from Schoharie’s side.
“Traffic’s going to be looking at it for what? Two minutes. The building will be a lot better looking than other things along I-88.”
Mr. Harrington will summarize the Planning Board’s first-go concerns and pass them onto Highbridge.
One of the most important parts of the discussion came at the end, when Ms. Saddlemire said she was having a hard time imagining what the project would look like.
She said she wants orange pylons on the ground to show where the buildings will actually go and balloons in the air to indicate how high.
“They’ll resist,” Mr. Harrington said, “but at the end of the day, you have all the control. Make sure you ask for what you want.”