1996-01-23 SP
QUEENSBURY PLANNING BOARD MEETING
SPECIAL MEETING
JANU~Y, 23~ 1~i~, II" '! ,; J
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Discussion on Site Plan No. 22-94 Columbia Development Group 1.
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THESE ARE NOT OFFICIALLY ADOPTED MINUTES AND ARE SUBJECT TO BOARD
AND STAFF REVISIONS. REVISIONS WILL APPEAR ON THE ,FOllOWING
MONTHS MINUTES (IF ANY) AND WILL STATE SUCH APPROVAL OF SAID
MINUTES.
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(Queensbury Pl'ânhin'g BÓayd M:èet'l'ng
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1/23/96 )
QUEENSBURY PLANNING SOARD MEETING
FIRST REGULAR MEETING
JANUARY 23, 1996
7:00 P.M.
: .\ L
MEMBERS PRESENT
ROBERT PALING, CHAIRMAN
CATHERINE LABOMBARD, SECRETARY
ROGER RUEL
TIMOTHY BREWER
CRAIG MACEWAN
CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICER-JOHN GORALSKI
STENOGRAPHER-MARIA GAGLIARDI
DISCUSSION ON SITE PLAN NO. 22-94 COLUMBIA DEVELOPMENT COLUMBIA
DEVELOPMENT GROUP NATIVE TEXTILES
MR. PALING-We don't have an actual type written agenda, so I'll
just say that this is a workshop discussion referring to the old
site Plan No. 22-94, for Columbia Development, and I think you
guys just want to chat about it.
MR. LAPPER-Yes.
MR. PALING-So if we can, I think I'll just turn the meeting over
to you and tell us why you're here and all that sort of stuff.
MR. LAPPER-Okay. I'd like to thank you for coming out on a night
when you have no meeting scheduled. For the record, I'm Jon
Lapper, from Lemery & Reid. I want to start off with the Area
Manager and the Plant Manager of Native talking about the
facility, about what they've done and how they're using it, and
about the expansion, but in general, I just want to say that,
when this was approved last time, there were certainly a whole
lot of development issues that were contemplated, that there
would perhaps be an expansion, and now, a year later, they're
looking for an expansion. We came in without making a formal
submission, because we came as close as we could to some of the
thresholds, and were not able to meet them. We want to talk
about it, get some input. What you see in front of you is not
necessarily, it's not going to be the submission. We know that
we're going to be making some changes, but we wanted to just talk
to you, informally, before we made a formal submission, so you
could see where we're coming from, what some of the site
constraints were, the building constraints, and take it from
there. I'd like to start off with Phil Cosella, the Area
Manager, to just talk about the facility.
PHIL COSELLA
MR. CaSELLA-Hello. Fortunately for everybody concerned, my bad
throat precludes me from saying very much tonight, and actually I
don't really have a lot to say, because between John and Bill
pakalovich, who is our Plant Manager at the site that we're going
to be talking about, we'll be able to fill you in. Actually, my
purpose of being here tonight is two fold. Number One is to
thank those members of the Planning Board who were involved in
the approval of the site for the treco manufacturing building.
It's fulfilled all of our expectations. We've got a marvelous
facility over there. We think we fit in with the area. We're
certainly a very good environmental neighbor in the area. Just
as a matter of reporting to you, our productivity, our efficiency
and our quality production are as good as, or better, than they
ever were in the Pennsylvania location. That, considering that
we hired 100 new people in this area who didn't know a knitting
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machine from a Chevrolet when we hired tmem, our resourceful
training programs and the hand~ul of experienced people that we
were able to bring up from Dallas, Pennsylvania were certainly
just the tonic for our company. As our President, Mr. Kovitski
said, when we had our open house. one of the main purposes for
bui lding the kni tti ng factory, in Queensbury was to ensure the
jobs for the 450 ,people that have lived and worked in Glens Falls
for a great many years on the Warren Street site. That was Step
One, and- now~we~re co~ing back to you for Step Two of a very
logical consolidation of operations. A warehouse next to the
treco knitting business makes all the sen$e in the world, permits
us to be as efficient as we can be, which, in turn, keeps us
competitive in an extremely competitive business such as textiles
is~ We need that edge, because we need to get more jobs.' We
need to get mor e bus i ness . We need to. keep the 550 peop 1 e " now,
who are employed in the Glens Falls, Warren County area ensure
their jobs. So I want to than~ you for listening to us, a year
and a half ago, and I want to thank you for your attention
tonight, and we're prepared to answer any questions you might
have.
MR. PALING-Okay. Thank you.
BILL PAKALOVICH
MR. PAKALOVICH-My name, for the record, 'is Bill Pakalovich. I'm
the Plant Manager. I was'one of the people that transferred from
Dallas, .ran the plant in Dallas for about a dozen years.
However, before that, had worked in Warren Street for about six
years. So I ',111, familiar with Native Textiles, for all of 18 years
today, as a matter of fact. I don't have a lot to add to what
Phil said. He's right. It's been a raging success, the move of
the",plant. and we are at Step Two, and we're here. We need about
70,000 square feet of warehouse space. The logical place to put
it, and from our standpoint, the only place to put it, is
contiguous to the building. The product that we make in this
building will be transferred into this warehouse, through
internal doors. It makes no sense to be located anywhere bu't
next to the building. The only other thing I wanted to say' is
that this is Native Textiles see~ing this building. Although
Columbia builds the building, we'te the tenant, we're the
employer, and we pay the lease fees, the rental rates. So it's
Native seeking this addition.
MR. LAPPER-I guess we should take a look at the proposal and talk
about the issues that came up last time, and whatever the Board
would like.
MR. PALING-Okay. Just one thing before you go ahead, Jon. John
Goralski. John, you 'confirmed that all of the provisions, some
eight of them, in the original resolution, have been complied
with. There is no problem there?
MR. GORALSKI-To this point, the construction
and the opera~ion that's taken place is in
site plan review.
that's taken place
compliance with the
MR. PALING-Do you have any other comment, at this point?
MR. GORALSKI-Not at this point in time.
MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. LAPPER-Okay.
minutes of the
approved, and
compromises that
issues that, of
I, over the weekend, carefully went through the
last meeting. which was lengthy when it was
the issues that everybody raised and the
were made, and I guess we want to raise a few
course, the Board will raise, and the biggest
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issue was the setback from the top of the bank and blue lupine.
Those are what comes to mind to us. The Board had asked that the
whole building be 75 feet from "the edge of tme ravine and that
the roadway be 25 feet and for much of the site, we can comply
with that, but because of the grade-of the ravine at the top the
way it turns along the top of the ravine, trying to put a square
building along the top, it's impossible to do that and to meet
Native's needs to have a 75,000 square foot 'warehouse there. So
that, in the corners especially were certainly less than 75 feet
from the building, and I guess we'd like to discuss that, in
terms of stabilization of the bank, and issues that, the impacts
that you might think there would be as a result of that. We
don't think it would be a problem to do 'it as proposed.
MR. PALING-Well, téll us the distances you're' talking about now,
that is for the setback.
MR. LAPPER-It's,on your map, and I think, .the site engineer, Dan
,Hirschberg, is here, and he could address the specific.distances.
DAN HIRSCHBERG
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Yes. My name's Dan Hirschberg. I'm a principle
in the firm Hirschberg and Hirschberg, and we're here
representing Native Textiles with regard to this pröject. We
are, at a couple of locations, as close as 38 feet from the
building to the top of the ravine. We're as close as 38 feet to
the top of the ravine at a couple of locations, primarily due to
the shape of this ravine. If you take that top contour line as
the edge of the ravine, which is essenti~lly either the 384
contour, which comes· like this, or a 382, -contour, which goes
beyond there, we are as close as 38 feet, at this location right
here is the tightest point to that ravine. We have attempted to
work out, Number One, a circulatior1 pattern for trucks coming in
and out. The fire access strip which goes 'around the building
here would continue and becòme part of the access dr:iveway at
this pOint here. Trucks cou1d come in, do a turn, come baok in
he~e, then pullout and go back out again, on the same driveway.
We didn't think it was worthwhile to circumnavigate the building.
Number One, it creates some turning radius problems at some of
these locations, and also makes a problem with regard to access
to this strip here. The existing fire access road, which was
approved previously, is a strip of 15 foot worth of gravel
pavement that was put on this side of the building, starting 22
feet off the building, at this location. So it's 22 plus a 15
foot strip, and the building is located 50 foot off the property
line which is the minimum that was required. We think that this
access road as well as the construction of the building can be
accomplished, Number One, with regard to any impact with regard
to slope stabilization and erosion or sedimentation activities on
that ravine. First of all, let me just talk briefly about the
grading. We don't have a finished grading plan, yet. That would
be coming shortly, but the 386 eIevðtion is the floor elevation
of this building. In order to get a loading dock height, the
ground outside has to be four feet lower, so that the grade of
this driveway or roadway or these pads out here would be an
approximate elevation of 382. That is just about the grade at
the top of the ravine, so that, essentially, you will prevent any
fill or cuts, significant fills or cuts along the eÖge of this
ravine. Also from the standpoint of drainage, we can leave
higher ground between us and the edge of this driveway, cant the
driveway back toward the building, put drainage facilities along
this edge, and run it to a new stormwater detention basin,
probably in this area here, or immediately near our existing
retention basin, because we would like to connect those with
what's called a balancing pipe between them, so that any overflow
from one can go to the other, or vice versa, so we can take full
advantage of this for the purpose of stormwater management, but
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we think that, from a technical standpoint, with regard to slope
stabilization, erosion and sedimentation, stqrmwater management,
all this can be accomplished in a safe:manner, and preserve the
integrity of that ravine. We carefully tried to form that
driveway to miss those areas that were considered critical with
regard to stabilization and the ravine. We had original plans,
and I'm not certain as to how the Board would feel about this,
but this little stick. bump out of that ravine is really just a,
it's not the natural line of that ravine. This was an erosion
pattern that occurred, who knows how many years ago, but this is
essentially not, the natural line, of the ravine is actually a
line that cuts right across that little projection~ The question
is, would we propose to fill that in, to get a little more
clearance. We determined that we would like to preserve it. It
presents no problem to us to do that~ with regard to the traffic
pattern to provide adequate capability to get by that area.
MR. LAPPER-That's one of the issues that we want to discuss, and
if the Board felt that that was something that we should do,
we'll do it.
MR. RUEL-I have a question. Had yOU considered making the
proposed warehouse the full length of the existing building, and
making it narrow in order to increase the setback of the ravine.
MR. PAKALOVICH-That doesn't work for our product flow. We've got
schematics, if you will, of the racking that will be inside this
warehouse and this dimensions that are needed for those rackings.
There's only four copies, so if you'd be so kind as to share
them.
MR. RUEL-In other words, you need the width indicated there?
MR. PAKALOVIcH-Yes, we need the width.
MR. RUEL-But you don't have the width the whole length of the
building?
MR. PAKALOVICH-No, and that's because, if
print, the front part of that building
movement in and out of goods is going
storage is is where we need the width.
you'll notice on that
is where most of the
to happen, where the
MR. RUEL-It's at the rear?
MR. PAKALOVICH-That's correct.
MR. RUEL-Yes, and these are fixed racks, the length?
MR. PAKALOVICH-Yes. What we have is the racks in the farthest
back part of the building, there's an order picker that runs down
those aisles, and the aisle space is the most critical part,
because the order picker has to fit in there. The guy rides up,
in that area are boxes stored, I would say they're two foot by
two foot by three foot, perhaps, and they'll pick, 12, 13 boxes
and then return and load them on a truck, and the same thing
going in. They'll take in and locate 12 or 13 boxes.
MR. RUEL-So you have loading and unloading at both ends.
MR. PAKALOVICH-We have loading and unloading at both ends, but
the primary unloading is done at the far end. Okay.
MR. RUEL-At the end of these long racks?
MR. PAKALOVICH-At the end of the long racks, that's correct.
MR. RUEL-I see.
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MR. PALING-John, let me clarify something. On the contour map
here, it looks as if, when you look into this, you'd see quite a
dT!oP in that land. I wish I had wal ked back there today. I
didn't. It looks flatter, to me, than this drawing is. Where do
you run the, where do you consider the top of the ravine to be?
MR. GORALSKI-I would say, as Mr. Hirschberg said, that the 384
contour is kind of a big flat area, but where the 384 contour is,
the western side of that ,384 contour, and then the 382 cóntour is
what I'm considering the top of the bank there.
MR. PALING-All right. Then that runs right into the roadway.
The 384 mark runs into the roadway.
MR. GORALSKI-Yes; 384'is actually, there's a big flat area on the
west side of the bu i Idi ng," is at the 384 e'le\ilat ion, on the west
side of the existing building, and that's, I assume~ where
they're planning on putting the building. 382, if you went along
the entire edge of the ravine, you would say 382.
MR. RUEL-That's the entire one, yes.
that's only a short distance. 382
across.
If you select
is really the
just 384,
major one
MR. GORALSKI-I would say that's correct.
MR. lAPPER-In terms of the top of the ravine abutting a roadway,
when we had our pre-meeting, to sit down and look at this, Native
was able to makes' slight modification, based upon the different
widths between the different sections, 1 guess'the different
steel poles that support the roof, and we can shave another seven
feet off the width of the building from that second jut out.
MR. PAKALOVICH-On that print that you have you see, I think it's
40 feet, 41 feet, 42 feet, 42 feet, 42 feet, perhaps, whàt I just
handed out. We can go to 40, 40, 40, 40.
MR. PALING-In other words, you're going to move this long wall
east seven feet?
MR. PAKALOVICH-We can go seven feet more, yes.
discovered that this eVèning.
We just
MR. RUEL-This wall here?
MR. PAKALOVICH-That's correct.
MR. RUEL-Down seven, which increases the setback by, where would
the setback be now?
MR. PALING-And that brings yOU to 45.
MRS. LABOMBARD-Forty-five, thirty-eight foot setback.
MR. PAKALOVICH-Right.
MR. RUEL-Forty-five, you say?
MR. PALING-Well, at the most critical point, going back to the
other explanation, if that's 38 feet across there, and you add 7,
you get 45.
MR. RUEL-Okay, and the other critical one is the other corner,
right?
MR. PAKALOVICH-That's correct.
MR. HIRSCHBERG-This corner right here.
This corner would not
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
change location, if we knocked the seven feet off here, but at
thís location here would go from 38 feet, from that 382 contour,
to 45 feet, at this point.
MR. PAKALOVICH-And the front of that bui¡ding, the line ,that
cannot change, the reason for that is it lines up with a column
line that's already in the existing building, and creates a
central wall, if you will.
MR. RUEL-And unless you backed it up, by the other columns.
MR. PAKALOVICH-Well, it would need special trusses and those
sorts of things.
MR. RUEL-And this area is all wooded now, is it?
MR. PALING-Yes.
MR. RUEL-So the clearing, you'd have to clear that area?
MR. PAKALOVICH-Yes.
MR. RUEL-And· you would limit the clearing to just a few feet
beyond the access road, initially?
MR. LAPPER-For the building itself, the Board determined that as
little should be cleared, last time, as was necessary to that
building. More clearing will be necessary for the ~arehouse, but
that should be limIted to the same, as little as possible.
MR. RUEL-Yes, you'd have the same space.
MR. LAPPER-We also happens to have a landscaping pla~, but we
will also be planting along the top of the ravine as well, but
that's, as part of the landscaping plan which we haven't prepa,"ed
at this point. We expect. that the Board's going to want to see
plans along the top of the ravine.
MR. RUEL-Toprevent erosion mostly?
MR. LAP PER-A visual barrier, and to prevent erosion.
MR. GORALSKI-If I could kind of jump in. You asked me, before,
if I had,. anythi ng ,to say, now I do. When this w?s or igi na II y
reviewed, I was not here. I was not involved in the review. It
sounds to me like this issue of the 75 foot setback from the
ravine was something, it's obviously not in the Ordinance. It's
something that came up as a result of the review for some reason,
and now, seeking their addition, they're asking to encroach on
that 75 foot setback. I think the logical step would be first to
establish what the purpose of that 75 foot setback was, and then,
secondly, determine if there's another way to accomplish the same
goal.
MR. BREWER-I think the purpose of it was, þecause, before they
even did any construction, the erosion that occurred on that bank
was occurring without any conatructio~~at all, just from the
elimination of the trees and what not, and stormwater.
MR. GORALSKI-Like I said, I wasn't there before. So what I need
to know is, I really.
MR. BREWER-The erosion, basically, John. What had happened is.
MR. GORALSKI-I know there was some issue about cutting trees
before approval.
MR. BREWER-That wasn't our issue. That was a different Board.
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MR. GORALSKI-So the erosion was taking place, whether or not
there was a dèvelöpment here or not?
MR. BREWER-No.
MR. MACEWAN-No. The erosion was a direct result of clear cutting
the property.
MR. GORALSKI-Okay. That's my question.
MR. BREWER-That was the biggie right there.
MR. GORALSKI-All right. Okay.
MR. BREWER-So we, I think as I recall, I felt strongly about it,
that it should be more than 75 feet, and that's what we ended up
compromising as a Board, and as the developer, and the limit of
clearing was, I think the developer brought that in, didn't they?
MR. PALING-What do you mean, "brought it inU?
MR. BREWER-Well, I mean, they put it on their map. We asked them
for some sort of a suggested area where they wouldn't clear, and
we decided on this line here, if I'm wrong or right?
MRS. LABOMBARD-Right.
MR. BREWER-We decided
prevent any further
steep bank. This is
the meetings.
that this would be the limit of clearing to
erosion on the bank, because it~s a real
what we came up with as a result of all of
MR. RUEL-But how
existing building?
does that 75 fit into this, the old,
There was a lot of space there, right?
the
MR. BREWER-Well, r think because they, we did
warehouse, and I thi~k that's the number we came up
it?
discuss the
wit h, 'wa s n ' t
MR. MACEWAN-There was discussions about a proposed future
expansion of planting, and to further protect that embankment and
that ravine, we had tossed around the number of 100 feet, I think
it was, and we ultimately came half way or a quarter of the way,
and we ended up with 75 feet, and that WåS our efforts to protect
that bank where the lupine is, and the habitat down in there.
MR. GORALSKI-I'm just trying to make everything clear here. So
the reason for the setback was to protect the ravine, the bank,
from erosion, and alsö to protect the sensitive habitat, which
was the lupine, Karner blue butterfly.
MR. MACEWAN-That's correct.
MR. BREWER-Exactly.
MR. PALING-Not so much to protect it, John, as it was to maybe
even increase the flower, because there are no, there were no
butterflies ever found there by anybody.
MR. MACEWAN-But, in all fairness, when the survey was taken, it
was already after the breeding season when they, potentially,
wouldn't be there.
MR. GORALSKr~Okay; My second question, then, would bè, to the
developer, if they have some options, and to the Planning Board
if they would be receptive to some options. If those are the
issues, are there other ways to address those issues, and
maintain a 45 foot setback instead of a 75 foot setback?
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MR. RUEL-Are there some recommended ways of preventing erosion?
MR. GORALSKI-Well, certainly, there are ways to prevent erosion,
with regard to planting of more vegetation, different types of
construction sequencing so that, you know, there's permanent
erosion control put into place before construction, things like
that, and, you know, that would be something that the engineers
would come UP with, but there's no point in them even looking for
those options if the Board's not going to be receptive to it.
MR. RUEL-No, but if we know
possible, wouldn't that give
setbacks are concerned?
what the opt¡ons are, and they're
us a little leeway, as far as the
MR. GORALSKI~Absolutely.
MR. BREWER-I think, didn't we go through that a year and a half
ago?
MR. RUEL-I don't think so. I don't remember us ever going to
details about erosion control to eliminate the 75 or the lOO?
MR. PALING-I didn't think we set it at 75. We didn~t have to do
anything like that, but, no, if we had this same discussion then
we'd be talking about erosion control, and we talked about it,
mostly in other areas, rather than in this particular spot.
MR. MACEWAN-Especially over in the area on the other side of the
retention pond. That's where we had real serious problems.
There were trees that had been knocked over that had been knocked
over into the ravine, and there was serious erosion going on
there, and we enacted those measures to put those up immediately,
the hay bales.
MR. BREWER-What sends a light up to me is, if they're way back
here, and I don't think that you saw this map, Craig, but, I
mean, you saw it then. If they're way back here, a year and a
half ago, with no construction, and they took the trees out
wherever they did, and we had substantial erosion, what the
heck's going to happen when they get within 35 or 40 feet of that
thing? I mean, that thing's going to fall right in. 1 don't
care what you do. I mean, they did no construction whatsoever, a
year and a half ago, and they're 200 feet away from it, and the
banks are falling down.
MR. MACEWAN-Well, what happened a year and a half ago, and
correct me if I'm wrong, that was partially the mistake of the
outfit you guyS contracted with to take the trees down. They
went way beyond what they were supposed to. Is that not right?
MR. BREW~R-That's just my point though, Craig. They're going to
be to that point.
MR. MACEWAN-Well, hopefully, a lesson was learned the last time
around, and we'll be, as a Town and as an applicant, be able to
keep tighter reins on it, if that's something to go that way.
MR. LAPPER-If I could just respond, from the applicant's
perspectiye. We're coming in here and part of the reason we
wanted a workshop, is that we recognize that what we're asking
for is different than what you said last time you wanted tQ see,
and I think that what John is suggesting is very logical, and we
understand that the issues are stabilization and the, ~ won't
call it a habitat, but the lupine, because darn butterflies, and
we're prepared to do anything reasonable that will make the Board
comfortable in terms of engineering this for the stabilization of
the bank, so that you, the Planning Department, and the Town
Engineer look at with our engineer and determine is reasonable to
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make sure that these issues are addressed, and that any impacts
are mitigated or just avoided. We don't want to have erosion,
and we know that there's lupine there.
MR. BREWER-Has there been any consideration to Þutting the
warehouse on the other side of the building, with the purchase of
that property, possibly?
MR. LAPPER-This is the property line.
additional property?
You mean purchasing
MR. BREWER-That was tossed out to Jbe Nicola a year ago or
whatever.
MR. PALING-Does anyone have any concerns beyond erosion in this?
That is the center piece of our discussion. It's got to stay
there, but I wonder if there are any other concerns that anyone
has? The 50 foot setback for the safety travel of theemergéncy
vehicles, how do we define that? Can that accept this kind of a
thing?
MR. GORALSKI-That's defined
believe the plan, as closely
requirement.
under the Building Code, and 1
as I've looked at it, meets that
,
MR. PALING-Okay. Even though this is 45 feet, there is room
enough for emergency vehicles, and that's not a problem.
MR. GORALSKI-Right.
MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. MACEWAN-Is there any more room to move that building in, even
a couple of feet more? Instead of seven foot, come in ten foot?
MR. PAKALOVICH-It becomes very difficult. We haven't looked at
it to say. I'm sure it's not impossible, but it would be very
hard on the operation. We tried to design it as efficiently as
we could, and that's why, it's as close to square as can be.
Obviously, that's the most efficient operation you could have
would be a square building for a warehouse.
MR. RUEL-This addition, this warehouse addition, is not something
new. This is something that you knew would have to transpire
right from the beginning, right?
MR. LAPPER-Well, they hoped that it would transpire, if the
business justified it, but that's why, in terms of the ~eview
last time, it was suggèsted that this may be something that would
happen. Nobody knew that.
MR. PAKALOVICH-When you heard about it the lást time, it was a
concept, and it was in the square foot range, and you might have
even heard a number like 80,000 square feet. We've now pared
that down. Actually, what we're looking at i~ 69,600 sqUare
feet.
MR. PALING-That's after you take the seven feet off?
MR. PAKALOVICH-That's correct. So, you know, we've alreadY t~ken
advantage of some of the efficiencies of having a brand new
building with the'proper ceiling height, and allowing us to put
the racking in the way, the most efficient way that we see it
fitting, versus the 80,000 square feet that 'we're now using.
MR. RUEL-Question. The building is at 386, isn't it, roughly?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-The floor elevation is 386.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
MR. RUEL-Yes, and the top of the ravine that we're talking about
is 382. We're talking about f04r feet difference?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Yes, but the four foot loading doçk height means
that the roadway around the outside will be at about 384.
MR. RUEL-Yes, but what I'm thinking of now, as far as erosion is
concerned, there's only a four foot drop in, what, two hundred
feet?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-From the standpoint of erosion, 1 would say the
critical element is to prevent stormwater generated either
naturally off the ground, or from the new building, to find its
way to the top of the $lope and go down it. From an erosion
standpoint, that's the critical element. We think that this
particular plan works that way becauseþ if you can visualize that
this elevation is 382 with the edge of this roadway,
approximately, you have a 384 contour here. That allows almost
for a natural berm to ex¡st between the edge of this roadway and
the top of that ravine.
MR. RUEL-Two feet.
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Yes, but a two foot berm, stormwater very rarely
runs more than two feet deep. Most stormwater's running six
inches deep in the gutter, except when you have a river. We
don't have, essentially our capability is to control it through a
series of catch basins along the edge here. As a matter of fact,
as I said before, we propose to use the inside edge of this
roadway for our drainage system, actually cant the roadway from
the top of the slope back toward the building. So essentially we
can keep all the storm drainage away from the top of that slope,
and I think that there certainly are methods. During
cODstruction, as, most people will tell you that during
construction is the key time with regard to setting up erosion
patterns, and I think that it's clear that, unfortunately, when
the clearing was done, that wasn't paid attention to, but off the
get go, I'm sure that, this time around, we've learned a lesson
regarding being certain that before any tree is cleared or
anything is done, the erosion control pattern is set up, a series
of silt fences and hay bales, perhaps even going in by hand and
doing some of the work with small equipment to actually make this
berm,. this earthen berm which gives you added protection, and do
that all in advance of the first time we cut trees, or the first
time we do any clearing or any 9:radiT)g of this area right here.
I think, from a technical standpoint, and, yes, we would have to
present plans and details of how we intend to do it. We think
that it can be handled. When I said, originally, from a
standpoint of erosion and sediment controls, we think that we can
certainly accomplish that, and I think that that can be done
reasonably effectively, and more effectively by being very
careful with this process.
MR. MAPEWAN~From an engineering
would have to cut trees right
order to build that building
þuilding?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Have to cut the trees to here, and my guess is,
probably ·two feet clear of the edge of the roadway, maybe even
threeifeet to allow us to, as I say, berm up a little bit outside
so that we don't allow the drainage from the roadway to go to the
top'of the slopes. So the çlearing line, if you want to draw a
clearing iine, my gMess is, if you want to take the edge of that
pavement and draw a line three feet off it, essentially, you've
gQt a clearing line, because we don't have to do much grading
there. It's not like we have to cut five feet or ten feet.
We're just about on grade.
perspective, do you feel that you
to that edge of that ravine in
and that access road around the
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting
1/23/96)
MR. RUEL-You have a flat roof. Where does that water go?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Actually, it~s not a flat roof. It'sa shed roof.
It's a shed roof that goes this way and into a series of drains
that will come right along here. This roof sheds this way.
MR. RUEL-None of that roof water will be going on the ravine
side, then?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Well, yes it does. This roof sheds this way. It
comes down and goes into a series of catch basins along here, and
this one would go this way, would shed this way, toward the
ravine, but would go into a series of catch basins along the top
of that ravine, and that's why I said, essentially, what we would
do is we'd cant the roadway. If this is the edge of the ravine,
cant the roadway back toward the building, so your building wall
is here, and essentially not allow anything to come off that
building and find it's way to the top.
MR. RUEL-Okay. Now, the width of the building at that point is
roughly 150 feet or whatever.
MR. HIRSCHBERG-At this point here, it's 150.
MR. RUEL-Yes. Okay. So before the building is up, there's 150
feet of ground allowing water to run down over that 150 feet: It
drops down about three or four feet, right? That water now is
heading toward the ravine, which would possibly cause erosion if
it's not all caught up in the vegetation. Now putting the
building there prevents that amount of water.
MR. HIRSCHBERG-That's correct, because we're going to control the
runoff from that, ãs opposed to the natural runoff.
MR. RUEL-So, naturally, the way I see it, this helps to prevent
erosion.
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Our assumption is, Number One, we're going to have
zero runoff from our new site over that slope. If, now, there's
some runoff, we're going to actually improve it, but I want to
caution you, regarding the type of soil in this area, it's so
porous that off natural ground you get very little runoff, except
when you get a winter time rain on frozen ground. Obviously,
what happenèd last weekend was one of the worst conditions with
regard to this sort of site. You had a frozen ground here~ The
rain hit this ground here and actually found it's way to the top
of the slope and probably natural erosion would have had this. I
just want to point out that, 1 hate to give a Geology lesson, but
there's a Geology lesson to be given here, is that nature,
through time, tries to level all grounds. Essentially, it tries
to take soils at tops of hills and deposit it at the bottom of
hills, and that happens over geologic time, over thousands of
years. That's exactly what happens. So, essentially, the
propensity of this slope is to essentially try to flatten itself.
When it reaches an angle of repose, it becomes stable, but still,
when you're talking over geologic time, it's trying to build up
the bottom of it, and then flatten the top of it. They'll
eventually end up with a flat plain. That's essentially what
happens with weather patterns, with wind and rain erosion.
That's what tends to happen. Now because y6u're talking over
geologic time, dU1-ing the time that it's leased, the 15 years,
you don't expect much of that to happen, so these gentlemen are
safe with regard to this, and slopes are going to be stabilized.
We don't think that presents any stabilization problem with
regard to this building, but de facto, most slopes do tend to
move over time, and we don't think that this presents a
significant problem with regard to the stability of the building,
but we will try to stabilize this area here with new vegetation,
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
as was mentioned, and that's an important element.
MR. LAPPER-We would submit that as a stabilization plan for the
Town Engineer to take a look at, and the Planning Department.
MR. RUEL-We will have one? I was just going to ask that.
MR. LAPPER-Yes.
,MR. RUEL-You would have an engineering study or ~omething showing
us that what you're doing will not increase and possibly will
decrease erosion, etc.
MR. LAPPER-We'll absolutely address that.
MR. PALING-We'll have to make it a requirement, that this would
be.
MR. RUEL-I think it should be a requirement, in view of the 75
foot setback down to. 30 some odd feet.
MR.. LAPPER-We anticipated that you'd want that, and we think that
that's appropriate. In addition to the geology, I just want to
make a point~ certainly from reviewing the minutes of a year and
a half ago, it was in there in response to what Craig had said
before about what, happened before the development. There was
evidence that, because this was used by ATV's and motorcycles
before the facility was there, that there was a lot, and with the
sandy soils, that there was a lot of erosion over the bank,
because people riding motorized vehicles, and that's stopped,
because they're there, and because they closed off that access,
and that's a net positive, in terms of erosion, and in terms of,
you know, the unfortunate clearing that got too close, there was
no evidence that, in the back side, that that, even a couple of
those trees did go over, that that caused the erosion, or that
the erosion was there ahead of time.
MR. MACEWAN-I remember when ~ walked the site that there was
direct resu~ts of recent erosion from the clearing that took
place, in a couple of places, over behind that retention pond. I
walked down qver that bank, and there was fresh stuff. I mean,
we just had had a series of rains prior to that, and that was
directly a result of what happened there.
MR. LAPPER-My recollection is that, as a result of that, with the
concern that the basin was moved away from the ravine to address
that.
MR. MACEWAN-It was.
MR. RUEL-John, are the loading platforms considered part of the
building for setback requirements?
MR. GORALSKI-Yes, and I believe they're internal loading docks.
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Yes. These loading docks, these are just the
slabs. These are concrete slabs, and for your guidance, these
are three, 20 foot panels, so fhat the face of a 55 foot tractor
trailer is almost out to the edge of those concrete panels when
they're parked there. That's Just for scale, to give you an idea
how large those trucks would be when they pulled in. That's just
to the limits of the concrete approach slabs here, to your
loading dock.
MR. RUEL-You do have other sheets to indicate contours and side
view of the building adjacent to the ravine, and all that stuff?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-We would anticipate that we would come up with an
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
erosion control plan, strictly devoted to the idea of
construction time erosion control and permanent erosion cont~ol.
MR. RUEL-Specific to this area?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Specific. (lost words) and erosion control plan
that addresses all areas of this site that would be possibly
effected. We'd also come up with a finished grading plan that
shows the finished grades versus the existing grades. We would
show, essentially, an we can, as part of our finished grading
plan, also show sectional views, showing sections through 'this
area to show how it sits related.
MR. RUEL-In the critical areas especially.
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Yes. My guess is that our normal submission has a
lot of those items in it. We're also talking about pr6viding you
with a landscaped plan, including a landscape plan of those areas
where lupine grows now, and how to handle those areas, to be
certain that we're going to protect them, and also indicate è~eas
where we could provide for potential areas to increase the
lupine. Lupine tends to grow, if you disturb the soil, but we
don't want to disturb the soil right at the top of this ravine.
So we'd have to provide some areas in there that lupine grows,
essentially, when you mow the area, and you entirely clear it,
lupine tends to seed itself, if you have it overgrown with trees.
So, in the areas where the trees are, lupiné tends to get 'shaded
out. It grows better in the sm~ll openings within the trees. So
we would try to provide you with a plan that addresses all these
issues with regard to landscaping, landscaping and the lupine
development areas would also be (lost word).
MR. RUEL-Lupine eventually dies out, doesn't it?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Lupine tends, if you've been around a lupine,
seeds itself, sometime in late July. The seed pods actually dry
out, and they shoot out. They actually shoot out. The seeds
actually shoot out, and they quite often lay dormant for a number
of years in the sand, and then they, for some miraculouš reason,
they decide that that year they're going to bloom, and then they
bloom. We've found sites that we though lupine had been entirely
extraopated, all of a sudden comes back' when the conditions
allow, and as a matter of fact, in the Albany Pine Brush Preserve
area, which is here where a whole bunch of research is being
done, they found in the areas where there was no lupine, when
they burned the overburdened soil, and a couple of years later,
lupine reseeded itself. It was obviously seeds that had lain
dormant for many many years, because this was in the middle of
the forest area where lupine doesn't exist, but yes, like all
plants, it does tend to die out, especially when it becomes
overgrown with other parts of shrubs or trees.
MR. RUEL-In this letter I read there's an archeological site.
Where is that?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-When you say there's an archeological site, the
findings were essentially chirt flakes, corre¢t me if I'm wrong,
but they were chirt flakes from previous indian use. The chirt
flakes come about when somebody, in historic times, essentially,
took a piece of flint and sharpened the stone, sharpened against
an arrowhead or a knife or an axe, and these little flakes are
developed, and that's what they found in here. They found c~irt
flakes. We don't consider it an archeological site, but I think
that was located over in this area here?
MR. BREWER-Over by the road, yes.
MR. PALING-That's right.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
MR. RUEL-You're quite a distance from it anyway.
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Yes. Our new development doesn't affect that at
all, and we think that an adequate job was done of addressing
that issue in the first go around. We're not going to do any
change~ with regard to this particular area.
MR. MACEWAN-Roger, that particular area, I think the guy'S first
name was Kurt, and he's the Archeologist for the State. He found
some test pits over there where the proposed road is supposed to
be going, if they extended the Town road. That if they were
going to do that, it should go to a 5t~ge Two field investigation
would further warrant if it was an area that needed protecting,
and that's as far as it went.
MR. BREWER~As far as the protection of the lupine in the bank or
whatever, didn't we have Nature Conservancy come up with a plan,
and the developer worked with them? So why don't we just refer
to that plan, whosever going to do the engineering, so at least
you know what the guidelines were when we did that before.
MR. RUEL-There's no permeability problem here, right?
MR. GORALSKI-No.
MR. PALING-That's all been done. That should have been submitted
to the Planning office.
MR. BREWER-Right, but we should incorporate it into this.
MR. PALING-Yes.
MR. GORALSKI-And enhance it, if possible.
MR. MACEWAN-Correct me if I'm wrong, but that one little jog that
he's talking about up there, on the ravine itself, wasn't that an
area where there was lupine in there?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-Yes. Our lupine map shows that there's lupine
over the top of this area in here. 50 that's another reason why
we made an effort to avoid it, but 1 point out the fact that
lupine seeds, first of all, natural lupine seeds are hard to come
by. You can't go to a seed store and buy natural lupine seeds.
So that it's tough to come by, but we believe that, if, in fact,
we encounter some lupine, we might make an attempt to transplant
them with a big tree spade, which is essentially the only way to
do it. You can't really transplant them by hand or with a back
hoe or anything else. You really need like a 72 inch tree spade
would come and pick up a big section of dirt with the lupine
plants in them, and we transplant them with exactly the same sum
angle immediately adjoining with exactly the same groundwater
conditions, which are zero. There's actually, this soil's so
porous, there's actually no groundwater ~n this soil at all. So,
essentially, you can reproduce that, and we can transplant, and
we think that the lupine issue, we can actually develop some of
these areas where (lost words) to enhance the quality of lupine
that can grow.
MR. MACEWAN-What kind of approval process would you need to be
able to do that?
MR. HIRSCHBERG-I don't think that there's a habitat issue here,
because Karner blue butterfly have never been documented on this
particular site.
MR. LAPPER-That's right.
MR. MACEWAN-But isn't the plant protected?
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
MR. LAPPER-No.
MR. HIRSCHBERG-No.
MR. BREWER-The habitat is, but not the plant.
MR. LAPPER-It would be to your satisfaction just to show you what
we propose.
MR. GORALSKI-And I would think that if something like that was
proposed, that we would seek consultation from either the Nature
Conservancy or DEC, some expert, so that you folks would be
comfortable with what their plan was.
MR. PALING-Now we had them here before, John, and we had quite
detailed explanation of what was there. They were out on the
site. Two different people were out on the site. We were on the
site. What's new?
MR. GORALSKI~Well, 1 think what's new, from what I heard, is that
the original 75 foot setback was part of ~ plan to protect that
habitat, and if you're going to eliminate a portion of that 75
foot setback, you should have some way of addressing that loss of
prot,ection.
MR. PALING-Well, I think that we're talking an erosion issue, I
feel.
MR. BREWER-Both, Bob.
MR. RUEL-Yes, both.
MR. LAPPER-Part of the lupine is already in the
would seek to most likely re-plant blue lupine
because that's not going to be disturbed.
ravine, and we
in the ravine,
MR. BREWER-How can you re-plant it, Jon? Your engineer just got
done saying you can't re-plant it.
MR. LAPPER-No, by moving it. Transplanting it.
MR. PALING-Where would you get it?
MR. LAPPER-If there's any in the area at the top of the bank
where there would be disturbance.
MR. PALING-You would take it and move it.
MR. LAPPER-Right.
MR. RUEL-Give it a new home.
MR. LAPPER-Right, but a lot of it's in the ravine to begin with,
and that would never be disturbed.
MR. RUEL-So, now, do I understand that all the existing plans,
reports that were prepared for this original document will now be
modified to reflect this addition?
MR. GORALSKI-Well, I think what we'd have to do is consult with
those plans.
MR. RUEL-Shouldn't they be modified, though, to reflect this?
MR. GORALSKI-Right. If there is, if it's determined
eliminating a portion of that 75 foot buffer zone, whatever
called.
that
it's
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
MR. RUEL-That's a separate plan. That's a, separate repQrt. I
would consider that to be a new, separate report.
MR. GORALSKI~MY understanding is the 75 foot buffer zone had two
purposes. One was to prevent erosion of the ravine, and the
other was to protect the lupine habitat.
MR. MACEWAN-That's correct.
MR. RUEL-So now how do you propose to do the same thing without
the 75 feet?
MR. GORALSKI-Exactly.
MR. RUEL-Okay. So that's a separate document?
MR. GORALSKI-Right. I would say yes.
MR. RUEL-I think the gentlemen agreed that they would have this.
MR. COSELLA-Can 1 offer my recollection where 75 feet came from?
It's been a year and a haLf ago, and I'm not an engineer, but the
discussions on that very hot August night when my wife and I sat
here for four and a half hours while I was getting a civics
lesson. As I seem tQ recall, we were talking extensively about
the Hudson Pointe project, at which there was a 150 foot offset,
and I think it was a collective opinion that we weren't talking
about the same kind of a project here, that the~e was not a
residential situation to be recognized and dealt with, and I
think 75 became like a compromise, because 150 was not necessary.
I don't think it was scientific, but I may be wrong.
MR. BREWER-It wasn't scientific. Exactly what yOU said, that was
the setback on that particular devel6pment, and I happened to
pick that number because of the same type of bluffs that are
there are here, and that's how we came up with 75 feet. We
compromised.
MR. RUEL-Well, that's past history anyway. We're talking about a
whole new approach here, right, because of the proximity to the
ravine~ and th~ fact that you will have a report indicating that
you can control this, yoU will take proper measures, even though
you're a lot closer thaD 75 feet.
MR. LAPPER-We're prepared to address the stabilization issue, and
we're also going to address the lupine issue.
MR. RUEL-Correct. That's correct. Okay, but
that other reports that had been documented for
back in August, I think, should be modified,
reflect what we have now.
I was mentioning
this original one
if need be, to
MR. GORALSKI-If need by. I think what should be done is the
developer should revie~ a~l of those reports~ We'll certainly
review all of those reports, and if something changes that makes
those reports, you know.
MR. RUEL-All right.
the whole document.
To make it easier, you don't have to re-do
You just have to amend it.
MR. PALING-I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves.
Just let me summarize, or ramble, here for a minute if I can.
We've said there are two issues, the lupine situation, and the
control of erosion, but within that, there's quite a few branches
that we're going to be looking to you for. One is a very
aggressive erosion control plan~ and we will be looking at the
design of the building to see how the water runs off the
building, how you catch it, how you disperse it, and so on. That
- 16 -
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
you're looking to cut along that roadway, on the west side, for
the most part, of two to three feet to the tree line, and that'll
have to get special attention in there, and believe me, you
better take out some kind of insurance or something, because I
don't care who it is or what contract, if he comes in therewith
a big, wide 100 foot blade, and wipes out a bunch of trees, we're
going to have a heck of a problem, which is what happened before,
and everybody, and that was nobody's fault. Well, it was
somebody's fault. Please do somethi ng to ensure that, notHi ng
like that happens. Then this will also include a grading plan, a
landscaping plan, and planting to go along with it, and wê'll
look for this to be very aggressive, and provable in a technical
standpoint, that there will be no erosion of the area left after
the construction is done, and during construction.
MR. RUEL-During construction, also.
MR. PALING-Yes, during construction.
MR. GORALSKI-I would recommend that a significant amouri~ of "the
erosion control plan be put in place before anything else gets
done on that site, anything gets cut, any bulldozer goes in
there, anything, and that since now you do have someone in my
position to go out and inspect those things, that th6se things
all be in, in place, and all be inspected prior to one tree being
cut, prior to any building permit being issued, prior to any
other work being done on that site.
MR. PALING-I agree. Well, what kind of timing are you loo~ih9 at
with the construction?
MR. PAKALOVICH-Obviously, the critical window here is ordering
the building, okay. We would hope to start construction some
time in April, for occupancy in early fall to late fall.
MR. PALING-So we'll have to see you again soon.
MR. PAKALOVICH-Yes.
MR. LAPPER-We'll submit for next month.
MR. PAKALOVICH-As I've said, the big part of it is getting the
building ordered, and getting on the manufacturing schedule and
plant that makes the building and steel. It's about a three
month window to get that manufactured.
MR. PALING-Okay, and
anything tonight but
There's no approval
tonight.
you realize this is not, we haven't done
talk about it and give you our feelings.
of anything coming out of this meeting
MR. PAKALOVICH-That's correct.
MR. LAPPER-We're not trying to push this throu~h. We're here to
talk about it. We'll come back and if it takes a couple more
meetings, whatever.
MR. PALING-Okay.
MR. LAPPER-I'd also like to just address Bob's comment. What
happened last time was unfortunate, with the cutting, and that
was a subcontractor of the developer, Columbia. That was an
embarrassment to Columbia. It was certainlYdån emban"assment to
Native. It shouldn't have happened, but you're dealing with
professional people here, and they're going to make extra sure,
this time, that there's nothing that goes wrong. It shouldn't
have happened last time. It won't happen this time, and you have
John on staff now.
- 17 -
(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
MR. PALING-He can go right out his back door and see what they're
cutting, too.
MR. LAPPER-That's right.
MR. PAKALOVICH-We're there now.
be anythinQ done there, you
happening.
We occupy the site. There won't
know, that we're not aware of
MR. PALING-Yes. Now, are there any other questions? This looks
like it's a doable project on the basic agreement or basic
understanding we have tonight. Does anyone want to make any
other comments?
MR. MACEWAN-It just seems like the two topics that seem to be
everyone's concern is the erosion problem and the protection of
that ravine from the standpoint of the lupine in there. If we
can take any measurements that we need to take to make sure that
those two things are protected, I'd be very receptive to seeing
if we couldn't Qet somethinQ going.
MR. PALING-Along those lines, if it's necessary, and with that
schedule, tOQet somebody from the environmental group in, that
better be started pretty quick, too.
MR. BREWER-Well, they've got the documents that they drew up, or
whatever.
MR. GORALSKI-I mean, that's where you start from. You have those
documents. I have not read those documents. I don't know what
they say. If those documents are simply an inventory describing
the habitat, then the developer has to come up with ways to
protect that habitat. If those documents have specific
recommendations for protecting. the habitat, then they should
either be complied with or amended.
MR. BREWER-I think, if Y9U talk to Jim,
recommendations that she gave either Jim
whatever, which way to QO.
I think there was
or the developer or
MR. GORALSKI-Okay. Those should be looked at, and if those are
not being complied with.
MR. MACEWAN~You'ie talking about the protection of the lupine
there, when Elaine was talkinQ about that?
MR. ,BREWER-Elaine Ball.
MR. MACEWAN~There was discussion about even things as simple as
puttinQ a snow fence around the areas, but I can't recall whether
any firm plan ever materialized out of that.
MR. BREWER-I think they were to come up with some kind of a plan
and submit it. ~ don't know if they ever did or not.
MR. PALING-Let me read Item Number ihree of the resolution, of
the motion, "that there will be a plan to encourage the growth of
the lupine plant, and the eventual arrival of the Karner blue
butterfly. This plan will include possible re-planting of the
over-cut areas that were defined in the ~pplicant's map. This
plan will be submitted to the Town Planning Office for approval
by August 31." So we do have that.
MR. BREWER-So you must have a plan. If you don't, then they're
not in compliance.
MR. MACEWAN-This
recommendation, but
recommendation, though.
this resolution, that
I shouldn't say
specific item riQht
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
there is very vague.
MR. PALING-Okay. I just don't want you to come back and we get
hung up on something you're not prepared for.
MR. GORALSKI-Well, I would recommend that what you do is look
into that. I will certainly look into see~ng if a plan was
submitted. If a plan ~n't submitted, what I recommend you do
is come up with a specific plan that you can submit, and; as I
said before, since I'm here doing inspections now, I'll make sure
that that plan is complied with.
MR. MACEWAN-Bob, can I offer a suggestion? Why don't you go
right down the Board and let everyone have an opportunity to
express what their concerns are, so maybe we cßn get it right out
in the open right now.
MR. PALING-Go ahead. We'll start with you.
MR. MACEWAN-I think the things that are coming out in ~ mind
are, Number One, protecting that ravine, a plan for the lupine
and protecting that or re-establishing that. I'm interested in a
cross section of that Farr Road back there, and how water is
going to drain, not toward the ravine, but back away from the
catch basin, with a stormwater management plan. I think that's
J:!'!.Y. biggest concerns I have, to prove that it can work.
MR. PALING-Yes. Okay. Cathy, how about you?
MRS. LABOMBARD-Well, I concur with Craig. Twq things crossed my
mind as you were talking, and then when you addressed them, I
said, well, I guess they wouldn't have been too crazy a
suggestion, because I'm not an engineer, but 'òne of 'them was,
when you said you would cant the road toward the building, and I
thought, I could never ask them to do that, but then, but you
guys are the engineers. You're the designers. You can figure
something out, in today's day and age, and the other thing was to
actually take some kind of a dirt mover and pick those lupiri~ up
and move them elsewhere. However, Bob's bringing our attention
to this here, on the motion to approve the original site plan
does say that there has to be this plan in there, and that could
be a hang up, if we don't come up with it.
MR, LAPPER-There was a plan. Rich just reminded me that there
was a detailed plan that basically talked abovt planting natural
species, not seeding with grass, planting pi~e trees to create
the same environment that was originally there, and so that was a
formal plan that was submitted that John will find when he goes
into the file, and that was complied with. They're going to come
back out this spring, just to see the status and how it's all
developed and how it's taken, but we will update that 'plan, in
terms of applying it to this area of the property, as part of our
submittal.
MRS. LABOMBARD-It sounds good, Jon, and another thing is, as far
as LJ:n. concerned, as long as there is no erosion on the ravine,
then 'the setback factor, and we can get the vehicles, utility
vehicles, emergency vehicles, around the building, I mean, if you
can do it with 35 feet, fine, if you can prov¿ to us you have a
viable plan that's not going to fai~. That's ~'concerns.
MR. PALING-If we've got them at 45, lets stay with that.
MRS. LABOMBARD-I agree.
MR. LAPPER-It's 45, minimum.
MR. PALING-Roger?
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
MR. RUEL-Well, I feel comfortable with all the items that have
been çovered tonight, and the responses to it, and the applicant
has indicated over and over again that he will supply various
documents to take care of the items that we were concerned about,
erosion and ecological runoff water, etc., and I think if he
reviews all the existing documents and modifies them, if need be,
and generate the new documents we asked for, I don't see any
problems right now until the next session.
MR. PALING-Tim?
MR. BREWER-Pretty much the same thing. The landscaping plan is a
biggie, because they're going to be taking so much out away from
the bank. The groundwater, runoff, not necessarily the
groundwater, but the runoff, control of that, erosion is a
biggie, and the landscaping. I just see a lot being taken out of
there, and I just don't know how it's going to be stabilized, but
lets see.
MR. PALING-I think we've all said about the same thing. Craig
added the road cross section, perhaps, to the list, that I'm sure
can be done.
MR. RUEL-The applicant indicated he would do that, he would have
sections along the building with the road and the catch basins
and everything else, just as you requested.
MR. MACEWAN-That's fine. Maybe a footnote to this whole thing, I
think when we originally were talking, the last time around,
about a warehouse facility being put on this site, it was
primarily being talked about being put on the other side of the
ravine, with a bridge and everything else. I think that's what
got everybody's guard up, right off the bat.
MR. RUEL-Yes, smart move.
MR. GORALSKI-Something that I discussed with Jim today, and I
think bears mentioning, is that the Native Textiles Corporation
came in here talking about saving jobs in town and creating new
jobs in town, and in an era where we're losing an awful lot of
jobs in the area, they have done exactly what they said they were
going to do when they did the first phase of this project.
MR. RUEL-Here here.
MR. PALING-When I drove in off of Carey Road onto your street,
and I came around, I saw that parking lot and there's the
automobiles with people in there that are working at good steady
jobs, I felt good about this whole thing, and I think we've got
to do whatever we can to make Queensbury this kind of place. We
can't give the whole Town away, but there's usually a way you can
find to get the job done.
MR. PAKALOVICH-Just to add to that, I Just want to say one thing,
that Native Textiles, as you're all aware, has been in this
community for a long time, probably longer than most of us are
alive. Our aim is to be a good neighbor. If we need to mitigate
erosion problems and mitigate lupine problems, we will do that.
We're in this for the long haul. We're in this for the sake of
the company and the sake of those 500 and some odd jobs, and it's
important to us that this project works.
MR. RUEL-How old did you say the company was?
MR. PAKALOVICH-That building, believe it or not, was part of H. &
F. Binch Company in 1898.
MR. PALING-Okay. Thank you.
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(Queensbury Planning Board Meeting 1/23/96)
MR. LAPPER-Thank you.
---.../
MR. PALING-Site visits the 17th. The meetings are on the 20th
and the 27th, and it appears that we will have two meetings. I'm
gOing to ask that the elections be held as the last item on the
20th.
MRS. LABOMBARD-Will George be back?
MR. PALING-Yes, he will be back.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
Robert Paling, Chairman
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