Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Hiland ParkDraft Environmental Impact Statement
for:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Inland Park
A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT
Prepared for:
TOWN OF QUEENSBURY
TOWN BOARD
March, 1987
"MAKE NO LITTLE PLANS, THEY HAVE NO MAGIC TO STIR
MEN /S BLOOD AND PROBABLY THEMSELVES WILL NOT BE
REALIZED. MAKE BIG PLANS, AIM HIGH IN HOPE AND WORK,
REMEMBERING THAT A NOBLE LOGICAL DIAGRAM ONCE
RECORDED WILL NEVER DIE, BUT LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE
WILL BE A LIVING THING, ASSERTING ITSELF WITH EVER
GROWING INSISTENCY.
REMEMBER THAT OUR SONS AND GRANDSONS WILL DO
THINGS THAT WOULD STAGGER US. LET YOUR WATCHWORD
BE ORDER AND YOUR BEACON BEAUTY. it
DANIEL H. BURNHAM
1900V.1zIRi9:1 08
A Planned Unit Development
Action Sponsor: HILAND PARK CORPORATION
Contact Person: GARY D. BOWEN
HILAND PARK CORPORATION OFFICES
HAVILAND ROAD RD #1, BOX 91
QUEENSBURY, NEW YORK 12801
Principal Authors:
THE LA GROUP, P.C.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
468 BROADWAY
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK 12866
MORSE ENGINEERING
QUAKER VILLAGE
GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK 12801
RAYMOND IRISH, P.E.
SANFORD RIDGE ROAD
GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK 12801
MILLER, MANNIX, LEMERY & KAFIN, P.C.
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
1 BROAD STREET PLAZA
GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK 12801
Lead Agency:
TOWN BOARD
TOWN OF QUEENSBURY
TOWN HALL
BAY AND HAVILAND ROAD
QUEENSBURY, NEW YORK 12801
Approved Requested: PUD Zone Change (By Town Board)
Date of Acceptance:
Deadline for Accepting Comments: To Be Determined
Direct Comments To: Frances J. Walter, Supervisor
Town of Queensbury
Town Hall
Bay and Haviland Road
Queensbury, New York 12801
March, 1987
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This is a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
prepared for the Town of Queensbury Town Board, pursuant to
the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA)
(Environmental Conservation Law, Article 8) and implementing
regulations (6 NYCRR Part 617).
The proposed action, which is the subject of this DEIS, is
the approval of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) zone change
for Hiland Park. The PUD will consist of a Retirement
Village, single family housing, multiple family housing,
commercial space, extensive recreational areas and
facilities and open space. Site Plan Review for individual
elements of the project will occur as each phase of the
project advances.
Hiland Park is a multi -faceted community proposed for
development on a 713+/- acre site in the Town of Queensbury,
Warren County, New York. Of the site's 713+/- acres,
approximately 47% of the land area will be involved in
active uses while 53% will remain as open space.
The PUD proposal is the result of a comprehensive analysis
by the project sponsor, taking into account community needs,
land use considerations and environmental impacts. The
design flexibility encouraged by the PUD concept has enabled
a plan to evolve which effectively blends all of the above
considerations into a progressive and comprehensive housing,
recreational and commercial plan of exemplary quality. The
Hiland Park PUD "Sketch Plan" illustrates the design and
layout of the project.
The central open space feature of the PUD is the proposed 18
hole championship golf course. Surrounding the golf course
are 188 single family lots contained in six subdivisions and
299 multi -family housing units in four communities. Housing
in these developments will be offered for "middle",
"middle/luxury", and "luxury" markets. The golf course will
include a clubhouse and dining facility. Additionally, a
neighborhood commercial complex is proposed to provide
convenience type services to both residents of Hiland Park
and adjacent areas in the Town. A total of 295,000 square
feet of retail/commercial space is ultimately planned.
i
In addition to the golf course, Hiland Park will offer a
wide range of recreational opportunities to residents. A
multi -purpose trail system will be constructed on the site
traversing and encircling the golf course. Additionally,
some streets will be designed to accommodate bicycle paths
and jogging. Cross-country skiing will be promoted on the
golf course. A full service indoor/outdoor health and
racquet center will also be constructed. This facility will
include indoor tennis courts, handball/racquetball courts,
exercise rooms, swimming pool, health bar and a variety of
outdoor sport opportunities. Both the golf course and
health club will be available to residents in Hiland Park
and the Town at -large on a membership basis. Residents of
Hiland Park and senior citizens will receive a discount for
use of the facilities.
One of the most ambitious proposals in Hiland Park is the
development of a Retirement Village. This facility will be
a separate function on the site but inter -related with other
open space, recreational and shopping opportunities to
incorporate the elderly into the community. The Retirement
Village will offer 86 single family lots, 344 multi -family
residential units and a 240 unit congregate care facility.
Should an acceptable and qualified operator be available,
the Retirement Village will also include a 160 bed Critical
Care facility. As designed, the Retirement Village is
composed of a variety of housing that offers an increasing
level of care. This concept realizes that as one ages,
health care needs change and become increasingly more
important. The plan provides such care in a setting that is
familiar and acceptable to the individual. The Retirement
Village will also contain a variety of special exercise,
recreational and free -time programs which will be made
available to residents of the Village.
The total population that will reside in Hiland Park at
build -out is 2550-2660 people. Permanent jobs which will be
created to maintain Hiland Park and which will be generated
at the Critical Care Facility, Office Park, Retirement
Village and Sports Center will employ 559 people. The
project's fair market value, in 1987 dollars, is $220+/-
million.
ii
The PUD proposal includes the deeding of the most
environmentally sensitive and valuable natural resources on
the site to the Town of Queensbury for ownership in the
public domain. Approximately 60+/- acres of the site are
proposed to be deeded to the Town. This land area includes
33+/- acres of currently regulated and proposed NYSDEC
wetlands, the Halfway Creek Stream corridor and a mature
woodlot. Fishing access rights are also proposed to be
given to DEC along Halfway Creek. The land gift to the Town
is proposed in compliance with Town of Queensbury Local Law
#6.
The Hiland Park site is currently zoned Single Family
Residential (SR-30) which allows one principal building per
30,000 sq.ft. and Urban Residential (UR-5) which allows one
principal building per 5000 sq.ft. Of the 713+/- acres of
land, 637 acres are zoned SR-30 and 76 acres are UR-5. Both
zones allow the creation of a PUD with site plan review.
The project site is situated within the Halfway Creek
drainage basin and adjoins DEC regulated wetland W-11.
Halfway Creek is currently classified by DEC as Class AA
water. No development is proposed within wetland W-11,
however, some golf course fairways are proposed within the
100 foot buffer zone.
Potable water service for Hiland Park will be provided by
the Town of Queensbury. Hiland Park Corporation will be
responsible for the extension of municipal water mains to
obtain such service. A total of 390,000 GPD are proposed to
be consumed in Hiland Park at build -out. Municipal sewage
treatment at the Glens Falls sewage treatment plant is
desired, but may not be available. If it is not available,
a combination of on -site in -ground septic disposal systems
employing both conventional and alternative leaching devices
are proposed for most single family and multi -family housing
areas to the north of Haviland Road. Most sewage generated
to the south of Haviland Road (the proposed area of most
intense land use activity including the Retirement Village
and Office Park) will be serviced by a tertiary treatment
plant. Effluent will be discharged to Halfway Creek. A
total of 221,950 GPD will be treated in the septic systems
and 167,000 GPD at the tertiary plant. Halfway Creek will
also be employed as the source for golf course irrigation
water. Alternatives planned for use as back-up sources of
irrigation water during summer low flows of the Creek
include purchasing the water from the Town of Queensbury and
developing an on -site well source. Total annual irrigation
water is projected to be 15 million gallons with 400,000 GPD
being the maximum 24 hour demand. The table, "Hiland Park
Key Data" summarizes the above statistics pertaining to the
project.
iii
A number of alternative technologies were considered for the
disposal of sewage, source of potable water supply, source
of golf course irrigation water and golf course maintenance
programs. Sewage alternatives explored included both
municipal and a variety of on -site treatment options.
Potable water service options considered also included both
municipal and on -site sources. Alternatives for irrigation
water will all be developed to provide for irrigation water
during the summer low flow of Halfway Creek.
Several environmental impacts and mitigative measures have
been identified in relation to sewage disposal, stormwater
management, wetland and stream corridor maintenance and
traffic generation. The DEIS considers these issues and
offers sufficient mitigative measures to minimize related
impacts.
Some adverse impacts and irreversible and irretrievable
commitments of resources are also identified. The most
significant impact is related to the future preclusion of
farming on the site. Development of the Hiland Park PUD
will place uses on the site and result in a financial
investment that will permanently result in the suspension of
farming as a potential land use.
The DEIS also concludes that full development of the Hiland
Park PUD will have a growth inducing affect on the community
and adjacent environs. Municipal water service will be
extended to an area which is not serviced today. In
addition, telephone, electric, gas and cable services will
also be extended. The very nature of the PUD will also have
a growth inducing effect on the environs. Construction of
the golf course, recreational amenities, commercial services
and sports center will provide facilities in an area in
which they are not now available. The office park,
commercial facilities, Hiland Park maintenance operation and
other uses will generate jobs which may also attract people
to the area. Additionally, the existence of such a "self-
contained" community may promote the development of adjacent
lands with similar residential uses.
iv
HILAND PARK
KEY DATA
WHEN PROJECT IS COMPLETE
1.
713 Acres in P.U.D.
2.
334 Acres Developed 47%
3.
379 Acres Open Space 53%
4.
(60+ acres proposed land gift approx.
10%)
5.
5.8 miles of new town roads
6.
3.2 miles of new private roads (to town
standards)
7.
1157 total dwelling units
188 single family homes
299 multi family
670 retirement village
8.
380,000 GPD of town water
9.
390,000 GPD of sewage produced
10.
$220 million value of PUD when fully
constructed
11.
Employment during construction:
35-220 people
12.
Employment after construction: 559
Hiland Park Corp. 235
Retirement Village 324
13.
Total people living in Hiland
Park 2550
to 2660