Natural gas plan clears hurdle

No further environmental review needed, board rules

The city Planning Board has ruled a proposal by Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. to build a natural gas regulator station on Washington Avenue needs no further environmental review.

During a meeting Monday evening, the board voted unanimously to declare the proposal a “Type II” action under the State Environmental Quality Review, or SEQR, law. According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Type II actions are those that “have been found categorically to not have significant adverse impacts on the environment, or actions that

have been statutorily exempted from SEQR review.”

Applicants in such cases do not need to complete environmental assessment forms or environmental impact statements, the department says.

The Planning Board’s vote, however, does not conclude the review of the proposal. The project still requires a special permit from the board.

Board Chairman Wayne Platte said the city will continue to accept written comments about the proposal, but would not reopen a public hearing on the matter.

The regulator station, if approved, would be on a vacant lot at 245 Washington Ave., at the corner of Janet Street, in Uptown Kingston.

Sarah Wenk, who lives on Main Street, near the site, told the Planning Board that neighbors are not happy that Central Hudson has not followed through on an agreement made in October to meet with stakeholders to talk about alternative locations for the regulator station. She said if the Washington Avenue site was not available, the utility would find another location to build on.

“I think that there is some room here to discuss the process more thoroughly,” Wenk said. She said there was no need to rush through the process and put a big piece of disruptive, industrial equipment in a densely populated residential area.

Wenk’s comments were echoed by other speakers, who expressed concerns about how the station would affect property values in the area, as well as the health and safety of residents.

Christopher Livecchi, who lives on Janet Street, said if the proposed station is allowed at 245 Washington Ave., it would set a precedent of Central Hudson building new aboveground infrastructure in a residential neighborhoods. He said if the character of the neighborhood changes and property values decrease, that precedent still would stand.

Livecchi asked the board, in part, to give the public more time to put together its own documentation regarding Central Hudson’s proposal. He also asked the board to use its power to require Central Hudson to meet with their representatives and members of the Uptown Kingston Community Alliance to explore alternative locations.

Attorney Anthony Morando, who represents Poughkeepsiebased Central Hudson, said there is no less-restrictive area where the station could be located and that the utility has done its best to comply with city codes and engineering principles.

“I think one thing that’s important to keep in mind is that Central Hudson has done its due diligence,” Morando said.

Engineer Daniel Farnan also outlined some changes Central Hudson has made to its proposal for the station in response to public comment. He said the location of the station itself would be shifted on the property to be 25 feet closer to Washington Avenue and that additional vegetation would be planted to screen the facility. Farnan also said the proposed chain-link fence around the station would be changed to decorative vinyl.

Central Hudson is proposing the new regulator station to replace existing underground apparatus on nearby Emerson Street that was built in 1930. The new station would consist of two lines that come out of the ground and go through equipment, which is designed to balance the pressure of natural gas running to approximately 5,100 customers.

Tera Stoner, an engineer for Central Hudson, said the gas regulator station needs to be near the area already being served because the pressure in the pipe distribution system is not strong.

“You gotta keep it towards where the customers are,” she said.

Stoner also said the utility already has multiple regulator stations in residential areas of Kingston.