Plant applicant is told to clarify numerous points
The town of Kingston Planning Board wants the developer of a proposed concrete and steel fabrication plant on Route 28 to address or clarify 40 matters before the environmental assessment form for the the project’s application can be considered complete.
The proposal by developer 850 Route 28 LLC was the subject of a public meeting Wednesday evening at M. Clifford Middle School in the town of Ulster that drew about 190 people. The meeting was held at the Ulster school, instead of in the town of Kingston, because the Kingston Town Hall doesn’t have a room large enough to accommodate the crowds that have turned out for discussions about the Route 28 project.
Barry Medenbach, the project engineer for the developer, seemed unfazed by the Planning Board’s request for certain clarifications.
“A lot of these ... are very straightforward,” Medenbach said. “A lot typos ... some are minor, some are a little more significant.”
The application calls for the construction of two 120,000-square-foot buildings at 850 Route 28 for the manufacture of steel and precast concrete bridge decking. Medenbach said a “hypothetical” third 120,000-square-foot building on the 110-acre property was included in the application at the request of the state Department of Transportation so that various traffic scenarios could be evaluated.
If approved, the manufacturing buildings would be constructed on the site of a former quarry surrounded by the Bluestone Wild Forest Preserve and Open Space Institute property.
Changes requested by the Planning Board were drafted by attorney Richard Goldman. He asked the developer to correct several statements in the application, including an inaccurate characterization of the board’s Aug. 29, 2019, decision to rescind its previous declaration that the project would have no environmental impact.
Goldman said a reference to the board making the change because of a “procedural error” should be changed to reflect the board’s determination that “new information presented by the public comments” played a role.
Goldman also said the developer needs to eliminate the term “industrial use” from a section of the application that describes what current zoning allows on the property.
“The MU-2 zone is primarily a commercial zone and should be referenced as such,” he said.
Goldman also wants the developer to clarify language that heavy equipment usage on the property was determined to be acceptable by the town building inspector, rather than “approved” by the town.
The attorney said 850 Route 28 LLC also needs written verification that the state considers planned work at the site to be exempt from mining regulations.
The developer also was told a bald eagle study needs to be re-evaluated annually and expanded stud
ies regarding noise need to be conducted.
“The applicant only measured the ambient noise from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,” Golden said. “This should have been 24 hours since the project [would be] open and operating 24 hours a day.”
Drainage issues are to be addressed when a new site plan is submitted. Medenbach said plans include establishing a pond on the property that will catch storm water runoff before it flows under state Route 28 toward the Esopus Creek.
The project application is to be reviewed again at the Planning Board’s March 16 meeting.