Troy project passes hurdle
Council says apartments won’t have any significant impacts, despite opposition
Thursdaytroy The City Council voted 6-1 night to declare that the proposed construction of 240 apartment units at the city’s northern border along the Hudson River will not have any significant environmental impacts, setting up a potential vote in June to rezone the site.
Opponents rallied Native Americans from the Capital Region and Canada to testify that the 9-acre site at 1011 Second Ave. should be kept in a wild state but it didn’t influence the six council members, with their bipartisan veto-proof majority, to declare for an in-depth environmental review.
“In situations like this, one side or another is going to be disappointed,” said Republican Councilman Jim Gulli, whose 1st District includes the site. Gulli sponsored the resolution for the City Council to take on the environmental review.
Developer Kevin Vandenburgh has pushed to switch the zoning to a planned development district from zoning for single-family homes. Vandenburgh has argued that more of the wooded site, which also includes an acre in the neighboring town of Schaghticoke, would be preserved with the three large apartment buildings than with 32 single-family home lots.
Councilwoman Kiani Conley-wilson, the Democrat representing the 4th District, was the only council member to vote against the negative declaration under the state Environmental Quality Review Act.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a single letter except for the developer in favor of the negative declaration. I think we should issue a positive declaration,” Conley-wilson said.
The council voted 7-0 to hold a public hearing on the rezoning at 5:30 p.m. on May 25 at City Hall. Conley-wilson said she looked forward to the hearing.
The council could possibly vote on the rezoning at its June 2 meeting.
Council President Carmella Mantello, a Republican, said this was an instance where the two sides didn’t come together.
She said Vandenburgh has made concessions in the development of the project, including walking trails, public access, a sidewalk along Second Avenue and other amenities.
The Friends of Mahicantuck, which formed to oppose the project, went into the vote Thursday night anticipating the negative environmental declaration would be adopted. The group had argued that Native American artifacts, the environmental quality of the site, the increased population living on what is now wooded property and increased traffic would be among the factors that required a full environmental review.