Hutton Brickyards proposal advances
Board finds no significant environmental impacts
City Planning Board members have determined that proposed amendments to the site plan and special use permit for the Hutton Brickyards site would have no significant environmental impacts, but the review of the property owner’s proposal would continue.
The Planning Board’s determination was made during an online meeting Tuesday evening, March 30, that was initially scheduled as a joint session with the city’s Heritage Area Commission. Instead, the Heritage Area Commission is scheduled to meet separately on Thursday, April 1, to determine if the proposed amendments are consistent with the city’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Policy.
In addition to making its neg
ative declaration based on the state Environmental Quality Review, the Planning Board also closed the public hearing on the application for the property at 188-200 North St.
Attorney Joseph Eriole, who represents Hutton Brickyards, had asked the board to consider closing the public hearing. He had made the same request at a previous meeting but
had been turned down by the board.
“I think, once again, that we’ve really only heard a couple of different categories of comments repeatedly, which are basically does it comply with the code and the public access issue,” Eriole said. He said he believes all that is duly noted and closing the hearing would not preclude the board from continuing its review of the application from the developers.
Planning Board Chairman Wayne Platte Jr. said the public hearing had been
open for some time and he was inclined to agree with Eriole’s request.
“We have had a lot of input from the public and I think it’ll be just repetitive at this time,” Platte said. He added that the Planning Board would continue its review of the project during its next meeting in April, which would include discussing a proposed public access plan submitted by the developers.
Under the public access plan dated March 26, a restaurant on the site accessible by the public would open this spring. Additionally,
improvements to the existing Empire State Trail segment from the Kingston Point Beach to North Street would be completed by the end of summer 2022, as would the implementation of the Empire State Trail segment along the frontage at 188 North St. The plan also calls for the extension of the existing Empire State Trail segment running through the property at 200 North St. to connect to the existing Hudson River Brickyard Trail. The work for that would also be completed by the end
of summer 2022, under the proposed plan.
The plan also calls for a new Hudson River trail at the northern property line of 200 North St. to provide public access to the river, with the trail terminating at an outlook with public seating.
There are also long-term access proposals as part of the plan, including a public boat dock.
As for the amendments being considered by the Planning Board, Kevin McManus, a representative for North Street Brick Works,
previously said they come down to a few bathroom trailers, a driveway path to Lindsley Avenue, a crushedstone parking area on Lindsley Avenue, and a reconfiguration of the cabins on the site.
McManus had also said the recent purchase of the Cordts Mansion on Lindsley Avenue by the brickyards property was aimed at making it a hospitality venue affiliated with the brickyards but that there are separate issues that will be presented to the Planning Board.