By Doug La Rocque
At its April 28 meeting, The Berlin Planning Board was presented with plans to build a Dollar General Store on two acres of land on Route 22 in Berlin. The land is to be purchased from the owners of Eagle Energy and located on the north side of their structure. Caryn Mlodzianowski of Bohler Engineering showed the Board the outline of the building, where 34 parking spaces would be located, a newly constructed entrance off Route 22, as well as greenspace, shrubbery and a ground water containment facility.[private]
As presented by Mlodzianowski and confirmed by the Board, the land is currently zoned for such an enterprise. It would require a subdivision of the property, owned by Larry King and Cheryl Maxon. The present owners would keep slightly more than an acre, and sell the other two acres. The size of both plots would still meet zoning requirements. The Planning Board must still accept a short form SEQR and has scheduled a public hearing on the proposal for Thursday May 26 at 6:45 pm in the Town Hall.
King and Maxon said they were approached by the company late last year but just recently agreed to the sale. In one of their latest press releases, Dollar General has committed to opening 1000 new stores by the end of 2017. They also mention that these stores will be designed to fit the scope of the communities in which they lie. Dollar General recently pulled out of a deal to open a $93 million warehouse in Wilton, but in media reports, said it still plans to construct a distribution facility in New York State. The Eastwick Press has reached out to Dollar General seeking information on the scope of the facility, its construction timeline, and what possible employment opportunities it presents, but to date, they have not responded.
Following the Dollar General presentation, the Board began to debate who would be the best consultant for the Town to hire to represent it in deliberations with SAFE holdings, the builders of the sustainable aquafarm facility, about its proposed change in use. The proposal will require the extensive environmental review, the scope of which is beyond the Board’s expertise, thus requiring the services of a professional engineering firm. By law, however, the cost of this firm will be borne by the developer, not the Town. The Board narrowed down their choice to Clough Harbour Associates of Albany and The Chazen Companies of Troy. They decided to hold a special meeting at 7:15 PM on Thursday May 12th to make a final decision. They will then make the recommendation to the Town Board, which having chosen to be lead agency, will make the final decision. What changes or expansion SAFE Holdings plans for the site remains a mystery. Planning Board Chair Pamula Gerstel said the information should be forthcoming when the SEQR form is presented.
A Division Of Land Along
East Shore Drive To Be Considered
Brian Barto appeared before the Board with what was thought to be a simple boundary line adjustment, but after looking over survey maps and a difference between those maps and tax maps on file with the Rensselaer County Clerk’s Office, it was decided a subdivision was the proper route to follow. The piece of property, at 14 East Shore Drive, was recently purchased by Barto and Jack Cline, and is currently landlocked between their properties. Barto was advised to return with Cline at the Board’s May 26th meeting with the boundary line clarifications and a short form SEQR. If accepted by the Board, a public hearing would then be scheduled.[/private]