After weeks of negotiations between the Town of Lloyd and Keith Liebolt, developer/owner of the High Bridge Residential Project, the Planning Board granted significant concessions to Liebolt, as they have done before for this project.

Building Department Director Dave Barton explained the last details that are being addressed at the site.

Initially, the board’s understanding was that Liebolt would provide a safe pedestrian path from the Rail Trail, through his property and out onto to Vineyard Avenue. Instead, the Planning Board is allowing Liebolt to provide a sidewalk on the Commercial Avenue Extension rather than having it run through the property.

A 10’ x 10’ school bus shelter for use by the residents has been erected at the entrance to the project off Vineyard Avenue, deemed the right location because a guard rail and a boulder will protect it in both directions.

Cooking grills and picnic tables will be placed on the easterly side of the building and at the proper distance, with an added post and rail fence located along the top of the slope for safety reasons.

On the rail trail side of the building additional deciduous trees will be planted within the grading and landscaping easement of town property and a fence will be added to provide visual and physical separation between the trail and the project site.

A solid board fencing will be installed to enclose the dumpster, keeping it out of view.

An aluminum safety fence will be installed along the northern side of the on-site sidewalk, north of the storage building.

The second story short “Romeo and Juliet” balconies will remain because the building cannot support the weight of larger balconies. Each balcony has a sliding glass door and a screen.

The bridge abutment repairs at the driveway entrance will be done in the spring. Calculations have shown that the bridge can carry sufficient weight limits but additional drilling and concrete work will be done around the piers to prevent a significant flood from undercutting the bridge pilings. Barton said, “they are going to create new footings for those [bridge] head-walls. They are going to come out a little bit and expand both sides and pin it back into the slope so that those head-walls can’t get undercut.” Planning Board Chairman Fred Pizzuto said, “new concrete will be poured down and around both of those head-walls.”

Barton is working with the developer to provide some form of a cap to shade and direct downward the outside lighting on the property, noting that the developer has already stepped down the brightness by nearly 200 lumens.

A cash bond of $158,000 will remain in place until all of the site construction is competed to the satisfaction of the Building Department.

The High Bridge project was approved by the Planning Board without two of the 20 units set aside to meet the required provisions in the Affordable Housing code. Barton said the matter is now in the hands of the Town Board and if they decide to retroactively require affordable housing in already approved projects, “then we’ll deal with it then...I’d advise them not to go back because I think that’s litigation that the taxpayers pay for; we’ll win, but we’ll pay for it and I’m not sure what the upside of two units in one building pays the town in terms of affordability to offset the cost of the litigation.”

Barton noted that Mountainside Woods has in place an Affordable Housing plan for their project and the Dollar General/apartment complex has to submit a plan before they receive final approval.

A town committee is being developed that will include residents to make sure that the provisions of the Affordable Housing code are met. Barton said his department is willing to assist in the clerical and administrative aspects of the program. He said there is still, “a lot of work in front of us,” especially on how the town will administer the program and how eligibility is determined while ensuring that property rights of tenants are protected.

Barton reflected upon the approval of the High Bridge project after a lengthy and contentious process. Just weeks after receiving Planning Board approval the former owner flipped the project and sold it to Keith Liebolt.

“This thing has been nothing but gray hairs for me since the very first day the applicant came here; some of you remember it was a terrible night for all of us,” he said, pointing out that the new owner, Keith Liebolt has been, “great to work with...and they’ve really done a nice job. They’ll get this [final work] done.”