Discussion on Real Deal Management’s warehouse proposed for Bracken Road made rounds once more during the Town of Montgomery’s October 30 planning board meeting, featuring numerous updates for the project’s site plan and plenty of public input.

Justin Ferrazano, senior project manager of Collier’s Engineering and Design, opened the hearing and informed the board about his team’s recent conversation with the town’s engineer regarding the project’s status.

Justin Ferrazano, senior project manager of Collier’s Engineering and Design, opened the hearing and informed the board about his team’s recent conversation with the town’s engineer regarding the project’s status.

“We received an update letter from MHE on October 6. We then discussed the letter with the town engineer, and we both agreed at this point, we’re down to final minor technical comments that can be coordinated as a condition of approval,” he explained.

Ferrazano then proposed to install the project’s force main, pipelines that transport wastewater, southward and connect it to Bracken Road’s force main.

“There are two options for the force main: you can go north and connect then to the DOT right away or go south and connect to an existing force main within Bracken Road. After discussing a little bit with Jim, we decided that going south into Bracken Road is the best approach, and he agreed that, once we receive our approval and move on to our next step, we can coordinate that item as well,” he said.
Ferrazano also mentioned that his team recently spoke with Chief Matt Hunt of the Coldenham Fire Department about the project’s collapse zoning.

“We have discussed and reviewed our position and our plans with Chief Hunt of the Coldenham Fire Department, and we followed up that conversation with an email summarizing the conversation, to which the Chief confirmed our conversation occurred. That has all been submitted to the board,” he said.

Other updates that Ferrazano delved into included replacing the project’s lighting with a different product, adding more buffering north of the building, and asserting that the warehouse complies with the town’s noise standards.

“We received the memo from Aurora, the town’s consultant, and subsequently, on October 16, our sound consultant, OAA, resubmitted a memo addressing those comments between now and then. OAA and Aurora have been working together, and you should have just received a final letter from Aurora confirming that the design does not exceed any of the noise standards from the town or the DEC,” Ferrazano said regarding sound concerns.

Before finishing his comments, Ferrazano requested that the board close the project’s public hearing so that the applicant and developers could finalize and move forward with their plans.

“We feel that at this point, we’re down to technical comments that we have no problem working with the board professionals on. We would like to move forward in the process, and we’d prefer at this time to close the public hearing and address everything else further as conditions,” he said.

Michael Kenny, assistant chief of the Coldenham Fire Department, prefaced that his department does not agree with the developers’ current plans and requested that they provide sufficient collapse zoning in the event that they need to fight a fire.

“In the collapse zone conversation, there was an email that was taken out of context. The fire company in no way, shape or form has agreed to anything as of right now in regards to the collapse zone,” Kenny said.

“The fire company is still requesting a collapse zone in the rear of the building. We have a 20-foot access in the rear of that building. We will not be able to fight that fire effectively without having a standoff that we can fight the fire effectively. That’s our standing with this, and we do not agree with the way this is being done right now,” he continued.

Joe Keenan raised concerns about the project’s buffering, pointing out that the proposed buffering along Baron Road would be cut down by Central Hudson during its annual trimming.

“I’m confused by the presentation and the buffer zone…you can’t put anything there, the primary on that side of Baron Road. Central Hudson cuts it down every year because the primary’s on that side of the road,” he said.

Keenan also read the project’s latest noise study and asserted that, while more in-depth, the study does not consider all potential noise sources.

“While the study does increase the depth of the analysis, I’m still of the opinion that the measuring of the existing traffic noise versus the anticipated additional future traffic noise from the warehouse fails to measure and include an important element…that being the sound of the connecting of trailers and, more importantly, the backup beepers,” he said.

Connor Eckert, senior development officer and vice president of business attraction of Orange County Partnership, complimented both the applicant and board for their work on the project and, in agreeance with Ferrazano, asked for the board to close the hearing.

“I think the applicant and this board have done a tremendous job of whittling the project to a point where we think it’s ready to advance. We have a real economic development opportunity in this site, in this area of town. In the past few months, even beyond, they’ve added buffering, they’ve reacted to the public, they’ve reacted to the planning board’s comments. It seems as if we’re at a point where we can now advance a positive economic development project,” Eckert said.

Brenda Sandage, a resident, explained that the project’s noise would intensify more at night than daytime since sound travels farther during the former.

“A couple meetings ago, it was stated that the noise decreases over distance, and that may be true during the day. But at night, noise travels farther, that’s why many towns have quiet time and a noise ordinance. So if this is going to run 24/7 or whatever at night, the noise is going to travel farther from those beepers, the trucks, whatever,” she said.

Additionally, Sandage questioned why the applicant did not consider a different area in Orange County to build the warehouse.

“It was also stated that this project would be a good economic growth for Orange County, and that’s fine. But Orange County doesn’t just consist of Montgomery, Orange County is a very big area. So why does it have to be built here in Montgomery?” Sandage asked.

Fred Reichle, the planning board chairman, stated that the board is not ready to make a final decision yet, and he and the board motioned to continue the public hearing on November 13 at 8 p.m.