The Town of Newburgh Planning Board declared lead agency for the warehouse and office project known as MKJ Park, LLC Office & Warehouse, located along Route 32, on Thursday, November 2.

The proposed project, located on a 15 plus or minus acre parcel, is a 173,000 square foot warehouse and office building. The office component of the building will be 7,000 square feet, while the warehouse would be 166,000. A singular access road is located on site and no tenant was identified.

The project representative, Engineer John Queenan of Lanc & Tully, PC, returned before the board and updated them that a traffic study has been completed by the applicant, and it was recommended that a left turn lane be implemented heading into the site. Plans have been sent to the New York State Department of Transportation, but the applicant has not heard back at this time.

The entrance drive to the site has now been widened to 30 feet wide for easier truck access, along with reconfigurations of the parking lot. The project proposes loading docks on only one side of the structure.

Reviewing a retaining wall in the rear, project elevation changes see the project lower into the hill, according to Queenan. With residential parcels near the project, which is located in the IB (interchange business) zone, the applicant is looking to balance the buffer zone with the grading of the building.

The recommendation of the planning board with maintaining the buffer would be adding trees such as white pines or trees that retain their leaves. An updated plan that identifies the trees on site will be later submitted to the board for review.

No charging stations for electric vehicles are proposed for the site and the application does have an included lighting plan to be reviewed by the planning board, according to Queenan. The project has been noted to require a secondary access but Queenan said he does not see that being a successful venture, thus leading to a state waiver.

MHE Engineering notes that the building is over 30 feet high and thus the building is required to have two access points which were addressed in the meeting with no immediate success in gaining that access.

A Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) must be submitted, lot width measurements should be clarified, a sub-surface sanitary sewer disposal system design must be provided and a wetland mitigation plan must be provided in future project submissions as wetlands have been identified to be disturbed.

Other comments note review of parking calculations, the adequacy of the buffer between the site and the residential parcels, addressing the water supply to the structure for potable water and firefighting and hydrant locations and having a visualization or graphic depicting building height compared to the residential parcels. Once a complete application is submitted, it will be referred to the Orange County Planning Department for the review, a New York State Department of Transportation review will be required and compliance with the Tree Preservation Ordinance should be documented.