City of Auburn Planning Board
Tuesday, June 6, 2006 6:30 PM, MEMORIAL City Hall
Present: Sam Giangreco, Mark DiVietro, Anthony Bartolotta, Laurie Michelman, Jill Fudo, John Breanick
Staff: Steve Lynch, OPED Director; Stephen Selvek, Planner; Tom Weed, APD; Nancy Hussey, Assistant Corporation Counsel
The Chair called the meeting to order. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and roll was called.
Agenda Item 1: Approval of minutes for May 2, 2006
Chair asks for a motion to accept the minutes May 2, 2006. Motion made by Sam Giangreco, seconded by Anthony Bartolotta. All members vote approval. Motion carried.
Agenda Item 2: Public Hearing for Site Plan Review and Subdivision for construction of 2,196 SF building for the purpose of establishing a credit union branch.
Chair invites the owner or agent to speak.
David Tehan, attorney. Subdivision documents have been submitted. SEQR shows no adverse impacts. The plan shows the lot lines.
Chair invites the public to speak.
Charles Augello, Brookside Dr. – resides across from the proposed development. Site is bordered on three sides by R1 neighborhood. Was at the February 2005 meeting when the office building was proposed and gave traffic and neighborhood impact concerns at that time. The credit union is a different use, a consumer service establishment. This is more impact than an office building. Traffic concerns are that Brookside Dr. is 1/10 of a mile and have four accesses to businesses there. Westbound traffic to the KFC has increased traffic. There is also the issue of tractor-trailers blocking the street when backing into the driveway to the auto parts store. Traffic
exits KFC and the auto parts store onto Brookside. This is a small, narrow street with no parking. Changes with the connector road are going to increase the traffic. Construction at the corner of Grant Ave is narrowing the street. Two subdivisions are being built on Prospect that will increase the traffic. With concerns to lighting, at the current location on Wright Ave the lights are left on 24/7. The access on Brookside would be in competition with that a 1st Niagara and the restaurants especially at lunchtime. Privacy will be affected. Also noise, car lights, a 24-hour ATM and lighting. Brookside Dr. is slowly becoming a commercial area. It has turned from the least obtrusive use to the most.
Chair closed the public hearing (no other public comments offered) and asks the Board for comments.
John Breanick – asks Steve Lynch about a traffic study. Any report of accidents?
Steve Lynch – traffic study does not go into accidents.
Tom Weed – does not know of any accidents on Brookside Dr.
Gordon Stansbury, PE, GTS Co. (Traffic Engineer) – has been involved with Brookside Dr. for a number of years. Worked on traffic reports for the connector road and KFC also. Observed Brookside last Wednesday. Based on data overall volume morning peak is low compared to evening. Commercial driveways are lightly traveled. Hair Salon and Auto Parts less than 10 during peak. KFC and the bank are the heaviest. Bank access at the corner (closest to the corner of Grant Ave.) is used mostly for entrance. Little to no delay accessing businesses. Greatest concern may be queuing at Grant Ave. This is not a problem in the morning.
Steve Lynch – questions queues on Brookside.
Gordon Stansbury – Moving onto Grant from Brookside the average queue for morning is 2 and 3 in the afternoon. Max found was 5 in the morning and 8 in the afternoon. 1st drive into the bank off Grant is most impacted. Queue was not a significant impact there. Trip generation for proposed bank and two subdivisions – the subdivisions will have a low trip generation. Neither will contribute that much traffic volume– maybe about 6 vehicles during peak hour. The bank does have a significant increase in traffic volume over the previously approved office building. However it is important to note that the office building would not generate pass by traffic where the bank will – these would (using the bank) be people out on the road anyway. Estimating the three
developments together the increase traffic load would be 20 – 25% more, which is reasonable and can be accommodated by existing roadway.
Steve Lynch – 20 – 25% more aggregate?
Gordon S. – yes
Steve Lynch – what would this mean in a real sense for someone driving or neighborhood residents?
Gordon S. – 1 – 2 cars per cycle of light added to the load.
Steve Lynch – even though more volume will be noted?
Gordon S. – correct. Did not note connector road as purpose is to connect North St. to Grant not Brookside.
Laurie Michelman – the conclusion being that there will be some traffic increase but not significant enough that the street can’t handle it.
John Breanick – during the study were any tractor-trailers noted?
Gordon S. – 3 heavy vehicles, 2 going for the connector road and one pulled onto Brookside and backed into the auto parts store. Do not expect these deliveries happening during peak times.
John Breanick – was the street developed with heavy truck traffic in mind?
Gordon S. – can’t speak to that – did not engineer it. The vehicle did not seem to have any problems maneuvering though.
John Breanick- with two new developments, if Sennet develops in this area it will add more traffic. Has this been considered?
Gordon S. – traffic going to and from Syracuse use Prospect St.
Steve Lynch – should that eventuality go into effect it would have to go through SEQR with the City of Auburn. It is not germaine to this matter this evening.
John Breanick – was pedestrian traffic considered?
Gordon S. – we were charged with a traffic study for Brookside. There is a sidewalk on Brookside Dr. that should be extended around the project. We did not note any pedestrian traffic.
John Breanick – what about buses?
Gordon S. – did not note any.
Chair asks for staff comments.
Steve Lynch – we spoke in detail at the last meeting about lighting. DRC has recommended that the site lighting be changed. There will be wash lighting over the site from stores and Grant Ave. This will help provide security and the Board should be sensitive to the surrounding residential neighborhood and the potential impact of heavy site lighting. Understands security desired but site will not be sitting in a pool of darkness. We have done our best to mitigate traffic by having access as far down Brookside as possible. In regards to buses the corner will be curbed and sidewalks installed so no one will have to stand in the road waiting (as they have to do now). Significant landscaping has been provided for further buffering. Storm water drainage has been reviewed and approved by
Engineering. Traffic study has been done. Compared to other uses allowed this is still a lower impact than what could be allowed under the C-3 Highway Zoning.
Sam Giangreco – will all the projects coming up and families moving in, sidewalks will be added to enhance the area. Being sensitive to owners, some projects talk about softening light but don’t follow through. This will have to be followed up on.
Jill Fudo – part of the ordinance states site lighting is allowed a certain percentage of spill over.
Steve Lynch – the ordinance states no glare over neighboring properties. This is why we have asked for lighting to be changed.
Sam Scro, FCU manager – we must have certain amount of lighting in areas by law. We are willing to work to minimize impact. We do have directional lights that do no leave the site. We will look into lights that reflect inward.
Jill Fudo – can we add something in the resolution to enforce lighting?
Steve Lynch- the Board can give staff authority to work with lighting or approve a lighting plan to be done.
Actions to be taken; SEQR for the entire project, subdivision and site plan.
Chair – asks for a motion for a negative declaration for SEQR. Motion made by Anthony Bartolotta, seconded by Jill Fudo. All members vote approval except John Breanick. Motion carried.
Chair asks for a motion to approve the subdivision as submitted. Motion made by Sam Giangreco, seconded by Mark DiVietro. All members vote approval. Motion carried.
Chair asks for a discussion on DRC discretion to handle and accept, or have lighting plan brought back before the Board. Sam Giangreco makes a motion to approve the site plan with DRC discretion concerning lighting, seconded by Jill Fudo. All members vote approval except John Breanick. Motion carried.
Steve Lynch – to clarify, the subdivision has been approved and the site plan has been approved with the provision the developer work with DRC on a lighting plan.
Chair – next meeting will be July 11, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. since the 4th is a holiday. Motion to adjourn? Made by Sam Giangreco, seconded by John Breanick. All members vote approval. Meeting adjourned.
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