In its first incarnation, the multiple-family housing development proposed for Rt. 32 in Glasco consisted of townhouse units to be occupied by the owners. Developers then proposed rent-subsidized apartments, and the project was called Dickinson’s Keep. Large protests from those opposed to affordable housing, along with a lack of state funding, doomed that project.
The latest incarnation, which calls for 80 market-rate apartments with 128 bedrooms in 40 semi-detached and detached buildings, was approved by the Saugerties Planning Board Dec. 15.
The buildings will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units on approximately 13.6 acres. The developer is Paul Page of Kingston.
Although the project would be the biggest piece of new construction in Saugerties since the Diamond Mills Hotel and Convention Center, completed nearly four years ago, it has not drawn much public comment. Indeed, the Planning Board’s Dec. 15 meeting was mostly concerned with arcane issues surrounding the county Planning Board’s modest critiques of the developer’s plans.
For example, the county endorsed plans for the project to have driveway links to adjacent developments to avoid congestion at the Rt. 32 exit. Engineer Bruce Utter said a new traffic study answers the county’s comments on the increase in traffic the project could cause. The number of trips per hour, about 30, was well below the threshold of 100 that would require modifications.
On the county’s concern that the project should be using more up-to-date methods for managing storm water, Utter assured the town that only minor modifications to a previously approved plan for the site would be necessary.
The developer was also able to reassure the board that the project would have enough trees, despite the county’s complaint on that subject.
In response to Planning Board member Dan Weeks’ comment that he was not happy with a tree every 20 feet as shown on the plans, the property developer, Paul Page, said he had spoken to the neighbors, “and they all gave me a thumbs-up. In some cases they wanted some revisions, and I passed them on to Bruce [Utter], and he made them.” He said one neighbor wanted additional screening by trees, and this was done.
Every unit has a private balcony or terrace, Page said, with fencing on the second-floor balconies. In response to questions from Weeks and board member Carole Furman, Page said he provides landscaping beyond what is shown on the plans. “It’s something we take upon ourselves, in many respects. If the board wants to include this as part of the plan, that’s OK, but when we design a place we want it to look nice; we want residents to want to rent it.”
The board voted unanimously to override all the county comments, which requires a two-thirds majority of the board, and voted to adopt an eight-page resolution approving the site plan.
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