The meeting was pretty poorly attended. Its purpose was to describe what the Airport Area GEIS is, what it is supposed to accomplish, and the process for updating it for the next 15 to 20 years of growth in Colonie.

Prior SAVE posts have explained what the Airport Area GEIS is and what it was supposed to accomplish. Most important for going forward, the 1991 GEIS was supposed to predict the amount and types of growth that are likely to occur, given the then-current zoning and growth trends, determine the infrastructure and other needs if that growth occurred, and assign mitigation fees per sq ft of development to pay the town for the cost of this needed mitigation/infrastructure.

So how did those predictions bear out? Were the fees collected sufficient to pay for the necessary mitigation predicted in 1991? Did all the mitigation fees go to the needed projects within the Airport Area?

In creating the new 2017 Airport Area GEIS, the Planning Board will be the “lead agency” under SEQRA. There will be coordination with many “involved” and “interested” agencies. There will be a Steering Committee, comprised of Planning Bd Chair Peter Stuto, a rep from the town’s PEDD, a rep from the town’s Public Works Dept, an Albany County rep, someone from the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC, and the Town Attorney.

A scope of issues will be created, following the 1991 document. There will be public input encouraged, in the form of written comments and a public hearing or hearings. Comments will be incorporated. Then a GEIS will be drafted and will go out for comment, comments will be incorporated, and a GEIS will be produced.

However, because the rate and types of growth likely in the next 15 years will depend on the outcome of the ongoing Comprehensive Land Use Planning and Zoning Plan, not much can take place on the GEIS until the Comp Plan Process is completed.

There were very few questions of the CHA presenters. The CHA people were professional, accessible, and well informed. We anticipate that the documents will be available on line for residents to review and study.

Susan Weber
for SAVE Colonie: A Partnership for Planning