AvalonBay expansion moves forward

AvalonBay Phase II is moving slowly but surely through the Board of Zoning Appeals. In a public work session on Oct. 8, the board reviewed the current progress of the environmental impact review.

At the next meeting on Oct. 22, the BZA will likely determine the environmental impact of the project, and schedule a public hearing on the requests for a substantial occupancy permit and relief from village zoning regulations.

A. Thomas Levin, the village attorney, explained that since the last public work session on Sept. 3, AvalonBay and its consultant Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI) have sent documents and additional reports in response to environmental concerns. The public can view these documents at Village Hall and the library.

“We are trying as much as we can to keep the public involved in this particular part of the review process,” Levin said. “And to make sure that if there are any environmental issues that anyone in the public wishes to have reviewed, they will be brought forth to us.”

Levin also defended BZA’s review of AvalonBay as an “Unlisted” type under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQRA. At the last meeting, resident Joe Thrapp questioned the board’s reasoning for this classification.

SEQRA has Type 1, Type 2, and Unlisted classifications for reviews. AvalonBay is in the unlisted classification because, according to Levin, it is smaller than Type 1 regulations and bigger than Type 2.

If the board finds AvalonBay to have a significant negative environmental impact, there will be more studies and public hearings. If not, the application will go forward and there will be no more required formal environmental reviews.

“Again we anticipate, unless there’s something new that comes along — which would be surprising — that at the next meeting [the BZA will] be in a position to make that decision,” said Levin. He added that, no matter the environmental impact findings, the BZA should start to schedule a public hearing on the substantial occupancy permit and relief from village zoning regulations.