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Planning board approves 58‑unit South Hamilton project with conditions, including engineering and traffic plans
Summary
After more than a year and numerous meetings, the Planning Board adopted a SEQRA negative declaration and approved site plan for a two‑story, 58‑unit multifamily building on South Hamilton Street, subject to engineering, traffic control and construction routing conditions.
The Poughkeepsie City Planning Board voted to adopt a negative declaration under SEQRA and grant site plan approval for a proposed two‑story, 58‑unit apartment building at South Hamilton Street (lot 15173), subject to conditions addressing engineering, traffic control and construction routing.
Planning Board Chair Ann Sailor summarized the board's long review of the file: "This project has been under review since July 2023. Including tonight, it has appeared on the agenda of 13 planning board meetings and has been the subject of 7 public hearings." The chair said the board had retained an independent engineer to review engineering plans with special attention to recurring flood concerns and had required a traffic study and construction monitoring conditions.
Lorraine O'Neil, lead developer for the O'Neil Group Hamilton, was present and available to answer questions; she did not present new materials at the meeting. The board reported that the developer had revised the design from an earlier three‑story mass into a two‑story form with a recessed center to reduce perceived scale along the street. The New York State Historic Preservation Office issued a determination of no adverse impact on adjacent historic resources, which the board noted but said was only one component of review.
The board's motion for site plan approval included these conditions, read into the record: all city department and engineering consultant comments must be addressed to their satisfaction; the applicant must submit a construction traffic-control plan to the Building Department; and the applicant must submit a truck routing plan for staff review. The board also required seismic monitoring and a construction traffic plan as part of the approval process.
Board members noted the project's long public record and extensive design iteration. The board approved the negative declaration and granted site plan approval with the listed conditions.
Ending — Next steps The applicant must address all department and engineering comments and submit the requested traffic-control and construction routing plans; staff and the city's engineering consultant La Bella Associates will review final submissions before certificates of compliance or permits issue.
