Planning board continues hearing on 6,000-sq.-ft. office at 23359 Route 59 amid traffic concerns

The Airmont Planning Board recessed consideration of a proposed 6,000-square-foot office building at 23359 Route 59 and continued the public hearing after members said they need more traffic information from the New York State Department of Transportation.

Applicant representative Rachel Barice of Civiltech said the project would include an office building with 26 parking spaces east of Devon Avenue near Town Hall and that the village’s traffic consultant and the DOT had not disputed the applicant’s traffic analysis. “DOT didn’t have any further comments with regard to the traffic report when it was submitted,” Barice said, adding the applicant believes the proposed use “is not going to create a a traffic” problem and is a minimal generator of trips.

Board members said the underlying condition — a failing level of service at the DuPont/Route 59 intersection during peak hours — remains a concern. One member noted that even if the project does not materially change the intersection’s level of service, adding any trips to a corridor already operating poorly can have local impacts on turning movements and U‑turns. Members discussed waiting for DOT’s written response and asked whether the village traffic consultant could attend the next meeting to explain references in the DOT response such as “future monitoring.”

The applicant said it would agree to use restrictions if needed (for example, prohibiting medical-office uses that carry different parking and trip-generation assumptions). The board and the applicant also discussed whether the village or the board of trustees — not the planning board — would be the right body to consider any broader moratorium or corridor-level policy.

Outcome: the board voted to continue the public hearing on the Town Buildings LLC application for 23359 Route 59 to the board’s March 27 meeting at 7 p.m. The continuation gives the applicant and staff time to seek a DOT reply and to have the village traffic consultant clarify “future monitoring” and other DOT comments that board members flagged.

What’s next: the applicant and board said they will ask the village traffic consultant (Osman/Osman Barry was named in the discussion) to appear at the March meeting and continue correspondence with DOT. The applicant was asked to submit any clarifying materials in advance so consultants can review before the next session.