Albany board approves KIPP parking expansion with conditions amid Tivoli Preserve protests
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Summary
The Albany City Planning Board approved KIPP Capital Region’s development plan and two parking waivers for a new parking lot adjacent to Tivoli Lake Preserve, but residents and Friends of Tivoli speakers urged delay and restoration after tree clearing and raised conservation concerns.
The Albany City Planning Board voted July 8 to approve a development plan and two parking‑waiver requests for KIPP Capital Region’s parking expansion near Tivoli Lake Preserve, while dozens of residents and preserve advocates urged the board to delay or reject the project because of tree clearing and potential encroachment on the preserve.
KIPP’s plan would create a surface parking area behind the existing Kipp Middle School that includes 35 new parking spaces, ten banked spaces (reserved for later construction if needed) and ten spaces dedicated to Tivoli Lake Preserve users, plus circulation changes intended to separate parent drop‑off traffic from bus traffic. The parcel is roughly 0.65 acres, and project presenters said construction would take about three months once permits are issued.
Presenters described traffic and circulation benefits. Alana Moran of Lansing Engineering said, “One of the benefits of this particular plan is that it's going to separate bus traffic and parent drop off traffic and keep that away from Manning Boulevard,” and KIPP’s presenter said the proposal includes additional landscaping, four planted islands with street trees, stormwater treatment and banked spaces for future need.
Many public speakers opposed the plan or asked for more time. Kim Mateo, executive director and farm manager of Friends of Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm, said she was “super excited in 2021” about a possible state‑to‑city transfer of land for the preserve and called for greater transparency and time for public comment. John O'Grady, president of Friends of Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm, said the group had gathered extensive public comment and described the organization as “kind of a proxy for a few 100 people out there who who want to see this preserved as well as possible.” Other speakers cited tree loss, wildlife impacts and alternatives such as enhanced transit or carpooling.
Planning staff and applicants said the project has been coordinated with the city and with state agencies. Staff noted a memorandum of understanding in place since February 2021 and referenced state legislation passed in 2022 that authorizes transfer of the parcel to the school subject to conditions. A planner explained that some trees cleared near the site were on city or school property and not within the development parcel; the city also said it is working on a gateway/entry strategy for the preserve at this location.
The board approved two parking waivers (one to exceed the code maximum parking allowance and one for slightly smaller standard parking stall lengths) and then approved the development plan review with two conditions: final approval from the Department of Water and Water Supply before building permit issuance, and consolidation of lots prior to certificate of occupancy. Votes were taken by voice; the board recorded no roll‑call votes. The planning department recommended several conditions and said engineering comments remain under review but are minor.
Speakers urged the board and KIPP to preserve mature trees, use pervious materials where feasible, consider EV charging and commit to post‑construction plantings and maintenance. The applicant said the stormwater design was changed from an infiltration to a filtration practice to protect slope stability and that the plan includes sediment forebays, filter media and an overflow area for major storms.
The board’s approvals allow KIPP to proceed with statutory waivers and the conditioned development plan; the project remains subject to final engineering sign‑offs and the city’s lot consolidation before a certificate of occupancy.
