Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Centers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning board issues negative SEQR declaration for Trinity Alliance project, tables development review
Summary
The board adopted a negative declaration for SEQR but tabled the conditional use permit and development plan review for Trinity Alliance’s 20,464-square-foot addition while staff and applicants finalize revised documents and departmental reviews; applicants warned of uncertainty in EPA grant funding.
The Albany City Planning Board on Monday issued a negative declaration under SEQR for the Trinity Alliance capital project but tabled final action on the group’s conditional use permit and development plan review to a future meeting.
Trinity Alliance is proposing a 20,464-square-foot, two-story addition and associated site work at its campus, including demolition of minor structures, new sidewalks, landscaping changes and a glass connector to an existing contributing historic façade. The planning board voted unanimously to issue the negative declaration and, separately, unanimously to table the CUP and development plan review so staff can complete departmental reviews and the applicant can respond to outstanding comments.
Project representatives described program space in the addition including a cafe, food pantry, kitchen and support spaces on the first floor; multipurpose rooms and staff offices on upper floors; and storage and mechanical space in the basement. The presentation listed multiple funding sources, including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, ARPA funds and a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant. A project representative said Trinity Alliance launched “a $17,900,000 capital campaign in December, of last year,” and added that “with the $10,900,000 from the 20,000,000, environmental protection agency, that got us to 70% of what our goal was,” while warning the board that EPA contract decisions nationwide have created uncertainty for some grantees.
Staff told the board that revised project documents have just been submitted and circulated for departmental review, and that outstanding items include a water- and energy-usage letter for the water department, traffic engineering review of deliveries and curb-cut circulation, and adjustments to meet impervious-coverage limits (to be partly addressed by green roofs). Staff recommended tabling final development review until those materials and departmental comments are resolved, but recommended the board adopt the negative declaration so subsequent review boards (BBA, HRC and others) may proceed.
The board voted first to adopt the negative SEQR declaration and then voted to table the conditional use permit and development plan review to a future meeting. The tabling preserves the board’s ability to act once the outstanding technical reviews and waiver requests are addressed.
