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Planning board delays final action on 17M/Lehi site, awaits DOT input on turning lanes and truck access
Summary
The board continued discussion of the 17M Lehi building site plan, citing unresolved state Department of Transportation input on turning-lane requirements, truck turning radii, parking variances and visibility concerns at Cannon Hill Drive intersections.
GOSHEN — The planning board and residents continued their review of a commercial project along State Route 17M (the "Lehi building"), focusing on vehicle access, truck turning radii and where parking will be located on the site.
Board members said the application was continued pending a formal response from the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) about whether a dedicated turning lane will be required at the 17M/Cannon Hill Drive intersection and about lane geometry needed for tractor‑trailer movements. Until the DOT issues direction, the board said it will re-open and then re-close the public hearing as required by procedure but will not finalize approvals.
Speakers and board members identified several outstanding concerns: whether incoming and outgoing tractor‑trailers can complete turning movements without encroaching into opposing lanes; whether sightlines are reduced by a planned berm at the site; if a turning lane is required, who would pay for widening or signal work; and whether site parking could be placed behind the building as originally intended given a setback variance the applicant received (the applicant has a reduced setback from 250 feet to 75 feet). The board discussed temporary mitigations such as moving stop lines back at adjacent intersections to improve turning clearance, and widening the shoulder or paving a larger entrance radius so trucks can use a paved area rather than the travel lane.
The board also discussed that the site has a fire‑department turnaround (a circular drive around the building) and dock access at the rear; nonetheless the front parking had been granted a variance and remains a point of discussion. Traffic history at the nearby intersection was raised: attendees referenced about 20–22 accidents in roughly five years, many attributed to deer strikes, and noted the common crash pattern is rear-end collisions when vehicles wait to turn into Industrial Drive.
Board members said they expect the applicant to provide DOT confirmation, truck turning templates, final parking calculations and a plan that clarifies who will fund any required roadway changes before further consideration. The public hearing remains continued to the next scheduled planning-board meeting.
