Clinton planning board flags wetlands, wastewater and habitat concerns in SEEKER review of CECNY/6 Senses project

Clinton planning board members on Oct. 1 resumed a detailed review of the SEEKER environmental assessment (EAF Part 2) for the CECNY/“6 Senses” development, and flagged multiple areas for further study before any formal approvals.

The board focused on land disturbance, wetlands and buffers, habitat for protected species, wastewater discharge and groundwater testing. Chair, Planning board chair, opened the session by noting, “we will not be making any final determinations or decisions tonight. And as I said at the beginning of the meeting, this is not a public hearing, so we won't be taking public comment.”

Why it matters: The project proposes substantial site work and infrastructure that intersect regulated and locally regulated wetlands, on-site wells that will supply the project, and a wastewater system that the applicant proposes to discharge to a nearby watercourse. Those elements carry state and local permitting thresholds and potential mitigation obligations that the board said warrant more information before final EAF conclusions are adopted.

Most immediate technical points

- Land disturbance and slopes: The applicant's plans show roughly 31.2 acres of limits of disturbance and about 9 acres of new permanent impervious surface. Consultants reported only about 0.5 acre of actual steep-slope disturbance; the board moved toward marking the steep-slope question "no to small" given that limited footprint but left the issue open for revision with more data.

- Wetlands and buffers: The board discussed DEC-regulated…