Rome planning board approves revised Chobani site plan after discussion of noise, traffic and trails

ROME, N.Y. — The Rome Planning Board voted unanimously Nov. 18 to approve a revised site plan from Chobani LLC that spreads part of the company’s previously approved dairy-processing campus onto leased portions of the former golf course at 150 Perimeter Road West.

Kevin McAuliffe, an attorney representing Chobani, told the board the amendment shifts some storage and support functions onto county-leased golf-course land to create a more campus-like layout and reduce truck concentration on the triangle parcel. "We were here in June for 1,800,000 square feet. This is, like, 2.1 now," McAuliffe said, while stressing the change does not increase the project’s manufacturing capacity.

The applicant presented noise, light and odor studies and described two earthen berms (one about 15 feet high and another roughly 10 feet with trees) intended to provide both visual screening and sound attenuation. Rod Ives, the project’s site civil engineer, said the modeled effect of the berms and other measures reduces expected noise to roughly 49 decibels at the property line, under the city’s nighttime threshold of 55 dBA. "With the noise analysis we did with the berm, we get down to 49 decibels at the property line," Ives said.

Board members pressed the applicant on traffic controls, truck volumes and operational tempo. Petitioner representatives said the design assumes a maximum of about 500 truck "trips" per day (in and out) and that operations would ramp up over several years rather than starting all production lines at once. McAuliffe confirmed the anticipated lease terms for county land are in the range of 48–49 years.

County staff and the applicant also described planned changes to Perimeter Road connected to a county-led roundabout project at Route 825. Amanda Cortes Colas, Oneida County counsel, said the section of Perimeter Road through the golf-course area is county-owned private property and that the reconstructed segment would be conveyed to the city as a public right of way with utilities beneath. County staff said the roundabout and related work will include restored multiuse-path connections and bicycle lanes.

Neighbors used the public-comment period to press environmental and quality-of-life concerns. "I believe I read someplace that there's gonna be, like, 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide produced from this plant per year," neighborhood resident Kathy Stevens said, asking whether an environmental-impact study had been done and how many trees would be required to offset emissions. Staff replied that environmental impacts were considered during county review and that the county issued a SEQR negative declaration and compared Chobani’s filings to an earlier NEPA review; county staff also noted the FAA completed a NEPA review that resulted in a finding of no significant impact.

Another neighbor, Richard Carmen, said drivers "will use the Jake brake 24/7," raising concerns about late-night noise and truck queuing. Petitioner representatives pointed to designated queuing and parking areas on the southeast corner of the site and to expanded, paved parking planned for the nearby ball fields. McAuliffe said Chobani will provide signage and other operational measures to manage speed and noisy driving; the board noted formal code compliance and municipal enforcement would apply if measured levels exceed city limits.

Staff summarized the project's environmental-review timeline: the county issued an initial negative declaration earlier in 2025 for the triangle parcel, followed by Chobani’s supplemental SEQR filings and the county’s reaffirmation of a negative declaration after updated materials were submitted this fall. County staff also told the board the FAA has provided preliminary approvals on Form 7460 filings and that final FAA reviews are expected to conclude without known height conflicts.

After questions, public comment and a final staff recommendation, a member moved to approve the amended site plan as presented; the motion carried unanimously. The planning board then adjourned. Representatives said Chobani intends to begin work promptly and continue design and permitting with city and county staff as required.