Planning board continues Six Senses review; wetlands, wastewater, habitat and scale remain open SEQR issues

The Planning Board devoted most of its meeting to a working session on the Six Senses proposal, during which applicant representatives presented a comprehensive submission record and discussed agency interactions. Kelly Liebalt of KC Planning Consultants explained the record: 34 months of review, 23 submissions, multiple site-plan revisions and technical reports, and responses to hundreds of public comments. She said the team provided a combined document responding to commenters and that they had submitted a draft incidental-take permit (ITP) application to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which returned an "incomplete" procedural letter common to early ITP exchanges.

Board and consultant discussion focused on several topics the board has identified as outstanding for its SEQR (SEEKER) determination:

- Wetlands and surface waters: consultants summarized that the project will incur roughly 1.73 acres of DEC wetland-buffer disturbance associated with a Route 9G left-turn lane, internal circulation and an off-site stormwater area on the Hyde Park parcel, while other design changes have reduced direct disturbance (for example the boardwalk across Wetland F was removed). The applicant has proposed deed restrictions and wetland restoration plantings in certain areas.

- Wastewater treatment: the applicant proposed a surface-discharge, daylighted wastewater-treatment plant with bio-swale and multiple redundancies rather than a large subsurface septic field. Consultants said a treatment-plant option provides greater monitoring and pollutant-control capacity but noted DEC will set effluent limits in its permit review; board members sought additional operational data and peer-reviewed performance examples and asked how risk of failure and effluent temperature/volume would be managed.

- Plants and animals (habitat): expert memos and public commenters identified potential habitat values on site (including possible use by Blanding's turtle and several amphibians). The applicant has supplied field visit notes and a biodiversity assessment; outside reviewers (Hudsonia) recommended additional amphibian and egg-mass surveys and species-specific study in places. The applicant offered deed restrictions and expanded conservation areas and proposed operational mitigation (turtle fencing, training and signage). The board asked for written responses to outstanding habitat questions and for Hudsonia to comment in writing on the applicant's March 30 submissions.

- Community character and scale: several board members and public commenters said the project's scale — the number and distribution of cottages and use intensity — remains a concern for compatibility with the town's rural character. Other members noted the project is a permitted use in the AR5A zoning district and pointed to previous variances; they emphasized the distinction between zoning compliance and potential SEQR impacts.

No final SEQR (SEEKER) determination was made. Board members discussed whether to issue a positive declaration and proceed to full EIS scoping for one or more issue areas (wetlands/surface waters, wastewater/water quality, and rare-species/habitat). Staff and consultants will prepare memos and draft resolution language for subsequent consideration; the board scheduled follow-up and encouraged the applicant and outside reviewers to exchange written responses addressing the key technical questions on the record. "Until [SEEKER] is completed, DEC cannot move forward with permitting," a consultant noted; the board weighed that coordination against its obligation to reach a reasoned SEQR conclusion.