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Somers board amends environmental finding for Trailside Estates after soil evaluation
Summary
The Somers Town Board approved an amended negative declaration for the Trailside Estates subdivision after a soil evaluation found residual surface-soil issues from prior orchard use; the applicant submitted a mitigation plan that the town reviewer found acceptable and will implement at the applicant’s expense.
The Somers Town Board on March 5 amended an earlier environmental finding for the proposed Trailside Estates subdivision after a soil evaluation showed residual surface-soil conditions related to historic orchard use.
Planning Director Dave Smith told the board the applicant prepared a soil-management plan to address remaining surface-soil issues and that town review staff found the plan satisfactory. "The applicant prepared a soil mitigation plan ... and it comprehensively addressed all the potential issues and mitigated all the potential impacts," Smith said.
The amended negative declaration acknowledges newly available information about the site’s prior agricultural use and documents mitigation measures the applicant will carry out. Town consultant Steve Robbins reviewed the mitigation report and "found it acceptable," Smith said.
Board members asked practical questions about implementation, including whether soil would be excavated and transported off-site and what dust-control measures would be used. Staff said the soil-management plan prescribes removal to qualified locations where necessary and includes protocols such as watering during operations to limit dust.
Several members praised the planning board and the applicant for addressing the newly discovered issue through the review process. Supervisor Mark moved to amend the negative declaration; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The board recorded that mitigation and any required remediation will be performed by the applicant as part of site-plan and subdivision approvals. No public comment was offered during the meeting’s public comment period before this item.
