Residents press traffic, safety and sewer concerns as Somers planning board continues North Edge hearing

The Somers Planning Board opened a public hearing March 11 on the North Edge preliminary subdivision and site plan, a proposal from Bunnell Development for 73 townhouse units accessed from Route 6 and Mayapac Avenue.

Jared Bunnella of Bunnell Development outlined the scope: 73 two‑ and three‑bedroom units, public water and sewer service and required stormwater improvements. The applicant said design changes since the last meeting include sidewalk access to Route 6 and coordination with reviewing agencies.

Philip Greley, the project's traffic consultant (Kyer’s Engineering & Design), described a multi‑year traffic review. He said New York State DOT requested that the Route 6 driveway be restricted to right turn in/right turn out and that a temporary construction access could be granted under DOT's permit process. Greley said the team used conservative trip rates — in some cases analyzing the project as if it were single‑family housing — and estimated roughly 60–70 vehicle trips in the peak hour for the full 73‑unit plan, or about one vehicle per minute, with an estimated 30–35 peak‑hour trips using the Mayapac Avenue access.

Board members pressed the applicant on pedestrian and circulation details. They asked whether visitor parking near the recreation building could be moved to improve stacking at the Route 6 entrance, whether a marked crosswalk and detectable warning surfaces would be added, and whether sidewalks and motion‑activated lighting could be extended near the church field. The applicant and consultant said plans could be adjusted to push parking back, add a striped crosswalk, extend the sidewalk farther into the site and add targeted lighting; final driveway geometry will be reviewed under the DOT highway work permit.

The hearing drew extended public comment focused chiefly on traffic, emergency access, stormwater and notice. Paul Harold, a Baldwin Place resident, asked how fire apparatus would access the site and whether hydrants and curbs would be protected from winter plowing. Multiple neighbors described routine long delays leaving Baldwin Place, near‑daily sirens and safety worries at the Route 6/Mayapac intersection. One nearby resident urged the town to seek sewer‑district connection for a cluster of older homes north of Route 6, saying county wastewater capacity exists and urging the town board to consider petitioning the county to add those properties to the district.

The board also acknowledged that it had received a same‑day letter from the watershed inspector general’s office requesting additional time to file comments and that the Bureau of Fire Prevention and DOT had submitted technical advisories for staff review. Given the volume of public testimony and incoming agency input, the board voted to continue (adjourn) the North Edge public hearing to the April 8 meeting and asked the applicant to file written responses to the public and agency comments ahead of that meeting.

Next steps: the applicant will provide written responses and updated plans addressing sidewalk/crosswalk placement, parking stacking, lighting and stormwater details; DOT will complete its highway work permit review of the Route 6 driveway; and the watershed inspector general and fire bureau may file additional comments to be considered at the continued hearing.