Queensbury planning board sets Jan. 16 public hearing for West Mountain resort rezoning and approves broader notice

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. — The Queensbury Planning Board voted Dec. 10 to set a public hearing for Jan. 16, 2025, on a proposal by APEX Capital, LLC and Mountain Top Ventures, LLC to rezone parcels at West Mountain from Recreation Commercial to a Planned Resort Development (PRD).

Chairman Stephen Traver opened the special meeting and outlined that the hearing would be the first formal public forum on the referral to the Town Board. The application describes a multi-parcel project totaling 365.43 acres, including a "Base Area Alpine Village" mixed‑use center, 56 townhouses, an 80‑room hotel with banquet and spa facilities, renovation of the existing Northwest Mountain Lodge, an outdoor amphitheater and 65 single‑family homes.

Nut graf: The board said it had sufficient information at this preliminary stage to accept public comment on the zoning referral and signaled majority support for a code change that would count lands with 20% slopes toward the project's density calculation — a procedural change that could affect how many units the developer may seek to cluster on flatter portions of the site.

Senior Planner Stuart Baker and Land Use Planner Laura Moore advised members that some technical details (stormwater, final septic design, and full site topography) are reserved for later site‑plan review, but that the Planning Board must determine it had "received all required information" before formally holding the hearing as part of its recommendation to the Town Board.

The applicant team told the board it has performed targeted soil testing and partial ground topography and expects to provide full, site‑level surveys at the site‑plan stage. Spencer Montgomery, identified in the record as an applicant representative, said, "Just to be clear, that 20% is the credit we're getting for density. We're not suggesting building on the 20% slopes." The applicant also said it held an open house and guided tours attended by roughly 250–300 people and has been conducting mail and online outreach.

The board approved a resolution to schedule the Jan. 16 public hearing. The motion to set the hearing was introduced by Secretary Fritz Stefanzick and seconded by Brad Magowan; the board recorded AYES from David Deeb, Ellen McDevitt, Warren Longacker, Brady Stark, Brad Magowan, Fritz Stefanzick and Stephen Traver; NOES: none.

Because members acknowledged potential impacts beyond the typical 500‑foot notice radius, the board also voted to expand mailed notice for the Jan. 16 hearing to 1,000 feet. That resolution, introduced by Fritz Stefanzick and seconded by Ellen McDevitt, passed with AYES: McDevitt, Longacker, Stark, Magowan, Stefanzick and Traver; NOES: David Deeb.

Other business: Board member Brad Magowan raised a separate enforcement concern about a tractor‑trailer servicing an O'Reilly facility that he said has frequently reversed off Route 9 and caused close calls; staff noted enforcement and operational remedies lie with Town administration rather than the Planning Board, and no board action was taken.

What happens next: The Planning Board will accept public comment at the Jan. 16 hearing; if the record and any additional information lead the board to recommend the code change and PRD referral, the matter will be forwarded to the Town Board for its decision. Specific site plans, detailed topographic surveys, stormwater and traffic studies will be required if the rezoning advances.

Votes at a glance: Motion to schedule public hearing (Jan. 16, 2025) — moved by Fritz Stefanzick, seconded by Brad Magowan; AYES: Deeb, McDevitt, Longacker, Stark, Magowan, Stefanzick, Traver; NOES: none. Motion to expand mailed notice to 1,000 feet — moved by Fritz Stefanzick, seconded by Ellen McDevitt; AYES: McDevitt, Longacker, Stark, Magowan, Stefanzick, Traver; NOES: Deeb.