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Planning board hears Bethel Homes' revised Knowles plan; debate centers on stormwater, historic building and screening
Summary
Bethel Homes presented revisions to the Knowles senior housing referral; the planning board asked for clarified stormwater responses, raised steep‑slope and water‑supply questions, and weighed historic‑preservation consultant recommendations that identified salvage/integration as the most viable option.
Bethel Homes’ legal and design team told the Planning Board they had submitted a set of updated materials addressing prior comments — new landscaping, a tree survey, wall profiles, an updated stormwater design and traffic and fire truck‑radius reviews.
"We have submitted those responses," said David Cooper, attorney for the applicant, and summarized meetings with technical reviewers and boards that produced a positive recommendation from the Conservation Advisory Committee.
Board members focused on technical follow‑ups. Engineering comments flagged one stormwater basin berm that was roughly six inches shy of a 25‑foot setback; the applicant said plans will be revised to meet the requirement. Members also asked for any Phase I environmental/site contamination reports; the applicant said investigations were done and returned results below legal limits and said it would consult counsel about what reports could be shared formally.
Historic preservation was a central point of dispute. The Historic and Landmarks Preservation consultant provided four options: preserve in place, preserve and stand alone, relocate, or demolish with salvage and incorporate notable features. Bethel’s team submitted a financial feasibility analysis concluding full preservation or relocation would impose an unreasonable financial burden for a nonprofit senior‑housing operator and proposed salvaging architectural features for incorporation into the new building. The applicant said it has documented those alternatives in the record and favored targeted salvage and design gestures that reference the existing building.
Neighbors and some board members asked about landscape screening: the proposal anticipates removing roughly 100 trees and planting about 204 new specimens, many native, but parties acknowledged that screening maturity could take years. The applicant said it would review suggestions about planting larger‑caliber evergreens where practicable, and the Conservation Advisory Committee had recommended reviewing tree caliber and planting specifications.
Utility and code questions also remained: engineering noted a projected increase in average daily water use for the site (a staff summary cited an increase from about 24,000 to 38,000 gallons per day), and members asked staff to ensure water‑and‑sewer capacity and any necessary off‑site improvements would be resolved and documented prior to site‑plan approval.
Next steps: staff will incorporate the board’s technical requests and comments into draft recommendations for the Town Board; the board asked the applicant to provide any additional technical substantiation (contamination reports, final stormwater sign‑offs, detailed planting specifications) and will review a draft recommendation at the Dec. 3 meeting.
