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Planning board declares intent to lead SEQR on 205-unit Lansingburgh Gateway project
Summary
Developers presented a three-building, mixed‑use Lansingburgh Gateway plan for 205 workforce housing units and 11,000 sq ft retail; the board declared its intent to act as lead agency under SEQR and asked the team to refine design, floodplain and stormwater details after heavy public comment on river access, flooding and architecture.
The Troy Planning Board announced its intent to act as lead agency under SEQR for the Lansingburgh Gateway project, a proposed three-building, mixed-use redevelopment on roughly 6.3 acres of Lansingburgh waterfront property that would deliver 205 workforce-housing units and about 11,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
Developer Andrew Shriver said the project would replace an underused commercial parcel and aims to reactivate the waterfront with a mix of rental housing targeted to local workers. "This represents an opportunity to reactivate that site, and reactivate the waterfront," Shriver said.
Kelsey Carr of La Bella described site features meant to reduce impervious cover by ~25%, realign access drives to existing signalized intersections and disconnect site stormwater from the city's combined sewer system, a change the team said would reduce local combined-sewer flows. Architect Chris Berg said the three-building plan preserves river view corridors while keeping building massing moderate; he described a central courtyard, retail at the street and elevated residential areas to meet flood regulations.
Public testimony was robust. Residents and neighborhood advocates urged the design team to prioritize a continuous streetwall and activated retail frontage, to ensure meaningful public access to the riverfront rather than relying on grant funding alone, and to address questions about sewer capacity and flood risk. Barb Nelson, an architect who said she represents Tap Inc., urged the board to require stronger guarantees for riverfront amenities rather than leaving them contingent on future grant success.
Engineers said the site is in the 100-year floodplain and that residential floors will be set two feet above the design flood elevation; that strategy elevates first-floor retail spaces and triggers several zoning variances the team plans to request. The developer said the project team will continue to work with city staff and state agencies on flood-related design and on potential grant funding for public infrastructure.
After hearing the presentation and public comment, the board voted to announce its intent to serve as lead agency for SEQR so environmental review can proceed. The motion passed unanimously and positions the project to move into subsequent public-review stages including continued staff review, ZBA variance hearings and further planning-board review.
