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Proposed Morris Road transfer station prompts traffic and Pine Bush SEQR concerns
Summary
An applicant seeks concept review for a proposed ~9,250‑sq‑ft transfer station at 136 Morris Road to handle construction and demolition debris; board engineers said the use is zoning‑compliant but conservation stakeholders urged a coordinated Type I SEQR review and residents raised truck routing and Sunday‑hours concerns.
The Planning Board heard a proposal for a transfer station at 136 Morris Road on July 7, where the applicant is seeking to convert a previously permitted warehouse to a roughly 9,250‑square‑foot transfer facility to internalize loading and dispatch of construction and demolition debris.
Attorney/representative Victor Cappanero described the site history and operation: "Everything is done on the inside of the building. Nothing is dumped outside. Everything is dumped inside on a concrete floor, and everything is gone at the end of the day," he said, adding that the facility would accept paper, cardboard, metals, glass and many residential materials but would not accept automotive oils, batteries, tires or other prohibited items listed on the town website.
Applicant Chris Catechi said outgoing loads would most likely go to a Seneca facility and estimated that if permitted at a high throughput (about 600 tons per day) the worst‑case estate would be roughly 14 trucks out per day; typical estimates tied to the proposed building size were on the order of 15–16 trailers in earlier drafts but the applicant later described the current design as substantially smaller (about 9,250 sq ft). "If we're getting 600 ton a day, it's 14 trucks going out," he said.
Town engineering staff (CHA) reminded the board that the site sits in the Conservation Development Overlay District and that previous approvals included conservation commitments (the current submittal shows roughly 59.5% conserved versus a 40% requirement). Staff said the use fits the industrial zoning but warned that if the action were classified as a Type I SEQR action a coordinated review with DEC and other agencies could be required.
Neighbors and conservation advocates urged additional scrutiny. Save the Pine Bush volunteers and others said the parcel functions as a critical connector for the Albany Pine Bush ecosystem and argued the commission regards the proposal as a Type I SEQR action with potential for significant adverse environmental impacts. Residents also pressed for notifications to adjacent Guilderland residents, questioned Sunday hours because of nearby houses along the truck route and raised sight‑distance and safety concerns at the Morris Road extension.
The board did not take a final vote; staff recommended the applicant proceed to concept review with additional agency coordination and neighborhood outreach. The board signaled it will carry comments forward to the next concept submission.
