Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Town board presses planning for updated traffic data on Millmar phasing plan
Summary
Members of the Environmental Review Board questioned Millmar———'s proposed phasing changes and asked planning to require current traffic studies and documentation showing how on-site freezing would alter truck patterns before final approval.
The Environmental Review Board reviewed an amended phasing plan from Millmar that would add on-site freezing and reconfigure parking, prompting members to ask planning for fresher traffic and environmental data. The board heard that the change mainly reorganizes phasing and brings frozen storage on site so product can be refrigerated and shipped directly rather than routed through an out-of-state freezer.
Board members said the applicant——————has not demonstrated that the change will reduce truck traffic. Committee member said, "the applicant said the applicant said that there will not be any more trucking, and I don't think there will," and urged planning to obtain documentation supporting that claim. Other members agreed the truck mix and timing would change even if tonnage did not, and they pressed for clarity on whether the shift increases smaller local deliveries or merely changes routing and hours.
Why it matters: the proposed change affects traffic flows, turning movements and local road wear on state routes that board members said previously were studied years ago. Several members noted regional developments (including LEGOLAND) and local buildout have already increased background traffic, and that traffic studies done many years earlier may no longer reflect current conditions.
The board discussed mitigation options if traffic increases, including signals or turning-lane work that often requires a town contribution to state DOT projects. Members cited examples of large state investments and said local contributions for lane work can be substantial. One member said towns sometimes collect smaller "fair share" contributions (an example figure discussed was $25,000 per contributing project) while the DOT has been reported in other cases to fund multimillion-dollar improvements.
What the board asked for: the ERB recorded a request that planning require a traffic study refreshed within the previous 12 months before final approval, and to provide evidence for any applicant assertion about lower truck volumes. The board will forward its notes to planning and asked staff to log the documentation request so it appears in the planning packet.
Next steps: planning staff and the applicant were expected to supply updated traffic data and a narrative explaining how truck routing, vehicle class and hours of operation would change under the phasing plan. If the planning board concludes the change is substantial, it may require mitigation or revised approvals before final sign-off.
