Board approves Forward Air to lease 8,000 sq ft at 70 Cohoes Ave; residents question overnight activity

The board approved a special-use permit allowing Forward Air to occupy roughly 8,000 square feet of warehouse space at 70 Cohoes Ave, following a presentation by the property and tenant representatives and questions from the public.

Dave Veil (who identified himself as representing Greenhill Properties) introduced Rich Finland of Forward Air. Finland described Forward Air as "a LTL carrier" handling pickup, delivery and line-haul operations and said truck traffic "will be minimal compared to other places," estimating an average of five to six trucks. He described trailer drop-and-pick patterns, including occasional weekend drops and early-morning arrivals around 3 a.m. but said there would be no outside storage and that operations would mostly keep freight inside the trailer or building.

A resident asked if drivers would sleep overnight in their cabs. Finland said drivers typically arrive early and leave in the afternoon and that trucks would not be left idling; he said a separate compressor unit would be used so the trucks would not need to run. "We're not ... we're not burning gas. They have a separate unit that takes care of their — they don't keep their trucks on," Finland said. Staff also noted that while the area is industrial, noise can echo toward adjacent residences and reiterated the need for standard fit-up permitting and Knox-box coordination with the fire department before occupancy.

Following the presentation and public questions, a motion to approve the special-use permit was moved, seconded and carried by the board. Staff will follow up on required building-department permits and emergency-access arrangements.