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Veterans housing developers seek county review after commission finds no SEQR impact
Summary
Applicant David Mendez outlined a scaled‑down veterans housing plan for Forbes and 4th Streets, said the bank requires a 15% down payment (~$300,000) for financing and reported roughly $1.75 million raised so far; the commission declared lead agency, adopted a SEQR negative declaration and referred the application to the Montgomery County Planning Board.
David Mendez, representing the Veterans Time to Thrive proposal, told the Amsterdam Planning Commission the project has pivoted from a previously scoped $10–12 million building to two smaller three‑story buildings on 4th Street designed to house veteran families. "I am looking to, raise the money this year and start building, breaking ground on this," Mendez said. He described existing fundraising and financing conversations and said the bank told the team it would finance construction if the applicant can provide a 15% down payment — "which is 300,000," he said.
Architect Thomas Politti described the design approach and zoning constraints the team faces, noting minimum lot sizes and widths in the downtown zoning make rebuilding the historic urban fabric difficult without combining parcels or seeking variances. "We're basically reusing the urban sites that are there," Politti said, and he outlined an ADA‑adaptable layout for six units per building and material choices aimed at durability and affordability.
During public comment, nearby property owner William Carrick urged the commission to consider neighborhood parking and safety impacts and requested a loading/unloading designation on his side of Forbes to reduce disruption. The applicant responded that the team owns nearby lots and hopes to use Amsterdam city parking and owned parcels to provide the six required parking spaces for six units.
The commission then moved through procedural SEQR steps. It voted to declare the commission lead agency, adopted a negative declaration finding no significant environmental impact, and passed a motion to refer the application to the Montgomery County Planning Board for review; the commission indicated a final local decision will follow county comment. The commission recorded the referral and negative declaration during the meeting and staff said floor plans and supporting materials will be provided to commission members by Monday.
