GUILDERLAND — The Guilderland Planning Board on Wednesday gave concept approval for an eight-lot subdivision on 3.8 acres of treed land on Gari Lane that abuts Lydius Street.

The undeveloped parcel is flanked by rows of homes including a neighboring development that has a cul-de-sac.

The board unanimously favored an updated plan that has two cul-de-sacs and eliminates the two keyhole lots in the original plan. The French phrase, which literally means “bottom of a sack,” is used to describe a dead-end street that ends in a bulb with driveways to houses opening off of it.

The board’s motion for approval said the updated plan would “reduce disturbance to the property” and that the subdivision would “be consistent with the existing neighborhood.”

Nick Costa, an engineer for JRG Builders, told the board that the municipal water and sewer available along Gari Lane “will be extended to serve the future lots.”

The street has no storm sewer, he said.

Costa called the soils on the parcel “excellent soils; they’re sandy, pervious soils.”

“We’re also considering going to the zoning board of appeals,” he said, “and possibly asking for some relief so that the lots could be all about 80 foot of frontage.”

“We’ve sent things there before that have been roundly rejected,” said planning board Chairman Stephen Feeney about the zoning board.

Planning board member Laura Barry said she liked the updated plan with the smaller houses, calling them “really cute.”

“And then, it’d be like a more affordable house,” she said.

“Yes,” answered Costa. “That’s correct.”

Barry went on, “So then there’d also be less blacktop because you wouldn’t have a keyhole.” The keyhole lots would have long driveways to reach behind lots right on the road.

“A lot of land would be less disturbed,” Barry went on. “Wow; it’s ticking a lot of, like, positive boxes.”

“We don’t control it,” interjected Feeney. He noted that the updated cul-de-sac plan would have lots with just 80 feet of frontage while the zoning requires 100 feet. He also said keyhole lots “exist around town” and “aren’t horrible.”

Feeney concluded, “That’s where the ZBA comes in.”

“Didn’t I just read about this whole concept here in the new comprehensive plan?” asked Barry.

“That’s where the ZBA would come into play,” Feeney reiterated.

In his memorandum to the planning board, Kenneth Kovalchik, the town planner, noted that the town’s draft comprehensive plan states “promote the creation of more modestly sized and affordable housing types by revising minimum lot size regulations that prevent construction on smaller lots.”

Kovalchik advised, “The Planning Board could encourage the construction of smaller and more modestly sized homes on Lots 1, 7 and 8 where dwellings could be built within the proposed building envelopes without requiring the need for area variances.”

Kovalchik’s memo also said that the project site may be located in or adjacent to an area designated as sensitive for archaeological sites and encouraged JRG Builders to submit the project information to the Cultural Resource Information System and obtain a response from the state’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

“We did submit to SHPO for their determination and that’s in the works,” Costa said.

Patrick Fitzgerald, who said he lived about a mile away from the proposed development, wanted to know “if there’s any wetland concern” on the property. He said, “There’s a few wetlands a little north of where I am.”

Costa responded, “We’ve looked at the environmental resource mapper that New York State DEC has, and there are no wetlands shown on the mapper for this location.”

The town’s Conservation Advisory Council will walk the site in March, Kovalchik said, which would determine if there are any wetlands on the property.

Kovalchik’s memo also said that, since the property is within 500 feet of a state roadway, Carman Road, the application will be reviewed by the Albany County Planning board at its March 20 meeting.