GUILDERLAND — The owner of an industrial lot tucked away on the edge of town is in the early stages of seeking municipal approval to change zoning of an adjacent parcel to expand the industrial park. 

The project was recently before the town’s Development Planning Committee, which is made up of various departmental staff who meet with prospective developers — prior to the submission of a formal application to the town — and provide them with feedback on topics such as traffic and environmental impacts, open space and street layout, stormwater management, and whether there’s enough infrastructure to accommodate such a proposal. 

Per the meeting agenda and SJM Realty’s package submittal, Sal Minucci is proposing to expand his current industrial-zoned 11-acre facility at 310 Wayto Road by 19 acres he recently purchased with a residential designation. He plans to build seven warehouse-style buildings “ranging in size from 2,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet.”

The committee was told the buildings, which would go up in phases, would be a mix of office, storage, and light industrial use. 

The zoning change from residential to industrial would have to be approved by the town board. 

Project topics covered during the meeting included traffic, infrastructure, and stormwater management.

The development team said traffic would increase much given the nature of the project. 

The committee was told by engineer Luigi Palleschi that storage and office tenants were envisioned as being “your small home contractor that tries to run out of the garage and they’re running out of the garage space,” where they could, for example, “come in and do some invoicing.”

These types of tenants, Palleschi said, start their day early, “they grab materials, they go to the job site and you may not see them back until [the next] morning, or if they need something in the middle of the day.”

On infrastructure and stormwater, it was noted existing facilities would likely have to be extended — like electrical and water — or addressed in some way, like the stormwater that drains into an existing pond.