GUILDERLAND — After a year of negotiating with neighbors and modifying his plans for a medical facility on Carman Road, Dr. William Tetrault is ready to build.

Last Wednesday, after much discussion, the town’s zoning board granted Tetrault a special-use permit for the project. While three neighbors and one board member voiced concerns about traffic and stormwater runoff, the board unanimously decided that Tetrault’s project would not have an adverse effect on the neighborhood.

Tetrault will merge three parcels — one of which already has a medical building — into one parcel of five-and-a-half acres, at 3761 Carman Road, next to Mike’s Diner. A new medical building will then be constructed.

The existing building is used by Capital Care and is 500 square feet. A new, 23,000-square-foot building — more than four times as big — will be used for additional doctor’s offices. This, Tetrault said, will enable him to bring specialists, such as cardiologists or physical therapists, to treat patients a few times a week.

One neighbor and two patients of Tetrault told the board that the project would be an asset to the community.

Tetrault first came before the zoning board in August of 2004. Then, many neighbors were worried about traffic, noise, and the removal of a large hill, which some called a berm or a dune.

Since then, the doctor and his engineers had met with residents and come up with several modifications to the plan. Tom Andress, of ABD Engineering, went over these changes with the board last Wednesday.

The building will sit back further from the road than originally proposed, Andress said. A parking lot will be in front of the building, but many trees and plants will be in front of that, shielding the view of the complex from Carman Road, he said.
The zoning law requires 234 parking spaces for this project. However, the board gave Tetrault a variance to construct only 162. He will "bank" 49 more spaces. That is, green area on the property can be used for that many spaces later, if they are needed. This still leaves Tetrault 23 spaces short, for which the town gave him a variance.

Less of the hill to the north of the property will be removed, Andress said, and, instead of removing trees from the area, more will be added. Neighbors had complained earlier that removing trees would take away their privacy and their buffer for noise and lights.

Traffic and stormwater

The biggest issues the board had with Tetrault’s project were traffic and stormwater runoff.

Rob Osterhaut, of town-designated Boswell Engineering, told the board last Wednesday that he felt Andress resolved problems in both areas. Osterhaut said he felt ready to sign off on the project.

Board member James Sumner said he wasn’t satisfied that Creighton Manning, which did a traffic analysis, had answered his and neighbors’ concerns.

While a representative of the engineering firm insisted that, from the complex’s northern exit and entrance, there is adequate sight distance — 1,000 feet in each direction — Sumner questioned her accuracy.

The entrance sits on the crest of a hill and Sumner said this could be dangerous.

Neighbors Robert and Kimberly Bailey and Charles Norfleet all said Creighton Manning’s study might not give a true picture of traffic on Old State Road. The study was not done at peak hours or while school is in session, they said.

The site is near the road that leads to Lynnwood Elementary School. Saint Madeleine Sophie and Pine Bush Elementary are also on Carman Road.

Engineers added later that, even if school added 10 percent more traffic, the road could handle this.

The neighbors said, too, they thought the entrance shouldn’t be on the crest of the hill, but closer to the light at the intersection of Carman and Old State roads.

Charles Norfleet read a letter expressing similar sentiments from his wife, Carol, who could not be at the meeting.
"I don’t oppose a medical building. I oppose extra traffic in a residential neighborhood," Charles Norfleet said.

Sumner later asked how many patients would be traveling to the complex each day.

Tetrault told him that some doctors see 25 or 30 patients a day, while other specialists may see only a few. He assured the board that his building will not be like the large medical complex on Washington Avenue.
"Our intent is to build a facility that’s an asset to the town and not a burden to the town," the doctor said. "We’re trying to bring in various services to the community that don’t normally exist there."

Osterhaut later insisted that the traffic study is adequate and Andress’s entrance and exit plans are safe.

Clenahan said he shared some of Sumner’s concerns, but thinks they’ve now been addressed.

At a few zoning board meetings, neighbors on Sunset Lane, which is behind the medical building, spoke about water and drainage issues they’ve had over the years. They worried that, with the addition of this complex, their properties would be flooded further.
Some parts of the stormwater-management plan need to be "fine tuned," Osterhaut told the board last Wednesday, but he was confident that Andress would take care of the technical issues.

Kimberly Bailey, who lives behind the site, said, if some of the hill or berm is removed, more water may flood her land.
"I have a sump pump now that runs non-stop," she said.

Andress said later that adding trees to the hill will help control water from flowing onto Bailey’s property. Ron DePersis, who lives on Sunset Lane, said he’s never had a problem with water drainage.

Clenahan agreed that water would not cause trouble.
"I think if this is done right, it can create an improvement to the situation," he said. "I think it’s an overall good proposal."

After more discussion, and hearing from two patients in favor of the complex, the board approved the project.

Before voting, Sumner said his comments were not about the medical complex itself, which is a good thing. He said he’s still worried about traffic and water drainage, but then he voted in favor of the special-use permit.

Alternate Tom Remmert voted in place of Mike Marcantonio, who recused himself.