AMSTERDAM – Golf Course Road resident Marget Barnett brought concerns over a planned development in her neighborhood to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.
Barnett said due to the complexity of the housing project, she wants to see the development done right, including addressing road safety, legal and economic concerns.
“What impacts will this have on the environment to the people that live there?” she asked.
Housing developers Thomas J. Farone and Sons are planning on building 64 housing units – a mix of single-family homes, condominiums, apartments and townhouses – on 60 acres along Golf Course Road.
The developers went to the town Planning Board and got approval to move forward with the project. However, the county Planning Board unanimously opposed the project.
Barnett and some other Golf Course Road residents initially opposed the project. Now, they only want to see it done right, Barnett said.
“It is a dangerous place,” she said.
Barnett said the amount of traffic has escalated as a result of the retail building along Route 30, which poses a problem for motorists and residents.
A traffic study was completed, finding in no adverse impacts, but Barnett said she is not buying it.
“I have seen cars going over 65 miles per hour on this road,” Barnett said. “And the sheriff’s office reported several accidents on the road.”
Sheriff Michael Amato said the amount of traffic already on Golf Course Road has increased.
“Naturally, there would be more accidents on that road if the development was put in,” Amato said.
He said due to cuts in his department, deputies were not zeroing in on that road with extra patrols.
Among the safety concerns Barnett mentioned was a portion of Golf Course Road that has eroded in two places on the south side.
Barnett asked the county to investigate it, and county Department of Public Works Commissioner Paul Clayburn said he sent an engineering technician to investigate the issue.
“Based on the technician’s report, there were no deficiencies on Golf Course Road,” Clayburn said this morning.
Supervisor Thomas DiMezza said the complaints about the construction were, in his opinion, a case of “NIMBY,” or “Not In My Back Yard.”
“The development went through mitigation and was approved by the town Planning Board,” he said.
DiMezza said the town is a great location for residential development due to its proximity to Saratoga, the quality of local schools and shopping.
“People need a place to live,” DiMezza said.
