Gas Station Traffic, Zombie House Rebuild and Dunkin Remodel

The June 16 Town of Wappinger Planning Board meeting (BTW - why are the agendas for the planning board meetings being published at the last minute? Members of the public have busy, complicated lives and deserve more than a few hours notice on items that may affect their property and their neighborhood) had three items on the agenda for discussion/review.

Citigo Amended Site Plan - a continuing discussion about the proposed updates to 1336 Route 9 site. This is a very difficult site to begin with (what were they thinking when that was designed?) and the owner would like to add a pump, with the expectation that with an additional pump, there will be less queuing because more people would be able to put gas in their car at the same time and this would relieve some of the congestion and confusion... especially when large fuel trucks enter the site. The Board spent about 45 minutes discussing traffic patterns, traffic flow - when people get gas, when they get coffee... and how - if they then want to exit back onto Old Hopewell Road -- and somehow cross lanes to go south on Route 9 (WTF?) how the positioning of the gas pumps can be arranged to enable that all to happen. A suggestion was made by one of the board members to make the entrance from Old Hopewell Road to the site one way... and anyone who wants to go South on Route 9... would have to go North on Route 9 to the Alpine Common entrance light.. and make a U turn. A traffic consultant hired by the applicant tried to explain his observations and point of view to a very skeptical board. The conclusion for the evening was that the Town Planner was to work with Traffic experts in his firm to look at the possibilities of the site and come back to the board with Pros/Cons for each of the alternatives. Everyone seemed to agree that the current site is not optimal and that only an incremental change could be expected.

Old State Road - 561-563 Old State Road... the site of two abandoned buildings that have been refurbished into residential units with a small business office. The Town's Buildings department had noted a wide range of differences between the approved site plan and what was built, requiring the planning board to visit, the town engineer to visit andthe highway supervisor to visit the site... and the applicant and his engineer to come back before the planning board. The net .... the Planning Board is Ok with all the modifications and suggested a few landscaping changes of their own.

Fewer trees - some of the trees had storm damage and needed to be removed.

Some trees planted on the North side of the property, open-up some of the blacktop near Old State Road and add plantings, mow on the southside, No handicap ramp required on front building since it is at grade, River Rock is fine with some plantings, residential dumpster will be used instead of commercial dumpster, proposed lighting is ok. So with the submission of an updated landscape plan -- project is good to go.... and we welcome an updated, improved property in the town and so very glad our building department is so carefully reviewing each site plan with a fine-tooth comb.

Dunkin at 1491 Route 9 presented for an architectural Review - an updated facade, removal of an awning, new lighting and a changing menu board. This is part of a corporate branding project and requested uplighting which is not allowed in the town code. The owner didn't seem to upset by that as it will make the cost of the update less expensive. The board approved the architectural design.