Public hearing on proposed GRJH gas station remains open

COPAKE — Continuing the public hearing on GRJH Inc.’s proposal for a gas station in the hamlet of Craryville, the Copake Planning Board opened the floor to new information and findings from members of the Save Craryville coalition at the board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 5. Following the presentation of the new material, Planning Board members were conflicted in deciding whether to keep the public hearing open or to close it for good.

Located at the northwest corner of State Route 23 and County Route 7, GRJH wants to  develop a vacant lot into a gas station. Some fear the proposed station is too big for the rural hamlet. Concerned about safety impacts, environmental degradation, storm-water management and other potential issues related to the proposal, a community coalition known as Save Craryville formed to voice the community’s concerns and opposition toward the proposal.

The proposed gas station would be the largest personal car gas station in Columbia County in terms of its lot size, the number of parking spaces and the number of pumping stations. While the project  received a negative State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) declaration to show it would have little to no environmental and scenic impact, local residents from Craryville, Copake, Hillsdale and Claverack were still concerned that the project could have an adverse impact on the local economy, environment, scenery and safety.

Over the last few months, the coalition has presented its concerns to the Copake Planning Board, often providing new information for the board to consider. The recent meeting on Thursday, Sept. 5, began with a presentation by Save Craryville leader Jamie Carano that focused on three specific instances in which the board’s cursory review of documentation has led to “the misunderstanding, misinterpretation and unfounded satisfaction of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment dealing with subsurface contamination.” 

Carano said Planning Board Chairman Bob Haight incorrectly asserted that the proposed site wasn’t previously used as a gas station. In researching its history, she said Save Craryville determined that public information documented the site as a former Chevrolet-Oldsmobile car dealership as well as a gas station and an automotive repair shop. This information was described more in depth in a presentation by Craryville resident Leigh McBride, who shared her research on the history of the site and provided the board with exhibits and additional documentation that supported her research, including the site’s deed history from 1929 to the present day.

Paul Rubin, a hydrogeologist with Save Craryville, delivered a presentation on the lack of site-specific data needed to make an informed decision on whether or not to OK the proposal. Rubin talked about the presence of a sand and gravel aquifer that was identified on the proposed project site, which he said GRJH believes does not exist in the site area as “their limited search” of well log records from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation “found no records to support the concept of downgradient use of a sand and gravel aquifer by homeowners and businesses.” 

He also talked about the lack of site-specific data collection conducted by GRJH, which he said should be used to predicate water resource and environmental protection as well as sound land use.

Following the presentations and submissions, the board took a vote for closing the public hearing. Three Planning Board members, including Haight, voted in favor of closing the hearing while three voted against the closure.

In the ensuing discussion, Haight said, “We don’t have any new information for the public and they can always send us anything.”

“I feel there was a lot of information that was presented tonight that was new information and it was relevant,” said Planning Board member Jon Urban, who voted against the hearing’s closure.

At this time, the public hearing on the GRJH proposal remains open.