Hemlock Woods master plan presented; board asks DRB for advisory opinion on mass, scale and pavement layout

John Caney (Caney Law) presented the Hemlock Woods mixed‑use master plan for two parcels on South Broadway: multifamily residential, ground‑floor retail (about 9,800 sq ft total), and a hotel. The team said it increased front setbacks (from ~60 to ~120 ft in places) to preserve existing vegetation, reconfigured parking to bank 114 spaces as reserve parking, and relocated stormwater features to avoid buffer impacts and a previously identified archaeological area.

Caney said Columbia Heritage had completed Phase I/II archaeological work and identified a 19th‑century house foundation; his team proposed a 20‑foot buffer around those resources and will submit the consultant's report to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Traffic, pedestrian access to the adjacent state park and wetlands constraints were the most discussed items. The applicant noted that a southward multiuse path would cross wetlands and likely require DEC/title 24 permits, and that DOT/state right‑of‑way acceptance for off‑site path segments is uncertain. The team said they would provide design details and continue coordination with neighbors.

The board asked for an advisory opinion from the Design Review Board on mass, scale and the pavement/parking relationship to the proposed building frontages (gateway/GCR context). The board voted to send the Hemlock Woods plan to DRB and scheduled further SECRA review; the motion passed unanimously.