Last week, Highland Estates developer Sami Jamal returned to the Lloyd Planning Board to pitch proposals that are targeted for the Mack’s Lane and Route 9W area; a mixed use building with 16,000 sq/ft of first floor retail space and a 2nd floor of 20 one-bedroom apartments of the same square footage along with a four pump gas station facility. The developer will also be seeking a separate two-story professional office building with a total of 9,600 sq/ft. These structures will face west toward Route 9W.

In addition, Jamal is proposing a four story, 60 room hotel that will face north to Mack’s Lane. Surveyor Patti Brooks submitted a sketch map of the entire site plan that shows the footprint and square footage of all proposed buildings except the hotel, which is listed only by its footprint of 9,240 sq/ft when in fact, if 4 stories are approved the hotel will be 36,960 sq/ft. All of this is being proposed for a 7.84 acre site that is within the Highway Business District.

Brooks said her client complied with the Planning Board’s request to move the parking spaces from directly along Route 9W to a short distance north and provide a small green space area in between the roadway and the parking.
Brooks said Jamal is bringing back the idea of a hotel for the board’s consideration, believing there is a need for it in the community.

“We would like to go back and work with either the Town Board or the Zoning Board, whatever is required, in order to put up a four-story hotel so we can have a pool and appropriate amenities on the first level and guest rooms on the other three floors,” she said. “I know that this board can’t approve this or continue the review with a proposed building height that is above the [35 ft] requirements.”

Building Department Director Dave Barton said that at the last tri-board meeting they discussed changing the [code’s] building height.

“I don’t know if the board was comfortable with that in the Highway Business District because the other properties along the other side of the road, which run south, are all surrounded by residential uses. Nevertheless, numbers were popped around at that meeting. If I was to offer the applicant advice, I would say apply to the Zoning Board immediately about the intent and then have discussions with the Town Board of all that is under review.”

It was noted that this project would have to come before the town’s Water and Sewer Committee. Barton noted that in the past this applicant, “hasn’t played nice in the sandbox with Stewart’s related to the sewer.” Stewart’s is slated to be built directly across Route 9W from Jamal’s proposed project. Barton said this matter with Jamal was frustrating for him, considering the effort that went into the Stewart’s project.

“We thought we had it sorted out [but] because of some inaccuracies with what we knew about where the sewer was there, this particular applicant [Jamal] did some things that didn’t play out so well for Stewart’s and I think, therefore for the town.” He added that he spoke about this with Brooks who relayed it her client, “so we’ll see what happens going forward.”

Board member Sal Cuciti pointed out that it is hard to buffer a hotel that is 66 ft wide by 140 ft long and 4 stories tall in this particular spot that is up against Walgreens, a drainage pond and a residential street.

“To me it’s not a great look there,” he said, adding that a swap of the two large structures being proposed may help. “Closer to Route 9W there is more room to buffer that height. You could have loads a trees in front of it.”

Brooks said her client will have to present some visuals on the building that will give a clearer picture of the hotel’s height and its setting. Barton said elevations will be needed when appearing before the Zoning Board to give them a sense of the building’s visual impact.

The Planning Board also noted that consideration will have to be given to the amount of waste water that will be generated from this development. Board member Franco Zani estimated that the development’s peak flow could be more than 35,000 gallons per day, which does not include the office spaces. The Ulster County Department of Health will also have to weigh in on these figures.

Brooks was invited to the meeting of the Water and Sewer Committee on May 5 at 4 p.m. at the Lloyd Town Hall at 12 Church St to consider the sewer issue. The meeting is open to the public.