Goshen tackles two new warehouse proposals

The town of Goshen is considering two new warehouses to be built along Route 17M, one at 2659 Route 17M and the other at 2675 Route 17M, both vacant lots in commercial zones. Both projects were put before the planning board earlier this year by the RDM Group, a developer of industrial spaces.

Almost immediately neighbors and board members raised concerns about traffic, parking, noise, and the environmental impact of such buildings.

Traffic

In a reported issued to the planning board in August, RDM said the spaces will be rented out to industries with “24/7 operations.” RDM stated that 87% of the traffic at both locations will occur during the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., with overnight traffic between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. constituting 10% of the total traffic. RDM claimed that no more than 10 truck trips will be generated by either project “during any one-hour period during the overnight hours.”

However, this all remains speculation, since tenants for these sites have not yet been designated. But to alleviate planning board concerns, RDM said, “The design of the buildings will ensure that warehousing will only be for one which limits their activities to those which are applicable to the NYS building code that the building was designed to. Accordingly, the proposed warehouses will not be utilized for hazardous substances, but for S-2 Low Hazard Storage or S-1 Moderate Hazard Storage.” While Low Hazard Storage includes substances such as cement, electrical components, food products, glass, dry cell batteries, metals and appliances, Moderate Hazard Storages includes items such as bags, books, cardboard, clothing, dry goods, furniture, lumber, tires, and mattresses.

Parking

The planning board had asked about the number of parking spaces that would be required for each facility based on the number of expected employees. While a tenant has not been named, RDM said the proposed warehouse for 2659 Route 17M will be designed for a total of 170 employees over three shifts, thus 170 spaces are proposed. However, RDM noted that the space could be split for up to four different tenants or industries, meaning the exact number of employees might vary by the tenant. RDM suggested that, in those cases, specific tenants may be required to plan shifts to ensure that the parking remains sufficient.

The site at 2675 Route 17M will be built with space for 172 employees, with 172 parking spaces.

Noise

According to RDM, each of the proposed warehouses will have an 8-foot noise barrier wall anticipated to have a noise reduction of 28 dB if the company goes with a product called AcoustiFence, or 31 dB if the company opts for a “plywall-treated wood system.”

Environmental Impact

As with any development, each site’s effect on stormwater runoff was also scrutinized. RDM claims its stormwater prevention plans for each warehouse “go above and beyond the NYSDEC requirements.” This includes erosion and sediment control measures through the use of enlarged sediment ponds or sediment storage traps, and reinforced silt fences with hay bale or silt sock backing along sensitive areas such as wetlands, among other tools.

Regarding wastewater disposal and water consumption, RDM proposed connecting the warehouses to public water and sewer systems, assuming lines are added to that section of town in time. If such lines aren’t installed in time, RDM says it will change the site plan to include septic and wells.

Other Considerations

The warehouses, as proposed, currently exceed height limitations. The maximum allowable height of such a building is 45 feet, but RDM proposed the height for 2659 Route 17M to be 62 feet and 2675 Route 17M to be 55.12 feet, meaning both would require a variance from town. The warehouses are expected to be two floors total.

The lot at 2659 has a proposed footprint of 165,900 square feet, while 2675 will be around 175,000 square feet. Both sites will also have sidewalks along 17M.

The public hearing on this application was closed but additional discussions are expected to take place at a later date. Documents detailing the studies noted above, as we as the proposed site plans and additional reports are available on the town website.

The next planning board meeting will take place October 5.