Environmental Questions Bring Early End to Zoning Meeting

At Monday night's zoning board meeting, an applicant looking to resurrect a closed gas station was hoping to bring a modified plan in front of the board. 

The board last heard the for the first time a few months ago and at that time questions were raised about the size and scope of the project. After a brief presentation by one witness about the proposed impervious coverage of the lot, the questions about the environmental impact were raised. 

Chairman John Van Noy said the status of the environmental issues would determine how much further the application could progress. "We're trying to make a determination right up front whether this application is complete," he said. 

To answer the questions of the board the applicant brought up Edward Renfield as an environmental expert. Renfield said he had seen reports showing minimal contamination in the soil from the time the previous station closed several years ago. Any contaminated soil, he said would be removed as part of the renovation process. 

Board Engineer Jack Mallon asked Renfield what he meant when he referred to a "little" soil contamination. Renfield said they found three "hot spots" in the area they looked at. Mallon was looking for specific numbers that were not available at the meeting. "Your little might be our big," he said.

Mallon said when the applicant comes back they should have the specific contaminant levels found in the soil of the site.

Even when the environmental questions are answered by Gill Petroleum, the company proposing to build the station, Van Noy said he wanted someone outside of the board to look at their data. "I think we're at a situation here for the board to try and understand everything that is being presented," he said. "We need to have expert testimony on our side to evaluate this data and the integrity of this data," he said. 

It was agreed before the meeting was adjourned that the applicant would provide an environmental impact report, something board planner Jennifer Beahm said her office could help coordinate with the applicant. "Then we have all the data and we have an agency that takes legal responsibility," Van Noy said in agreement with the plan for the report. 

The next steps in the application process will be a site review by the board and a continuation of the hearing at a later meeting.