A MESSAGE FROM THE DEPUTY SUPERVISOR CONCERNING LONG ROAD DISTRIBUTION CENTER PROJECT
There have been many questions concerning where we are with the Long Road Distribution Center project. We thought it may be helpful to address the comments and explain where we are in the process as well as where we are going.
To clarify, there was never a workshop scheduled for July 31 to discuss the peer review of the travel study. There was a request from the Town Board to attempt scheduling for that date, however, the lead consultant on our project was out of the country and unavailable for that date. At that point, it was under attorney advisement that the approach or next step was changed. The reason for this change was that a meeting of that nature was premature as an official Town Board action to accept receipt of those findings had not occurred.
We are now at a point to move forward in the process as the Town has received the completed DSEIS (Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement) addressing the peer reviews. The next action is for the Town Board to accept the DSEIS as complete, received, and adequate for public review. This is not an acceptance of the contents and findings or an agreement with any of the findings; but that they are complete and now ready for an in-depth review by the Town Board, Town Departments and Advisory Boards. No decisions on any aspect of the project will be made during this stage of the process. At this time, the document becomes available for public review and comment, and a Public Hearing and public comment period will be scheduled. All of the steps outlined are a legal requirement of SEQRA law.
After this in-depth review and comment period, a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared, consisting of the DSEIS with necessary revisions and supplements; all Town responses, all comments from the public hearing, and received written comments will be taken into consideration.
I hope this helps with an understanding of the procedure and timeline we as a Town Board are required to follow. A copy of the resolution in the Town Board Agenda Packet for Monday, August 28 gives a more detailed and legal description of the process. If you have other questions about the steps ahead, please feel free to contact me or the Supervisors Office. My door is always open and my assistant will be happy to schedule an appointment to meet.