Clifton Park reveals land planning committee

PHOTOGRAPHER: File Photo

Shen Board of Education President Bill Casey and town officials announced an agreement over the land in 2017.

CLIFTON PARK — The town has appointed a nine-person committee to oversee a land use planning study for 37 acres of wooded land recently acquired from the Shenendehowa Central School District.

The planning committee will review possible uses for the land. The process will involve public meetings, during which residents can offer opinions about how to develop the property for public use.

The committee members are Town Supervisor Phil Barrett, Town Board members Lynda Walowit, Amy Standaert, Jim Romano, James Whalen, and planning department employees John Scavo and Jennifer Viggiani.

There will also be a committee member from the town’s Open Space Committee, and a member from the town planning board, both of whom are yet to be announced.

The committee will work with a group of stakeholders on the project, who either own land near the parcel or are public entities that partner with the town.

The stakeholders group will include representatives from the town of Halfmoon, the Shenendehowa School District, the Clifton Park Halfmoon Public Library, the Southern Saratoga YMCA, Clifton Park real estate company DCG Development, the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County and the Friends of Clifton Park Open Space.

The town will send letters to all stakeholder organizations requesting that they select representatives for the committee. They have until April 16 to appoint those people.

The Maxwell Road land has been a controversial subject. A public referendum in April 2017 resulted in thousands of residents voicing opposition to the district’s initial decision to sell the plot to BBL Development — for about $2 million.

BBL had planned to build a Shop Rite supermarket on the land.

Ultimately, the $1.1 million sale to the town was approved by voters in a second referendum on Dec. 5. By law, the land can now only be used as a public park. The town and district closed on the deal in February.

The dates for the public meetings could be announced as soon as the April 16 Town Board meeting, when the stakeholder candidates are announced, said town spokesman Matt Andrus.