The Rochester planning board approved two long-awaited plans at their September 14 meeting; Rondout Valley Central School District’s plan to add First Student electric buses to its fleet and the proposed Verizon Cell Tower on Granite Road.

Electric School Buses

Michael Cline, a representative for First Student, discussed a potential “trade-off” with the Rochester planning board, where the applicants would decommission and remove the existing on-site diesel tank in exchange for 25 electric buses being approved instead of 20.

Cline said that removing the diesel tank would address environmental concerns. Rick Jones, chair of the planning board, said it “made some sense,” but that space between the buses was still a concern for the fire department.

“Perhaps the board could even be more enticed to agree with putting the extra five buses there if you found a way to also spread those buses out even more than you originally anticipated, using that extra space up there against the fence,” Jones said.

The applicants expressed concern over time constraints related to the $10 million Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Program grant that Rondout Valley received. To meet this constraint, applicants agreed to proceed with the current site plan approval for 20 buses and return with an amended site plan to add five extra buses and formalize the tank removal.

Conditions for approval include the applicant providing a list of local bridge weight limits, designate a marked emergency area for buses experiencing issues, providing a letter from Central Hudson confirming sufficient electrical capacity and document all site electrical disconnects, complying with light and sound requirements and coordinating with the Code Enforcement Officer and local fire district to provide periodic training for first responders. The special use permit must be renewed in one year.

Verizon Cell Tower

The Verizon cell tower, including its special use permit and site plan, were approved at the meeting. The planning board mainly focused on ensuring the accuracy of the decision document, including correcting typos and inconsistencies.

Conditions for approval include the tower being constructed as a “monopine,” meaning that it’ll look like a tree, in order to blend into the landscape. No exterior lighting is permitted on the tower except as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the tower must use full cut-off lighting fixtures to prevent light spill. Routine generator testing is restricted to weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Scott Olsen, the representative for Verizon, said that he would likely ask for an extension as he is unsure construction can be done between November and March due to birds and bats. Jones said Olsen can come back for four six-month extensions.

Jones said he appreciated members of the public who gave input during the process, but some members of the public did not feel the same way. Julia Walsh, a community member who has repeatedly spoken against the cell tower, said she did not appreciate the “jovial” nature of the planning board during the meeting.

“The jovial nature of joking and laughing while you're voting on something that's consequential to many of the people here and watching after almost a thousand people, businesses have told you they don't want this in their neighborhood,” Walsh said to the planning board. “That is so atrocious. Never call yourselves environmentalists again after this. See you in court.”

Jones responded that he was “looking forward to it” and said “some of the opponents have not acquitted themselves very well.”