Developers Make Pitches to Planning Board

The Madison Planning Board convened Tuesday night at Bayley-Ellard in what was its last meeting of the year. The meeting's focus was on projects by two different developers, with both giving testimonies before the board by architects and engineers. Both of the developers, Royal Wave Development and Greenwood Property Group, had presented their projects at the previous Planning Board meeting on Nov. 24.

Royal Wave Development's plan included a three-floor, seventeen unit building on Ridgedale Avenue and townhouses on Cook Avenue. Architect Jeremy Greene presented the plans for the buildings in detail, including exhibits of the materials that will be used.

The buildings, according to Greene, are designed to fit in with the historic, colonial style of Madison. Moreover, the goals of the projects are to create buildings that meet Silver Leadership in Environmental Energy Design certification – a distinction that was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and calls for compliance with various environmentally sound practices.

Ultimately, Greene asserted, the developer's goal is to build an EPA Energy Star house, with the additional goal of the building on Ridgedale being 30 percent more efficient than Energy Star's baseline requirements and with the buildings on Cook to exceed the Energy Star threshold by 40 percent.

Some of the board members did express some concerns, though. One issue was whether the buildings would comply with the ordinance to keep as many trees and as much natural vegetation as possible. Greene referred to the plans and pointed out that the plan does include the preservation of some trees.

Landscape architect Douglas Olsen also testified that some changes had been made as per discussion from a previous planning board meeting to include more space for plants and trees.

The plans include the use of current infrastructure, a practice that could prove to be both environmentally friendly and fiscally sound for the company. Developer Richard Romano asserted, "There isn't anything better than reusing an existing structure for saving the environment."

Madison resident Paul Saurer weighed in as well, asking Romano a few questions before finally stating that he was in favor of the plans and supported the projects. Further deliberation over the Royal Wave Development's Ridgedale and Cook Avenue projects will take place at the next Planning Board meeting in 2010.

The Greenwood Property Group's plan was another continuation of discussion from the previous Planning Board meeting and focused on the remediation of the land that was previously occupied by an Exxon-Mobile gas station on the corner of Greenwood Avenue and Main Street.

Chemical Engineer Barry Skoultchi testified, stating, "(The) issues of this property are no different than issues of gas stations across the state."

The goal is to clean up the soil that was residually impacted from years of being beneath the Exxon-Mobile. According to Skoultchi's testimony, 13,000 tons of soil has been removed and 30 percent of the property has been excavated. He expressed the opinion that the site will be safe for redevelopment due to the excavation project. Moreover, he expressed that Exxon-Mobile have been receptive to the concerns of the developers.

Board Chair Judith Mullins pointed out that Exxon-Mobile has left Madison with a hole in the ground for 5 years, and raised concerns over how long it has taken for them to clean up the site.

Skoultchi, first responding that he is not a representative of Exxon-Mobile, expressed that although the project may have been a long time coming, Exxon-Mobile did in fact choose the best method for cleaning up the site and removing any possible contamination from the soil.

The excavation method, Skoultchi asserted, is the quickest, most aggressive, and most effective way to remove contamination, especially when the soil is removed to below the water level, as it has been at the site.

Finally, Skoultchi pointed out that the issues of the townspeople and the redeveloper are aligned: both want the site cleaned up and made safe for future occupants. It is Exxon-Mobile's responsibility to ensure that the land is not contaminated, but the developers plan to include some safeguards as well, although Skoultchi claimed they would probably not be needed and would be included only as an additional safeguard.

The next planning board meeting, and the first of 2010, will take place on January 5, in room 320 of the Bayley-Ellard school on 205 Madison Avenue.