GLOVERSVILLE — With questions surrounding stormwater management and parking access addressed, the Planning Board granted final site plan approval for the redevelopment of Parkhurst Field.
C. T. Male Associates Director of Engineering Chad Kortz appeared before the Planning Board on Tuesday with updated information regarding the redevelopment plans for Parkhurst Field.
Redevelopment plans for Parkhurst Field were prepared by C. T. Male Associates, at the direction of the Parkhurst Field Foundation with the permission and approval of Gloversville Little League, which owns the property.
The 9.6 acre property at 54 Harrison St. currently consists of three baseball fields, two T-ball fields, one softball field and several smaller fields.
Redevelopment plans call for the construction of four new little league regulation baseball diamonds, a stadium, clubhouse, pavilion, batting cages, dugouts, storage area and spectator seating. The existing softball field will remain in its current location and the two T-ball fields will be reconfigured.
Included among the five regulation baseball fields, will be the premier field featuring a grandstand with seating for about 475 spectators. The field will be constructed on the original 1906 home plate location of A.,J.&G. Park.
The Planning Board approved a motion in September to declare itself lead agency over the project to make a State Environmental Quality Review determination, but has been awaiting receipt of a letter from the city granting Parkhurst Field permission to use a city owned parking lot on Harrison Street at the entrance to the Rail Trail and a review of stormwater management plans by city consultants to make a declaration.
Plans call for the construction of new onsite parking areas with access from Harrison Street and Industrial Parkway, but the project is reliant upon the use of city parking to reach the requisite number of parking spaces to serve the ballpark.
The Planning Board was waiting for a letter from the city granting the Parkhurst Field Foundation and Gloversville Little League permission to use the 58 space parking lot across the street from the fields, the Common Council approved a resolution authorizing the use during the Oct. 23 meeting and the board subsequently received a copy of the agreement.
The board was also waiting on a review of revised stormwater management plans and calculations by Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.
Initial stormwater management plans called for the construction of bioretention areas that hold up to six inches of water that is retained, treated and slowly released as runoff in accordance with state Department of Environmental Conservation requirements.
The measure was expected to reduce the rate of site runoff below current levels, but city officials questioned whether the system would be sufficient and whether the city’s current storm sewer infrastructure on Harrison Street would be able to adequately convey the field’s output given that rainwater currently collects along the perimeter of Parkhurst Field on Harrison Street.
Plans for bioretention areas were ultimately discarded and replaced with plans calling for the use of a pervious paving material that allows rainwater to pass through it and into the ground for parking areas and walkways between fields.
The material will be similar in appearance and feel to asphalt and will reduce impervious areas on site by 33 percent following construction, exceeding DEC requirements and eliminating the need for any additional stormwater management measures.
Under normal circumstances rainwater will infiltrate the ground once the pervious pavement is in place. If water levels rise in the event of a 10 or 100 year storm, an underdrain system will be in place to convey and discharge the water in the roadside swale.
Fulton County Senior Planner Sean Geraghty informed the board that GPI issued a letter on Oct. 26 stating that all of its comments to C.T. Male pertaining to the site plan and the stormwater pollution prevention plan had been addressed.
While reviewing the project, Geraghty asked Kortz if he could provide any details on the estimated construction schedule for the project that is due to be completed in three phases.
“What you provided was a bit vague, but I understand that because of funding and because of the way you have to work around the little league season and stuff like that. I’m not sure how much more detail you would be able to provide at this point in time,” Geraghty said.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $2.3 million, the foundation is currently carrying out a capital campaign to raise the funds for the project and secured a $500,000 grant for the project from the New York State Economic Development Council in December 2016.
Kortz said the Parkhurst Field Foundation hoped to complete the project by 2020, but will likely be extended further out due to Gloversville Little League’s seasonal schedule and the foundation’s funding goals.
The Planning Board on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion to issue a negative declaration for the site plan under SEQR, meaning the project will not cause any significant environmental impact.
Additionally, the board unanimously approved a motion to grant final site plan approval for the redevelopment of Parkhurst Field.
