Categories: Uncategorized

The town is reviewing a new proposal to build 82 townhouse units on open land at Cramer Road and Route 9.

It is the latest effort by local developer Tom Deveno, who has made various high-density housing proposals for the land since 2004, without getting approval.

The land, immediately north of the Home of the Good Shepherd senior citizen complex, was also eyed by the Ballston Spa School District last year, but school officials ultimately decided it wasn’t suitable for a new school.

Now Deveno, who already owns the property, is seeking zoning approval for a planned development district zoning to allow for up to 41 two-unit buildings on the 79-acre site, as well as a commercial project on Route 9.

Development would be concentrated on 33 acres, with the remaining 55 acres of land — which include a significant amount of wetlands — remaining vacant.

The Town Board, which would have to approve the zoning change, will hold a workshop on the proposal March 2.

In a presentation to the Town Board on Monday, project engineer Scott Lansing said the town zoning law allows for 36 building lots on the land, but Deveno is seeking additional lots in return for clustering the buildings and for bringing a larger-than-necessary sewer line up Cramer Road to the project site.

Installing an 8-inch sewer line would provide that part of Malta, which doesn’t now have sewer service, with enough sewer capacity to support further growth.

“An 8-inch line would provide all the capacity you’ll ever need,” said town Planning and Building Director Tony Tozzi.

Town officials have been studying how to get sewer service to that area for several years, and they have encouraged Deveno to work with other developers in the area to address the sewer issue.

A recent study found Cramer Road has better soil for installing a sewer line than Route 9P, where the bedrock is high in places. Either way, the sewer line would run from the Route 9 area to a Saratoga County Sewer District pumping station on Saratoga Lake.

Lansing said Deveno wants to move forward with construction in the spring, if he gets the necessary town approvals.