By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

Estrada Road Hotel Project

In December 2014, AEONN, LLC proposed an 85-room hotel located on an 11.1-acre site at 100 Estrada Road in the Village of Woodbury. KC is preparing the site plan and all associated documents and studies for the proposed hotel.

In January 2016, the Planning Board made a negative SEQRA determination, and a public hearing on the revised site plan was conducted for the project.

The lot is situated on the south side of Estrada Road and borders the west side of the NYS Thruway (I-87). While Estrada Road is not a county road and is not maintained by the NYSDOT as a component of the state highway system, it was designed and constructed by the NYSDOT as a state highway and was eventually designated U.S. Route 6 and operated as part of the state highway system until 1972.

KC prepared a Long Form EAF for the project including Parts 1 and 2. As part of the preparation of Part 3 with the Planning Board, KC prepared several supplemental studies. A habitat assessment was performed and provided to NYSDEC to confirm that, although the site was generally within areas of known habitats, no endangered species habitats were present. Wetlands were flagged and located on-site. A traffic study and pedestrian study were also performed for the project, to complete SEQRA and to satisfy public concerns.

The proposed hotel at 100 Estrada Road is a less intensive land use than many of the uses permitted in the Village IB zoning district. The proposed hotel will not alter community character as it is fully consistent with the Village comprehensive plan and will not have a significant negative impact on Estrada Road.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

A Guide to LEED Certifications

LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a credit-based, green building certification program that indicates how environmentally conscious and conservative a building is. Established by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) in the early 1990s, LEED had since undergone several drastic upgrades, the newest version being the LEED v4 rating system.

At minimum, a building needs only 40 points to become LEED certified, but the more points earned, the more prestigious the certification. LEED certified is the base certification, followed by LEED Silver, LEED Gold, and LEED Platinum certified.

Buildings can become LEED certified if several energy and environmentally friendly actions are taken during construction. Homes, schools, healthcare facilities, and retail stores all have the potential to become LEED certified, but don’t necessarily have to meet the same requirements as one another.

Actions like optimizing energy performance, having good construction waste management practices, and maximizing open spaces during site development earn a building points that have potential to eventually add up to be a LEED certification.

So, the question remains: Why should building owners seek LEED certification?

With principles like green engineering gaining popularity amidst worldwide pollution and climate change concerns, it’d certainly benefit companies to be recognized as a leader in sustainable energy. While companies themselves cannot be LEED certified, the buildings they operate out of can be, setting a standard for others and serving as an example of environmental efficiency in their communities.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • • 0 Comments

Dig Safely This Spring and Summer

Regardless of any lingering chill in the air, spring has officially sprung and most homeowners are happy to trade in their snow blowers for lawn mowers.

This is the time of year when people start to make landscaping and gardening plans. Not only is April the first full month of spring, it is also National Safe Digging Month.

While many homeowners may be thinking about planning gardens, starting home improvement projects, and sprucing up their properties, it’s important to remember to call 811 before ANY dig.

811 is a national hotline that allows property owners, landscapers, and others to find out where they can safely dig.

Whether you’re getting ready to excavate your backyard in order to add an in-ground pool, or want to plant some flowers, no digging project – no matter how small – should be started without first calling 811.

Why? Because utility lines can be buried just a few inches underground, and without ensuring that the spot you’re digging in is free of utility lines, you could unintentionally damage them. In doing so, you could wind up damaging property, inadvertently causing power outages, and incurring costly fines and fees.

So how does calling 811 work?

First, make the call at least a few days before you dig. Let the representative know exactly where you plan to dig. They will then notify your local utilities operators. The utilities workers will come to your property and mark out where any utility lines are buried.

Once any utility line locations have been marked, you can plan to avoid these areas and safely proceed with your project.

Once your project is complete, you can enjoy the results of your hard work!

For more information about safe digging, visit http://call811.com/.

By Evan Thomas KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

Good Etiquette for Traveling Through Construction Sites

It’s an undeniable fact that construction sites obstruct the movements and activities of our daily lives—on our morning commutes to work, for example, the last thing we want to see is that bright orange sign that reads “Road Work Ahead.” Sidewalk closings, too, prove to be nothing short of inconvenient as they often force us pedestrians to haphazardly share the road with motorists. Compounding the inconvenience is the danger of proximity to an active construction site: according to Creative Safety Publishing, an organization dedicated to providing safety tips for the workplace, in 2012 a student at Ohio State University was struck by a dump truck while riding his bike past a construction site. The New York Post reported that between the years 2010 and 2015, 59 people had been struck by falling debris from New York City construction sites.

Follow these three simple steps to stay safe and become a more mindful and respectful passerby at construction sites:

  1. Respect the signs and learn what they mean.

Take an active role in your safety and understand important safety signs.

SafetySign.com identifies five important symbols that communicate three important messages to both workers and passersby: the hazard, the means of avoiding the hazard, and the consequences of not avoiding the hazard. Common symbols include:

Hazard symbols (yellow triangle with black border) warn us about potential site dangers and their consequences (think: Biohazard sign).

Prohibition symbols (red circle with red slash through middle) instruct us on what activities to avoid when near the site (think: “No Smoking” sign).

Mandatory symbols (white square or blue circle depicting an instructional action) tell us what we must do to stay safe when near a construction site (think: “Hard Hat Area” sign).

Information symbols (white square with a red image) direct us to important life-saving equipment and exits in case of an emergency (think: Fire Extinguisher sign).

Safety symbols (white square with black image, occasionally accompanied by a red circle with a slash) both shows us the proper steps to take to avoid danger and the consequences of ignoring important hazard warnings (think: “Caution: Wet Floor” sign).

  1. Avoid “rubbernecking.”

If you’ve recently driven over the Tappan Zee Bridge, you’re probably guilty of gawking at the construction of the new bridge. (And we don’t blame you, it’s shaping up to be quite a beaut!) However, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, engaging in distracted driving activities such as rubbernecking can double your risk of crashing. Sneaking a peek at the new bridge for just two seconds can increase the risk of an accident up to 24 times. While construction sites can be sources of curiosity and excitement, catching close-up views of the new bridge’s construction at 60 mph is not worth the risk of threatening your life and the lives of others.

  1. Don’t gawk: research!

Calm your curiosity safely by visiting this website that keeps you in the loop about projects in New York that are currently under construction. Excessive staring, both while driving and on foot, can cause significant disruptions around a construction site and can be dangerous to yourself, your fellow travelers, and on-site workers. If you are curious about a project, simply select its location on the site’s provided map and read up!