The Final Public Forum for Glenham Mills, the former Texaco Research Center in Beacon, took place on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 at the Slater Chemical Fire Hall. Approximately 80 participants attended the meeting which focused on discussing the contents of the Charrette Report that will be released to the community in the near future.
Developed after years of community input, the Charrette Report is a resource designed to help the community, future developers and local government foster dialogue to shape future redevelopment at the site. The report assembles a wealth of available information about the site, outlines guiding principles for responsible development and provides alternative scenarios for future use of the currently zoned industrial site.
The meeting began with an opportunity for participants to view maps and meeting display materials that demonstrated various sustainable communities that were developed at the previous community meetings.
After a safety moment, Connie Hall, Real Estate Consultant with Chevron Land and Development Company, kicked off the formal meeting by thanking the community for their years of input and engagement. Connie then proceeded to clarify a few key points about Chevron’s position.
While Chevron is the landowner, we will not be the Master Developer for the site and instead intend to sell the site to a developer who has mixed-use development experience. From there, a developer will need to advance a development plan; investigate the impact of proposed development on the infrastructure, traffic, schools and environment; submit the development plan for public review; and obtain the necessary public approvals. Regardless of what potential redevelopment opportunities may or may not exist, Chevron is committed to performing the environmental investigations and remediation necessary to protect human health and the environment, under oversight by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and Department of Health (NYSDOH).
The presentation then proceeded with explaining what the report is and isn’t. The report provides a wealth of information about the site’s physical, ecological and environmental conditions, outlines guiding principles for responsible development and provides alternative scenarios for future use. The community can use the report as a resource to establish a redevelopment framework for the site, and to use it to support dialogue between the community, future developers and local government. The report should not be seen as a formal development plan.
The majority of the presentation then focused on the report’s contents – taking the attendees through a history of the community engagement and design charrette process that took place the past few years that resulted in the findings contained in the report. It was made clear that more work would need to be done in the years ahead, such as studies on impacts of development and the continued environmental investigations and assessment work.
In terms of next steps, Chevron will continue to engage with the community through our Community Advisory Panel, conduct environmental assessments and start the process for finding a buyer/developer. Once on board, a developer would need to put forth a development proposal, conduct impact analyses and obtain public approvals. Chevron encourages the community to continue to stay involved.
The Charrette Report will be released online soon and a communication will be sent to the community when it is available. Please continue to stay engaged. Check our website for future Community Advisory Panel meetings and follow us on Facebook.
View the presentation presented during the Glenham Mills Public Forum — March 14, 2018:
View the Final Charrette Report:
