By Laura Hayes, Senior Community Reporter
HUDSON — An appeal of the Hudson Planning Board’s decision to approve plans for a Mobil Gas Station and convenience store has been dismissed according to court records.
The developer, Global Montello Group Corporation, wanted to build a 4,820-square-foot convenience store and gas station at 240-242 Washington Street.
The appeal was filed in March by Zisler Investment Associates Limited Partnership, which owns land that abuts the roundabout.
“As set forth more fully herein, while Zisler does not oppose the Site Plan in total, its appeal focuses on the Condition therein requiring the construction of roundabout improvements,” Zisler’s attorneys wrote in the appeal.
Specifically, Zisler contended that the Planning Board approved the plans for the roundabout without considering alternatives.
According to court documents, Global first filed a site plan for the site in Jan. 2020. At that time, their plans included a traffic impact study in which Global’s traffic engineers concluded that the redevelopment of the site is estimated to have “minimal impact on the operations of the roadway network adjacent to the site,” Global’s attorneys wrote.
The Planning Board’s traffic consultant said in a peer review of Global’s plans that research indicated that the crash rate at the Washington Street roundabout was “significantly higher than the state average,” court documents state.
At that time, the consultant asked Global to collect additional crash data, prepare crash diagrams and reanalyze the roundabout.
This was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Global’s lawyers wrote that they ultimately withdrew their application without prejudice and worked to gather the data during the rest of the year before filing a new application in December.
According to court documents, their data indicated that between 2013 to 2017, there were a total of 93 reported crashes either at or near the Washington Street roundabout.
Global worked with town staff and consultants before proposing that the pavement around the roundabout be restriped and create a bypass lane to separate traffic heading south on Route 85.
Zisler argued that the bypass lane was in front of their property.
“The creation of the by-pass lane is such that, while traffic will be able to enter into the roundabout from any direction and exit into the gas station, the traffic coming from the South or East will no longer be able to exit into the Zisler property,” the attorneys wrote.
Ultimately, Zisler, the Planning Board, and Global filed for the case to be dismissed on Aug. 9.
