The Stillwater Village Board heard preliminary plans from a housing developer Tuesday (Nov. 13) to build 172 new two-and three-bedroom apartments off Colonial Boulevard.

The proposal was made by Blitman Development Corp or the BDC Group, a company based in White Plains with offices in the Capital Region. The company has constructed single-family homes or condominiums in Troy, Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa, and downstate in Mahopac, Beacon and Fishkill.

While in its infancy stages, BDC said it has a contract to purchase the land and has done initial engineering studies to see what would be best suited for the property. While single-family homes were once discussed for the same land years ago but no formal application was presented to the village, apartments would be “the best value” and a “recession proof investment,” the developers said.

“We did a market study for the Stillwater area and based on work force trends, the study showed this area could absorb it (172 apartments),” the developers told the board. “Tonight’s goal is to present the concept and get initial feedback.”

The apartments were described as “work force housing,” modern and efficient but not luxury living. They would be two stories, eight units per building and rent for $900 to $1,400 per month depending on their size. BDC hopes to draw tenants from the local area and workers from GlobalFoundries in Malta.

While there are no architectural drawings completed yet to show what the apartments might look like, BDC presented a land map to the Village Board plotting out where the structures might be built. About 60 percent of the construction parcel is located in the village and 40 percent is in the Town of Stillwater, so the project would require approval from both municipalities.

The next step is for BDC to meet with town officials for further feedback. No action was taken by the Village Board.

In other business, Nov. 13:

• Mayor-Elect Judith Wood-Shaw read a statement to village residents thanking them for electing her to office on Nov. 6. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Village of Stillwater residents for honoring me with your vote on Election Day. As your new Mayor I am excited to take on this new venture and will try my very best to keep our village moving forward. Thank you to my family and friends far and near for supporting me with your tremendous outpouring of enthusiasm and positive energy!  Love you all!” She will take over as Mayor on Dec. 3, replacing Frank Tatum who did not seek election. Trustees will hold a special meeting on Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. at Village Hall to certify the results of the Nov. 6 elections.
• Trustee John Basile reported that the new village water holding tank on Hillside Avenue was put into service on Oct. 18, three weeks ahead of the original schedule. The old tank had corroded on the bottom and reached the end of its service life. It was demolished and replaced with a new glass-lined model.
• Trustees announced that the village Zoning Board of Appeals has approved a variance to construct an eight-foot fence around the large lithium battery project for 982 Hudson Ave. The chain link fence will have green slats woven through it and arborvitae trees planted around it to camouflage the battery container. Trustees approved the battery project Oct. 2 given a list of conditions are met by the developer. The battery will serve as a power backup to a NYSEG electric transformer that gets overloaded during peak demand and is in need of a $10.5 million upgrade.
• Trustee Judith Wood-Zeno reported she has finished updating the village employee manual and it is ready for a full review by the Village Board. A final review workshop will be held as part of a special meeting on Nov. 27, 6 p.m., at Village Hall.
• The Village Board set a date of Dec. 18, 6 p.m., at Village Hall for a public hearing to consider the adoption of proposed Local Law No. 2 of 2018 entitled “Election of Village Fire Department Officers.” The purpose of the local law is to change the date of the fire department’s annual election of officers from the first Tuesday in April to the first Monday in December. The village would like the fire department election date closer to the village government election date, which was changed to November this year from March in past years.