Two projects that would change the edges of town have been moving through the Town of Schaghticoke Planning Board. Neither is a done deal, and both are worth understanding while there’s still a chance to comment.
A Dollar General at Route 40 and East Schaghticoke Road
A 10,600-square-foot Dollar General store has been proposed on Route 40 at the corner of East Schaghticoke Road. The plan, presented by Lansing Engineering, would carve the roughly 8.2-acre parcel into three lots, with the store on a ~1.95-acre lot and shared access with a separate equipment-storage use next door.
The idea first surfaced in August 2025 as an inquiry, and by the June 3, 2026 meeting it had detailed renderings. Points raised so far:
- Design: a revised façade with added windows, awnings, and a gable.
- Lighting: driveway and entrance lighting that shuts off after hours, with NYS DOT recommending “dark sky” fixtures to preserve the rural character.
- Hours: roughly 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with deliveries minimized.
- Extras floated in review: additional screening/landscaping and a bike rack.
The Planning Board voted to hold a public hearing on July 1, 2026, the formal chance for neighbors to speak to it.
Solar along the Route 67 corridor
Separately, Active Solar Development has been advancing two solar arrays (referred to in the minutes as ASD Solar II and III) at the landfill and highway-garage sites along the Route 67 corridor. Much of the Planning Board’s attention has gone to how the arrays are screened from the road:
- In spring 2025 the board trimmed the number of trees slated for removal, approved “rural” fixed-knot fencing over chain-link, and attached a condition that there be no further tree removal for the life of the project without consulting the Planning Board.
- By October the discussion had turned to filling in screening with low plantings (holly was preferred).
Earlier meetings also flagged a longer-term question worth watching: whether the decommissioning bonds (the money set aside to remove an array and restore the land if a project is ever abandoned) will keep pace with real costs over a 25-year life.
How to weigh in
Both projects run through the Planning Board, which meets the first Wednesday of each month at Town Hall; public hearings are the moment your comments carry the most weight. Traffic and safety concerns along the corridor are collected in our Route 40 safety issue. You can also send us your observations and we’ll help track these as they develop. Want the source detail? Every meeting referenced here is transcribed and searchable in our minutes archive.
Summarized from Town of Schaghticoke Planning Board minutes. Details of proposed projects can change as they move through review; the town’s records are the authority.
Have a tip, correction, or issue of your own?
Submit to the Reader →