October 13, 2002 - The Independent DOT rethinks plaza; builder upbeat now

By MATTHEW SHEEHEY 12/03/2002

NIVERVILLE--A state Department of Transportation engineer says the Widewaters Group's plan for the intersection of Routes 9/9H is "unconscionable."       William FitzPatrick, the DOT regional traffic engineer in Poughkeepsie, made the comment in reference to the developer's intention to add another leg to the four-legged intersection to serve its proposed $10 million shopping plaza.       The 19-acre building site, which is just up the road from Ichabod Crane's main campus and McDonald's, would get a total of 3 access points under the Widewaters plan.       But Mr. FitzPatrick, in a letter sent to the applicant October 2, says his department finds that proposal "unacceptable in concept and in detail" because it compromises public safety and disrupts the flow of traffic.       "As you are aware, the existing geometry of the Route 9/9H/State Farm Road intersection is less than desirable. Adding the proposed access drive to this intersection would be unconscionable," writes Mr. FitzPatrick.       Those comments come as some relief to the citizens group that opposes the Widewaters proposal, Kinderhook Neighbors For Good Growth, and echo the concerns of the chairman of the Kinderhook Planning Board.       Allen Schaefer of the neighbors group says the engineer's letter is good news for his cause. "According to our attorneys, this is the strongest letter they have ever seen from DOT. They're almost saying [Widewaters] has manipulated the numbers," he says.       The DOT says building a one-way entrance to the plaza from Route 9 as well as a two-way access road south of the central driveway helps degrade air quality and "ultimately reduces the commercial viability of the corridor."       That design, continues Mr. FitzPatrick, seems like an attempt by the developer to create an acceptable level of traffic at the five-legged intersection by providing alternative routes to and from the 500-space parking lot.       "The sole purpose, as we see it, is to allow the numbers to work at the primary access point," he says, referring to the traffic study commissioned by Widewaters.       Planning Board Chairman Ed Simonsen, who is leading the town's review of the project, believes some "major modifications" will have to be made it the developer wants to build its supermarket and shops at the site.       Board members, residents and school officials have all expressed concern since Widewaters unveiled its proposal over the safety of pedestrians and motorists.       "What [the DOT letter] does is affirm the concerns that some of us have had since the proposal was presented. It expresses the concerns of the school and the residents within and without the Town of Kinderhook," says Mr. Simonsen.       He says Widewaters has not put enough thought into the shopping center's impacts on the entire county, which relies heavily on Routes 9/9H to travel north.       "I'm so grateful that DOT has examined the project in the depth that they have," says Mr. Simonsen, who also seeks to safeguard access at existing businesses.       Widewaters issued a statement yesterday, October 10, saying it welcomes the comments of the DOT regional traffic engineer and its looks forward to working with that office and officials "in resolving their concerns."       "The Widewaters Group will continue to work closely with all the appropriate state and local officials to assure highway safety for the center's customers, employees, and all motorists and pedestrians who pass by the site," says the statement from the Utica area company.       But Mr. FitzPatrick points out to the developer that the DOT is considering a move to re-route northbound traffic on Route 9 to Keegan Road, which Widewaters must consider if it wants to build its plaza at the intersection.       The engineer also says the only proposal DOT will consider is one that uses a "single full movement access" from the development to the existing intersection.       Mr. Schaefer says the Keegan Road initiative could take years to get off the ground, which should prompt Widewaters to look into alternative properties.       "Maybe if it were a few miles up the road it wouldn't be so bad, but it's unsuitable. What we've complained about in the DEIS is that they haven't looked at alternative sites, which is required by law," says Mr. Schaefer.       He's referring to the Widewaters preliminary draft environmental impact statement, which seeks to show how the firm will mitigate impacts on everything from vehicle and foot traffic to the town's natural resources and scenery.       That document is the subject of a public hearing Tuesday, October 15, at 7 p.m. at the North Pointe center on Route 9 just north of the Village of Kinderhook square.       Mr. Schaefer's group, Kinderhook Neighbors For Good Growth, filed a protest with the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding placement of the plaza's septic system.       The Planning Board decided that action would suspend the hearing, but Widewaters took the town to court, prompting officials to go ahead with the session Tuesday.       "The purpose of the hearing is to gather comment from community members on the DEIS. It's not a venue for expressing your desire to have or not have Widewaters develop this parcel," says Mr. Simonsen.       In the meantime, Widewaters has work to do to satisfy the DOT, which points out the firm based its study on volumes of traffic measured on two days when classes were not in session at Ichabod Crane.       The traffic study also fails to consider future development that might come before the Kinderhook Planning Board and other issues, says the DOT.       "We would also suggest that your consultant meet one on one with our engineer before putting pencil to paper so that we may guide you in your efforts," says Mr. FitzPatrick.

©The Independent 2004

October 8, 2002 - The Independent K'hook in court over plaza plan

By: MATTHEW SHEEHEY 10/08/2002

NIVERVILLE--The Widewaters Group wants the town to go ahead with a public hearing October 15 regarding its draft environmental impact statement and has gone to court to make that happen.       The Kinderhook Planning Board, which is reviewing the firm's application to build a $10 million shopping center at the Route 9/9H intersection, sent notice to the media last week that the hearing was canceled.       But the cancellation, which stemmed from a protest filed with the town Zoning Board of Appeals by opponents of the project, was the subject of a restraining order issued late yesterday afternoon by a state judge in Albany.       Planning Board Chairman Ed Simonsen, confirms that his board is now prohibited from stopping the public hearing until the judge rules Friday on whether the actions of Kinderhook Neighbors for Good Growth can delay the process.       The group of residents had filed a protest with the ZBA regarding a decision issued by Code Enforcement Officer Walt Simonsmeier on the proposed site of the plaza's septic system on the back side of the 19-acre property.       Mr. Simonsmeier ruled that zoning permitted Widewaters, which is planning a supermarket and several smaller retail structures, to place its two septic tanks where it liked without regard to size of the parcel, says Chairman Simonsen.       But the opposition group argued that the division of the lot into two zones--two-thirds commercial and one-third residential under zoning law--prohibits that practice.       "The understanding [was], as long as there's a standing appeal, no further action can proceed with regard to the project," says Mr. Simonsen, who also contested the code enforcement officer's decision in a letter.       Now the ZBA will have to make a decision or send the matter back to the Planning Board.       And a judge will decide whether Kinderhook residents will be able to comment next week on the Widewaters draft environmental impact statement.       "It's become a battle of the attorneys," says Mr. Simonsen, whose board began its review of the controversial plaza and its impacts last December.       In the meantime, he and town planners here are contemplating an opinion on the project's traffic impacts by the state Department of Transportation.       The DOT said in a letter dated October 1 that it "will not accept any additional access points to [the] signalized intersection" at Routes 9/9H.       The department also said a strategy for growth and infrastructure should be developed while engineers consider rerouting northbound traffic on Route 9 to Keegan Road.       "We're getting a little bit complicated here," says Mr. Simonsen, putting it mildly.       Widewaters attorneys were not available for comment yesterday afternoon. KNGG NOTE: KNGG interceded on behalf of the Town withdrawing demands to stay Public Hearing, thus there being no reason for a suit. Widewaters withdraws suit. The hearing was held as scheduled on October 15.

©The Independent 2004

June 4, 2002 - The Independent Market meeting stirs passions

By: MATTHEW SHEEHEY 06/04/2002

NIVERVILLE--The Kinderhook Planning Board hosted a public meeting here last week to gather comment on the shopping plaza and supermarket proposed for a field at the intersection of Routes 9 and 9H.       What the board heard didn't differ much from what was said at a May 2 meeting hosted by the developer, the Widewaters Group of Dewitt, and Hannaford Brothers, the Maine-based grocery chain that would anchor the site.       But the crowd of just under 100 residents reminded planners that the $10 million project is the source of a lot of anxiety and, as is usually the case with large commercial proposals, disagreement among the citizenry.       After a brief history of the seven-month-old review process by board Chairman Ed Simonsen and Marco Marzocchi of Widewaters, speakers took turns at the podium in the Main Street firehouse to talk about their concerns.       "It's just business to these people. For us it's a betrayal of what we adopted in the Comprehensive Plan," said one Kinderhook resident, who called the plaza "wildly inappropriate" given its size and location.  She said local residential streets like Bishop Nelson and McCagg roads would become clogged by the new traffic headed to Hannaford and the stores and restaurant planned for three smaller buildings at the site.       The town's zoning, however, permits commercial development at the 19-acre field, which sits across the intersection from the outlet of State Farm Road.       What is at issue for the Planning Board is the impacts Widewaters could have on the environment, the looks of this semi-rural town, existing businesses, water use, pedestrian safety and traffic on what are already busy roads.       "I'm concerned about the school buses entering from State Farm Road, the walkers, children crossing the road. This is my primary problem with the building location," said Marcia Anderson, a town resident.       She is a member of the Ichabod Crane Board of Education, which is examining the potential impacts of the nearby plaza on the school campus and on the hundreds of students, staff and parents who travel there daily. "It's an accident waiting to happen," said Mrs. Anderson, who called the field Widewaters wants to buy from the Samascott family's orchard "the worst possible location in the Town of Kinderhook."       Planners, who are waiting for the developer's draft environmental impact statement to be submitted, did not respond to comments at the 90-minute meeting, in accordance with ground rules they set up previously.       They will, however, return to their regular meeting schedule with a little bit more knowledge of what the people of Kinderhook want for their municipality.       "I think property values would decline in this area if we choose to become another East Greenbush or another Clifton Park," said Gwen Schwarz. She was one of several speakers Thursday to equate the proposal with the type of commercial growth happening in Rensselaer and Saratoga counties, which have also experienced rapid population growth in recent years.       "We're all going to have to share this tax burden. This nice new shiny mall is going to come at a very high price for people who can't afford it," said Dick Farrell, who believes Ichabod Crane will have to enlarge if Hannaford and other stores are allowed to set up shop here.       But Ellen Schneider, who recently moved back to here after living in Albany, said many of her childhood friends live in towns like Guilderland and Bethlehem to be closer to stores and the places where they work.       She admitted she was in the minority at the meeting, but she said the many people she knows who support the project don't come out to meetings of government bodies to talk about the need for more jobs and the like.       "I come from a working class family, and we'd like to have another place to shop and the possibility of getting a job with benefits... I think there's a lot more people like me in the community," said Ms. Schneider.       But Village of Kinderhook Mayor Jim Dunham worried Widewaters will change the area's rural character and increase traffic in the villages, but he said he'd wait for the environmental impact statement to comment further.       State Farm Road resident Meg Moran, a former Planning Board member who helped draft the Comprehensive Plan, reminded the board it had rejected a project several years ago due to traffic congestion.       She was one of many speakers to call for an independent traffic study to be conducted due to questions about the study submitted to the state Department of Transportation by Widewaters, which compiled the plan last summer.       Ms. Moran said a number of troubles with the flow of cars on Route 9 had not been considered, including confusion at the exits of McDonald's and the Hudson River Bank and Trust next to Ichabod Crane.       "The study is stale at this point... To rely on this traffic study would be nothing more than a passing glance," said Ms. Moran, an attorney who shops at the Hannaford Brothers store in East Greenbush.       And she said certain segments of Route 9 were deemed to be at 90% capacity two years ago by the state DOT, which has reviewed the traffic study commissioned by Widewaters and found its methods to be sound.       Ms. Moran also said the Comprehensive Plan allows for small-scale commercial development on Route 9 between Maple Lane North and Maple Lane South, but the Samascott's field was not included in that stretch of road.       Still, she said, the scope of the project is too big.       "This is being characterized as a shopping center, but if you look at a family restaurant and a drive-thru bank, the numbers would be significantly higher," said Ms. Moran, referring to car traffic.       Widewaters has argued that the plaza will not draw many more drivers to Route 9, which is targeted under the plan for new turning lanes, pedestrian crossings and other changes.       Echoing claims made by the applicant, State Farm Road resident Veronica Fix argued that traffic on the main roads won't be increasing due to the new grocery store and other buildings at the plaza.       "The traffic's already there. They're not going to come from Utica to shop at Hannaford's," said Mrs. Fix, who also welcomes the almost 200 hundred full- and part-time jobs with benefits that Hannaford will bring.       She also said she hasn't heard of any students being injured when crossing the road to go to McDonald's. And she took issue with the negative assessment of life further north on Route 9 in the more populous towns.       "I get so frustrated hearing about East Greenbush and Clifton Park. East Greenbush is more than [Routes] 9 and 20," said Mrs. Fix, referring to the concentration of businesses on Columbia Turnpike.       But Marilyn Kaplan, another former Planning Board member, said the design of the Widewaters project would be a better fit for Central Avenue in Albany given the town of Kinderhook's "special architectural needs."       "Unfortunately, the design of this project is, in my opinion, very poor. I believe it is cheating our community [to build a] bottom line strip mall with three buildings stuck on it," said Ms. Kaplan.       The Planning Board will continue to talk about points like that at a special workshop session here Wednesday, June 5, at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall, where Widewaters will be the sole subject on the agenda.       Chairman Simonsen encouraged the public to attend his board's meetings, and he encouraged people with more to say to submit letters to the board.       He opened Thursday's meeting with a moment of silence for Lena Simonsmeier, who died early Thursday morning in a car accident in Stockport.       She was the daughter of Kinderhook Code Enforcement Officer Walt Simonsmeier, who works closely with the Planning Board on housing and business proposals.

©The Independent 2004

May 8, 2002 - The Independent K'hook throng hears both sides in plaza debate

By: MATTHEW SHEEHEY 05/08/2002

NIVERVILLE--Well over 100 townspeople packed the Niverville firehouse last week to hear about a shopping plaza and supermarket proposed for a field on the north side of the Town of Kinderhook.       The diverse crowd, which covered the entire front lawn of the firehouse with cars, had a lot to say once representatives of the Widewaters development firm and Hannaford Brothers grocers detailed the $10 million project.       The shopping plaza, currently under review by the Planning Board, would include a Hannaford anchor store similar in size to one in East Greenbush, said Melinda Shain, who works for the Maine-based chain of over 100 stores.       She stressed the corporation's commitment to the communities it serves, citing $2 million raised last year for charity and $1.3 million given in 2001 to organizations like libraries and sports leagues.       But many people in the audience weren't convinced that Kinderhook needs a second supermatket, even if Hannaford brings the 150 to 200 full- and part-time jobs with benefits that Ms. Shain said it will.       "Even if this goes through on a town level, I think you'll find that a lot of us will work through the aegis of the courts to see that this project doesn't happen," said one man in the standing- room-only crowd.       That speaker argued that Valatie will suffer from "standstill" traffic from all the people from Chatham who'll want to shop at the Hannaford and the half-dozen smaller stores Widewaters wants to build at Routes 9 and 9H.       Others worried the new grocer will put the G.U. store just south on Route 9 out of business, leaving a vacant plaza to look at as one drives north from Valatie.       But Marco Marzocchi of Widewaters, who assured the audience his firm is working diligently with planners here to ensure smooth traffic flow, said the new development will prompt the G.U. and other stores to do better.       And town resident Remi Gaylord, referring to the new car parts store Napa built on Route 9 and another run by Van Allen's just a few hundred yards away, said competition is healthy for consumers and businesses.       "To think that having two businesses competing against each other is a bad thing is ridiculous," said Mrs. Gaylord, a member of the Ichabod Crane school board.       Ms. Shain, responding to inquiries about Hannaford Brothers buying the G.U. plaza, said the former Grand Union was not for sale and it appears committed to remaining open.       Another unidentified resident summed up the sentiments of a large portion of the audience last Thursday, saying he'd like the plaza to locate somewhere other than the 19-acre field across from Four Brothers restaurant.       "A project of this size drastically alters the rural character of the town, which is why most of us are here. I'd like to have a Hannaford, but I'd like it further up the road," said the man to some applause.       That prompted the speaker who fears traffic jams in Valatie to warn the audience that "subdivisions breed subdivisions" and "progress is not good for the pocketbook," comments that drew a mix of laughter and applause.       He said he worries new job opportunities and commerce will bring the suburban sprawl, education costs and high taxes of his native Westchester County to Kinderhook.       But former Town Board member Gary Strobel reminded the crowd that the town has worked for years on a comprehensive plan and zoning regulations to handle the project, which is proposed for a site in a commercial zone.       He and others also reminded plaza opponents that new jobs are needed in Kinderhook to ensure that volunteer firefighters and rescue personnel are available to respond to emergencies during the work day.       "We do need some industry in this town to keep people here," said Mr. Strobel.       One parent of Ichabod Crane students worried that the hostility she was hearing expressed at the approximately two-hour meeting would discourage Widewaters and Hannaford from moving forward with the development.       Karen Horn, a member of the PTA here, asked earlier if Hannaford could provide funding for school athletic facilities as it did in Schodack, where the grocer has one of its three distribution facilities.       Ms. Shain said yes. "We think of ourselves as a neighbor. We want to become a member of the community," she said during her introduction to Hannaford corporate philosophy.       Building the supermarket alone, said Ms. Shain, will cost the chain $7 million, even though it will not own the land or the other structures.       Widewaters, a Syracuse-area real estate developer and owner with offices and retail buildings from North Carolina to Maine, will own and maintain the Kinderhook plaza's stores and restaurant structures.       Mr. Marzocchi, a presence at almost every Planning Board meeting since the big project was proposed last November, expanded on the theme of community involvement.       He said Widewaters is not an "absentee landlord," and it employs everyone from cleaning and grounds crews to the construction managers who will monitor the tradesmen on the building site to ensure top quality.       "From soup to nuts, everything is done under one roof. Because when you control all those things, you get a better product," said Mr. Marzocchi.       School Board President Edmund Brooks said Widewaters would pay in the neighborhood of $20,000 per $1 million of assessed valuation per year in taxes to the Ichabod Crane district, which teaches kids from Stockport to Schodack.       Despite those new tax dollars, many residents fear the plaza's proximity to the school's main campus will be too dangerous for students and pedestrians.       Mr. Marzocchi, however, explained in detail his firm's plan for adding several crosswalks with push-button signals leading to the shopping center and the addition of new traffic lanes to ease any congestion on the road.       "This could actually increase pedestrian safety," said one member of the audience, who also welcomes the opportunity to see more shoppers spending their money here rather than going to stores in Greenport or East Greenbush.       Many residents came to the meeting with their minds already made up on the project, said Town Board member Francis Vecellio, who sought to put things in perspective for those opposed to the Widewaters plan.       He reminded the audience that Kinderhook and vicinity has more people than the Hudson area, which is home to two large chain grocery stores and other retail and restaurant operations on the Route 9 corridor.       "A year and a half ago, we on the Town Board were concerned we weren't going to have a grocery store... Every development has its pluses and minuses, and the Planning Board is going to work its way through," said Mr. Vecellio.       Planners, with input from the public, are reviewing a long list of potential impacts from the project and the steps developers propose to mitigate them.       A public meeting to comment on the proposal before the Planning Board will be scheduled for later this month, and others are expected to follow.

©The Independent 2004

May 3, 2002 - The Independent K'hook plaza plan gets down to details

By: MATTHEW SHEEHEY 05/03/2002

NIVERVILLE--The Kinderhook Planning Board met Wednesday, May 1, for its second special workshop dedicated to review of the commercial plaza the Widewaters company wants to build at Routes 9 and 9H.       Planners heard representatives of the Dewitt developer talk about water and sewer issues, vehicle traffic and pedestrian access at the site.       Due to a reporter's error in a story appearing in the April 30 edition of this newspaper, a few dozen people came to Town Hall expecting to offer comments on the $10 million project, which includes a supermarket building for the Hannaford Bros. chain.       The audience was the largest to attend a Planning Board meeting since Widewaters proposed the plaza late last year, but only a handful of residents left early because they would have to wait to offer their opinions.       What the small crowd got to witness was the thoughtful, sometimes lively discourse on project details that has kept the board and developers out late on meeting nights.       But Wednesday's meeting was under two hours in length, with Marco Marzocchi of Widewaters and members of the Planning Board talking about the plaza's drinking water, septic system, drainage scheme and parking lot design.       The workshop featured detailed discussion of traffic on Routes 9 and 9H and pedestrian access to the building site, which is just a few hundred yards from the main campus of the Ichabod Crane School District.       "This parking lot is no different than any other parking lot, in that pedestrians have to share the sidewalk with automobiles. There is no sidewalk," said Planning Board Chairman Edwin Simonsen. He was referring to the painted areas reserved for walkers rather than elevated sidewalks, which he said should be added to the center of the parking lot to ensure the safety of pedestrians moving between buildings or cars.       Planner Mary Ellen Hern told Mr. Marzocchi the firm's design ought to include a crosswalk on Route 9 near Four Brothers to accommodate students in addition to the crossings on Route 9H and the site's access road.  She also reminded the developer that there are no sidewalks on the roads approaching the proposed plaza, an issue the firm is not responsible for.       But Mr. Marzocchi said his employer would likely add the Route 9 crosswalk, which would have a push-button signal for pedestrians, to lead people across the V-shaped property at the intersection.       "If that would make you feel that would solve that issue, we'll put it in," he said.       Mr. Marzocchi also talked about the flow of vehicles on the busy north/south roads, where a left-turn lane would be added on 9H north to enter the site.       The Widewaters plan, which has been scrutinized and accepted by the state Department of Transportation, includes a proposed left- turn lane for access to State Farm Road from Route 9 south and a through lane for southbound traffic.       Another left-turn lane would be added to Route 9 north in front of Four Brothers, as well as a right-turn only lane for traffic entering the plaza from the north.       Town Engineer Jim Green reminded the developer Kinderhook is building a new town park on State Farm Road, which is likely to add foot and vehicle traffic. But Widewaters traffic consultant William Holthoff, who works for the Rochester firm of Sear-Brown, said his study of road use in town accounts for the busiest traffic of the week--Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. (?)       "When you analyze traffic, what you tend to do is use a worst- case scenario," he said, prompting planner Warren Collins to point out his data comes from observations made in August, when school was out.       But Mr. Holthoff said most school traffic happens before the busiest times on Routes 9 and 9H, when the Ichabod Crane bus fleet drops students off for the day and brings them back home between 2:15 and 4 p.m.       Ms. Collins was troubled by that assessment, which she said does not account for the high level of cars coming and going from the campus at night.       Mr. Green pointed out that the intersection of Main Street in Valatie and Route 9 has already been deemed by DOT to be in need of a traffic light. And, he said, the Widewaters project would bring the wait to enter Route 9 from 54 seconds per car up to approximately 75 seconds per car. "The intersection has already failed, and this project will definitely have an impact," said Mr. Green, who requested the developer come up with accident reports for that part of Route 9 in Valatie.       But with or without the new plaza, said Mr. Holthoff, the end of Main Street would have to be addressed by DOT with a stop light or other remedies because of the current delays there and the prospect for other growth.       Mr. Green went on to remind the developer that Kinderhook takes congestion on roads seriously, saying, "You should be aware that this town rejected a mining plan specifically because of traffic in that area."       With regard to water use, Mr. Marzocchi said Widewaters will use one or two wells to be dug at the building site to meet its need for 9,350 gallons per day.       Those units would sit across a field at the rear of Hannaford's from two industrial septic tanks, eliminating the need for sewer connections or extension of the Village of Valatie's water line up Route 9.       Ms. Collins was concerned about the impact of salt and other substances from the plaza's parking lot draining into a catch basin, which would also collect water in case of flooding after a 10- or 20-year storm.       That method, coupled with the use of certain types of vegetation on the quick-draining field, is the preferred method of the state Department of Environmental Conservation for large commercial projects, said Mr. Marzocchi.       And pollutants are naturally broken down before contamination can occur in the groundwater, he added.       Engineer Green urged the town to consider large-scale options for water distribution at the site to provide for future water needs of residents and businesses in Kinderhook, some of which rely on Valatie water.       "You really need to be thinking about the future... It's an opportunity to think beyond this project," he said, prompting Mr. Marzocchi to express his firm's willingness to explore larger water source options.       As for input by residents on the project, the Planning Board will schedule a meeting to gather public comment for the end of the month.       The board meets in a workshop session to discuss the other town business it has to deal with Thursday, May 9, in anticipation of a regular meeting the following Thursday.       Representatives of Widewaters and Hannaford Brothers hosted an information meeting here last night after press time to discuss the plaza with residents.

©The Independent 2004

March 19, 2002 - The Independent Planning board deconstructs developer

By: MATTHEW SHEEHEY 03/19/2002

NIVERVILLE--Marco Marzocchi's job takes him to a lot of municipal offices, where he works with planning boards to hammer out the details of commercial developments proposed by his employer.       That employer, the Widewaters Group of Dewitt, wants to build a $10 million shopping plaza and Hannaford grocery store in a field at the intersection of Routes 9 and 9H on the north side of Kinderhook.       The project has brought Mr. Marzocchi to Town Hall every few weeks since December, making him quite familiar with some of the town's officials and the long ride back and forth from his office near Syracuse.       But he likely never knows quite what to expect during his visits here.       Last week, for example, Mr. Marzocchi faced a colorful spectrum of emotions during a workshop meeting of the Town of Kinderhook Planning Board.       Discussion of the Hannaford plaza included everything from polite inquiries and philosophical discourse to angry exchanges about what the project should look like and how appointed officials here will decide its fate.       After representatives of the Ichabod Crane School District voiced concerns about increased traffic at the proposed site, which is near the district's main campus, planners made Mr. Marzocchi earn his money.       "I don't like the whole concept of a strip mall," said planner Richard Anderson, getting the debate rolling by indicting the entire project.       Mr. Marzocchi, who tries to keep things friendly by infusing humor into his presentations, reiterated his pledge to keep Widewaters architects busy making things agreeable to local officials.       "I can't change the concept... If there's more room for improvement, let's hammer it out," he said, eliciting more commentary from Mr. Anderson.       Widewaters obviously wants to get the grocery store and other retail shops and restaurant space built quickly, but last week's Planning Board session was proof the developers will be waiting a long while.       Mr. Anderson and at least a few other board members don't share the development firm's vision for commercial growth and the look of retail spaces.       "I want a place for people to circulate... The layout you're proposing makes it non-pedestrian-friendly for people to drive in, run into a store and drive out," said the board member, who wants more access for people on foot.       After a lengthy exchange, Mr. Marzocchi repeated earlier promises to investigate additions to the company's plans that provide more sidewalks and a better entrance to the property for pedestrians from the main road.       Debate continued about the nature of new shopping centers, but planner Don Gaylord advised his colleagues to focus on a single issue.       "We need to address the issues one at a time--elevations, the architecture and so on. I think we're getting [the pedestrian] issue all mixed up with the others," said Mr. Gaylord, a Route 9 resident.       But board member Warren Collins took the opportunity to critique Mr. Marzocchi's approach, saying she believed he was trying to force the plaza's design on the town to get the project approved as quickly as possible.       Mr. Marzocchi said he hoped his firm's changes to the cosmetics of the proposal would move the review process along by making the board come to some kind of agreement about how the buildings should appear.       But he took offense at Ms. Collins' comment.       "I'm making it perfectly clear. Are you happy with the [plans]? I'm not trying to head anybody down a path," said Mr. Marzocchi, referring to the updated architectural renderings he brings to each meeting here.       He apologized for raising his voice, but Ms. Collins interrupted him repeatedly as he expressed his willingness to advocate at his firm for chan