AUBURN - The city Planning Board has thrown a hurdle in front of a proposal for a large housing development near Fulton and Rochester streets.

And according to at least one board member, things won't be getting any easier for proponents of the project.

The board unanimously declared Tuesday the Pearce Tract Development to potentially have a large or significant impact on the surrounding environment.

By making that designation, the board forces developers Homesite Development and Two Plus Four Construction to carry out an environmental impact study that would address potential concerns.

That process could delay the project for at least two to three months.

But Planning Board Chair Sam Giangreco said after the meeting that he doubted whether the project will eventually be approved at all. There is a lot of opposition from local residents, he said.

“I don't see how it is going to fly,” Giangreco said. “I'm not saying it can't. But I think everyone has legitimate concerns.”

During the meeting, the planning board voted, one-by-one, on the project's potential impacts on multiple categories.

And according to the board, the project could have a large or significant impact in all of the following categories: the physical layout of the land, the aesthetics of the surrounding neighborhoods, transportation, the growth and character of the community, and the site's historical significance.

The developers will now have to submit a draft of an environmental impact study to the board, and the study will be subject to public comment.

The Planning Board would then be able to approve or deny the proposal.

Wendy March, who spoke for the developers during the meeting, defended the project and said many of the board's concerns could be solved without forcing an environmental study.

She also questioned some of the city and board's criticisms of the project, including a concern that the land owner did not produce a master plan for the development.

March implied during the meeting that the city may be using a double standard when evaluating developments, noting that the board did not inquire about a master plan when discussing a high-end development at its last meeting.

“I don't remember you asking about what was the master plan of that (high-end) development,” March told the board members.

The Pearce Tract will be a development primarily directed toward low-to-moderate-income families. March refused to comment after the meeting.

Giangreco said his concerns are more about the children who would live in the homes. If the streets in the neighborhood are not wide enough for proper sidewalks, how are the kids going to be able safely to walk to school or to a bus stop, he asked. And how are the neighborhood schools going to support those students?

“Everybody down the road is going to be affected,” Giangreco said.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.