Smaller is Better
July 31, 2008
This Harlem Valley Times Editorial gives a nice update on the Durst/Carvel development in Pine Plains; a continuing dialogue between the community and the developer has resulted in a down-sizing, along with a shift in focus on the surrounding watershed and wetlands. This project, which the editorial refers to as “massive,” has under 30% of the housing units currently planned for Dover Knolls. The impact of Dover Knolls on Dover, the surrounding communities, the Harlem Valley Aquifer and the Great Swamp Watershed could be even greater, and will require that much more scrutiny to ensure the end result will have a positive impact.
“Five years since its initial presentation, the proposal for the Carvel property development has been downsized due to public opposition. We applaud both the community and the developers for this decision….We are also glad the focus seems to have shifted more toward environmental conservation, with a closer look at watersheds and wetlands.
….This downsized proposal may just be another step in the history of this development. Once this updated plan is fully fleshed out, residents might be more content with the changes, or they might ask for a further reduction of homes and a closer look at open space. Either way, this is all part of a process that is far from over. We hope the developers and the community can continue to have an open dialogue about this massive project.”
— Go to Harlem Valley Times Editorial
Board disagrees on Scoping Plan
July 31, 2008
CRGD applauds Town Supervisor Ryan Courtien for using executive privilege to define the language concerning the 245,000 square feet of non-residential space in the adopted Scope; he has displayed strong leadership skills in bringing the Town Board members together on this issue and protecting the interests of all the tax-paying residents of Dover.
“In her report, Councilwoman Katie Palmer-House referred to the scope that had been adopted in her absence and said that she felt the town had made some errors in its scope. Palmer-House said that she was concerned about the commercial and community service uses and felt that the wording in the scoping document was unclear.
As adopted, the scope states that the project would contain 245,000 square feet of commercial floor area and community service uses. According to Palmer-House, this was not what the applicant had specified in their application and therefore the town should not have amended the scope in a way that could be misconstrued to indicate that commercial and community service uses would share the square footage indicated.
Town attorney Thomas Jacobellis, from the firm of Hogan & Rossi, reminded the board that a scoping document was in no way an approval of the plan. Councilman Richard Hawthorne said that he would like to see commercial space and community uses space to be detailed and researched separately.
“I don’t like to see the two uses mixed in,” said Hawthorne. “It leaves the door open.” Hawthorne said that he was further concerned about the possibility that the wording of the scope would allow for the developers to dedicate a larger amount of the aforementioned 245,000 square feet to community uses, leaving an insubstantial portion for commercial use.
Jacobellis reminded both Palmer-House and Hawthorne that the scope had been adopted according to the rules of democracy and could not be changed after the fact. He also said that the town had the authority to ask the applicant revise their DEIS throughout the review process. ”You can still ask the applicant to review the commercial space as 245,000 square feet and then the community service uses separately,” Jacobellis said. Hawthorne expressed a concern that the applicant would not be bound to such a study, given the wording of the scope.
Town Supervisor Ryan Courtien said that he would personally ask the applicant to treat the two uses as separate in their studies to prepare the DEIS document.”
That split again
July 31, 2008
We encourage our Town Supervisor to poll Board members in advance of Town meetings to guaranty full attendance before a vote on the Dover Knolls project. Even if the vote ends up with the now familiar 3-2 split, the concerns of the dissenting minority will be on the record for future reference and constructive debate should lead to better informed decisions. In time, we hope a meeting of the minds leads to the planning and construction of the best project for our Town and our region.
In advance of the meeting referenced in this editorial, Councilman Hawthorne had an unexpected personal conflict and thus delivered a note to the Town Clerk, objecting to the dilutive inclusion of “recreational space” in the 245,000 square feet of commercial space. As a result, a debate ensued and our Town Planner offered to reinstate the 245,000 sq ft with reference to only commercial. Unfortunately and without adequate explanation, our Town Attorney, Thomas Jacobellis, encouraged a vote on the document with the new language, arguing that the DEIS could be changed later. And so the majority voted. With a mere strike of the pen and one last round in the word processor, we would have had a cleaner Final Scope with the definition as it had stood all all along.
The process is on track: there is no need rush to approve a document that does not adequately reflect the Town Board’s and the residents’ understanding of the economics of the project. We now must be doubly diligent to guard against further degradation of the mitigating tax aspects necessary to prevent increased property and school taxes.
— Go to Harlem Valley Times Editorial
Local Law amending Local Law No. 1 of 2008 for the MC Overlay District
July 9, 2008
At the July 9th Special Meeting, the Dover Town Board voted to discuss further the draft of a proposed local law to amend the Local Law No. 1 that was the subject of the Article 78 law suit.
Planning Boards work on major developments
July 3, 2008
“Despite the fact that slightly more than half of the [Wind Rose] acreage is within Dover town lines, only 21 percent of that acreage falls within the Dover Union Free School District. The other 79 percent is within the Pawling School District.
The Dover Planning Board recently declared its intent to be lead agency on the project, which has officially initiated the SEQR proceedings.”
— Go to Dover website for current documents submitted with the Wind Rose application
Dover Knolls scoping document accepted
July 3, 2008
“When the floor was opened for public comment, Constance DuHamel asked why the community service use space was being included with the commercial space in the scope. Previously the scope had stated that there would be 245,000 square feet of commercial use space in the planned development. After the board’s special meeting the document was amended to read ‘245,000 square feet of commercial floor area and community service uses.’
DuHamel said that she was concerned about the two purposes now being combined within the same square footage because the community was counting on the property taxes of the commercial space.
‘If the state has an agency office in that space, are they paying property tax?’ she asked. ‘I want to make sure that agencies using the community service space are paying the same tax as the commercial. Otherwise, they should be separate in the document. Commercial space is a very important part of this project.’
Town attorney Thomas Jacobellis, from the firm of Hogan & Rossi, said that this was just an outline for the project and everything would be further delineated in the DEIS.”
Dover Knolls Final Scoping Document
July 3, 2008
