CRGD weighs in on Dover Town Board’s Completeness Review on the Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement
February 22, 2009
CRGD President Carolyn Handler recently added to the Dover Town Board’s discussion and debate of the completeness of the Dover Knolls DEIS. The Coalition notes that the Town Board was under no legal obligation to make the document available to the public and appreciates the openness with which Supervisor Courtien has chosen to conduct the review.
In a letter dated February 11th, addressed to Supervisor Courtien and members of the Town Board, Handler begins with acknowledging this process:
“CRGD recognizes that the formal public comment period for the DEIS will not begin until the Town Board determines the DEIS to be substantively complete and thereafter schedules a public hearing to receive comments. We also note that the Town Board made the DEIS available to the public on the Town’s website not long after it was filed by the Applicant on Christmas Eve, having rightly concluded that given the complexity and size of the Proposed Project, the public should begin the process of familiarizing itself with the contents of the DEIS at the earliest juncture– even though, as we recognize, the DEIS is currently undergoing revision as a result of the Town Board’s own completeness review as lead agency.” Read more
Dover Town Board Continues to Review the Dover Knolls Preliminary DEIS for Completeness
February 22, 2009
A number of Town Board and special meetings have been held to review the Dover Knolls Preliminary DEIS for completeness. Working closely with input from Town Planner Graham Trelsted from AKRF, the Board is accepting comments as to omissions that would cause the DEIS to be declared incomplete. This is not a time for comments on DEIS, only as to what needs to be revised or submitted by the Applicant before the Town Board declares the DEIS complete and thereby begins the public review and comment period. CRGD did submit comments on February 11, 2009 which are a matter of public record and which are available here.
Some of the public discussions were reported by Harlem Valley Time reporter Jen Barry in her article published on January 30, 2009.
– Please go to the Harlem Valley TImes, “Dover Knolls prelim plan before Town Board”
The Town of Dover and the Dover Knolls Development Company make a Joint Application for Federal Stimulus dollars
February 22, 2009
The Town of Dover and the Dover Knolls Development Company (Dover Knolls) created a Joint Public-Private Partnership to apply for federal stimulus funds to aid in the demolition of abandoned buildings on the site of the former Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center (HVPC) in WIngdale, NY. The property is owned by Dover Knolls, and the developer is currently engaged in the SEQRA process having filed a preliminary DEIS on December 24, 2008. A Draft Application for stimulus funds was submitted on February 2, 2009, to the Town for review and is linked below.
The partnership is seeking approximately $20mm in federal stimulus funds to demolish 11 buildings. The proposed benefits are threefold: Dover would get a jumpstart on the eventual teardown of buildings identified as not worthy of rehabilitation and which many residents consider eyesores; an estimated 355 jobs would be created in Dover for local and regional residents; the developer would save $20mm of already budgeted Construction and Demolition (C&D) costs to raze these buildings and dispose of the debris.
CRGD has always been concerned with on-site burial of HVPC C&D debris given the presence of asbestos and lead paint, and the existence of the area’s water supply so close by. Given the haste with which stimulus funds (if obtained) must be spent, and considering that the Dover Knolls DEIS is still under SEQRA review, CRGD has requested the Town Board declare all C&D debris associated with this Application to be “environmentally suspect” and make arrangements for disposal off-site.
We reiterated these concerns to Congressman John Hall at a public forum in the Town of Beekman, NY, on February 21, 2009. CRGD suggests that to the extent funds are made available for this project, the Joint Partnership reapportion some of the cost of demolition to cover the cost of removing all associated C&D debris.
– Please see Harlem Valley Times article by Jen Barry, “Dover to apply for federal stimulus aid” covering the Town Board meeting on January 28th, 2009 to discuss the Application.
