4
Southern Ulster Times , Wednesday , May 23 , 2018
Large subdivision hits Lloyd Planning Board
Continued from page 1
the entryway designed in a boulevard style roadway . Eventually , the roads in the project would become town roads . Board member Larry Hammond said he would like to see a secondary entrance for emergencies , which Dates said he would review . Building Director Dave Barton noted that the site contains federal wetlands on its northern side that would allow 10 % disturbance for a potential emergency ingress / egress .
Town engineering adviser Andrew Learn also noted that the roadway in the submitted plans is essentially a cul-de-sac that significantly surpasses the maximum allowable length in the town code , however the Planning Board has the authority to permit longer distances .
Dates was questioned if the layout would lend itself to a Traditional Neighborhood Design [ TND ]. Two key provisions in this section of the code on this type of design call for providing a “ range of housing types and price levels to accommodate a variety of age and income groups and residential preferences ... and to ensure that buildings and landscaping contributes to the physical definitions of streets and public spaces .” Director Barton responded , saying , “ Why don ’ t we negotiate that as we go ? Let ’ s just do broad strokes [ of the project ] tonight to get you guys feet wet and we [ building department ] have some issues as well .”
The site lies within the town ’ s water district but is not in the sewer district and extending this to the site was discussed at length . For this project to tie into the town ’ s sewer system , pipes would have to be laid south to the intersection of Rtes . 9W and 299 , a distance of approximately 1 ½ miles , at a considerable cost . In addition , the pump station that is near Mike Artega ’ s would have to be upgraded to be able to handle the effluent that this project would produce at full build-out .
Barton said having infrastructure along Rte . 9W , “ is a dream of the town to actually satisfy the light industrial need for sewer because then we could put bottling plants in and other consumers of high water .” He said thinking 50 years out , this would allow for more retail and even for a medical center that had once been proposed adjacent to this route . He explained that the town cannot spend its own money to put a sewer line in .
Barton told the board that the developer should be given “ some marching orders ” from the Planning Board on issues they need to address ; have a view-shed analysis done on whether their project ’ s high points will visually impact the historic estates district in the Hyde Park area . He said that even if there was some impact across the river , “ that doesn ’ t mean that this wouldn ’ t be allowed .”
Barton said the developer will have a traffic study done to determine the impact upon the roadways near the site and in town , saying that having a second ingress / egress is a “ critical ” component on moving this project forward .
Barton said the proposal of 240 units is of concern to him .
“ If the numbers don ’ t work , something else has to happen because there is no process in place where we can negotiate up a number in order for an offset for the sewer line . So , if that is the case there may be the requirement that they would have to go for a rezoning from 1 acre to ½ acre in order to get their number ,” he said . “ The offset for the political cost of doing a rezoning down in size is that we get sewer to the Light Industrial area , which we ’ ve never had and can ’ t do ourselves .”
Chairman Peter Brooks offered a different perspective on this problem .
“ In my forty years of doing this kind of stuff , people always ask for more than they expect to finally get , so I think first we might want to have a discussion on what we think the number is allowed to be and how big a difference there is [ with the developer ] and whether that ’ s worth the ajita .”
The developer indicated that he will need to compile more information and perform additional analyses in order to arrive at a total unit number .
Barton asked the Planning Board if they have any philosophical issues with this project , such as the type of development and its location , setting aside for the moment the number of proposed units . He said he is asking this question early on in the process in hopes of dealing with any serious objections upfront .
Brooks responded , noting that , “ in our Comprehensive Plan , and I think in good planning in general , there is a lot of focus of dense residential development in and around our existing town center , that ’ s the Hamlet of Highland ; partly because its already served by water and sewer and partly just because it makes sense to keep the central density there .” He later clarified , adding that it is equally important to maintain the town ’ s rural , agricultural nature outside of it ’ s center . He said the conflict is that this project appears to run counter to the Comprehensive Plan since this proposal is for a dense residential project in a rural area , far outside the town center .
Barton said the Comprehensive Plan encourages residential development and he believes we need more units .
“ The town grows or it doesn ’ t . Towns that don ’ t grow due to population and commercial growth , die ,” he said , pointing to Elmira in upstate NY , calling it a “ wasteland .”
Though Ulster County has this parcel listed as 400 acres commercial and 115 as vacant land , Barton said this is incorrect
“ I don ’ t care what the county thinks it is , our
zoning says the front is Light Industrial and the back is Residential 1 acre .” he said , adding that this has been the case since 1974 when zoning was adopted in Lloyd .
Police Blotter
Town of Lloyd
Sally M . Houghtaling , 60 , of Pleasant Valley , was arrested May 17 and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana after the vehicle she was operating was stopped for traffic violations on Rte . 9W . She was released on an Appearance Ticket and is due in Town Court May 31 .
Annie Deslandes , 35 , of Poughkeepsie was arrested May 20 and charged with Driving While Ability Impaired by Alcohol after the vehicle she was operating ran off the roadway on Vineyard Ave . She was released on tickets and is due in Town Court June 12 .
Naije M . Perrette , 18 , of Beacon was arrested May 16 on a warrant for Petit Larceny from the Town of Poughkeepsie Police . Perrette was turned over to the Town of Poughkeepsie Police on the warrant .
State Police at Highland
On May 18 , State Police Highland arrested Madeline Miller , 38 of Amenia , for DWI . She was traveling on State Route 299 in the town of Lloyd when she was stopped for a vehicle and traffic law violation
On May 14 , State Police Highland arrested Lori Toscani , 55 of New Paltz , for DWAI Drugs . She was traveling on State Route 299 in the town of New Paltz when she was stopped for a vehicle and traffic law violation