Vote allows for homes at former school
Michael Woyton
Poughkeepsie Journal
MILLBROOK -� The site of a former finishing school for women can now be developed.
Millbrook's trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to change the zoning for the 25-acre Bennett College parcel at the southern gateway to the village.
"I'm delighted with how everything went tonight," said Mayor Donald Briggs after the meeting was adjourned.
He said he was glad this part of the process, which has taken more than two years, was completed. Briggs complimented the community for its involvement.
"I am proud of the work of the committees and grateful for the moral support given to the board," he said.
The new law establishes the Bennett College District along routes 44 and 343 in which 2-acre, single-family homes will be allowed.
Previously, the parcel was zoned for a combination of residences and businesses.
Under the new legislation, a developer could build up to four units of housing per acre if certain conditions are met, including:
# Preservation of the stonework of Halycon Hall.
# Creation of a public park and walking trails.
# Protection of a waterfall, pond and stream by way of a 100-foot buffer.
# Establishment of an independent water/sewer system or an upgrade of the village system at no cost to taxpayers.
"The way the legislation was drafted was to make it attractive for a common developer to buy the whole thing," New Paltz attorney James Bacon said. The purchaser would still have a decent return on the investment, he added.
Bacon was hired by the village to write the law.
Some oppose new law
Millbrook resident Leo Peimer thought the vote on the law should have been postponed.
He was concerned that only one public hearing had been held on Sept. 20, one day after the draft legislation had been revised.
"Most of the residents are not able to learn about a law that will impact their lives," Peimer said.
The law passed Tuesday had been further revised as of Sept. 30.
Bacon said, with the exception of changing the maximum number of units from five to four and permitting a coffee shop or kiosk, the law had only been streamlined for clarity.
Ramona Snydstrup, who lives in the nearby Bennett Commons condominiums, said the board's action was "disgraceful."
"I don't think they took into consideration the people who live in Bennett Commons," she said. "I think the decision was made before they came."
Briggs said after a developer submits an application to the planning board there will be more chances for public input.
"Once the thing comes to the table, all the reviews will be started," he said. "The community is far from out of it."
Millbrook's trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to change the zoning for the 25-acre Bennett College parcel at the southern gateway to the village.
"I'm delighted with how everything went tonight," said Mayor Donald Briggs after the meeting was adjourned.
He said he was glad this part of the process, which has taken more than two years, was completed. Briggs complimented the community for its involvement.
"I am proud of the work of the committees and grateful for the moral support given to the board," he said.
The new law establishes the Bennett College District along routes 44 and 343 in which 2-acre, single-family homes will be allowed.
Previously, the parcel was zoned for a combination of residences and businesses.
Under the new legislation, a developer could build up to four units of housing per acre if certain conditions are met, including:
# Preservation of the stonework of Halycon Hall.
# Creation of a public park and walking trails.
# Protection of a waterfall, pond and stream by way of a 100-foot buffer.
# Establishment of an independent water/sewer system or an upgrade of the village system at no cost to taxpayers.
"The way the legislation was drafted was to make it attractive for a common developer to buy the whole thing," New Paltz attorney James Bacon said. The purchaser would still have a decent return on the investment, he added.
Bacon was hired by the village to write the law.
Some oppose new law
Millbrook resident Leo Peimer thought the vote on the law should have been postponed.
He was concerned that only one public hearing had been held on Sept. 20, one day after the draft legislation had been revised.
"Most of the residents are not able to learn about a law that will impact their lives," Peimer said.
The law passed Tuesday had been further revised as of Sept. 30.
Bacon said, with the exception of changing the maximum number of units from five to four and permitting a coffee shop or kiosk, the law had only been streamlined for clarity.
Ramona Snydstrup, who lives in the nearby Bennett Commons condominiums, said the board's action was "disgraceful."
"I don't think they took into consideration the people who live in Bennett Commons," she said. "I think the decision was made before they came."
Briggs said after a developer submits an application to the planning board there will be more chances for public input.
"Once the thing comes to the table, all the reviews will be started," he said. "The community is far from out of it."
This article was
written by Michael Woyton
and published by Poughkeepsie Journal
on Thursday, October 13