AMENIA — The Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee (CPIC) held a public hearing on Saturday at Amenia Elementary School. About 80 citizens attended.
Mark Doyle, the chairman of the committee, introduced the other members of the committee.
"You’ll find out why these people have spent so much of their time on this," he said.
Member Darlene Riemer, who moved to town in 1967, said land preservation is her main concern.
"I joined the committee to preserve agriculture," concurred Rudy Eschbach, who has been an Amenia resident since 1947. "There’s zero politics on this committee and we try our darndest to be fully objective."
"What we’ve done is enormous," added George Fenn, who has lived in Amenia since 1974 and currently chairs the Planning Board. "We’re encouraging, but at the same time watching, development that goes in the town."
"My main concern is land use," said Bill Flood, who also serves on the Planning Board. "This is only a draft, I want to stress that. We’ll have many public hearings for the process."
Tony Robustelli, who serves on the Planning Board in addition to CPIC, rounded out the introductions.
"In the five years we started this, I’ve really learned a lot. I wish there were 400 or 500 people here. We want to put out the word."
Joel Russell, the committee’s consultant, recounted the history of CPIC and the town’s comprehensive plan.
Amenia’s first plan was adopted in 1991. In 2001, CPIC was formed to update it.
The first thing the committee had to deal with were "the proposed action amendments," which Russell said "were hard to understand" and had "a few things that needed work."
However, in the last few years, the committee has focused on revising the plan, as well as the town’s antiquated zoning law, both of which are currently in draft form.
Public Input
Sharon Kroeger, Leedsville Resident and member of Wassaic Historical Agricultural Crossroads (WHAC), was the first to take the podium.
CPIC plans to zone Wassaic’s hamlet center as a mixed-use area. However, Kroeger said this zoning will neglect historical structures in the hamlet, such as Maxon Mills, a grain mill that WHAC once owned.
"We want the whole of Wassaic to be made into a historical district," she said. "The comprehensive plan is adequate for Amenia, but not for the Wassaic hamlet."
Stephen Perotti, who represented North East’s Lone Pine Farm, said he might be able to give Amenia a boost in business by developing an 18-acre parcel adjacent to Route 22’s Freshtown Plaza.
"We feel our property can enhance the community ... with an outlet for more retail space," he said.
Perotti said he feels the plaza could use a traffic light to reduce the possibility of vehicular accidents.
He also noted that the parcel is ideal for development — it’s fairly flat, there are no wetlands and it already has buffers — and if developed, it could enhance the town by bringing in much-needed services.
"We need shopping for this community. You have to travel 45 minutes to an hour to get to a department store," he said. "I’m not talking about a Wal-Mart, but something small. Retail space would draw more people to Amenia and they would probably shop at other businesses in the area, as well as expand the town’s tax base and bring jobs to the community."
"That’s a very good comment," Russell responded. "The comprehensive plan states that the town needs more commercial space to increase the tax base. But to bring it into the hamlet area, we need sewers. Commercial and residential growth is crucial and I think we can come up with a plan that eventually works for everybody."
Concern Over Criminals
Amenia resident Rick Levin called the committee’s plan "amazing," but said he has some concerns about the Taconic Developmental Disabilities Services Office (DDSO) in Wassaic.
If the location is developed, it may reduce taxes and bring about a "renaissance" in Amenia, as Levin put it.
However, Levin said that if the center houses criminals, such as pedophiles, it may discourage people from buying a home in the area and property values may plunge.
"If the property is developed, it will lead to a renaissance instead of stagnation," he said.
Wassaic resident Steve Brazee, who worked at Greenhaven, a correctional facility in central Dutchess County, had a "rebuttal" for Levin;s comment.
"Within 400 or 500 feet of the prison, multi-hundred thousand dollar houses were going up," said Wassaic resident Steve Brazee, who also commented on the need for commercial services in Amenia and Wassaic. "We don’t have anything for old folks in the area or to get young people to stay here. We need to keep the community alive, not dead like in Wingdale. We should make Amenia something to be proud of."
Brazee’s comment was met with thunderous applause.
Commercial Zoning
Wassaic resident and Amenia Recreation Commission Chair Peter Clair asked Doyle how many commercial zones have been set up in the draft zoning law.
According to Doyle, a commercial mixed-use zone has been proposed for the parcel adjacent to the Ten Mile River Metro-North Station.
From Jack’s Auto to the Pines Restaurant on Route 22 in Wassaic may be a highway commercial zone.
From the Wassaic Metro-North station to Allen Sand & Gravel on Route 22 "is all office commercial," Doyle said.
Clair advised Doyle, as well as the rest of the board, to take into account Perotti’s suggestion of developing the 18-acre parcel.
Members of CPIC thanked the audience for its participation in the forum and reminded them that written comments on the revised plan, copies of which are available at Amenia Town Hall, are due by Monday, Feb. 12.
The committee may hold another public hearing in a month or so.
Submitted
