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Dover Knolls - Water, Air, Traffic Concern Project's Neighbors The Most
05.04.2006
Eamon McNiff
Harlem Valley Times
» How will converting an 850-acre psychiatric facility into a new town affect those who already live there?
» How will tearing down and renovating massive brick buildings, repairing and building bridges, roads, and entire neighborhoods affect pollution and noise?
» How will local wetlands and streams be affected?
» How will dropping 3,000 new residents into a rural hamlet impact emergency workers, schools, taxes, and traffic?
» How will building shops, stores, restaurants, and offices impact the local job market?
» How will they make life more convenient?
» How will creating something new impact dark memories of a barbed-wire encased insane asylum?
These questions and more faced the Dover Knolls developers and their team of experts on Saturday and Monday in the first two public scoping session for an economic development project that's been described as the largest ever in Dutchess County.
Although the developers have a clear idea of the benefits to the town their project will bring, they wanted to hear from residents any additional issues they want addressed when they present their final plan and impact statement for the project's construction.
Saturday, the first scoping session was a little quiet, with only around 20 people showing up to raise issues about traffic, pollution and other impacts.
On Monday, though, about 80 people filled the Dover High School cafeteria, including local emergency workers, town officials, and one local political candidate to have their opinions heard by the developers.
On hand to help guide the public comments was town planning consultant Joel Russell, who, with help from Supervisor Jill Way and Barbara Kendall, organized resident's statements and wrote down everything said to the developers.
Broken down on large easels of paper were sections for comments on impacts, mitigation techniques for those impacts, alternatives to the project, and a section for "other."
"To be sure that we captured the comment that you've made, and in exactly the form that you've made it," Way said about having Russell and Kendall help guide and copy down the comments.
"The purpose of this is to determine what should go into the environmental impact statement. This is an opportunity for you to tell us your concerns," Russell said.
Also on hand was virtually the entire planning and design team for Dover Knolls, from the Benjamin Development Co.
"We want to hear your comments first-hand," said John Saccardi, planning consultant for Dover Knolls.
"The scope is the table of contents for the environmental statement," Saccardi said to the crowd.
After the main parties involved had their say, the floor was opened to the crowd, a cross-section of young and old, families, blue collar workers, and business people who have one thing in common: They all live in the town.
Job creation
"I have three issues," said Nelson Wax, Palumbo Block employee.
"What is the expected job creation for both non-recurring jobs due to construction and recurring jobs after construction? How many jobs will this create for the local economy?" Wax asked.
"As a result of that, what is the expected revenue that would affect the budget as far as lowering property taxes?" he asked
Wax also wanted to know if a new community and recreation center were built, would it be available to all citizens and what would it provide as far as access and programs for underprivileged residents.
Finally, Wax asked what the impact would be as far as finding parking at the Wingdale Train Station, said to be one of the main hubs for the project, and whether more parking would be constructed.
Air and noise
Wingdale resident Lydia Odunsi said she was concerned about potential air and noise impacts as a result of demolition on some of the center's buildings.
"What kind of demolition will be used to reduce the air and noise impacts?" she asked.
Odunsi said she had learned that using dynamite for demolition spreads less air pollution than other explosives.
"That's a good impact statement, something that could happen and be mitigated," Russell said in reference to Odunsi's comment.
Odunsi also wanted to know what would be done to control an increase in traffic.
"We have to know about the traffic impacts before it is done. We have to know where there will be places of more traffic, where traffic lights and stop signs will be and what safety measures are being taken to protect drivers and pedestrians," Odunsi said.
"More people, more cars, more danger," said Russell.
Odunsi also wanted to know what impact the development would have on water use, and how developers would prevent nearby wells from drying up.
Fire and police
Members of the J.H. Ketcham Hose Co., Dover's fire department, who had a number of issues and impacts they want addressed, attended Monday's session.
"We need to know what the population Dover Knolls will be when completed. We're guessing about 3,000 people," Assistant Chief Aaron Sheridan said.
Sheridan's points centered on one main issue: How will the local fire and rescue companies be impacted by the development?
Sheridan said the company needed to know schematics of all buildings for rescue and fire fighting, including number of bedrooms in each house or apartment, details and sizes of all buildings, as well as expected traffic patterns, and road maps.
Sheridan said with more people, roughly a 35% population increase for a town of 8,500 residents, there will be more fire and ambulance calls.
He said the company now receives 891 calls a year, and expects Dover Knolls to add another 312 calls a year at least.
"1,200 calls is a significant impact on our current fire services," Sheridan said.
Sheridan said to handle that increase, the company would need new equipment, possibly a new firehouse, possibly a 24-hour advanced life support ambulance service, and, even more seriously, a paid, full-time fire department.
Walkable area
Resident Evelyn Chiarito said she had been researching other developments similar to Dover Knolls, and saw that many brought in private security, maintenance, and ambulance and fire companies to take the burden off towns.
Chiarito said she really wanted to see an emphasis on making Dover Knolls a walkable area.
"I would like to see sidewalks, bike trails. You could possibly build a bridge across Route 22," she said.
Chiarito said she saw a big economic gain for the town and area.
"Tourism is the number one industry for Dutchess County. This project could attract a lot of tourists. I think we could attract more tourists, and that would be economically advantageous for the town," she said.
"In addition to the effects on the fire services, the town will probably be needing to look at a town police department," said John Hall, Democratic candidate for the 19th Congressional District.
"Dropping a village of 2,700 people into the existing town, that we're already at a point where the combination of state police and sheriff services are sometimes stretched," he said.
Hall also wanted to see the developers use "green" methods of building.
"I would strongly urge you to consider 'green' architecture," said Hall.
"Also, with the amount of paving that is going to take place, some alternative to salt in the winter to prevent salt runoff into the Ten Mile River," he added.
Other issues raised by citizens were impacts from taxes the increased population will bring, how the developers will protect the nearby wetlands, rivers, and lakes, and how the developers will take care of the cemeteries on the property.
Some also wanted the developers to provide a concrete example of what the increased traffic would be like, and what it means for the area.
Close to home
For Bob Ward, who lives behind the facility in Wingdale, his biggest concern is what will happen if the developers back out of the project.
"What would be the impact of no action? I'm sick of driving through that facility every day. You can get mentally ill just driving through that place," he said.
"Go see the other projects these developers have done, see how beautiful they are," he said.
Aside from visual upgrades, Ward also said he was looking forward to being able to shop close to home.
"I don't want to have to travel 45 minutes just to buy something," he said.
Positive impacts
Amy Melrose shared Ward's sentiments.
"For some, those buildings are not a presence we want to keep in this area," she said.
"Renovating, removing those buildings might be a positive impact," she said.
Comments were as different as the people giving them, but it was clear that everyone at the scoping session acknowledged that if the Dover Knolls project comes to fruition it will change the area irrevocably.
Although the scoping sessions are completed, the town board has said there might be another meeting scheduled before the public comment period closes.
People can still submit written comments to the Dover Town Hall by May 8 at 5 p.m.
Once that deadline has passed, the town board will issue a "final scope" for the developers, which will include all the things they must address in the environmental impact statement.
Then, the developers will put together over several months a draft environmental impact statement, which will be circulated throughout the involved agencies and townspeople, before going on to write the final environmental impact statement.
Anyone with questions can contact the Dover Town Hall, 845-832-6111.
ROBERT HARDING
7917 PICKARD AVE NE
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87110
United States
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