Red Hook town planners have given the proposed Anderson Commons subdivision a preliminary green light after a continued hearing drew only a few comments.
The 52-unit subdivision planned for Fisk and Baxter streets has been in the works since 2006. The 56-acre property straddles the borders of both the village and town, and the project was given preliminary site plan approval by both in December 2006.
At the April 7 hearing, Planning Board Chair Christine Kane discussed information the board received since the last meeting in March, including who would be responsible for maintenance of a storm water basin that will discharge onto village property, as well as other unspecified issues.
According to project engineer Andy Learn of Morris Associates, most of the concerns from the March meeting were addressed in an updated storm water prevention plan submitted before the April meeting.
Phoebe Prentice of 11 Fisk Street read a letter from neighbors Tom and Margaret O’Callaghan, who were unhappy with a large development in such a wet and marshy area and were also concerned that it could raise village taxes.
Prentice also spoke about flooding and traffic, noting, “Such a large development would make these problems worse and force the residents to pay for the infrastructure by raising taxes.”
In addition, she said, the subdivision would be directly over an aquifer for the town and she questioned who would manage the water treatment plant, asking why the village should be responsible for it when most of the units would be in the town portion.
Kane pointed out that most of those issues had been brought up in the SEQR process eight years ago, when the village was the lead agency. “It is out of our hands at this point,” she added.
But she said the town was discussing the phasing of the development along with the construction of the road and the treatment plant, which she said would be a community septic operated through a transportation corporation.
Kane then went over a list of engineering problems, which included fencing for the proposed drainage ponds; a completed water main for all of Cohen’s Way by the end of Phase 1 construction; Dutchess County approvals for the water supply and wastewater discharge; approvals from the town attorney for drainage and sewer easements, and Fire Department approval of road widths and emergency access to the subdivision. These need to be satisfied before the project can get final approval.
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