Hurley, N.Y. Citizen's Soapbox

Hurley Rail Trail - National Trails Day 2009

2009-07-07T13:44:00.001-04:00

Hurley Rail Trail Day Slide Show

2008-06-14T22:18:00.000-04:00

Volunteers, walkers, and bikers on the rail trail. National Trails Day in Hurley, NY, June 7, 2008

National Trails Day on the Hurley Trail

2008-06-05T10:31:00.002-04:00

June 7th is National Trails Day. The Hurley Rail Trail Committee has invited local clubs and non-profits to highlight healthy lifestyles, nature, local heritage, or other trail-related interests in an information booth or provide instructions or demonstrations for the public along the trail from 10 am to 2 pm. The Hurley Rail Trail which parallels Route 209 and connects with the Stone Ridge trail, is part of the D&H Heritage Corridor along the former O&W Railroad. Current Trail Day activities include a family scavenger hunt, an opportunity to talk with berm-tenders about the plants on their berms, exhibits from the Forsyth Zoo, John Burroughs Society, and other groups. Meet the folks who keep the berms neat! The first 50 trail users will be given a collectible Hurley Trail Mixer button!

School Board Election 5/20/08

2008-05-19T11:02:00.002-04:00

Dear Citizens of Hurley: Please remember to go and vote tomorrow at the West Hurley School between 2pm and 9pm. There is a budget vote and four seats up for election on The Onteora School Board. It is important that you make your opinion heard. Thank you.

West Hurley Water Feasability Study

2008-01-24T14:16:00.000-05:00

In 2007, C. T. Male Associates P.C. was hired by the Town of Hurley to perform a water service feasibility study for the Hamlet of West Hurley. The completed study has now been posted on the website. You can now read the results and view the maps by clicking on Water District Study

Comprehensive Plan Adopted by Town Board

2008-01-12T07:56:00.000-05:00

At the Dec. 17, 2007 TB Meeting the Comprehensive Plan was adopted. Read the full minutes of the meeting on the Hurley Town Website.

Town of Hurley Updates

2007-12-01T14:19:00.000-05:00

Public Hearing on Historic Preservation Law Monday, Dec. 3rd, 6 pm, Town Hall. The proposed law is posted on the Town website. Read it, show up, voice your opinion.

The Town Board passed a revised 2008 budget on Nov. 26th. The PDFs of the budget are on the Town website

You can subscribe to news updates from the Town website by entering your email address in the box at the bottom of this page on the website. Remember to confirm your subscription when you receive the confirmation update.

Doris Licht and I are working hard to understand the mechanics of the Digital Towpath software that supports the town website so we can teach its use to the department heads and committee chairs. It's pretty clunky, so we aren't there yet. Bear with us as we sort through it. Meanwhile, this blog is meant for you to post your opinions on town news. Leave us a comment. Thanks.

2007-11-23T09:39:00.000-05:00

Dear Hurley Residents, On Monday November 19, 2007 Supervisor Shultis made a motion to adopt the 2008 Town Budget which gave a modest 0.2% property tax decrease to Hurley Taxpayers. After a lengthy debate this motion was voted down by a 3-1 vote with John Gill, Barbara Zell and Janet Briggs voting against Supervisor Shultis' budget. John Gill then introduced a motion, seconded by Barbara Zell to adopt Supervisor Shultis' 2008 budget WITH the following changes which resulted in a 12.4% Property Tax Increase!: Voting FOR this 12.4% increase: John Gill, Barbara Zell & Janet Briggs COUNCILMAN GILL STATED DURING THE PUBLIC MEETING THAT HIS CHANGES WOULD RESULT IN A 2.2% TAX INCREASE. . SUPERVISOR SHULTIS WAS THE DISSENTING VOTE AGAINST THIS EGREGIOUS ERROR !!! Increase GENERAL FUND Budget Lines, 1. A1220.4 Supervisor Contractual from $12,000 to $42,000 = $30,000 increase 2. A5182.4 Town Street Lighting Contractual from $6400 to $6700 = $300 increase 3. A9060.8 Medical Insurance-Employee Benefit from $62,400 to $73,400 = $11,000 increase Increase HIGHWAY FUND Budget Lines, 1. DA5112.2 Permanent Improvements-Capital Outlay from $175,000 to $300,000 = $125,000 increase 2. DA5142.4 Snow Removal-Personal Services from $186,600 to $210,000 = $23,400 increase 3. DA5142.4 Snow Removal-Contractual from $130,000 to $150,000 = $20,000 increase 4. DA9950.9 Interfund Transfers-Capital Projects from $0 to $10,000 = $10,000 increase The General Fund increase, to be raised by property taxes, is up $41,300 or 6.7% from $628,800 to $671,100 The Highway Fund increase, to be raised by property taxes, is up $178,400 or 15.5% from 1,152,900 to $1,331,300 THIS 12.4% Property Tax INCREASE comes when Hurley will end 2007 with a surplus of OVER $500,000 ! ! ! IF THIS STIRS YOU TO ACTION PLEASE ATTEND MONDAY NOVEMBER 26TH TOWN BOARD MEETING AT TOWN HALL 7 PM AND SPEAK UP AND BE HEARD!!!

What we worry about -- New report on Mid-Hudson public opinion

2007-11-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

If you are interested in public opinion, how it changes over time, and/or life in the Mid-Hudson, take a look at this report just issued by the Dyson Foundation and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. Many Voices, One Valley 2007 provides a county-by-county and interest group-by-group picture of how we've changed since 2002. You can also attend a public forum discussing the study - Nov. 16th, 8:30 - 11 am, at Marist College. They're serving a light breakfast so RSVP info@dyson.org

Many Voices One Valley: "Many Voices One Valley 2007 reports the results of a survey conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion and funded by the Dyson Foundation about what people in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley think of living in the region. The counties included in the study are Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and Ulster. The results provide a road map to residents' perceptions of the region and expectations for the future."

Budget Hearing Rescheduled

2007-10-29T17:11:00.001-04:00

A handwritten notice on the door of the Town Hall announces that the budget hearings will take place on November 1st and 2nd. The specific information states that the meetings will be: Thursday, Nov. 1 at 6:30PM - Hurley Town Hall Friday, Nov. 2 at 4:30PM -- West Hurley Fire Department Hall It might be more appropriate to post such notices on the Community Events Bulletin Board erected this June by eagle scout Jacob Lane -- who also donated a box of letters..

Budget Hearings Postponed

2007-10-27T16:57:00.000-04:00

Apparently, the dates for the proposed budget hearing announced at the at the Town Board meeting did not leave enough time to publish in the media as prescribed by law. Consequently, the dates of Oct. 26 and Oct. 29 have been postponed. It is not clear how the new dates will be communicated other than small notices in the Kingston Freeman.

Tentative Budget Hearing Dates

2007-10-23T13:19:00.000-04:00

Supevisor Shultis announced public hearings on the proposed town budget: Friday, October 26 at 7PM will be reserved for a public hearing on the budget at the Town Hall. A second meeting on Monday, October 29 at 7PM will be reserved for a public hearing on the budget at the West Hurley Fire Department Hall.

Budget Hearings

2007-10-19T12:34:00.001-04:00

This note is to remind Hurley residents to thoughtfully look at the proposed budget. Hearings will likely be announced at the Town Board meeting at the West Hurley Firehouse this Monday, October 22 at 7PM. In 2007, the budget for Highway capital projects was cut in half -- to $150,000. The draft budget for 2008 will hold this amount flat, but will make provision for a major expansion to the West Hurley park on Dug Hill Road. According to Shingeviss Associates, the proposed park expansion is estimated at $686,750. Even if grant applications are successful, the Town's share of the cost would be $343,375 -- more than twice the budget for Hurley's highway improvements. Given the potential liability of NYC's tax litigation and the declining funds in the Watershed Towns account left to fight this suit, would we be better served with a rainy day fund, vs. a major park expansion? Or at the least, should there be a larger investment in the Town's highway infrastructure? After all, $150,000 buys less than 1.5 miles of road material. There are no doubt many different opinions on the subject -- please exercise your right to comment on the budget.

Hurley Rail Trail News

2007-10-19T12:26:00.000-04:00

Hi, This section was supposed to be included in the Town's newsletter, but was inadvertently left out: Hurley Rail Trail Notes The summer flew by and the trail use stayed consistently strong, reflecting the importance Hurley residents place on a healthy lifestyle. Our committee did a sample trail census on Saturday, August 26 and found that the majority of trail users were Hurley residents in the morning, but visitors tended to come from a variety of locales through the afternoon. Hurley residents tended to use the trail daily -- Biking and walking were most popular. We counted 85 trail users even though the day was oppressively hot and humid -- over 70% of the activity occurred before noon. Another trail count will be done during a weekday to compare results. As we look back on the season, several items stand out: 1. Installation of the interpretive signs adds a further dimension for trail users. Both Hurley residents, as well as visitors, can now learn a little more about our heritage, thanks to the grant from the Hudson River Greenway. 2. The planted berms have all been adopted by various families or organizations that are responsible for maintenance. The berm sponsors are listed on the Town website at the Rail trail Committee page. We thank them for their efforts! 3. Many dog walkers use the trail (11% of our recent census). A dogi-pot sanitary station was added near the Esopus parking area and has gotten good use. If this experiment is successful, we will evaluate the addition of another station. 4. Garbage continues to be an issue. We have removed over 150 pounds of trash this year. The good news is that the volume of garbage has declined over the past three years. A good deal of trash seems to be sourced from Route 209 traffic; a smaller amount is related to children's articles, drinks, and snacks presumably sourced by trail users. Volunteers have picked up the trash -- and we hope that all trail users will get in the habit of keeping the trail a clean environment ('bring a bag' campaign). 5. Unfortunately, graffiti has been added to many signs and buildings this summer. The Rte 209 underpass is no exception. We have asked the NYSDOT for assistance in addressing the issue and we are planning a clean-up party to eliminate the freelance artwork. If you are interested in assisting, please send a note to hurleytrail@earthlink.net. Looking forward, there are issues which may affect trail users in the months to come. 1. A sinkhole developed near Russell Rd. which will require major engineering to repair. The cause appears to be the loss of embedment material along a major culvert which carries the Millbrook stream under Rte. 209. The NYSDOT will be addressing the repairs before winter and may result in closure of the trail at that juncture. 2. Ulster County is preparing a Non Motorized Transportation Plan which will outline all major pedestrian and biking routes in the county. The objective of the plan is to recommend trail projects which will create or link non motorized routes, such as our rail trail. Public meetings on the recommendations will begin October 9 -- please see http://www.altaplanning.com/ulsternmtp/ for more information.

Sheldon Quimby article highlights Hurley Rail Trail

2007-09-25T11:17:00.000-04:00

Daily Freeman - Happy trails to all: "The old tune, 'I've been Working on the Railroad,' seems to be an appropriate theme song for Sheldon Quimby. For the past 15 years, the Port Ewen resident has dedicated a great deal of time to the D&H Canal Heritage Corridor's section of the O&W Rail Trail."

Rosendale News

2007-09-23T14:54:00.000-04:00

NY times article; NEW YORK REGION | September 23, 2007 With an Upscale Spa, a Clash of Meanings for the Word 'Green' A proposed development has sparked worry among Rosendale, N.Y., residents about losing access to three privately owned lakes that have always been open to them. (click on Title, "Rosendale News" to read entire article)

Conservation Advisory Council (C.A.C.) Walks Dughill Road

2007-08-03T08:30:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, Aug. 2, 2007, the C.A.C. held a morning meeting in the Town Hall which was attended by Tom Schneller, a long time resident of Dughill Road in Hurley. After the meeting, Tom Schneller took us on a tour of Dughill Road where he pointed out wetlands, ponds and other scenic places that we hope to preserve for future generations.

Rail Trail in the Freeman Today

2007-06-17T19:43:00.000-04:00

Here's an update on the rail trail from Kingston to Ellenville. It was in the Freeman today.

"The old tune, 'I've been Working on the Railroad,' seems to be an appropriate theme song for Shel-don Quimby. For the past 15 years, the Port Ewen resident has dedicated a great deal of time to the D&H Canal Heritage Corridor's section of the O&W Rail Trail."

Read the whole article in the Daily Freeman - Happy trails to all

WATERSHED TRAINING REPORT

2007-06-04T08:32:00.000-04:00

On Friday, May 18, 2007, Maeve Maurer, Doris Licht and Lou Kozma attended the daylong Rondout Creek Watershed Council Training Day as representatives of the Hurley C.A.C. Council. The training was held at UCCC with more than 40 people from various towns in Ulster County attending and 7 presenters. During the morning session we heard an introduction and information on watershed awareness by Manna Jo Greene of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, followed by an overview of Watershed Protection Plans by Scott Cuppett of the NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP). The morning also held a fun activity of tracing our watershed and identifying stream order on a map (the Marbletown people were using our area map so we used a different one). We were all treated to pizza by the D.E.P. as the cafeteria was closed The afternoon session introduced watershed protection and planning, importance of stream monitoring and more. The day ended with an open roundtable discussion among all participants and presenters. There were many handouts distributed as well as a cd-rom containing PowerPoint slides of the day’s presentation.

Comp Plan Public Hearings Saturday and Monday

2007-04-13T18:55:00.000-04:00

I heard today that the Town Board has scheduled two public hearings on the Comprehensive Plan -- one tomorrow, Saturday, April 14 at 10 am, West Hurley Firehouse. The second, Monday evening, April 16, 6:30 pm at Town Hall. This may be your last chance before a vote. I hope you'll try to make one of the meetings. You can review the plan on-line or download a large PDF -- both at the Town of Hurley new website.

Come to the Hurley Comprehensive Plan Hearing

2007-03-15T17:08:00.000-04:00

The Comprehensive Plan is wending its way through the approval process. The Town Board holds its required public hearing Monday night, March 19th. You can read the draft plan here. One of the papers listed an old, unusable email address for comments. If you have comments please send them to the Town Board or post them here. (You can send them to me, too, if you want. Thanks to so many of you who helped put the plan together. There are some great photographers among you. I appreciate your generosity letting us use your photos on the site. I'm glad it's finished. I hope to see you Monday. Ruth Wahtera, Chair

Hurley Comp Plan Published Finally!

2007-01-10T16:48:00.000-05:00

The plan is finished and has been officially submitted to the Town Board. The County Planning Department has it in-hand to review. The Town Board will schedule hearings shortly. The plan hasn't been moved to the new Town Website but you can review it here.

Rail Trail Update & Survey

2007-01-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

Three Reasons to Complete the Rail Trail Survey

1. Survey feedback strengthens our grant applications.

2. Your responses help us set priorities for expanding and enhancing the Trail.

3. By responding you let us know the time we spend improving the trail is appreciated. That keeps us going.

So, please complete the survey and forward the survey link to your friends and neighbors in case they don't subscribe to this newsletter. Rail Trail Survey

Complete the survey NOW! Five minutes of your time --

Happy New Year! Did you make a resolution to get more exercise this year? Do you use the Rail Trail as your exercise venue of choice? How often? How would you like to see it improved?

It may be winter, but the weather is still mild and we see many of you out on the Rail Trail. Meanwhile, we're huddled over our computer screens putting together grant applications to extend and enhance the trail.

Help us convince funders that the Rail Trail is a vital part of our community by completing this brief survey now. It will only take five minutes, but it's invaluable information for us.

What's Up on the Trail? It has been a busy year for the rail trail - and it's been great seeing so many of you out there. During 2006, we tamed the weeds on the twelve berms (planted hillocks), thanks to the help of many organizations and clubs who volunteered their time.

Most of the berms have now been adopted by volunteer groups. Come Spring, flowers will begin to sprout. Signs have been placed on the adopted berms - pass your thanks on to these organizations and families.

The Hudson Valley Greenway has designated the trail a "countryside corridor" and provided a grant to assist the Town in placing interpretive signs along the paved portion of the trail. The finished signs arrived in November and will be installed in April, 2007. These signs will inform trail users about Hurley's historical, environmental, and agricultural heritage.

Eagle Scouts built the new kiosk and six benches. Brendan Nugent (kiosk and two benches) and Wyler Gins (four benches) raised the funds to buy the materials and led volunteers in the construction/installation of their projects. Paul Esposito has begun installing mileage markers along the rail trail as part of his Eagle Scout project.

NYS Senator John Bonacic committed to provide a partial grant to build an additional parking area near the Russell Rd. intersection. We now need to find a sponsor for the remaining funds necessary for this task.

Please take five minutes to show your appreciation and support by completing the Rail Trail Survey before you head out for your New Year's Day walk.

All the best for the New Year,

Wally Cook

Hurley Rail Trail Chair

Review the Rail Trail Section of the Comprehensive Plan You can read the pages that address the Rail Trail at this link.

Hurley Comp Plan Rail Trail Recommendations

Freeman Info on Comp Plan Incorrect

2006-08-24T08:53:00.000-04:00

Oh, I feel like everyone will come to the Saturday meeting upset with me for giving wrong information in the paper. But I never talked with the Freeman, HONEST. You can't get a copy of the plan at Town Hall. You will be able to get a summary of the plan Saturday at the meeting. You can't see the plan on the new (or the old) town website. The old one is static. The new one is under construction. You can see the draft, which is still being edited, on the worksite. My apologies for the confusion. Please let others know. Thanks, Ruth

Comprehensive Plan Public Hearings Scheduled

2006-08-22T11:44:00.000-04:00

Pass the word along, please. We're holding public hearings on the draft plan on Saturday morning, August 26th, at 10 am, and Thursday evening, August 31, at 7 pm. If you want to start reading the draft plan (I'm still editing and adding resources and images) you'll find it here. It will be moved to the new town site later this week. In the past we've held one meeting in West Hurley and one at Town Hall, but due to the lack of air conditioning in West Hurley, Mike Shultis arranged for both meetings in Old Hurley.

Where is that Comp Plan?

2006-07-19T18:38:00.000-04:00

I know, it's July and we were aiming to finish in June. I won't bother to explain; it's too personal to be relevant to you. But I am making progress. I'm working on it full time now. (I worked on it full time for a bit in May, too, but just couldn't get it finished.) I'll keep you posted. Ruth Wahtera

Smart Growth Toolkit on-line - great browsing

2006-06-28T07:43:00.000-04:00

How to Use This Toolkit This is a really nice site about the tools communities can use to shape the growth of their town. Look at the slideshow section. It includes clear, illustrated powerpoints of zoning techniques. If you'd like to know more about the range of zoning and planning techniques other communities are using, you'll like this site. Thanks to the state of Massachusetts who put it together as a resource for their communities.

Rail Trail Work Party-Sat. June 10

2006-06-09T18:11:00.000-04:00

Free tomorrow morning? Rail Trail work party, 9:00 am to get the last two berms covered with wood chips. Just show up with your shovels and rakes. Or go shopping at the Hurley Heritage Society's Barn Sale, Saturday and Sunday.

Vision for the Future

2006-06-01T09:02:00.000-04:00

Where do we hope we'll be in 2026? Here's a draft the committee thinks captures the Town's sentiments. What do you think? Today (2026) we enjoy living in a community that has maintained its beauty, charm, and neighborliness. Although our population has grown, more than 60% of our land is still open space. [In 2005, 79% is open space] Our efforts to balance protection of the environment and the rights of property owners through creative land use policies has been successful. The rich history of the Catskills, our stone houses, and the Maverick Center inform the design of our new construction. New pedestrian and bicycle paths connect residential areas with town services and recreation. Our children can move safely about the town despite traffic. Neighborhoods encompass a richness of diversity and a culture of neighborly support. Our visitors enjoy our history, the out-of-doors, our antique and crafts shops and our annual festivals. We consider ourselves fortunate to live here.

Photos for the Comp Plan

2006-05-23T11:31:00.000-04:00

I forgot to ask -- do you have photos, or could you take digital photos, of Hurley locations we discuss in the comprehensive plan? Do you know someone you could ask? (for love, no money) Things we could use -

Examples of Hurley's history
Rural character and environment
Route 28 Overlay deterioration
Samples of current housing stock and developments
Safety issues
Transportation/roadway illustrations
Home businesses
Logging
Unused light industrial district buildings
Parks/ball parks/recreation areas
Cornfields and bluffs
Reservoir
Scenic roadways and view corridors
Storm water run-off and flooding problems
Smoke from open burning
Senior citizen gathering or individual portraits - with permission
Schools
Main Street
Maverick
Design Standards at work - maybe Hurley Ridge Market
Tourism destinations
Traffic hotspots

Got the idea?

Send pictures or inquiries to me at wahtera@adhoccopy.com

Thanks,

Ruth Wahtera

Traffic, Transportation, Road Network

2006-05-23T09:12:00.000-04:00

Any comments on transportation? The County is currently studying 209 but their preliminary feeling is that it is adequate for the next 20 years, with the possible addition of left turn lanes. Route 28? A collector/connector system needed between Van Dale and 375? A connector road between Lucas and 209? Another bridge across the Esopus somewhere between Wynkoop and Marbletown - recommended in the 1969 plan. Other?

Design Standards - applied to what, by whom?

2006-05-23T09:02:00.000-04:00

Dennis described communities developing design standards for commercial development, streetscapes, residential developments. The Open Space Plan recommends design standards for scenic roads (eg fences, signs) and view corridors. Hurley currently has no design standards. What do you think?

Town Center - Where is it?

2006-05-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

Dennis Doyle has raised the question - Does Hurley need a town center? We've been discussing a connector road between 209 and Lucas Ave. One was proposed in the 1969 Comprehensive Plan. It could be developed with a town center in mind. What would we want located there, if we had one?

Smart Growth - Where?

2006-05-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

We know that Hurley will grow over the next two decades. Where do we want that growth to occur? In the early '90's, the town adopted zoning changes with the expectation that growth would occur in the R-1 and R-2 areas. (Primarily the eastern portion of West Hurley and most of Old Hurley. Can anyone post a zoning map?) Does that still work?

Housing Affordability

2006-05-23T08:39:00.000-04:00

Post your thoughts about housing affordability here--

Would you like to see affordable housing integrated into any/every new development?
What groups would you like to see have priority on the available units? Hurley residents? Elderly and disabled? Town employees? Civil servents? Young families?
What percent of the median should we be targeting?

Comprehensive Plan Issues

2006-05-23T08:12:00.000-04:00

Dennis Doyle raised a lot of issues last night. We'd like your feedback. I'll start message threads on each of the topics so we can keep the discussion about each focused. To summarize some of his points for those of you who weren't there -

Change will happen, so shape it however you can.
Ulster County will grow by 40,000 - 80,000 by 2030. Hurley will probably absorb about 1800 of that growth.
In 1998 a household at 100% of the median income in Ulster County could afford 63.5% of the homes on the market. In 2004, that dropped to only 28.2% of the homes. (The median income in Hurley in the 2000 census was $51,055)
Local communities have more control over how that growth occurs than any other level of government, if you use the tools available
The more specific (he used the term precise) a comprehensive plan is, the more useful in controlling or shaping that growth. And, the more controversial.
Think long term but focus action steps on the immediate
Hurley, by state mandate, must accommodate a fair share of below market housing. We need to establish a way to do that. We can determine how and who gets priority.
Design standards are a useful way to ensure the on-going 'character of the community.'

Those were some of the things I took away from the presentation. How about you?

IMPORTANT PUBLIC MEETING 7 pm Thurs, May 18 Hurley Town Hall

2006-05-10T21:29:00.000-04:00

All Hurley residents are invited to attend this meeting sponsored by the Hurley Conservation Advisory Council (C.A.C.) to learn how the proposed Groundwater Protection Plan for Old Hurley will help preserve the quality and quantity of our town's water supply. We hope to see you there. Your Conservation Advisory Council

Join us for this meeting - Predicting and Planning for Hurley's Future

2006-05-07T11:13:00.000-04:00

Monday, May 22, 2006 7:30 pm Town Hall

The Town of Hurley Comprehensive Plan Committee has arranged for the staff from the Ulster County Planning Department to discuss the challenges that confront Hurley and the County as we grow into the next decade and beyond. • Population Growth • Planned Development Options • Employment and Business Opportunities • Water and Air Quality • Managing Traffic • Real Estate Values and Aging in Place Join us on Monday, May 22nd when the Ulster County Planning Department presents their projections to the Hurley Town Board and the Comprehensive Plan Committee. This meeting sets the stage for reviewing and adopting the Comprehensive Plan. We expect to publish the plan in June. Then the adoption process starts. The Committee will hold public hearings and send the draft to the County Planning Board for review and comments. Then we forward the plan to the Town Board. They must hold their own public hearing before taking action. On the 22nd - regular Town Board business from 7-7:30 pm. The balance of the meeting will focus on the future. We hope to see you there.

Paul Hakim in Limbo

2006-03-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

click on link to read full Daily Freeman article of 3/22/06 by Donna Cafaldo

Hurley Town Board Seeks to Replace Paul Hakim, Head of Planning Board

2006-02-17T20:24:00.000-05:00

(click on link for entire Freeman Article) Town Planning Board Chairman Paul Hakim will no longer be a member of the board he has served for 12 years and chaired for three if a resolution introduced by town Supervisor Michael Shultis Monday night gains approval.

Shultis wants to replace Hakim as the Planning Board head with newcomer Laurel Herdman.

A possible move to replace Hakim has been a focus of speculation since a new Democratic majority, led by Shultis, took over the Town Board in January.

Water System Irregularities Stir Concerns Upstate

2006-02-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

click on "link" to view Feb. 12, 2006 NY Times Article

Hurley Planning Board

2006-02-10T09:22:00.000-05:00

The Planning Board held its latest monthly meeting on February 6 with the proposed 652-house development on its schedule. The purpose was to approve the scoping document which was done with a few brief additions. This means that the developer may now proceed with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Board worked with a final scoping plan put together by Shuster Associates, the Hurley town consultant, and primarily based on the developer's 27-page draft scoping document with additions from the public and the independent consultants, hired to review the work. When this final, final version is completed, copies will be sent to all Involved and Interested agencies and, hopefully, included here. Traffic caused by the development was a major concern of the meeting. In response to a question, the project's lawyer, Geraldine Tortorella, said that Lucas Avenue was the "proposed" access to the property, not the "preferred" one, and that they were continuing to press the State Department of Transportation for access to Route 209, their preferred access. It was suggested that Hurley Avenue into Kingston be added to the list of roads to be studied for traffic volume and that not only volume, but speed on Lucas Avenue and Route 209 be taken into consideration for times when the Community College classes let out, especially on the connections with Cottekill Road. There was discussion on the developer's proposal to describe "recently drilled or tested off-site wells on properties adjacent to the project site." Mr. Giebelhouse asked that they review many more than adjacent wells, reasoning that the aquifer was large and that residents with wells on the fringes of the aquifer would be the first to feel any diminution of the water by uptake from the development. It was pointed out that the county Health Department requires a minimum of 2,500 feet from the site for a study of the impact. The developers plan to identify the project's potential sources of water and do 72-hour pump tests on drilled spots to see if they're affecting off-site wells. This is the Health Department protocol, Ms. Tortorella said. They will include recharge rates and climatic conditions. They haven't done any of this yet. It was noted that a couple thousand seniors will presumably moving to the development so where will they eventually be buried? It was also noted that there probably will be more of an impact on the schools than the developer has indicated and that Hurley Recreation is a private club rather than a municipal entity. After the scoping document had been approved, Planning Board Chair Paul Hakim said that so far all they've heard from the Board and from local residents is what they did NOT want to see. He would like to hold a public meeting, a brainstorming session, on what people would LIKE to see in the development. This would help the Town meet the long-range goals in the nearly completed Comprehensive Town Plan. He mentioned senior housing as an example and it was added that people in Hurley can't afford the $400,000 houses which the developer is proposing to build. Mr. Hakim also mentioned recreation, the Rail Trail and traffic as examples of development matters for which he would like public input. This meeting might be held some time in March. Mr. Hakim also said he would like Dennis Doyle, Director of the Ulster County Planning Department to give a public presentation of what's happening throughout the county that will affect Hurley. For instance, projections show that the population of Hurley will double by 2030.

posted by Virginia

Hidden Forest Scoping Document Deficient in Areas

2006-02-05T07:52:00.000-05:00

The Hidden Forest "Draft Final" EIS Scoping Document appears to be deficient in several areas. While SEQR permits considerable flexibility in the format of the Draft and Final EIS; the organization of the Hidden Forest "Draft Final" scoping document is such that essential components of an EIS are missing or obscured. For example, rather than present project alternatives early in the document, as would be done for a Federal (NEPA) EIS, the project alternatives are located at the back of the document, and are not the focus of the study. Mitigation and monitoring for each proposed alternative (which seem to focus on traffic design and the number of housing units, rather than the overall project spatial footprint) are not specified. A summary of impacts by alternative is not included. The scoping document does not indicate that an alternatives matrix (an important EIS component) will be developed for the draft EIS. According to NYSDEC, one of the purposes of the SEQR scoping process is to provide an initial identification of mitigation measures for antipated project impacts. This is not provided in the scoping document, and normally would be a component of the alternatives analysis, had the document been organized such that the project alternatives were highlighted. Finally, the emphasis of the scoping document is heavily weighted towards traffic and socio-economic impacts. These two categories of impacts are presented in considerable detail, relative to impacts to natural resources (wetlands, wildlife, soils, hydrology, etc.).If this is because information on these study components is lacking and requires further data collection/environmental studies, it should have been stated in the scoping document, as identification of the extent and quality of information required to complete the EIS is also specified by NYSDEC as a primary objective of the SEQR scoping process.

Groundwater Protection Plan Draft

2006-02-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

Click on "Link" below to download and view a preliminary draft of the Old Hurley Groundwater Protection Plan. The C.A.C. Conservation Advisory Council requested this report in response to the residents of Hurley who listed the preservation of the quality and quantity of the town's drinking water as their number one environmental priority. The Hurley Town Board and the Planning Board have recently been presented with a draft of an Old Hurley Groundwater Protection Plan which was prepared at no cost to Hurley by Steven Winkley, Groundwater Specialist of the New York Rural Water Assoc. (NYRWA), a Claverack-based non-profit organization, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Winkley has worked on similar projects for a number of area communities, including Saugerties and Woodstock. The report was prepared with the cooperation of the Rolling Meadows Water Corp. It is expected to be reviewed by the Town Board and the Planning Board and presented to the residents of Hurley in a public meeting.

Hurley Rail Trail Needs Some Help!

2006-01-28T12:29:00.000-05:00

The Rail Trail following route 209 through Hurley was built with help from many friends. More work is planned, but a little help is needed. Eleven hillocks, or berms, were built to NY State specifications, in order to provide a buffer to the highway. Thanks to NYSDOT and landscape designer Tom Brodhead, over seventy trees and close to 400 shrubs were planted on and around the berms this November. Spring will be beautiful as the new additions take root and grow. But the berms could become and eyesore if not properly maintained. We’re asking for volunteer groups to “adopt” a berm for maintenance purposes. What does this mean? It can be as simple as occasional weeding. Further effort could involve planting ground cover or flowering bulbs, if desired. The Town Highway Department has committed to watering the berms during the crucial months of June and July. In addition, Linda will try to obtain mulch from the Landfill. Three of the berms have been adopted (Hurley Heritage Society and two by private individuals), leaving eight to go. It’s a good time to pick your real estate! We will even place a small sign at each berm to recognize the sponsoring group. Please contact hurleytrail@earthlink.net if you have interest in participating. Click on "Link" below for Rail Trail information. Posted by Wally Cook

Hurley Officials Consider Suing NYC over Flooding

2006-01-25T13:49:00.000-05:00

Note: see full article by Donna Cafaldo in the Jan 25, Daily Freeman Pg A6

Councilman John Gill proposed during Mond night's Town Board meeting that Hurley institute a class-action lawsuit against the NYC DEP. Gills call for action comes on heels of his attendance along with town Supervisor Mike Shultis at last week's press conference held by state Senator John Bonacic. Gill said he personally received damage to 100 acres of farmland, 50 of which he says can never be farmed again.

Include Army Engineers in Dam Inspections, Hinchey Says

2006-01-25T13:29:00.000-05:00

01/25/2006 By Jay Braman Jr. , Correspondent KINGSTON - U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey says he has been getting lots of calls from New York City watershed dwellers lately. They wonder, he said, if their properties are safe after hearing recent reports that at least one city-owned reservoir dam in the Catskills is in bad shape, and others may not have been inspected properly. Hinchey wonders, too, and while he said his confidence in New York City's ability to take care of these problems and prevent others isn't completely shaken, he thinks it could use the expertise of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as it takes on the task. At a news conference Tuesday in his Kingston office, Hinchey, D-Hurley, formally called on the Corps of Engineers to assist the state Department of Environmental Conservation with dam inspections in the city's West-of-Hudson watershed where the city owns and maintains five reservoirs. The state agency conducts mandatory inspections of the dams every two years. In between, the city Department of Environmental Protection periodically inspects the dams. While lauding recent steps taken on the state level to make the state inspections yearly instead of every other year, Hinchey said he was alarmed by recent reports that city officials may have fudged routine dam inspection reports. Regardless, Hinchey says the Army Corps of Engineers would be invaluable asset. "With the support and expertise of the Corps, it is my hope that the (Department of Environmental Conservation) can increase the frequency and scope of dam inspections within the watershed, provide greater scrutiny of the inspection process and allay the fears of watershed residents," Hinchey wrote to Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, D.C. "Initial discussions with NYSDEC indicate a willingness to partner with the Corps on this matter." Apparently, the Corps' New York District office is not permitted to get involved without permission from its Washington headquarters. But the office has been involved in related matters as recently as last fall, when it was invited to work with the Department of Environmental Protection on repair plans for the damaged Gilboa Dam in Schoharie County. "Yes, the Army Corps was involved with the Gilboa Dam situation," said Ian Michaels, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection. "They took part in a workshop on the subject and reviewed the city's plans for stabilizing the dam. The Corps will also be involved in another Gilboa workshop in February, about the anchoring cables that are going to be installed." Hinchey said he has received congressional approval for a complete study of the watershed. He is working to get the funding for such a study, which he says is the first step toward ensuring the long-term integrity of the dams and prevent future flooding. So far, he said, New York City has only been concerned with supplying drinking water to downstaters. Now is the time, Hinchey said, for the city to prioritize flood prevention as well. Within the next decade, he said, the entire water supply system should re-engineered with flood prevention issues in mind. Meanwhile, Michaels said his agency is working to get a waste channel reopened in the Ashokan Reservoir that he said has been locked tight for years. Hinchey said that's fine, but noted that it would still release water into the Esopus Creek, just little farther downstream than where the reservoir spillway currently does. ©Daily Freeman 2006

Latest Scoping News

2006-01-10T10:47:00.000-05:00

At the Hurley Planning Board meeting on January 9, Miles Putman of Shuster Associates, the Town’s planning consultant, gave the Board a preliminary review of the developer’s draft scoping document. He expects to have a final review by the Board’s next meeting on February 6. This final review will incorporate reports from the consultant review team as well as the many comments received from residents of Hurley and neighboring communities. This final review will, on the Board’s approval, be distributed to all involved agencies. Even this preliminary review runs 19 pages. His final review is expected to include the following topics: bedrock geology, soils and surficial geology, topography and slopes, hydrology: surface waters (watercourses), hydrogeology (ground water), wetlands, vegetation and wildlife, air quality and noise, traffic and transportation, utilities, land use and zoning, cultural and historic resources, visual and aesthetic resources, demographics and housing, fiscal analysis, and cumulative impacts. Each of these resource categories in the Environmental Impact Statement prepared by the developer will include the setting, the potential impacts, and measures to mitigate the impacts. Much of this review is highly technical. For instance, the part that interests most Hurley residents, that of hydrogeology or ground water, states that the Existing Conditions section will “provide a general description of existing groundwater conditions, including the presence, quality, quantity, extent and present use and rate of withdrawal of groundwater resources, including seasonal variations and fluctuations. Provide a discussion of locations of aquifers and recharge areas. It will acknowledge two recent studies prepared for the Town’s Conservation Advisory Council: Beinkafner’s study and ‘Draft Groundwater Protection Plan for the Old Hurley Area, Ulster County, New York,’ Steven Winkley, PG for the New York Rural Water Association, dated November 2005. Provide a description of off-site wells on properties adjacent to the project site.” The Environmental Impact Statement for the development, of which the main entrance is planned to be at 997 Lucas Avenue, should include detailed descriptions of many proposed actions, Including houses, streets, and existing zoning and site character. The review states: “The purpose or objective of the proposed action will be described as well as the public need for and public benefits(s) from the implementation of the proposed action.” The public does get to comment again when the developer submits the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. A more detailed version of the proposed development consultant review team is as follows: Bagdon Environmental, Delmar, NY--wetlands and terrestrial/aquatic resources; Eugene J. Boesch, PhD., Mahopac, NY--archaeological and historic resources; Creighton Manning Engineers, Albany, NY--traffic and transportation, air and noise resources; Brinnier and Larios Engineers, Kingston, NY--utilities and stormwater treatment. Shuster Associates will undertake the review of issues related to land use and zoning, visual and aesthetic resources, community services, demographics and housing, and will coordinate the work of the team. These consultant services will supposedly not cost the Town of Hurley anything. The developer has set up an escrow account with the Town for that purpose. Posted by Virginia

Planning Board Will Visit Development Site

2006-01-10T08:13:00.000-05:00

At the January 9 session of the Hurley Planning Board and at the request of the Board, the lawyer for the developer presented the town with a large, framed color copy of the site plan for the 652-house development. This is now on view for the public in Town Hall. More detailed plans are available for public viewing in the Town Clerk's office. That office has also received transcripts of December's scoping meeting. The transcript is in both hard copy and in PDF format. It is still to be determined how this can be downloaded in homes. The period has ended for public comments on the scoping document which will offer in detail exactly what areas the developer must cover in its State-mandated environmental review. The Planning Board is still reading these comments and putting them together for the Town's Planning Consultant, Shuster Associates, to place into one format. The consultant hoped to have it ready by the next Planning Board meeting on February 6. Shuster Associates has assembled a consultant review team for Hidden Forest. There was some discussion at the meeting about whether the Planning Board can approve these consultants by itself or if it also needed the approval of the Town Board. It was decided to submit the question to the new Town attorney for his opinion. The recommended consultants are: Boyden Environmental, Delmar--wetland and terrestrial/aquatic resources Eugene J. Boesch, Mahopac--archeological and historical resources Creighton Manning Engineers, Albany--transportation Brinnier & Larios, Kingston--utilities and stormwater treatment The Planning Board wants to have a site visit sometime this month. The developer will assemble a team to lead the group from the Town consisting of members of the Planning Board, the Town Board and the newly chosen consultants. Findings from this visit are expected to be in the scoping document.

DISAPPEARING ACT

2006-01-07T07:31:00.000-05:00

Mike Shultis enters his office and finds Gary Bellows computer inoperable and all files erased. Click on the word, "link" below or title "disappearing Act" above, to read the entire Jan. 5, Woodstock Times front page article by Andrea Barrist Stern. posted by Doris

No Development News From Audit Meeting

2005-12-30T12:47:00.000-05:00

At the last Hurley Town Board meeting, the senior partner of the developer's law firm had requested an opinion about how many houses the Town Zoning Code would permit on the Hidden Forest acreage. Town Supervisor Gary Bellows responded that opinions from the Town Attorney, the Code Enforcement Officer and the Town Planner must be reviewed first. He hoped to be able to offer an opinion at the Town Audit meeting on December 29. This would be the last meeting of the Town Board before new members were inaugurated on January 1st. In short, nothing was done at the Audit meeting regarding the development. None of the principals involved were at the meeting, including any representatives of the developer. Mike Shultis, the newly elected Hurley Town Supervisor, and the Town Board will hold an organizational meeting at the Hurley Town Hall at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 2.

Hurley Town Board Meeting-Dec. 19, 2005

2005-12-23T18:44:00.000-05:00

Background: This was the last formal Hurley Town Board meeting of 2005. It was also the last meeting for Town Supervisor Gary Bellows and Town Board members Al Mayone and Phil Meagher, all of whom were not reelected in November. The remaining Board members, whose terms of office were not up for election this year, are John Gill, who with his family is selling the property to the developer and who has recused himself from any votes on it, and Barbara Zell, whose husband is Chair of the Hurley Zoning Board. The following items discussed at the meeting were related to the proposed Hidden Forest 652-house development: Al Mayone read a letter from members of the Planning Board, the lead agency for the development, in which all the members requested that Paul Hakim be reappointed for another seven-year term as Chair of the Planning Board. Mr. Hakim’s current term ends on February 28, 2006. Mr. Mayone then presented a resolution which he had drawn up, resolving that Mr. Hakim be reappointed until February 28, 2013. The resolution carried. Some audience members privately wondered, without questioning Mr. Hakim’s ability, if this was an appropriate action considering that Mr. Hakim’s term still had two months to run and that a new Town Board would be taking office on January 1 and that the Town Board still had not taken action on members of other committees whose terms had run out last September. Various representatives of the Hidden Forest development were present at the meeting. All the speaking was done by Henry R. Hocherman, Senior Partner of the White Plains law firm of Hocherman Tortorella & Wekstein, the lawyers for the development (Geraldine Tortorella, the usual lawyer, was apparently busy with something else). The matter at hand was the PRD (Planned Residential Development) application, or what is the maximum number of dwelling units that Hurley will permit to be built on the 411 acres in question. Mr. Hocherman specifically wanted to know what the Town Code means by “gross acres of residential use”. So far there are four different opinions: the Town Attorney’s, the Town Building Inspector’s, the Town Planner’s, and, of course, the developer's. All differ, some widely. There may soon be more because the Town Zoning Board feels it has the right to an advisory opinion and the Town Attorney agrees with this, but the developer and the Building Inspector do not. Mr. Hocherman wanted to know what is included in gross acreage and what is not. Does it include the recreational building and related areas? Roads? Wetlands, steep slopes and other unbuildable areas? The developer maintains that as of right the entire 411 acres should be included and they could therefore build 822 units if they chose. The area is currently zoned for one acre per dwelling, but if the builders put in central water and/or sewer systems, the zoning may drop to half acre. However, federal and State wetlands and other areas where they can’t build take up at least a third of the 411 acres and roads and recreational areas would take up quite a bit more, all of which added together under a strict interpretation would allow the developer to build no more than 250 houses instead of the currently planned 652, or threatened 822. Supervisor Bellows responded by saying that if he could get all the relevant people together they might be able to offer an opinion at the Town audit meeting. This would be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 29 at the Town Hall, a meeting which is just supposed to, as Supervisor Bellows said, “close down the Town financially” for the year. Bear in mind, though, that a new Town Supervisor and Town Board take office just two days later so how valid any opinion offered on December 29 is debatable.

Public Information Sought on Scoping Issues

2005-12-08T19:00:00.000-05:00

The Hurley Planning Board did hold a scoping session November 29 related to the proposed Hidden Forest 652-house development. The purpose of the session was to obtain information on what issues the public considered important enough to be studied by the State-mandated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Among the issues the Planning Board says will be studied in the Draft EIS are: • Project description, architecture and design • Land use and zoning • Geology, soils, topography and slopes • Wetlands, vegetation and wildlife • Surface water, drainage and stormwater management • Ground water and hydrogeology • Utilities, including water supply and sewage treatment • Traffic and access • Population and fiscal impacts • Community services, including fire, police and ambulance • Historic and archaeologic resources • Visual impacts • Alternatives to the proposed actions At the session, many area residents had excellent and knowledgeable comments about many of the above issues as well as others. The Planning Board considered it important enough to extend the period of public comment until December 31. Therefore, anyone with concerns about issues dealing with Hidden Forest is strongly encouraged to send them in writing to the Hurley Planning Board, Town Hall, 10 Wamsley Place, Hurley 12443 or to hurley-planning@libertybiz.rr.com by December 31. The part of the development that seems to be attracting the most attention at the moment is something innocuous sounding called a PRD. This is a Planned Residential Development which the Hurley Zoning Book describes as “residential developments which are planned and developed as a unit, which are self-contained, and which occupy sites of sufficient size to provide adequate separation from adjacent uses and properties.” The Zoning Book has a good fifteen pages regulating such developments. In her December 1 Woodstock Times article, Andrea Barrist Stern writes: “The developers have asked the town to approved a planned residential development (PRD) designation for the site to allow them to cluster the dwellings. The town board, which will ultimately approve or disapprove of the designation, has asked the town planning board to act as lead agency during the project’s state-mandated environmental review (SEQRA) and make a recommendation regarding the PRD based on its findings. “If the planning board recommends against approval of a PRD and the town board follows suit, the developer could then build homes on one-acre lots at the site, noted [Paul Hakim, chairman of the planning board]. But it is unclear just how many single homes could be constructed under those circumstances since about one-third of the property is believed to be wetlands and much of the property is sloped. Hakim said the planning board is currently calculating the number of units that would be permitted without a PRD designation.” The 411 acres are currently zoned R-1, meaning that each house must be on a little under an acre. However, if the development provides public water and sewerage each dwelling could be on a little under half an acre. But before the PRD allowing the clustering of the dwellings can be approved, the developers must obtain the necessary permits for their planned public water and sewerage systems. Making it more complicated is that while the Hurley Zoning Book requires that “At least 30% of the gross site area in a PRD shall be set aside as open space and shall remain and be maintained open in perpetuity, ” this does not eliminate, at least to a non-expert in the field, the spaces which they cannot build on in the first place, such as wetlands and steep slopes. Judging from the last maps provided by the developer, they are planning on building on every square inch that they are allowed to, leaving as “open space” only such areas as the State-designated and some federal wetlands. The same holds true for “maximum land use intensities” where “two dwelling units per gross acre [including roads] devoted to residential use” are the most that are allowed. The developers claim a 0.63 dwelling density per acre, or slightly above the allowable limit, but this is for the 411 acre total, including the wetlands and steep slopes where they can’t build anyway. Considering that, with a conservative estimate, the developer could not build on at least a third of the 411 acres, one-acre zoning would allow 274 houses, or less if the recreational center and swimming pools and such are still on the agenda. Even on half an acre zoning this would allow 548 houses, or considerably less than the 652 now proposed in the PRD. As stated previously, designating a PRD is an extremely complicated process. If anything described here needs correction or comments, please do so. It would be most welcomed.

SCOPING SESSION SET FOR HIDDEN FOREST NOV. 29

2005-11-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

Public Comments Invited at November 29 Meeting The Hurley Planning Board’s scoping session for the Hidden Forest development has now been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 29 at 7 p.m. It will be at the St. Joseph’s Mission on Zandhoek Road, near Lucas Avenue Extension. This is the meeting that was to be hold on October 26, but which was cancelled at the last minute. Let’s hope this one goes through. Scoping is part of the New York State-mandated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) required of all large developments. It is the process by which the issues to be addressed in the EIS are identified. According to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the objectives of the process include focusing the EIS on potentially significant adverse environmental impacts, identifying the extent and quality of information needed about each issue, and specifying the range of reasonable alternatives. “Scoping must provide the public with an opportunity to participate in the identification of impacts ” is also one of the objectives. This is one of the very few times the residents of Hurley will have a chance to have a formal input about their concerns regarding the development. The DEC advises that the public be as specific as possible about concerns. Among the areas which the developers are to cover in the EIS are land use, zoning, geology, soils, topography and slopes, wetlands and watercourses [streams], vegetation and wildlife, stormwater management [runoff], water supply, wastewater treatment, traffic and transportation including access roads, town population and characteristics, housing supply, fiscal impacts such as property taxes, economic activity, historic and archeological resources, visual resources, air quality, noise, and community facilities such as schools, fire and emergency protection, police, parks and recreation, and libraries. Among environmental issues not mentioned is lighting. Comments on any or all of these topics and even those not mentioned may be made verbally at the meeting or in writing to Paul Hakim, Chair, Hurley Planning Board, Hurley Town Hall, 10 Wamsley Place, Hurley, NY 12443. They should be sent by the date of the meeting, although there is the possibility of an extension of a few weeks. The State does not require scoping comments to be accepted after this final date without a long, formal process. Judging from past meetings, residents most likely will not receive adequate responses to questions at this session, but your opinions will be noted. And the more people who attend the session, the more the developers and the town officials will be aware that the people of Hurley very much care about the town and its future.

SCOPING SESSION SET FOR HIDDEN FOREST-Note: MEETING IS CANCELLED

2005-10-19T17:53:00.000-04:00

THIS MEETING IS CANCELLED-HURLEY -- The town Planning Board will have a public session Oct. 26 to determine the scope of an environmental review for the proposed 652-unit Hidden Forest development. The session will take place at 7 p.m. at the St. Joseph’s Mission, Zandhoek Road. The planned residential development is proposed for a site between U.S. Route 209 and Lucas Avenue.

Hidden Forest Development News

2005-10-09T17:54:00.000-04:00

On October 3, 2005, the Hurley Planning board met with Ms Gerri Tortorella representing Hidden Forest Development. Ms. Tortorella confirmed that an escrow account for $50,000.00 is in place. This will cover the cost of hiring whatever experts the town might require for the development of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Hidden Forest has sent their finalized statement regarding the acceptance of the planning board as lead agency and the establishment of the escrow fund to Mr. Darwak, the town's lawyer. The board confirmed that they have received a Positive Declaration (POSDEC) from Hidden Forest developers of their intent to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process begins with the publishing of the POSDEC in the Environmental Notice Bulletin. A public scoping session will be held. While the State requires that certain environmental aspects must be considered in the DEIS the public can require additional aspects to be examined. It was suggested that the meeting be held at St. Joe's since a large crowd is expected. A secretary should be available to record all suggestions. The following dates were proposed: October 20, 26 or 27 and November 2. The actual date depending on the availability of St. Joe's. Ms.Tortorella was also given Joan Paccione's name so that the Conservation Advisory Committee can be included in the information loop. For citizens who would like to know more about the SEQR process and timelines can go to the DEC SEQR website at www.dec.state.ny.us./website/dcs/seqr/index/html or click on the link on right hand column on this blog. Submitted by Maeve Maurer, member of the Hurley Conservation Advisory Council.

HURLEY PLANNING BOARD MEETING

2005-09-13T10:25:00.000-04:00

At their September 12, 2005 meeting, the Hurley Planning Board formally appointed itself the Lead Agency for the proposed “Hidden Forest” 652-house development in the absence of a request from any other Involved Agencies to take on the job, according to Chair Paul Hakim. A Lead Agency is responsible for undertaking, funding or approving an action, and for the preparing and filing of any required environmental impact statement (EIS). They decide what does and does not go into the EIS. Geraldine Tortorella, the lawyer and agent for the proposed project, made a site plan presentation at the meeting in which the primary change was that Lucas Avenue instead of Route 209 would now be the primary means of entrance and egress from the project. Route 209 would be listed as a designated alternative on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The change was apparently made because they anticipated lengthy and possibly negative negotiations with the New York State Department of Transportation about the road cut and traffic light at Route 209. Ms. Tortorella stated that “they” (presumably meaning her law firm of Hocherman Tortorella & Wekstein, LLP and the “contract vendee,” Hurley 209 Company LLC) are currently working on a draft scoping document. “Many studies are currently under way,” she noted, and explorations for water are continuing. The next order of business will be to work out an agreement with the Hurley Town Board on an escrow account from which the Town could draw any necessary expenses related to the project. The Hurley Planning Board has yet to schedule a date for a scoping session to develop an outline with the details of the topics to be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement. A series of relevant workshops might also be planned. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), “The scoping process has six objectives: • focus the draft EIS on the potentially significant adverse environmental impacts; • eliminate non-significant and non-relevant issues; • identify the extent and quality of information needed; • identify the range of reasonable alternatives to be discussed; • provide an initial identification of mitigation measures; and • provide the public with an opportunity to participate in the identification of impacts.” A full environmental form is expccted to include information on: the project’s impact on land, water, air, plants and animals, agricultural land resources, aesthetic resources, historic and archaeological resouces, open space and recreation, critical environmental areas, transportation, energy, public health, and growth and character of community or neighborhood as well as noise and odor impacts. The law requiring all this is the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). It states: “Scoping must include an opportunity for public participation. The lead agency may either provide a period of time for the public to review and provide written comments on a draft scope or provide for public input through the use of meetings, exchanges of written material, or other means....The lead agency must provide a copy of the draft scope to all involved agencies, and make it available to any individual or interested agency that has expressed an interest in writing to the lead agency. ..All relevant issues should be raised before the issuance of a final written scope.” Therefore, anyone interested in having a say or just knowing about the ways in which this proposed development is going to have an impact on the future of Hurley (and Marbletown and Rosendale), should request IN WRITING a copy of the draft scoping statement from: Paul Hakim, Chair Hurley Planning Board Hurley Town Hall 10 Wamsley Place Hurley, NY 12443

Lead Agency for Development Still Undecided

2005-07-27T19:15:00.000-04:00

The Hurley Planning Board along with the developer has finally sent out their letter asking if any other Involved Agency would like to be the lead agency for the 652-house development in Hurley. These agencies have 30 days in which to answer and if no agency says they want to be the lead agency, then the Planning Board will be it automatically. The end of the 30 days would be somewhere around mid-August. The Planning Board has cancelled its August meeting and scheduled their next meeting for Monday, September 12 at 7 p.m. presumably to announce the name of the lead agency then. If they don't re-schedule a meeting for August, nothing concerning the development can legally happen until mid-September.

Planning Board Holds Special Meeting

2005-06-21T20:38:00.000-04:00

On Monday, June 20, the Planning Board held a special meeting to discuss the lead agency for the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) for the proposed Hidden Forest development. They agreed to send out a Lead Agency Coordination Form to the Involved Agencies. These are agencies which, as the title suggests, are directly involved in the process. They are the Hurley Planning Board, the Hurley Town Board, the Ulster County Department of Highways and Bridges, the Ulster County Department of Health, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Department of Transportation, the New York State Department of Health and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. This latter agency will receive a form mostly as a matter of courtesy because, we were told, federal wetlands are not subject to the New York State SEQR law. In addition, a number of Interested Agencies have requested to have advisory review power and/or be kept informed of what is happening with the development. They are the Towns of Marbletown and Rosendale, the Ulster County Planning Board, and the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, this latter because of the possibility of historic artifacts (e.g. Indian burial grounds) on the site. Paul Hakim, Chair of the Planning Board, said he thinks the Planning Board is the body best suited to be lead agency with the other organizations having input into the process. He mentioned that the DEC has recently accepted only one offer to be a lead agency and that is of the Crossroads Venture project in Shandakan. (Also, DEC has had a 25% cutback in full-time employees over the past few years and is extremely stretched to handle what they currently have.) Letters are expected to be mailed to the Involved Agencies in about a week from the date of the meeting asking if the receiving agency is interested in being the lead agency for the development. If there is no response to the letter or if they respond that they are not interested, then the Hurley Planning Board will automatically become the lead agency. No mention was made of what happens if a recipient is interested in becoming the lead agency, but, according to the State, if the lead agency cannot be agreed on within 30 calendar days, any of the involved agencies or the applicant can ask the DEC Commissioner to resolve the dispute. Mr. Hakim stated that no further business will be conducted regarding the proposed development until there is a lead agency. He expects to be be able to announce this agency at the the Planning Board meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, August 1. Very briefly, SEQRA requires lead agencies to give equal consideration to environmental protection, human and community resources and economic factors when considering proposed housing develoments, among other projects. It requires a full Environmental Assessment Form to be completed. Click onto the SEQRA Information listing on the right for more details.

Latest 652 Development Information

2005-05-21T17:47:00.000-04:00

Most of you have already read the May 20 front page Freeman article on the public informational meeting conducted by the Hurley Planning Board and the developer on May 18. If not, you may want to click onto it in the column on the right. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • Darren Davidowich of U.S. Homes, soon to change its name to Lennar, gave the attendees a long sales presentation on the houses which will range from almost $300,000 for the 3,600 square foot duplexes to almost $400,000 for the 3,600 square foot detached houses. Currently, the median price of an Ulster County home is about $220,000. A November 28, 2004 Freeman article quoted Chester Straub, president of the Ulster Country Development Corporation, as saying that the median family income in the county is under $57,000 a year. This family, he said, may be able to secure a mortgage in the $130,000-$160,000 range, but not more. • Most of the audience’s questions were taken by Geraldine N. Tortorella, an attorney with the firm of Hocherman Tortorella & Wekstein, LLP, One North Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601. As the Freeman headline stated, “Hurley residents get few answers about gated community.”Ms. Tortorella has written that the limited liability company, Hurley 209 Company, LLC, is a joint venture between Tomlew and U.S. Home. Tomlew will be primarily responsible for the development approval process while U.S. Home will handle the buildout of the project. • Tomlew’s head is Richard Lewis who is based in Newburgh. He was at the May 18 meeting, but did not speak. Tomlew, under the name of Tomlew of Pine Plains, LLC, is in the process of developing a project in Pine Plains of 280 residential units, 7 office buildings and a grocery store on land purchased from a local farmer and the town supervisor. Tomlew is also incorporated as Tomlew of Gardiner LLC. At the May 18 meeting, the developer did not rule out construction of commercial buildings at or near the site. • Lennar, see www.lennar.com. This Miami-based corporation is one of the largest in the country in its field and has constructed 45 “active adult” communities across the U.S. This would be the first in New York. None are in New England; the nearest are in New Jersey which has three with the largest in Waretown, near the shore, with 1,400 houses. By “active adult” they mean that one person in the household must be 55 or older. • A recent issue of CNN Money says that Lennar is not only in the construction and home sales business, it also has a financial services section that provides mortgage financing, title insurance, closing services and insurance agency services to the buyers of its group homes and others. In addition, it provides high speed Internet access, cable television and alarm installation and monitoring services. • A lead agency for this development has yet to be decided. The lead agency is very important because it oversees and sets the direction of the inquiry. Dan Shuster, the Hurley town consultant, noted at the May meeting that this agency could be any of many involved agencies including the Hurley Planning Board or Town Board, the Ulster County Planning Board, Department of Highways and Bridges or Department of Health, or the State Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Health or Department of Transportation or even the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, Marbletown and Rosendale have requested status as “interested agencies.” • One Hurley resident claims there are Indian burial grounds on the site which should be investigated and marked. • Traffic. The development must still procure permission for a road cut onto the controlled access highway, U.S. Route 209, from the State Department of Transportation. The only exception to DOT’s access-control rules has been for the state police barracks. The developer has proposed a traffic light at the site. Others have requested a public connector road there between 209 and Lucas Avenue. • Water. The project is expected to generate a daily water demand of 250,000 gallons. Outflow from the sewage treatment plant is to go into Mill Creek which flows very close to the main Hurley/Marbletown aquifer where most of the towns’ drinking water arises. The proposed site is currently full of bore holes for water, sites which were accessed by bulldozers. Residents are strongly urged to take a walk through the area to see the resulting damage to the woodlands. • The development must be built under the provisions of the PRD (Planned Residential Development) provisions of Hurley’s local zoning laws. The Town Zoning Code states that “In order to carry out the intent of this section, a PRD shall achieve the following objectives: a) A maximum choice in the types of environment, occupancy, tenure, types of housing, lot sizes and community facilities available to existing and potential town residents at all economic levels. b) Flexibility in the location and design of small scale nonresidential uses which support and are compatible with residential areas. c) The preservation of trees, outstanding natural topography and geologic features and prevention of soil erosion. d) A creative use of land and related physical development which allows an orderly transition between lands of differing characteristics. e) An efficient use of land resulting in smaller networks of utilities and streets. f) A development pattern in harmony with the objectives of the Town of Hurley Comprehensive Plan.” • A draft of the upcoming Hurley Comprehensive Plan states: “The general consensus of the citizens of Hurley was to maintain the rural character of the community and our township. They were concerned that overdevelopment would change Hurley and its culture. They did not want to see Hurley become a victim of urban sprawl and wanted to maintain the rural atmosphere, peace and quiet of this uniquely residential town.”

Posted by Paul Economos re 4/7/05 Meeting with Developers

2005-04-08T11:55:00.000-04:00

At the request of Jack Darwak, Paul Hakim asked the developers to be left off the agenda for the Planning Board meeting last Monday(which they did) until some issues could be clarified. At the meeting were Paul Hakim, Jack Darwak, Gary, Al Mayone, Karl Brueckner, and Dan Shuster. Dennis Larios could not attend. Essentially the Town told the developers that they would not do any PR for them, and that if they wished to proceed, first an open public meeting would have to be held to let the public know EXACTLY what is involved in the development process here. Not just to say, for example, that a water study would be conducted, but to explain what would be involved in such a study. Who would be performing it, how are they credentialed, what the scope of it would be, along what agency guidelines, what the long and short term ramifications would be, how accurate it would be regarding site specifics, etc. That's just one thing as an example. They were also informed that some preliminary info would have to be provided before the Town would even consider reviewing the project, such things as: Do they have access to the State Road? Do they have a plan regarding the rail trail and any encroachments?, Are adjacent property wells going to be addressed as well as on site water?, etc. They were told that without first having a COMPREHENSIVE open public forum, NO REVIEW WOULD BE CONDUCTED. And, that if any of the people presenting were out of line, the project consideration would most likely be summarily rejected out of hand. I only heard about the meeting around 6:30 this morning. Also of note, the developers were told that the Planning Board, on the advice of Jack Darwak, would request that the State D.E.C. be declared as lead agency for the SEQRA review. They may or may not accept lead agency status, sometimes tending to not be involved in anything with home rule implications, but all at the meeting felt it was most appropriate to follow that path. The public presentation will also include an explanation of section 210-45 of the Zoning, which is for PRD districts. This is just a beginning, of course. They must present a step by step, well defined course of action so the residents know what is involved in the process from the developers end as well as the Town with the review process. Proposed timetables are of course part of this. Paul Economos

"Hidden Forest" Comments Welcome

2005-03-24T13:07:00.000-05:00

Background

At the Febuary 6, 2005 meeting of the Hurley Planning Board a developer named Richard Lewis outlined a proposal to build 652 houses on 400 acres in Old Hurley, replacing the beautiful and historic Mill Creek woods between Route 209 and Lucas Avenue. The land is owned by the Gill family. The security “pavilion” to this gated development would be where the parking lot of the Rail Trail is now. Only residents and those with permission would be allowed into this luxury site where the price of houses will range up to nearly $400,000 in current prices. The plan is to restrict residents to “active seniors” 55 and over. In other words, this is not what is normally thought of as senior housing, but a development which will include two swimming pools, tennis courts, a large community center and similar recreational facilities solely for the residents. The development's lawyer in a letter to the Planning Board states: "The project is intended to be constructed in six phases of roughly equal numbers of units over approximately six years. Each phase will include a variety of unit types. The phases will be built successively and each will include sufficient roads, stormwater management structures and practices, and utilities to support the phase. Construction of active recreational facilities, including the club house, and the sewer and water plants will be commenced at the time of commencement of the first phase." Recently, there was a great deal of bulldozer activity in the area which, the developer claimed, was digging to determine if there was sufficient water. Ulster County regulations only state that the builder has to show that there is enough water for that particular site, not if it will dry up the supply to other residents. In addition, this site is extremely close to the main aquifer for Hurley and Marbletown. The area consists mostly of highly permeable soil with a limestone bedrock, meaning that any pollutants are conducted rapidly downhill. Thus, any spilled pollutants will most likely end up in the aquifer and, thus, into our drinking water. The developer plans a nearby sewage treatment plant.