Silo Ridge - Harlem Valley Times

1/23/2009 - Amenia Planning Board accepts Silo Ridge findings statement

Amenia
Amenia Planning Board accepts Silo Ridge findings statement
1/23/2009
By: Jennifer Barry, Staff Reporter

The Amenia Planning Board finalized the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process for the proposed Silo Ridge Resort Community on Jan. 8 by adopting a final draft of their Findings Statement.

The document, required by SEQRA law, weighs and balances relevant environmental impacts with social, economic and other considerations, and certifies that the project is one that avoids or minimizes adverse environmental impact by incorporating mitigating measures to the maximum extent practicable.

This action on the part of the planning board completes the SEQRA process, required by New York State, which was initiated in May of 2003.

In June of 2005, the applicant submitted a revised development proposal to the planning board for the resort-style community.

In this application, the proposal consisted of single-family homes and townhome-style condominiums, a resort hotel, a spa and fitness center, restaurant and banquet facilities, event and retail space, and an improved golf course and renovated clubhouse.

The Planning Board issued a Positive Declaration for the project on Sept. 15, 2005, requiring the applicant to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

Later in that same year, the planning board conducted a public Scoping Session on Oct. 6 to identify relevant issues to be studied in the DEIS and later adopted a Final Scoping Document on Nov. 17.

In September of 2006 the applicant submitted a proposed DEIS to the planning board, which determined that the document was not adequate for public review.

They then directed the applicant to prepare and submit a revised proposed DEIS; the revised document was submitted in December of 2006.

By late February of 2007, the applicant advised the planning board that it would be submitting a substantially revised proposed DEIS to reflect changes that were being made to the proposed development; in light of these changes, the applicant requested that the planning board defer its determination on whether or not the document was ready for public review until the applicant submitted their revised proposed DEIS.

In late June of the same year, a revised proposed DEIS was submitted; this document described a resort community comprised of up to 369 dwelling units (single family homes and condominiums), a resort condominium-hotel containing up to 320 hotel rooms, a spa and fitness center, restaurant and banquet facilities, event and retail space, and an improved golf course and renovated clubhouse.

Still, the planning board determined that the document was not yet ready for public review.

By September of 2007, the applicant submitted a revised version of its DEIS to the planning board for a review and requested that the board issue a determination that the document was ready for public review.

That October, the Planning Board concluded that the Sept. 19, 2007 version of the Silo Ridge DEIS was complete for purposes of commencing a public review.

The planning board opened the public hearing on Nov. 17, 2007 and heard public comment on the DEIS; the board also elected to keep the public hearing open until the applicant submitted a preliminary Master Development Plan (MDP) for the project.

A preliminary MDP was accepted, for SEQRA purposes, on Feb. 7, 2008 and was made available to the public several days later.

A second public hearing was then held on March 5, 2008 and public comment on both the DEIS and preliminary MDP was put into the record.

The board continued to accept written comments until the end of March, when the public comment period was closed.

By May, the applicant had submitted its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which was accepted as complete by the planning board on Sept. 16, 2008.

The board accepted written comments on the FEIS through Oct. 24, 2008, and considered the written comments that it received from both involved and interested agencies and members of the public during its preparation and, ultimately, its issuance of a Findings Statement.

"We're excited that the SEQR process is complete, and we're now looking forward to getting our special permit and site plan approvals," said Mike Dignacco, vice president of construction for Millbrook Ventures, the company developing the Silo Ridge resort community. "We're equally excited for the residents in the town and region who are patiently waiting for the benefits this resort will bring," "The Planning Board, its consultants, and our consultants have put a tremendous amount of work into this project over the past five years," he continued. "We believe that together we've planned a resort community capable of providing needed economic growth desired by the town and the county while caring for the rural character of Amenia and its natural resources."

"I'm proud of the work the board has done with the consultants and with Silo Ridge to get to this point in the project," said Bill Flood, chairman of the Town of Amenia planning board. "I'm optimistic that this project will jumpstart economic growth in eastern Dutchess. Now that the process is nearing the end, I anticipate that it will energize the wastewater project as well, and help us move that much-needed project along."

A copy of the Findings Statement will be available for public review at both the Amenia Public Library and the Amenia Town Hall.

The next step in the approval process will be the special use permit.

Silo Ridge will be submitting its updated Master Development Plan, reflecting the mitigation measures approved in the Findings Statement, for review by the Planning Board, as part of the special use permit process.

After that, they will move into the final phases of the approval process: obtaining site plan and subdivision approval, along with permits from relevant agencies.