Silo Ridge - Millerton News

11/13/2008 - Silo Ridge prepares Findings Statement

Amenia
Silo Ridge prepares Findings Statement
By CORY ALLYN
11/13/2008

AMENIA — Consultants to the Planning Board have had the opportunity to meet and address Silo Ridge's Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for several weeks now. Last Thursday, Nov. 6, the board discussed many issues with the hope  that major concerns will be resolved shortly and a draft Findings Statement will be prepared in time for the next Planning Board meeting.

"I think it was a fairly productive meeting," said George Fenn, chairman of the board.

On Oct. 30 the board decided to look over all comments received during the 30-day public hearing that  began after the Planning Board approved the applicant's FEIS. Fenn reported that three major points were addressed.

The first concern was a proposal to build houses on hills with a slope of more than 30 degrees. Construction would have involved a lot of "cutting and filling," according to Fenn, and he said the board's environmental consultants felt strongly that it was an "inappropriate place" to build. The area in question is in a stream bed.

Silo Ridge responded by moving the proposed location of the houses to the south end of the project.

The stream bed area "is going to be left untouched, which pleased us a great deal," Fenn said.

Secondly, there are a number of vineyard houses proposed on the north side of Route 44. Fenn reported that a majority of public comments on the FEIS objected to the structures.

"But they really hadn't appreciated the fact that between the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and the FEIS the number of proposed houses had been diminished from 38 to 19," Fenn added, "and also they had proposed a 100-foot buffer along Route 44, which would be landscaped. "

Nevertheless, two streams run through the area and Fenn said people were worried about storm water drainage. He reported that the situation is "still kind of up in the air," and matters remain to be resolved.

The third and final concern addressed last Thursday was a buffer area close to Route 22, on the south end of the project near a wetland that was next to a dump many years ago.

"We had concerns about the buffering between wetland and construction," Fenn said, "but it turned out the layout plans that had been provided had buffers that were actually narrower on the map than they were proposed in actuality. "

Silo Ridge also had more landscaping in mind than was shown on the map and the issue was resolved.

The various consultants will now prepare a draft for the Planning Board's next meeting, which is set for the end of the month. Each consultant will prepare the section of the Findings Statement that pertains to their expertise. When a first draft is completed, the Planning Board will take over the document, revise it according to how they see fit, and ultimately take ownership of the final copy.

The next Planning Board meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m.

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