Bank of Millbrook eyes North East site
The Bank of Millbrook may be opening a Town of North East branch on Route 44 at the location of Elizabeth’s Jewelry and Fine Gifts, according to bank president George Whalen III.
Christine Bates
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Engineer Zak Hall, left, and architect Kristina Dousharm of Kristina Dousharm Architects present plans to build a new grocery store and renovate an existing building for an ice cream shop at the Planning Board on Wednesday, April 8.
Photo by Nathan Miller
Christopher Gumprecht — who owns the property under the name C.G. 79 Realestate LLC — and business partners Bryan Seiler and Benjamin Abrahams received approval for the cannabis dispensary in December, 2025. That business will occupy a historic weigh station building on the property that is separate from the proposed grocery store and ice cream shop.
Dousharm first described the grocery store and ice cream shop during that approval process, saying exact details were premature at the time but providing enough information to satisfy environmental review requirements.
Dousharm argued the environmental approval for the cannabis dispensary rendered further review unnecessary, saying the application largely aligned with prior estimations. Planning Board attorney Warren Replansky sharply disagreed.
Replansky said the Planning Board's approval of the cannabis dispensary indicated an intention to conduct further environmental review once detailed plans for the additional businesses were available. He read from the board's resolution, dated December 17, 2025, which said plans for the additional uses had not been developed to a point where "meaningful environmental review" could take place.
The resolution also references guidance from Dutchess County Planning & Development that review could be deferred until the plans are "fully developed" and an acknowledgement the Planning Board has jurisdiction to "conduct an additional" review.
"I don't know how it can be any more clear than that," Replansky said.
Planning Board members view plans for the proposed new grocery store and ice cream shop to be located at 7723 South Main St. on Wednesday, April 8.Photo by Nathan Miller
The exchange devolved into a tense back-and-forth between Replansky and Dousharm with occasional interjections from Planning Board Chair Michael Stabile, zoning enforcement officer Ed Casazza and town engineer George Schmidt.
Dousharm asserted additional review under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act was unnecessary — a claim that Schmidt and Stabile appeared to support — because the described plans largely align with the preliminary details provided last year.
Replansky responded by pointing out that the preliminary details described renovating an existing building for the grocery store. He said the demolition and subsequent construction of a brand new building constituted a significant change.
"The Planning Board has a duty to conduct a SEQR review," Replansky said. "The fact that you don't agree that it's necessary is irrelevant."
Stabile recalled the board telling the applicants to return for "technical review" once plans for the grocery store and ice cream shop were developed. Schmidt said the board can use technical review to determine whether differences from early plan details required further environmental review.
Dousharm offered to prepare a list of the changes from earlier plans to aid Planning Board members in determining whether to complete an additional environmental assessment form for the property.
The applicants must now seek a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals to exceed lot area coverage limits before returning to the Planning Board for further review.
The annual Millerton Fire Company Easter egg hunt returned to Eddie Collins Memorial Park on Saturday, April 4.
Nathan Miller
Tyler Dehoff discovers a piece of chocolate in a plastic egg at the zero to two-year-old egg hunt area.Nathan Miller
Families crowd into hay wagons for a parade down Main Street to the park before the egg hunt.Nathan Miller
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