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Amenia Town Hall
Photo by John Coston
AMENIA — Following months of meetings and significant discussion at the regular meeting of the Planning Board on Wednesday, June 25, the board voted 5-1 to approve Hudson River Housing’s conservation analysis document in connection with the Cascade Creek affordable housing project.
Planning Board chairman Robert Boyles cast the negative vote.
Senior Planner Peter Sander of Rennia Engineering asked the planning board to approve the conservation analysis that he indicated had been revised to accommodate conservation concerns.
“We feel that our plans provide benefit to all involved,” Sander said of the conservation analysis. Board member Ken Topolsky questioned the definition of “benefit,” leading Sander to reply that “benefit” indicated “no impact.”
Planning board member Foz Bullock asked how utilities can co-exist with conservation interests.
“Because the utilities are sub-surface, there is no visual impact, no impact to wildlife, and no soil removal. The bottom line is that what they are proposing agrees with code,” planning board engineer John Andrews said.
Topolsky asked about grading and erosion control at the Cascade Creek site. Sander explained that those elements are to be detailed within the preliminary subdivision mapping phase of the application process, the next step coming up.
“This is preliminary,” planning board attorney Paul Van Cott explained. “Beyond the non-binding conservation findings will be the subdivision planning phases.
Explaining the order of the process, Atty. Van Cott said that preliminary mapping will provide project layout that will address such issues as drainage, stormwater runoff, and State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) requirements.
“All of that comes before a public hearing,” Van Cott said.
“We’re here to listen,” Sander said. “We will address your concerns within the next set of plans,” Sander said.
In a process that began in January with preliminary plans described by Sander of Rennia Engineering, and a determination from planning board engineer John Andrews that a conservation analysis was needed, several meetings ensued. One of the meetings was a listening session in which HRH met with neighboring property owners and residents to hear their concerns. Those concerns led to revised conservation planning, presented to the Planning Board in March.
In May, a public hearing about the revised conservation planning was held with many residents’ comments focusing on site development rather than conservation planning.
Silo Ridge
In other action on Wednesday, June 25, a public hearing invited comment on Silo Ridge plans to revise its official plans to eliminate 13 townhouses and substitute ten condominiums in the same space on a single lot.
Of concern to planning board members was the likely tax receipt impact where the town would lose $48,000 in tax revenue based on the change to the site plan.
Silo Ridge consultant Patrick O’Leary agreed to provide more information explaining that the tax impact would be offset by new homes being planned for future construction.
The public hearing was held open until the next planning board meeting on Wednesday, July 9, awaiting O’Leary’s information.
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Amenia Town Hall
Photo by John Coston
AMENIA — Reporting that the conservation analysis in connection with the Keane Stud project remains incomplete, the developers sought advice from the Planning Borad at its regular meeting on Wednesday, June 25.
Representing the Keane Stud developers was attorney Diana Kolev, Partner of DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP, of White Plains. She indicated that she was following up on the discussion heard during the previous meeting on Wednesday, June 11.
Discussion focused on process involved in meeting the request made by the board’s visual impact consultant George Janes for a “reasonable worst case development” as a help toward preparing a Declaration of Covenant document and measuring visual impact on the viewshed.
Kolev reported that Janes had met with Senior Planner Peter Sander of Rennia Engineering.
“The discussion was fruitful,” Janes reported to the planning board.
“The applicants are creating a list of comparables,” Janes said, reporting that so far they have identified seven examples of homes, largely in the Smithfield Valley, that could provide models for the type of homes that might be constructed within the Keane Stud development as the proposed 10-acre lots are sold.
Janes advised that it may be more important to get the right examples, even if they are not located in Amenia.
The next step, Janes said, will be for the planning board to look at the comparables. Then the Keane Stud developers would set about preparing a three-dimensional model of the site proposal and the visual impact.
“How can the public be brought into the process,” asked board attorney Paul Van Cott.
Janes commented that the board needs to decide how much it wants to be involved.
“We talked about Covenant,” said board member Ken Topolsky, seeking assurance that any Covenant “will have teeth in it.”
“The view from DeLaVergne Hill has no comparability,” said resident Sharon Kroeger during the public comment portion of the meeting. “It is in history and folklore.”
Current plans for the Keane Stud subdivision came under planning board discussion beginning in October 2024, when Keane Stud owner Juan Torres indicated that a new site plan for the property was being prepared.
In early April, Senior Planner Peter Sander of Rennia Engineering detailed changes to the plan for the planning board. Later that month the planning board detailed various concerns, emphasizing the need for establishing Covenant restrictions.
Meetings in June have continued to seek to measure visual impact to the DeLaVergne Hill viewshed.
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Taking on Tanglewood
Jul 02, 2025
Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.
Provided
Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.
Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.
On Sunday, July 6 at 2:30 p.m., the next master pianist, Yefim Bronfman, joins Andris Nelsons as he conducts the BSO in the Shed. Bronfman features in an All-Beethoven program. Hear the Leonore Overture No. 2 followed by the Piano Concerto No. 3, a deeply expressive work that highlights the lively interplay between the BSO strings, winds, and Bronfman’s piano. After intermission, experience the epic Symphony No. 5.
On Saturday, July 12 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons join pianist Seong-Jin Cho in celebrating the 150th birth year of Maurice Ravel. Expressive, sincere, and wonderful, Cho’s playing is bound to create a rich evening of music that includes “Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun” (Debussy), “Piano Concerto in G” (Ravel), “Piano Concerto for the Left Hand” (Ravel), and “La Mer” (Debussy).
On Sunday, July 13 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen will be a superb combination, along with the energetic young Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Kuusisto comes from distinguished musical lineage, and he’s equally captivating whether performing classical works or masterfully weaving Northern European folk melodies. The program includes “Tumblebird Contrails” (Gabriella Smith), “Violin Concerto” (Sibelius), and “Symphony No. 5” (Sibelius).
On Saturday, July 19 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons present the Piccini’s “Tosca,” with special guest singers Kristine Opolais, Seok Jong Baek, Bryn Terfel, Patrick Carfizzi and the entire Tanglewood Festival Chorus, with James Burton conducting. Expect an unforgettable evening in the Shed, with beauty and brilliance at full volume—star power layered on star power.
Beginning Thursday, July 24 at 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall, the TMC Festival of Contemporary Music kicks off with Ortiz and the Mexican Tradition. This year’s festival runs through Monday, July 28 and features music of Mexican music educator and composer Gabriela Ortiz Torres, Carnegie Hall’s composer in residence for the 2025 season. This superb Festival within a Festival is a proverbial “Box of Chocolates”, where you never quite know what flavor is in the middle until you bite.
On Friday, July 25at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons welcome Spanish-born violinist María Dueñas. At a mere 18 years old, Dueñas has already won the 2021 Menuhin Competition, including the audience award. The BBC also named her as its “New Generation Artist 2021-2023.” This program includes “Air,” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 (J.S. Bach), and “Adagio from Symphony No. 10” (Mahler) before Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto”,“Calm Sea”, and “Prosperous Voyage.”
On Sunday, July 27 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons welcome pianist Lang Lang.Lang Lang is squarely in the 100% not to be missed category, and this afternoon the audience will be indulged with “La Calaca” (Gabriela Ortiz) for string orchestra, Piano Concerto No. 2 (Saint-Saëna), and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6, Pastoral.”
On Saturday, August 16 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra join with German conductor and concert pianist Anna Handler and young Italian-German-American violinist Augustin Hadelich to present the Brahms’s “Tragic Overture,” “Symphony No. 4” (Schumann), andTchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. The constellation this evening looks to become especially bright, colorful, and passionate. Plan to come early and stay late.
On Sunday, August 17 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra welcomes conductor Dima Slobodeniouk, who was born in Moscow and settled in Finland.Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is another musician not to miss; every appearance is fresh and lively. This program includes “Threnody (In Memory of Jan Sibelius)” by William Grant Still, “Piano Concerto No. 2” (Liszt), “Valse triste” (Sibelius), and “Symphony No. 3.” (Sibelius).
The 2025 Tanglewood season promises to be another exciting one. A quick note: the BSO has faced issues with ticket resellers posing as official sources and charging inflated prices. To avoid this, be sure to purchase tickets in advance only through bso.org.
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