Durst on Planning Board’s April 14 agenda

PINE PLAINS — On Wednesday, April 7, The Durst Organization submitted an application to the Pine Plains Planning Board proposing a 237-lot conservation subdivision on its 2,655-acre property west of the main hamlet of Pine Plains. 

Though the Durst Organization has altered its plans through the past decade-plus, currently its proposed project vision is described online as  an “alternative design [that] includes a recreation-oriented resort that complements the proposed residential project, providing economic resources for the community.” 

It will include space for artists, naturalists, sport enthusiasts and more on what once was the site of the golf course of famed ice-cream magnate Thomas Carvel.

Included in the proposal, the applicant has requested that the Planning Board begin both the sketch plan review of the subdivision and the required State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process, and begin circulating for lead agency status.

The SEQRA process will include preparing a new Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to review the entire proposed project, which will include approximately 445 acres of land in the town of Milan in addition to the land in Pine Plains.

The initial discussion of the sketch plan submission by the Planning Board is on the board’s agenda for its Wednesday, April 14, meeting at 7:30 p.m., to be held via Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The public is welcome to join in the meeting; just contact the Planning Department at the Town Hall for details and for the Zoom link or go to the town of Pine Plains website at www.pineplains-ny.gov.

Details about the proposed project can be found online at the project website, www.hudsonvalleyproject.com. 

Look for full coverage of the Planning Board’s meeting in an upcoming issue of The Millerton News and on The Millerton News’ website, at www.tricornernews.com.