PINE PLAINS — After receiving The Durst Organization’s latest application for the Hudson Valley project (formerly known as the Durst project) in Pine Plains and Milan, the Pine Plains Planning Board discussed the application and what steps should be taken going forward at its meeting on Wednesday, April 14.
Conservation subdivision
The Durst Organization submitted an application to the board on Wednesday, April 7, that proposed a 237-lot conservation subdivision on its 2,655-acre property west of the main hamlet of Pine Plains. As part of its proposal, Durst requested in its proposal that the 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.
Included in the SEQRA process, a new Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be prepared to review the project.
The meeting was held over Zoom and live streamed to the “Pine Plains Planning and Zoning Boards” YouTube channel due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Durst Project Manager Lisa Baker introduced a few team members, including attorney Jennifer Van Tuyl, project manager Catherine Monian and planner Stuart Mesinger from The Chazen Companies.
Baker outlined their intent to present the residential sketch plan The Durst Organization submitted to the board for the proposed conservation subdivision redevelopment of the former Carvel Country Club and its adjoining properties. Although it’s been almost a year since they last presented to the Planning Board, she said the team has been “working continuously to consider the best project imaginable for this beautiful property.
“We look forward to working closely with your board and the Milan Planning Board to create a project that preserves a substantial amount of open space, protects environmental resources, supports local economic activity and preserves connectivity to the hamlet and adjoining recreational resources,” Baker said.
Past plans
Monian projected an overview of the project site as a visual for Mesinger’s review of the project’s history. From the development of the late ice cream magnate Tom Carvel’s original plan for the property in the 1960s to Durst’s acquisition of Carvel’s golf club in 2001, Mesinger covered pivotal moments for the property as well as the various alterations made to the project over the past two-plus decades.
He also touched on Durst’s application for a second-home community project in 2004 and its 2011 application under Pine Plains’ New Neighborhood Development (NND) provisions to develop a new neighborhood district.
Mesinger said Durst studied conservation subdivisions closely before deciding to advance a new project. The organization formally withdrew the NND application and held a public meeting to discuss the conservation subdivision concept last February; by April, a pre-sketch application for the conservation subdivision concept was submitted to the board.
Mesinger reminded the board that the purpose of the pre-sketch process is two-fold: to establish a base residential yield for how many units can be developed on the property and to establish at least 50% of the site as open space as required by the conservation subdivision process.
Monian projected the pre-sketch plan that outlined the various conservation features mapped on site; 53% of the site was identified as open space and the calculation for the base residential yield came out with 223 units. In addition to submitting the conservation subdivision application to the Pine Plains Planning Board, Mesinger said Durst met with the Milan Planning Board to present the concept and talk about the development process.
They also met with the New York State Department of Health to talk about water and sewer, and are now trying to schedule a meeting with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to talk about issues that might fall under its jurisdiction.
Open space
Looking at the sketch plan application itself, Mesinger pointed out key features, such as how the plan respects the buffers around the regulated wetlands and limits road crossings. However, he said he believes the plan’s most salient feature is the amount of open space. With the base residential yield calculated at 237 lots (11.2 acres per lot), the development is largely focused on Lake Carvel and north and west of Route 199. Because Durst is considering a resort in Pine Plains, Mesinger said they’d like to have the resort be an alternative to be considered in the project’s DEIS.
Planners Frank Fish and Sarah Yackel from BFJ Planning, planning consultants for the town, gave the board a preview of what steps are expected in the SEQRA process.
Fish said he believes the first action would be for the board to declare its intent to be lead agency in the SEQRA process, while Yackel walked the board though that process with its anticipated steps, meetings and scoping sessions. The board engaged in a thorough discussion both with its planners and Attorney to the Town Warren Replansky in terms of how the resort alternative would work.
Working with Milan
Planning Board member Dick Hermans asked if the board should set up a formal liaison with Milan to stay abreast of Milan’s side of the project. The board agreed it was a good idea to have a Pine Plains liaison attend Milan’s meetings and designated Hermans to be the liaison.
Replansky said he believed the Planning Board is obligated to conduct a coordinated SEQRA review with Milan. As he’s anticipating that there’s going to be much more coordination between the two municipalities during the review of this project, he said the bard should start thinking in terms of how it will do that.
Nathan Miller
Wassaic-based cannabis grower Douglas Broughton in his basement greenhouse at his home on Old Route 22 on Sunday, May 17.
MILLERTON — A cannabis dispensary planned for Main Street is facing lengthy delays that the Wassaic-based grower behind the project attributed to bureaucracy at the Office of Cannabis Management.
Doug Broughton, who operates a commercial cannabis farm at his home on Old Route 22 in Wassaic, plans to open a retail wing of his licensed cannabis microbusiness at 32 Main St. in downtown Millerton. Broughton first announced the plans earlier this year, targeting March and April openings that were later pushed back
He now hopes to open the shop in early summer, but said he can’t peg a specific date due to delays at New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management.
Broughton attributes sluggish administration at OCM to interference from larger cannabis businesses. Those businesses, he said, consume much of the agency’s time and resources, creating delays that can place significant financial strain on smaller microbusinesses like his own.
He said selling his cannabis wholesale to retailers has been keeping him afloat as he pays $1,800 per month on rent for the space on Millerton’s Main Street. Despite that, he’s confident the quality of his products and his shop will make up for the wait once it’s over.
“We have a lot of options and we can be very competitive,” Broughton said, adding he believes his cannabis is of a higher quality and better value than larger, corporate producers. “They threw huge amounts of money into bullying their way into a market and now nobody wants their weed.”
Broughton’s business has also faced other challenges. Rising fuel and commodity prices due to the Trump administration’s conflict with Iran have increased shipping costs, cutting into Broughton’s wholesale profits.
Those price hikes hit Broughton in multiple ways, affecting the cost to purchase packaging for his cannabis and the cost to ship it to retailers.
“I just got containers. I ordered a year ago and the shipping cost would be $2.50,” Broughton said. “Now, it was $6.50.”
The situation isn’t dire, though. Standing in his basement greenhouse in his Wassaic home, Broughton explained that he’s only utilizing just over one-tenth of his legally allowed grow area.
Under OCM regulations, licensed microbusinesses such as Broughton’s are allowed up to 5,000 square feet of mixed-light growing space, his preferred growing method.
Mixed-light growing means Broughton uses a combination of artificial and natural light to grow his cannabis plants. He said he exercises scientific precision over his crops, manipulating artificial light color, humidity levels, nutrients and temperature to ensure his ideal product.
Broughton said he uses just over 600 square feet of his allotted growing space currently, so the business has plenty of room to expand to cover rising costs. But Broughton encouraged proponents of small business and legal cannabis to write to state officials about the effects of long licensing periods on small businesses.
“If people want to get this open, write a letter,” Broughton said. “I’m wholesaling still. It’ll be fine, but I’m excited to get it open.”
Graham Corrigan
The Washington town pool in the hamlet of Mabbetsville along Route 44 sits ready for the start of the 2026 season.
MILLBROOK — Members of the Washington Town Board are calling for upgrades to the town’s recreation area in Mabbetsville along Route 44, saying the park’s roughly 80-year-old pool is outdated and increasingly difficult to maintain.
Former Washington Councilmember Mike Murphy presented a new report to the Town Board during its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 13, detailing the needed updates to the park.
His report is part of a larger Washington project called the Recreation Area Strategic Planning Committee. Starting in 2024, Murphy and a committee of 11 community members undertook a comprehensive evaluation of the property, focusing on the town pool and its facilities. “It’s nobody’s fault,” Murphy said. “But over the years, it’s just aged out.”
The committee was made up of various community experts including contractors and environmentalists. The group used last year’s Community Day to field suggestions from local residents, asking what changes they’d like to see at the park.
An online survey followed, and the committee compiled those suggestions for the town board. Suggestions included indoor facilities, a children’s playground, a dog park and pool improvements.
The Town Park consists of the pool and several athletic fields. The town bought the lower part of the property in 1946 for $16,000, and it became a municipal pool soon after. The athletic fields were added in 2006.
The 29 acres “are a jewel within the town,” Murphy said. “We need to figure out how to get people to use it.” But the pool’s aging infrastructure has made maintenance and upkeep unwieldy. It also lacks modern amenities popular in other municipal pools, like splash pads or fountains. Millerton and Newburgh, Murphy noted, both included those elements in their new pool plans.
Washington has more serious fixes to make, like updating the pool’s filtration system. One estimate Murphy received approximated that cost at six figures. “The tax structure of this community will never be able to handle the major costs that are coming down the road,” Murphy said.
Instead, the Committee to Re-Imagine the Town Park proposed several non-structural ways to stimulate the park’s activity, and resulting revenue: extended hours, a third pavilion, more athletic facilities, and an easier way to access the park.
Currently, there’s only one way in or out of the park. It makes for a crowded drop-off — especially when summer camp is in session. Murphy said connecting the park’s entrance to Little Rest Road to the west is one feasible solution.
Leila Hawken
Enhancing educational opportunities for students in the Millbrook Central School District since 2001, the Millbrook Educational Foundation took part in the Millbrook Volunteer Fair on Saturday, May 16. Residents were invited to learn about volunteer opportunities with the foundation and a variety of other local and regional organizations. The event, now in its fifth year, was held at the Millbrook Library.
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Christine Bates
Known as the “Ice House,” 12 State Line Road on 3.81 acres was sold by the mortgage holder after standing vacant for years. The property was later renovated and resold for $400,000 on April 15.
MILLERTON — North East’s housing market continued to cool this spring, with home prices holding relatively steady and sales activity slowing compared with the post-pandemic surge that drove prices sharply higher across the region.
The 12-month trailing median sale price for residential properties in the Town of North East, including the Village of Millerton, was $420,000 for the period from May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026. That figure remained essentially unchanged month-to-month, but marked the second consecutive year of declining annual median prices.
The residential median includes all types of housing sales — from modest village homes to large estates with significant acreage — but excludes commercial properties and vacant land sales. Among the higher-end transactions during the period was the sale of 5-15 Homestead Lane for $3.1 million.
Outside the village, where homes are generally situated on larger parcels, the median sale price reached $575,000. Within the Village of Millerton, where lots are typically smaller, the median price for the 10 homes sold during the period was $410,000.
The townwide median price of $420,000 was down 2% from the $430,000 median recorded during the 12-month period ending April 30, 2025. It was also 4% below the median recorded the year before that, continuing a gradual market slowdown following the price increases seen during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sales activity has also slowed considerably. North East recorded 24 residential transactions on a trailing 12-month basis at the end of April, down from 37 sales during the previous year.
Housing inventory showed modest improvement entering the spring market. In early May, 14 homes were listed for sale in North East, including four properties with asking prices above $1 million. Among them was the Hudson Valley Magazine “design home,” listed for $3.99 million.
Only two residential properties were listed for sale within the Village of Millerton in early May. Meanwhile, four commercial properties remained on the market in the village, along with eight parcels of vacant land throughout the town.
Town of North East March and April property sales
710 Smithfield Road — 23.89 acres were sold on April 20 for $190,000.
26 South Center St. —An investment property in the Village of Millerton was sold on April 15 for $700,000.
12 State Line Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath renovated home on 3.8 acres sold on April 15 for $400,000.
5-15 Homestead Lane — 3 bedroom/2 bath home built in 1950 on 258 acres sold on March 27 for $3.1 million.
Town of North East and Village of Millerton closed sales for March and April from realtor.com with property details from Dutchess Parcel Access. Median price and activity calculations for all residential properties from NY State Sales Web transfers through February 2026 with updated residential sales for March and April. Current market data from One Key MLS. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
Graham Corrigan
MILLBROOK — Innisfree Garden is set to welcome northeast Dutchess residents for its annual Spring Community Day.
The beloved community event returns Saturday, May 23 — with free admission for residents of Millerton, North East, Amenia, Wassaic, Pine Plains, Clinton Corners, Dover Plains, Pleasant Valley, Stanford, Wingdale, Washington, and of course, Millbrook. Visitors seeking free admission must present identification showing residency in one of the listed towns or hamlets.
There’s a day of programming in store, too. The garden opens at 10 a.m., then Qigong exercise lessons with Cris Caivano kick off at 10:30 a.m. Discounted tickets for the day’s events are available to Dutchess County residents, who are invited to “stretch like a tiger, twist like a dragon,” through guided stretching and acupressure exercises.
Then at 2:30 p.m., visitors are invited along on The Great Pollinator Ramble. Part scavenger hunt, part live theater, the Ramble features larger-than-life pollinator puppets spread across Innisfree’s 185 acres. Nature lovers can use the provided habitat map to find and identify 10 key pollinators that frequent the garden.
“We’re always looking for ways we can introduce the arts into Innisfree,” said Innisfree Executive Director Laura Palmer. “It’s a celebration of the natural environment and all the richness of the natural world.”
Birds, butterflies, beetles and other pollinators will be represented through the oversized puppets, which were designed by Processional Arts Workshop, a Red Hook-based collective led by co-directors Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles.
The concept dates back five years, when the COVID pandemic challenged Processional Arts to develop outdoor programming that could activate public spaces.
“The idea was, if you set loose pollinator puppets in a natural environment, you can encourage people to look deeper at their surroundings,” Kahn said. “It becomes a kind of hide and seek with these species.”
After successful rambles at Catskill’s Thomas Cole House, Hudson’s Olana State Historic Site, and Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Kahn and Michahelles are bringing their pollinators to Innisfree.
The puppeteers are instructed to be elusive and shy, hiding in the garden’s remote corners — as their real-life counterparts might. In that way, visitors are encouraged to investigate parts of the grounds they might bypass.
Spring Community Day is in its sixth year at Innisfree. It serves as the kickoff to the garden’s warm-weather programming season, which includes guided nature walks, wellness workshops, calligraphy classes and live music. A full calendar is available at innisfreegarden.org/events
Leila Hawken
AMENIA — Housing Board members agreed on three potential uses for remaining grant funds, moving a step toward utilizing the money that was leftover from a Foundation for Community Health grant.
Board members voted on Monday, May 11, to draft a report for FCH detailing three initiatives for the leftover $13,000 aimed at clarifying local housing regulations, defining the board’s responsibilities related to the Housing Trust Fund, and expanding resources for residents seeking to create accessory dwelling units.
The funding will support efforts to simplify land use regulations for homeowners, develop guidance for Housing Board members regarding their oversight responsibilities, and create a step-by-step guide for residents interested in building an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU.
Grant consultant Christina Gast attended the meeting to help guide the discussion and ensure the proposals met both funding requirements and project deadlines. The agreed-upon initiatives closely mirrored ideas discussed at the previous Housing Board meeting on Monday, April 13.
Board members agreed that local housing and zoning regulations can be confusing to residents. They also pointed to a need to draft local legislation to provide a tax exemption for property owners who create an accessory dwelling unit, also known as an accessory apartment unit.
The board estimated that about $3,000 of the grant funding could be used to clarify the Housing Board’s role and responsibilities, particularly regarding oversight of the Housing Trust Fund.
In the coming weeks, the Housing Board will determine passages where the codes are unclear and ask the Planning Board attorney to clarify. The effort would also include preparation of an onboarding handbook for future Housing Board members, outlining the board’s duties and responsibilities.
“A handbook is a good use of a relatively small amount of funds,” Housing Board member Josh Frankel said.
The third initiative, with an estimated cost of $7,000, would see the development of step-by-step instructions about the process that residents need to follow in order to create an approved ADU. The instructions would be a clear guide toward creating a unit, along with a list of available resources.
Since her professional qualifications align with what is needed for the project, Gast offered to take on the work of drafting the materials. However, board members agreed with a suggestion from member Juan Torres that they should seek an additional outside quote for the work. Concerns about the appearance of a potential conflict of interest were first raised by member Shannon Roback.
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