Workforce housing subdivision nearing site plan review

AMENIA — The Planning Board took another step toward completing New York’s State Environmental Quality Review for the proposed Cascade Creek affordable housing development on July 8, receiving updates on traffic, fire protection, open space and stormwater management.

The proposal calls for 26 affordable single-family homes on a site along Route 22 and Old North Road. Once the environmental review is complete, the project can move to site plan review, where developers will present detailed engineering and design plans.

For now, applicants are still awaiting final approval for the land subdivision plans, a process that has carried on since Poughkeepsie-based developers Hudson River Housing submitted its first official application in November 2024. This year, board members and representatives of the developer have been going back and forth over several details of the plan, shoring up concerns and adjusting plans as necessary.

Peter Sander, Senior Planner at Rennia Engineering, reported that the state Department of Transportation had not found a need for a traffic light at the planned entrance to the site off of Route 22, nor would a left-turn lane be needed. Plans describe creating a four-way intersection where Old North Road meets Route 44 near Ritchie’s Amenia Deli.

To allay fears about firefighting, Sander said that the developer will install home sprinkler systems in each home. The developer has also reconfigured the house lots so that 59% of the property will be conserved as open space. Each house lot will have a tree and the number of lots will be reduced from 28 to 26, Sander said.

Sander reported that the developer would soon meet with fire department officials to determine the volume of water needed to hold in storage within the development to draw upon in case of a home fire.

To answer concerns about storm water drainage and collection, Sander explained that vegetated ditches called swales will carry the storm water and direct it into collection basins.

Planning Board member Ken Topolsky thanked the developers for having listened to the neighbors’ concerns.

“We have a long way to go in the process,” Topolsky said. “It’s time to get into the substantive aspects. They have met all town code requirements.”

“We have checked the administrative boxes,” Planning Board member James Vitiello said, noting that the developer has modified the plan in the process.

Planning Board member James Walsh said that he would want to hear plans for water storage and the results of talks with the fire department officials.

“The fire department said they favor sprinklers,” Sander said.

Board attorney Victoria Polidoro indicated that the SEQR process needs to be completed and that she would prepare a resolution to be considered at the next Planning Board meeting.

Topolsky noted that once the developer furnishes specific design details during the site plan process, additional public hearings will be scheduled.