CORNWALL- “We will fight this with every ounce of our being and make their application process a living hell.”
So said Senator James Skoufis Wednesday night as he asked the Cornwall Planning Board to stop the building of warehouses in the Town of Cornwall. Skoufis, who lives in the Town of Cornwall, was referring to Treetop Development’s proposal to build five warehouses on nearly 200 acres along Rt. 9W in the town. Several hundred Cornwall residents cheered his remarks at a public hearing at Cornwall Central High School.
Skoufis said the proposal would “change the face of Cornwall.” He said Treetop had failed to engage the Cornwall community, leaders and residents, regarding its plan. He contrasted the New Jersey firm’s lack of engagement with its sponsorship of the Orange County Partnership, an economic development organization.
Assemblyman Chris Eachus said no family could’ve conceived that they would be living next to a massive warehouse. He said that Rt. 9W has no easy access to Interstate 84 and the New York State Thruway for the truck traffic.
Orange County Legislator Kevin Hines said not one person in his district had spoken in favor of the project. He noted that the Orange County Department of Planning said that the plan, as proposed, fails to protect lands that are visually sensitive while allowing for a range of non-residential uses in a way that is consistent with the Town’s conservation goals.
Town Supervisor Josh Wojehowski said the plan is not in accordance with the town’s comprehensive plan, which promotes tourism and protects the character and welfare of the community.
Johnathan Clark, an attorney with Scenic Hudson, said the proposal would have impact beyond the border of Cornwall. The City of Newburgh has voiced concerns about traffic and the Town of New Windsor is concerned about its drinking water. Scenic Hudson got its start by stopping a hydropower plant from being built on Storm King Mountain in Cornwall-on-Hudson, which is part of the Town of Cornwall. The Battle for Storm King is considered the birth of the modern environmental movement
Many residents also spoke. Nancy Bryan who lives on Quaker Avenue is angry that the proposal would take part of her front yard.
Residents spoke about air, water, noise and light pollution and the loss of property values. They cited horrendous traffic problems and water polluting the adjacent Moodna Creek They said Treetops’ Draft Environmental Impact Statement was not user friendly, and downplayed some impacts and failed to mitigate others.
The planning board voted to keep the public hearing open for further comment.
