New Town Planning Board portal access for applications

Town of Warwick residents seeking information on planning applications now have access to site plans, environmental reports and other data via the Warwick Town Planning Board portal, Warwick Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer reported at the July 10 town board meeting.

Dwyer said the portal provides greater transparency for the community and reduces staff time for FOIL requests. The portal also eases the application process for potential projects.

During the meeting, Warwick Police Chief John Rader addressed negative comments made on social media regarding a recent police-run event to educate local seniors about scammers. He said the event was an example of efforts to improve community engagement per recommendations made in 2020 and one of the jobs of the police department is to prevent crimes. Rader expressed pride in his department and their work to engage the community.

Dwyer acknowledged the frustration of many motorists who must navigate the nearby worksites of culvert replacement on Hoyt Road and work on State Route 94. The town cannot control when the state does its work, Dwyer said, and felt it was best to do the culvert work when school is out. He said the town hopes to complete all FEMA-related culvert work by Sept. 4.

Dwyer also acknowledged the inconvenience of doing work to protect against water infiltration at Mountain Lake Park during the busy summer months. He said they can’t do it another time, and it is important to protect the infrastructure.

In other parks news, Dwyer reported the bike/hike trail connecting Hickory Hills Golf Course to Cascade Road is expected to be completed this month with a ribbon cutting in August. He also shared that the town will be seeking community feedback on the possibility of upgrading the hockey rink at Unions Corners Park, which, as he shared last the week, the town is pursuing a grant to fund.