Residents voice concerns over proposed Blain Town Square project at planning board’s public scoping session

Warwick raised concerns about increased traffic, building near a First Nations burial ground and other issues, during the Wednesday, June 3 Warwick Town Planning Board’s public scoping session on the proposed Blain Town Square project, a mixed-use commercial, recreational and residential development.

What is the Blain Town Square project?

The project was last discussed at the April 15 meeting and was deemed as a Type 1 Action. According to Kirk Rother, who spoke on behalf of the client about the development, the proposed development is a 38-acre parcel across from the Price Chopper and includes nine mixed-use recreational, residential, medical, and commercial buildings.

Rother presented early renderings of what the Blain Town Square development would look like. The high-level impacts that were identified in his statement were on topography, wetlands and surface water, stormwater management, vegetation and wildlife, cultural resources, visual resources, transportation, land use and zoning, fiscal impacts and utilities.

Planning process in early stages of State Environmental Quality Review

Town Planner Max Stach explained the planning process was still in the very early stages of the State Environmental Quality Review, which is required for proposals of this nature. He explained, at this stage, the public could give feedback on what should be included in the scope and studied by the applicant before submitting their Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

“A Draft Environmental Impact Statement is a document that looks at all of those impacts we identified in that first phase and is going to do a study on them...This board will review that draft, and we will review it against the scope that you’re all going to talk about tonight,” stated Stach. “The scope is the table of contents, it’s the recipe that this board is telling the applicant they have to prepare this document against.”

After the applicant creates the DEIS, the board will review it against what was required in the scope, and if it meets the requirements, another public hearing will be held on the project.

“This process is a long process. Nothing is going to happen tonight, nothing is going to happen right away. For the lovely comments you read or hear from somebody that says ‘Oh, this is going to get approved,’ – no. It’s a process, and we’re on the very, very initial stages of the process,” stated Planning Board Chairman Ben Astorino.

Concerns raised about proposed project area including a Lenape, First Nations burial ground

After Rother gave a brief overview of the Blain Town Square project, residents were invited to speak and provide feedback on what should be in the scope.

Resident David Jones shared that the proposed development not only includes Blain Cemetery, but a First Nations burial ground that was not identified on the proposed markup of the development.

“The First Nations burial ground needs to be addressed, it is not delineated on this drawing anywhere. It’s a clear demarcation and understanding of where this burial ground extends, and where artifacts, if any, should be preserved, and how that preservation should look like,” said Jones. “The Lenape should be contacted. A clear communication documentation should be initiated with all potentially interested descendants of the Lenape. The documentation should show that the Lenape have been contacted and what their response might be.”

Deputy Town Historian Alan Herd also addressed the burial ground, and stated that the proposed development may go against Town Code in regards to developing near a cemetery.

“According to Section 74 of the Town Code, this board cannot permit commercial or residential building within a hundred feet of any cemetery or burial ground,” said Herd.

Chairman Astorino responded to Herd, stating that the current markup of the development will most likely change throughout the SEQR process; “I can almost guarantee that these plans as you see them now will probably not be the same if and when this ever gets approved, because things will morph into something different. We don’t have any archaeological reports, we don’t have any wetland reports, we don’t have water reports. As they come in, things change.”

Herd continued, stating, “My recommendation, like Mr. Jones had described, would be the Lenape Nation be officially brought on as interested party in this case, and I think there exists sufficient evidence to bring them on prior to any kind of digging or any kind of surveying as the historical record clearly shows that there are Native Americans buried in the cemetery based off of the Miller family in 1921 describing it, the 1907 cemetery census describing Native Americans buried prior to the Blain family. In the record it shows 61 unmarked graves in addition to the eight marked graves...”

Residents say project won’t work in the area, will increase already high traffic levels

Logan Graney, a sanitary and wastewater engineer, addressed the concern of multi-use developments not maintaining successful businesses and becoming empty.

“I don’t think they work in either suburban or rural areas. There’s quite a few studies that show that a lot of these mixed-use residential commercial areas end up with vacant commercial on that first floor,” stated Graney. He also brought up walkability concerns, as the only proposed entrance to the development is a roadway.

Resident Katie O’Leary, whose property line is directly next to the proposed Blain Town Square development, spoke on traffic problems that are already occurring and how it could be exacerbated by a new development.

“Residents living off of Route 94 are already experiencing significant delays during peak weekends, particularly during orchard, winery and tourism seasons. It is not uncommon for residents in our development to wait 10 to 15 minutes simply to exit onto Route 94. This is before adding 72 residential units, retail spaces, office space and a recreational area,” said O’Leary.

Resident says community needs more information on project’s long-term vision

O’Leary also mentioned residents’ concerns of a lack of transparency on the future of the development.

“Throughout this process, residents have heard discussion suggesting that additional future uses may be envisioned for this property. Whether those discussions prove accurate or not, they underscore a larger concern; the community deserves a complete understanding of the project’s long-term vision before approvals are granted,” said O’Leary.

Attorney addresses confusion over the area’s PDR (community preservation purchase of development rights) designation

Matthew Hedge, owner of Pioneer Farms in Warwick, stated, “I think this project really represents a stain to that PDR program. We all have driven by the site and seen the sign on Route 94 and said ‘Okay, great,’ and pat ourselves on the back. That’s part of our greenbelt, that’s preserved open land. And then to find this is on the horizon, is going to be a huge stain to that PDR program that so many of the previous generations fought for.”

Planning Board Attorney Robert Krahulik explained during the meeting that while there is a sign on Route 94 designating the parcel as PDR land, it only applies to the part of the farm that is higher up on the hill, not the field in front of the Price Chopper. Multiple residents expressed their confusion on the placement of the sign.

Resident says development could impact the Warwick Drive-In

Sherwood Stevens mentioned that this development could cause disruption to the Warwick Drive-In due to light pollution and noise disruptions, and resident Jennifer Christian brought up concerns about how the development will affect the development of a potential winery behind the proposed parcel.

Resident asks for more information on developer’s reputation

Resident Kathleen Furey spoke on wanting the scoping document to include information on the builder’s reputation and previous projects.

“One of the things I did want to say is, I would like information in the document on the builder who is proposed and their former projects, not only what the reputation is and any complaints that might be, but also, what do people in their communities feel about the success of their projects,” said Furey.

Public comments on the scoping document accepted until June 15

Residents will have the ability to submit comments for the scoping document to the Planning Board until June 15. Comments can be submitted verbally or through a written statement, and can be sent to planning@townofwarwickny.gov.