Zoning Board of Appeals - Regular Meeting

All rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Good evening. Welcome to the planning board meeting of October 9th, 2025. First on the agenda is 100 Bucks Hollow Road self storage.

Mike, I believe you had some comments. I did, but my computer is not working. Can you uh We'll go to Richard. Sorry. Here's your here's your memo from Pat. Uh now, this is the last one. The old one. Thank you. Uh I inspected the subject property and it looks much better than it ever has. Very neat and organized. The applica uh applicant provided a detail of all the tenants that are there for the parking calculation uh variances required for lot coverage and that was the only variance left. Thank you Rich.

Thank you. Uh so the applicant as uh noted all the referrals the need for permits uh the SWIP which is currently under review which was provided um you know they they are going to include the information they needed in the stormwater pollution pre prevention plan uh they noted the fact for public improvements and bonds and u engineering fees they've addressed all the detailed comments that I had.

Thank you that and Mr. Chairman, they have addressed all those operational issues that we had we talked about at the last meeting how the facility would be used and who would be using it. Um they we as you see before you have new renderings of the project. Um and there was one minor issue Adam the the landscaping plan and the schedule on the drawings don't match up. So you need to correct that. I think we had a typo there but yeah we'll fix that. Okay. Other than that um this does need to go to the zoning board for the variances and the use variance. So, you need to deal with the seeker component of this prior to referring you to referring it to the zoning board. Any other comments from the board? I know this has been in front of us for a while. Any any new comments?

Thank you for the rendering. Yeah, the rendering helps. Now, we need a motion to deny to the ZPA. But now we're going to go to secret. We say we're going to do secret. Can we do secret in parallel to deny to send them to the ZBA? Uh yeah, but the CBA the ZBA can't act. So you can send them, but you have to adopt the neck deck at your next meeting. So they theoretically could get on the the following zoning board meeting. The timing works out. Okay. Okay. So you can do the referral. Yeah, it can work as long as they do everybody does what they're supposed to. So could we could we have a a NEG deck drafted for the meeting on the 22nd? Yeah. Okay. So we'll like to do that. We like to do things in parallel if we can move things along a little bit. We've seen this several times and you've made some nice improvements. So,

right. And I'll coordinate with Dawn and Mike and we'll we'll tee that up. Great. So, I'll make a motion to deny the applicant to the ZBA. Second. All in favor? I. Thank you.

Next is uh Das Perry, 112 Puffs Hollow Road. Mike comments please. The lot width and depth lines are now uh provided and correct. And there are one, two, three, four, five, six varances required from the zoning board of appeals. Lot area, lot width, driveway width, sideyard, sideyard for the garage, and rear yard.

Rich,

oh, and the use fairings, I'm sorry. And the use fair for the mixed use. Okay, Rich. So, the applicant uh has uh addressed all the comments with exception of uh details for stabilized construction entrance uh identifying if there's going to be grading on the site. I think it can be denied to the zoning board at this point in time. I think that's what needs to be done next. Uh the applicant's representative also provided, you know, some drawings on Tuesday or the applicant brought them in on Tuesday and there were some changes to the site. I just nobody's had a chance to look at them because they came in pretty late. So I don't think it was anything major. I think they were going from asphalt to pavers. But again, without reviewing it, we don't know all those answers. But again, I think for the use variance, it can go to the zoning board.

And there were no site planning issues with this, Mr. Chairman, but our new zoning has placed this in the CB zone. That's why they need the use variance. So you can make that referral tonight. Same thing. We'd have to deal with Seeker as well. you a comment? No, I was just curious based on on Rich's comments, Jack, what other changes were made to the plants? Just the pavers instead of uh asphalt and this this plan I missed the deadline, but I I tried to resubmit and but this plan shows the pavers. It also shows the lighting um lot width, the lot width and depth that we're

asking is already on there. The only thing is did you change the pavers in the front where it was gravel? No, the pavers are in the in the new part of the driveway. Not the front part by P. No, we're not touching that in the back. I didn't see it. So, I just got back from vacation. Okay. Me, too. Are we okay with the driveway? We discussed the driveway at the last time, two weeks ago or maybe a month ago. Uh, it was fairly narrow, but residential. It needs a variance. does. That's one of the variances.

Yeah. But but operationally, um that was the we discussed this with Jack at the last meeting, it's narrow, but if it is operated the way the applicant has indicated it operates, it's a familyun business and it's not 15 employees that are using that driveway, it's probably okay. I mean, but they do need the variance for it, but it doesn't appear to be a unsafe condition or a fire hazard or anything of the sort. Jeff, can we see the rendering that you have there? Can't see it from the rendering.

I saw these last time. Maybe they weren't. Yeah, those last time. Yeah. Yeah. Jack, as as we ask all applicants, including the previous applicant, uh what about some curb appeal? I know it's in a industrial area, but we would like people that drive by there tomorrow to say, "Oh, that looks nice." as compared to yesterday. All applicants that come here should leave looking better than what they were when they came here. Okay, we can make that.

It might be window boxes. It might be plantings. It might be painting. I'm not sure, but we should do something to that site along the front. Sure. Um, we can do that with the next after we go to the zoning board. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Great. Uh, we have a motion to I'll make a motion to deny to the zoning board. I second. All in favor? I. Thanks, Jack. Thank you. Next on the agenda, Greenpoint Tree Service 61 and 65 Old Route 6 site

Mike. Yeah, this one is they're merging two lots from the Merry Merryweather estate subdivision. And that was many many years ago and trying to make one site plan on here. Um there are variances required for lot area front yard. That's it. And Rich,

so this is a Greenpoint Tree Service. Um they have provided, you know, they've refer all the referrals, all the um permits, all that type of standard information. they've noted uh and they're going to be addressing it with regards to stormwater maintenance agreement, engineering uh and uh planning board fees. Uh there are some detailed comments that they've noted. Um they said a lighting plan was provided on drawing 140. It wasn't there. Uh so just again it's just minor uh more editorial things. So uh but the applicant has essentially noted and are addressing all the comments.

Thank you Pat. So, this was last before you quite a few months ago. Um, and the issue we wrestled with on this application was it's a it's an industrial storage building. We had thought it would be a better plan if the parking were in the back, the the garage doors were in the back. This is a unique site because the back of the site is a rock wall basically. So, in order to do that, it would have required fairly extensive grading and sight disturbances. So given that um Paul has come back with various options to to not do that and the current plan um does put that parking in the front yard but now this current version has relatively extensive landscaping that's associated with it. So their storm water is in that rain garden that depressed area that you can see in green which eliminates the opportunity to put planting there. However, he's planting behind it adjacent to the parking area, and he's also proposing planting within the New York State DOT rightway, which again would be terrific. He needs the DOT to sign off on that. Um, but that would provide with those two areas a good deal of screening for that building from from the street. So, it's it's about the best we'll get done there, and if we were to push it back into the hill, it would create a far more impactful development. So, this is about as good as we're going to get on this one. We also talk I know this has been a while ago but didn't we also talk about are you have going to have piles of wood out front out front your facility and the operation. So

Paul take us through the in a minute or two take us through the operation that's going to be happening there.

The operation is that you're you're the owner is going to be renting out a a unit. So a contractor would rent that unit. He would keep his equipment, his machinery, whatever he has inside the building. There is no place in essence to be able to store anything out in front of the building because you've got, you know, your truck movements to get in and out of the garage and then you've got your parking spaces. So there there there is no space. There's not going to be any wood or anything stored on site. It's they're their motive here is to have a very clean operation. They don't want somebody to come in, rent a space, and create a mess. that's not what they want. So, the way we set it up, having the the sistns out in front that chew up a lot of, you know, space to, you know, to also deal with storm water. Um, that takes away that whole idea of being able to store things out in front because other than that, you got your 24 foot wide corridor to drive in and drive out and then you got your parking spaces. Okay.

Thank you. Any questions from the board? What color will the uh buildings be facing the street? Excuse me. What color will the buildings be facing the street?

There will be a a wood facade around the garage door that wraps around um the actual entrance to the building. That'll be a light a light tannanish brown color. And then the actual sheet metal work of the of the of the building that's in between that would be a dark gray. more colorful. So that's the most recent rendering that we've that we've come up with.

And those are planter boxes in between. Yes. Yeah. So what you have is your runoff from the roof goes through those planter boxes and that's where you get your your first storm water treatment taking place. There's lighting above each of those. or they're on the side. They'll be there'll be lighting above the garage door and at the entrance door, but it's going to be a downward it's a downward facing light. So, you just lighting up your immediate space right in front of you. So, in ter Okay, good. How tall is the building? Will this be visible from the bike path behind it or is the hill just high enough that you'll see straight over top?

Well, the bike path is is up above. So, actually, if you're on the bike path, you're looking down. you would you you see straight over it. You see straight over it, but if you went to the property line or whatever, you'd be looking at the roof and then down on the Route Six and into Putt Plaza and all that other stuff. How big is that drop on the uh from the bike path? Do we need a fence up there? I guess is kind of why I'm asking.

You need the microphone, Paul. It's not a sheer cut. It's a It's an angle. Correct. Bike path is about elevation 430. My finished floor elevation is at uh 362. So there's a 70 foot difference between the two, but it's not a straight drop that we have to worry about somebody.

No. Oh, no. No. There's there's space in between the bike path before you get to the property line. It's level. There's a sw drainage swale that's in there that was put in during when the bike path was created. So, in terms of visibility from the street, are those the best colors to um hide visibility through the landscaping that you're doing? These are the colors that the applicants like. Well, are you going to come back with more detailed renderings so we can get a better understanding of? Yes, we can. I mean, I think that that's

we can work on this. It's it, you know, we don't have an issue with fine-tuning it and we need to go to the zoning board so there's time to, you know, work some of this stuff through. Good Yeah, but I mean we definitely want to have a little bit of uh we want to be able to see with the finished product and and have some input into it. Okay. You know, the curb appeal. What's the width of the building?

300 feet, I think, plus or minus. And it's like I think it's we reduce it to like 67 feet deep. And reason I ask and this just my opinion when you brought up the rendering that's a lot of just straight continuous roof with no character they'll break a a coupler here or there or something you know I just think it's a lot of roof that's going to be visible and there's you know some that aesthetically could be made look a little better so like you to consider that. Okay, I will do that. I mean, the board doesn't share my thoughts, but but it's just my opinion. Oh, absolutely.

It goes to the previous discussion about some curb appeal. A lot of traffic goes through there. Although it's an industrial area, but nonetheless, it should look nice. Okay, let's um schedule a public hearing in parallel. You can actually I need to go to the zoning board. Yeah, zoning. Oh, you have zoning. Do we do seeker?

All right. So, I'll make a motion to deny the applicant to the zoning board. Second. All in favor? I thank those changes in Yeah, we'll work on that in the interim because there's going to be a clock time. Great. Thanks, Paul. Next on the agenda is Bunet Subdivision, 103 Pig Road, Sketch Plant, two lots. Mike, I think you had some comments on this.

I do. Uh they need uh three variances on lot one and two variances on lot two. They're for lot area, lot width, and front yard. And lot two is lot area, and lot width. These are the two lots that are undersized for the zoning district. Thank you, Rich.

So, uh, the project encompasses subdivision of a 1.89 acre parcel into two lots about 0.95 and 0.94 acres respectively. This is at the intersection of McGlaclin and Pigot. Um they will need to go to the New York State DEEC, Putinham County DO and public works. Um New York City D, Town of Carmel Highway, ECB, Mayack and Caramel fire departments. They will need to develop a stormwater prevention pollution prevention plan. Um and they may need to develop one for the New York City Dending. Um, it does not indicate any indication of areas being proposed reserved for open space as part of a subdivision. Um, they will need to provide an EAF for the subdivision that wasn't provided in my package. Um, and they need to possibly provide a stormwater bond, maintenance guarantees, performance bond, engineering fees, and they will need to then move forward with that with their part of their preliminary plat. All the information as required as part of our town code.

Thanks, Rich. that and this is another application, Mr. Chairman, where the zoning has changed. So, the original nonconformities that were in the prior application, they're different non-conformities now, but it still has to make that trip to the zoning board of appeals. Um, just to follow up on Rich, there's grading on lot two, so we need to know the amount of cut and fill. So, details on the grading, Paul, um, CL that EAF clarifying the environmental conditions on the site are necessary. Um, and I think we needed to see more storm water management um, details on the plans as well. So, this is still at the initial sketch plan stage. So, they need to buff up the plan a little bit. Questions from the board.

I'm not sure if it's ready for the ZBA yet. I think one more. Yeah. I'm not um I think you got to clean it up a little bit. I do know the turn of the crank if you will. I could do that. Yeah. Okay. Why don't we do that and then we'll see you back in two weeks. Okay. Thanks, Paul. Thank you very much.

There are five or so seats in the front row here if anyone needs a seat. Next on the agenda for a public hearing is People USA Stabilization Center, 1071 Stonley Avenue. Public hearing.

Does anyone from the public wish to be heard on this? Mike, did you have any comments? I do not. No, this is on for public hearing. Would you like any presentation from the applicant before you open it to members of the public or do you proceed immediately to You can give us an overview. Okay. You can give us an overview. I think the board here knows knows it pretty well by now, but uh that that'd be good. Thank you. All right. Hello. Okay. The uh stabilization center. Please uh state your name.

I'm sorry. Steve Mitchio. I'm the CEO of People USA. Uh the stabilization center is the best way to describe it is a 24-hour walk-in uh urgent care for mental health and substance use. And it is a facility that people would come to uh walk-in 24/7 having voluntarily having uh issues with either mental health or with um substance use and wanting to seek help. So when they come in, they'd be provided an assessment. We would get to know what it is they're looking for. And within those 24 hours that they can be with us, they would be in um put into a service in the community or outside the community, whether it was a rehab or a detox or mental health service within those 24 hours. So, it's an urgent service delivery for the community so that they don't have to go to a hospital, wait in the emergency room for hours, um come out, you know, get discharged but not have a real good plan to see the help that they need right away. We turn that around with our experience and people get the help they need within those 24 hours. So, it addresses uh a big gap in the mental health and substance use system that gets people into the help that they need immediately. And that's basically what it is. It's uh several rooms. It serves across the lifespan. Uh we have young as young as three have come to our center and across the you know into the 80s or whatever. Um and we have what's nice about in Putinham we we also operate the mobile uh crisis team that um is accessible to the community as well. So it's a nice uh continuum and a nice partnership you know in our within our organization to get people to the center or out of the center and to wherever whatever services they need. So we we're

trying to build a better continuum of care for the community. What do you anticipate the staffing to be? I know it depends on how busy you are. Yeah. What do you anticipate to be? We have a um always on on duty as a nursing staff, a peer specialist, a clinician, um a case, which is a substance use specialist counselor. Um that would be the actual the absolute minimum and then the maximum would include case management. Um other peer services that are there. Uh the mobile team can work out of there. Um as well as care coordination. Will there be security on site? Yes. In what what form? Uh is it uh security company that security company? Yeah.

Now most of these people drive themselves or they could come by ambulance. They can come they they well ambulance can't bring them yet. There's a New York state law that doesn't allow that yet, but it is in process. But they can be brought in by a police officer. They can come in by family members. They can walk in. They can drive themselves in. my mobile team can bring them. And this is not an overnight facility, right? It's it's it's a 23 hour 59 minute. So if you got there at 900 pm, there are no services generally open. So they might stay with us overnight and then we'd get them into services in the morning.

There's no sleeping. No, there's no beds. Um we have lounge chairs. You know, it's not a place to come and hang out.

Okay. Since this is a public hearing, um, anyone from the public wish to be heard on this applicant, uh, first row, we're going to go by the first row. We'll go around. First row, please. Uh, there's a signin sheet there that you can, uh, please state your name and also write it down if you will. Okay. Uh my name my name is uh Brian Watan. I live in uh Putnham Valley. I used to live in Carmel and also Mayapac. And recently um I'm lived in Brewster and I am a receiver I suppose of services. I am um schizophrenic or schizopeeffective. It depends on who you ask. I have a class A misdemeanor assault charge on me that I received. Uh I was uh charged with and then found guilty of when I was brought into Putinham Hospital um in 2014 after uh uh basically going um I guess I don't know the word to say it other than psych uh deep psychosis and uh mania and such. Um I had um not been taking my medication. I don't really remember why. Um I was in crisis uh for I would say months

because of the medication issue not receiving services um in a timely manner. I did I was going to cope center or put family community services at the time. That's what it was called. Uh but my um uh my treatment wasn't I guess it just wasn't on my problems. So I I spiraled and and then eventually ended up in the hospital and that's where I in a in a psychosis uh fought with the security there and then ended up in the for Reed which is upstairs in Pun Hospital as you may know. Um but anyway, my point is that uh Putton County at the time and I would say to this day is uh grossly inadequate in its uh dealing with people with mental illness and uh drug addiction. Um and the need for a crisis stabilization center is uh paramount um uh for various reasons. Um I mean I I work in I've I worked in the Brewster Acme um for the rec last two years and there um I've witnessed people uh alcoholics come in by alcohol on a regular basis. The lottery um I've lived in Brewster which is um with among many people with mental illness. I um I've to the COPE center. I've been going to that their programs pros program and then their uh

clinic uh for many many many years. Um there is a a deep need for care in a timely manner in that is open and available to the broad public. It's not just people who have like with me who have a schizophrenia or whatever. I mean, uh, everywhere I go when I go to the to services, there's also a need for first responders. Um, because obviously, I mean, in Brewster, they must last year, I think it was like hundreds of car accidents and many of them are, I would imagine, brutal to look at and they take their toll on people after a while. Um there's a numerous uh drugs available in the community despite whatever the laws against it. um everything from uh alcohol, obviously I mentioned that to um from cocaine to uh obviously the heroin uh issue we had what we still have. Um and then also just the medications people take for whatever mental illness or drug addiction. They are themselves very um dangerous and uh if abused or taken incorrectly or if you lose health insurance and you run out of them. Um that's kind of what happened to me in 2014. um the insurance issue and costs and just me not having the issues I had addressed by my providers. So, you can spiral out of control very quickly and stay that way and like I can tell you from my personal experience, you

lose it and you you fall through not even a crack like a gap. Uh because there is no I mean you could go to the hospital and you'll stay you might stay in that emergency room for days. It's not adequate. Um Cove Center can't handle emergencies. You call up Cove Center with an emergency. The first thing you hear is hang up and dial 911. You can't go there for emergencies um or crisis or whatever you want to call it. Um so I don't know. I don't want to rant on but there is a distinct need for a center where people can go and in in a stepped manner. I think it's the most important part is that it's triaged. So ultimately if you have a real crisis you're going to go to the hospital and that's down the street. But you really need to uh have a step system so people don't end up in a in the emergency room for days and then into the uh to the upstairs. It it has to be triaged. You know, it had to be efficient and to be cost effective. And that's not what's happening in Putin County um or I'd say even New York in general, but that's another issue entirely. um you really need to uh um have an organized and and disciplined response and a place to go especially for uh crisis. I I mean I don't know how we define emergency and then crisis and then somewhat crisis, but that's what the to me this stabilization center means is that you're going to go there. Not well, you're going to go to your treatment providers. If that doesn't work, then you can go to that to the Christ stabilization center and then move on if you have to or stabilize it

and then be referred back to some sort of uh other program. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. [Music]

Anybody else in the first row? Gentlemen standing, please go ahead. Please write your address and uh name and address and state your name.

My name is John Burgess. You may know me as the Putnham County Coroner. Um I'm addressing you today not as that job but as the previous program coordinator for the Joseph P. Dwire Vetto the Vet program in Putnham County as well as First Line. When I ran the program, the biggest difficulty that we had is that nothing good happens at two o'clock in the morning. And then when we get a call for somebody that's in crisis, there was no place for them to go. The best that I could do was to rent a motel room in the Bair until we were able to get them help the next day, the next morning, or the next afternoon, depending on what the circumstances were. These were people that were living in their cars. These are people that were living in the woods. These are people that have just been released from jail. These are the people that this is designed for 24 hours a day. Almost every person in this room, their life goal is to help other people. And that's what this central will do. And I am not one of the individuals that will say, well, you know, it's going to be some place. I've lived in Carmel for 35 years. I want it to be in Carmel and I want it to be here. And we need this here. And I hope that you will find the uh wherewithal to get this done. Thank you.

Thank you. [Applause]

Sorry, I'm right.

Um, good evening. Um, my name is Megan Castellano and I'm the current director of the Joseph P. Dwire Vettovet Program in Putnham County, which is administered by Guardian Revival and we're a nonprofit that provides um emotional um uh well emotional physical wellness for uh guardians who are first responders and veterans and active duty military. Um I'm also a resident of the town of Carmel from 1993 to 2021. I lived in Road Oak Ridge for all of that time and loved it there and um just as a result of uh divorce needed to move to Kent which is where I live now. Uh but my comments tonight are based on my work for the 25 years uh as executive director of the mental health association here in Putham County and 10 years with the Vettovet program. For those of you here in support of the stabilization center tonight, I thank you. Perhaps you're connected in some way to someone who has a mental health condition or misuse or uses or misuses substances or is often the case both. In my 25 years at MHA, I heard the struggles of family members who couldn't get the care they needed here in Putham County. I listened to their frustrations. I dried their tears with words of comfort. And as an agency, we did our best to advocate for the for the care their loved ones deserved. I heard from many clients and family members about weights in the ER that couldn't be quantified in hours. They were quantified in days. I want to thank you for your comments, sir. I know clients whose proudest achievements are the length of time they have spent out of the hospital doing anything in their power not to have to return there, seeing it as a personal defeat or weakness rather than a medical condition that requires proper treatment. If the stabilization center were for people with diabetes or heart disease, we wouldn't be here tonight. Those of you here tonight in opposition won't know until you need to know that there is no inpatient mental health care for youth in Putham County. You have to go to Westchester. You won't know until you need to know that during the months

of April through November, there's no shelter for individuals and families facing um homelessness in Putham County. You have to go to Danberry or Pikipsy. You won't know until you need to know uh who you will call or where where you will go when someone you love tells you their depression is so bad they no longer want to live. We have one outpatient behavioral health center that serves adults and children regardless of ability to pay for both mental health and substance use services. I can guarantee they have a waiting list right now. Statistically speaking, one in five people are affected by a mental health condition at some point in their lives. We have 98,000 residents in Putham County, which would be 19,600 people in our county. They are not those people. They are our neighbors, friends, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and children as well as our veterans and first responders. I just wanted to add uh as a comment to the remarks that the first speaker made about um going to the hospital for care. I know personally of a veteran who was seen in uh our local hospital. The care they received there was not trauma informed. Um and you know as a result of their mental health conditions uh it resulted in them um out of out of fear you know and out of anxiety um having a a an altercation with a staff member and also with a a security member. So, they went to the hospital to get care and they left um to go to the police department and be charged, you know, with um uh an offense that really was just as a result of their care not being trauma informed. So, um for decades, we've sent our residents out of the county to receive the care that they need. As a result, those counties are receiving funding because they are meeting our needs. Let's please stop pretending that Putnham County residents do not suffer from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, substance use, and misuse disorders, as well as post-traumatic stress. Let's stop the stigma that has

made our loved ones feel invisible, unwelcomed, less desirable, unworthy, and alone. Please support the stabilization center. Thank you. Anyone else wish to be heard? Please state your name and and write it down, please. Good evening. Uh, my name is Carl Roie. I'm the director of veteran services for Putnham County. I'm a veteran service officer, but I'm not here because I'm the director of veteran services. I'm here because I'm a veteran diagnosed with PTSD. And we have a lot of veterans that are diagnosed with PTSD. And the the reason uh the reason we need a a stabilization center uh for quite a few things that the the last three speakers all all said, but one thing that I want to emphasize, the vast majority of veterans are not with the VA health care system. They have no place to necessarily go. They don't they don't they don't have care. They don't have care. They they they have a problem, but they don't necessarily get care. a stabilization program, stabilization center to help them would be very valuable in one getting the treatment they need and perhaps getting them into the VA. the gentleman that Megan mentioned in her statement, um he was also brought to this court here in in the town of Carmel and he was he told the judge that he would go to the VA and the judge released him on his own thinking that he was going to go down to the VA. He never made it down to Montros. So th this is a very serious situation that we have with veterans. if

we could get a veteran, you remember 22 veterans a day are taking their own lives, which is which is a horrible number. Um, but if we had someplace where a veteran that's in crisis could go sit and sometimes it's just sitting in a room, talking with a peer, getting to calm down, and a lot of times the veteran can go home, but if he doesn't have a place like that, he may never be able to go home. So please support this program. Thank you. Thank you.

Any anyone else wish to be heard? Please state your name and sign in. Please. Good evening. My name is Marina Barrett and I am the director at the Putnham County Office for Senior Resources. So, I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak today about the importance of establishing a stabilization center here in Putham County, a reser resource that will serve uh individuals of all ages, including our older adult population who often face unique challenges related to mental health and emotional well-being. When I mentioned to others that I would be speaking at this public hearing, many were surprised. They have never considered the mental health needs of older adults. Most people tend to associate older adults care with more traditional medical concerns such as visits to the cardiologist or physical therapy after a fall. They're often shocked to learn that older adults are represented in our county's death by suicide statistics. In 2023, six out of 15 deaths by suicide in Putnham County were among older adults. In 2024, four out of 11. And as of July 1st of this year, one out of four. These numbers reveal a difficult truth that feelings of isolation, grief, life transitions, and declining physical health can have a profound toll. Yet these struggles often go unnoticed or unspoken. Let us also recognize that these numbers are not just statistics. They are our neighbors, parents, grandparents, and friends. A stabilization center offers a compassionate, voluntary alternative to emergency rooms and law enforcement involvement for those experiencing a

mental health or substance use crisis. It provides a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment where individuals can be evaluated, connected to services, and guided towards recovery resources. For older adults, this could mean immediate access to counseling, peer support, and community followup. All critical to preventing crises from escalating. Locally, there has been a tremendous success shown with the stabilization center in Duchess County, which serves as a model for what can be achieved. There have been no safety incidents in the surrounding neighborhood since it has opened in 2017. And the center has become a valued company uh community resource, reducing the strain on hospitals and the police departments while improving the outcomes for residents in need. This is not just a mental health initiative. This is an investment in the health, safety, and dignity of our entire community. Older adults in particular, who make up 27% of the county's population, deserve to know that when they are struggling, there is a place that they can turn in voluntarily where they will be met with compassion, respect, and professional support. just want to thank you for your time and for considering the importance of bringing this vital uh service to Putham County. Thank you. [Music]

Other speakers, please.

Evening. Um, Scott Seaman of Town of Southeast. Please speak into the microphone.

Sorry, don't like these things. Um, Scott Seaman, Town of Southeast. First, I'd like to thank the board for putting this up and for giving the community an opportunity to speak out. I've been following this for years and it has been a struggle to get this to where we are today. Um, I also have some experience from the being on the school board in Brewster. I'm not here to speak for them. I'm here to speak of our experience with our youth. Um also I'm a father of two children that graduated in COVID. These children are young men and women have been under struggle for years and even before CO. This kind of facility uh to be blunt will save lives. It gives opportunities for people who have nothing else to do. Uh for parents that are lost uh for grandparents raising children that don't know what to do. This will give them the opportunity. As we have heard us as well, our veterans struggle. We've always been a community that supports our veterans. This is another resource for them. We have a large percentage of uh senior citizens. This is county. This is another thing that will greatly support them. So, if there's anything that we, you know, you can do to support this type of operation, uh this is nothing but a win. And even if it just affects one life, it's one life that's saved. It's one person that's drawn back from the edge. So, I just would appreciate your concern and for listening to us. Thank you. [Applause] multitask.

Hi, my name is Sarah Leven. I grew up in Brewster and now live in Caramel and I actually work in Brewster and I work with youth and I just wanted to come up here to also highlight the importance for the youth. We've heard a lot of other populations that are in need um and our youth here in Putham County as well. we are lacking in services um and support for these children and places for them to turn to and for their parents to turn to. Um you would all be probably surprised the amount of suicide assessments that happen on a daily basis in the school often which we need to send out to. Um so I am also really in support of this and getting more resources for all our populations from childhood to elderly. Thank you.

Thank you. Are the people that wish to speak? Kevin Burn, happen to be the Putnham County Executive, but also proud resident of the town of Carmel. Uh for those of you that don't know, and folks in the audience, my uh first uh real introduction into public office was as a member of the town planning board because I grew up in Putham Valley in the Carmel School District. And uh I want to thank you for all that you do. I respect local government. It's where a lot of important decisions are made. You need to measure the balance on how these decisions are made, not just for the one property owner, but neighbors. And uh very much appreciate all that you do. Uh you've heard some really important and compelling remarks already. Uh the thing that I'd like to highlight is that lots of focus gets on public health. Mental health is part of public health and mental health matters. It's uh it's not fair to do a public health assessment without looking at all those other social other social determinants. Uh we focus on a lot of things in county government whether it's public transportation but mental health has always been one of those underlying needs outstanding needs that Putnham County needs to address. The stabilization center and I know many of you know this. There's been updates uh regularly to the legislature uh at public meetings. They talked about the location perspective location of the site. Um, but the history of this project really started with my predecessor, another Carmel resident, Marie Ellen Odell, when they and the

legislature when they dedicated $2.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding to to start a stabilization center right here in Putham County. It's because they acknowledged and understood that there was a need here in Putinham. And I absolutely agree with them. We have followed through on that commitment. This project is people USA's because it's a startup funding from the county with that federal stimulus dollars, but ultimately it will be self-sufficient. But the county, make no mistake, is a partner in this. And it's because we recognize all of those issues and that mental health matters. We also recognize that um there is a lot of support throughout the community. Um, we're prepared to give this to the secretary of the planning board, but as recently as today, I have letters of support that we've obtained from the school superintendent from the Brewster Central School District, the Carmel Central School District, and the Mayapac Central School District. And I'm I'm sure they do they don't do this lightly to stick their necks out on something that some people may be misinformed about because of their experience with other facilities. This is really unique. I view it as a place where people can get help at that earlier stages so they don't get into a a point where they have to go to the emergency department to fill that gap in service. One of the most startling statistics that I've heard from people USA when we have talked about this from the very beginning is the measurements of their clients, the people that they help during the school year. during the school year in Duchess County Stabilization Center. Over 50% of their clients are children under the 18 under 18 years old. Now, that's because that needs probably always existed, but I certainly think COVID lockdowns, isolation, which have led to anxiety. I would probably attribute some of this too to legalization of marijuana. But the reality is all of

these factors at the end of the day, people have health needs. We need to meet them before they become really serious problems. We have an opportunity to do something really good here. I live in the town of Carmel. We have our health comm our social services, mental health, and youth bureau commissioner here. We have our director of mental health here. They're both Carmel residents. I want to thank all the speakers that already came up. John Boures, he's pretty modest guy. The guy's also NYPD veteran and a military veteran. They have a immense amount of experience. Lots of them are residents here. We need this in Putnham County and I hope you're part of the solution. Thank you. Thank you.

Any other people that wish to speak? Okay, thank you. Hi, my name is Susan Salamone and this is my husband Steve and we are the founders of Drug Crisis in our backyard. We are a Putinham organization that was started when we lost our son Justin to a heroin overdose in 2012. We wish at that time that people didn't have this the uh feeling that people that were using drugs were uh junkies or addicts. And uh 13 years later, it seems like we can um open our doors to people that are struggling with mental health problems and substance use disorders. I wish there was something like this when my son was going through his addiction which lasted a long time and we lived with it with our three younger children. And we work with families now that are struggling with addiction. And just last Friday, Friday night, I got a call from a parent who was looking for some place to send his son for detox. And that is never easy on a Friday night at 5:00 because nobody's answering the phone. So, a stabilization is just what we need for parents that need to get their loved ones into treatment when there's nowhere else to send them.

And I' I'd like to add to that. Well, a lot of people have said this um that it's our our neighbors, our family members, our sons, our daughters, our parents. I can't emphasize that enough. Um the people that are going to be taking advantage of these services are our neighbors. There are people in this community and a lot of them are living under the radar because they're embarrassed or they there's no place to go and there's no empathy for them. So, we need to reach out. The community needs to reach out to these people and give them some place to go.

Thank you. Thank you. Please sign in. [Applause] Come on up. Good evening everyone. My name is Margarita Maldonado. I'm the executive director of Armsacres and I'm here in support of the stabilization crisis center. I did some research and about for the last six months I've received calls at 2 3:00 in the morning from Putnham Valley residents, from Carmel residents, from Mayapac residents looking for help. I do pick up my phone sometimes. I can admit somebody who is, you know, severely struggling at that time in crisis. I have had to call the Duchess County Stabilization Center and I have begged them to take this patient in until I can bring them in in the morning. They have always always open their doors to our residents. I am a Brewster County resident. Excuse me. I'm a bit nervous. and I've been living here for the past three years. I have worked at Armsacres for the last eight and this is a passion of mine, helping people get better. I think that if we do support the stabilization center, I pledge to help uh People's USA to do whatever I can to assist the people of Pman County to make them a to give them a pathway to recovery. So, I hope this does work because I pledge to commit to all of you Thank you. [Applause]

All the people that wish to be heard tonight. Uh good evening members of the planning board. Um thank you very much. My name is Ashley Brody. I'm the chief executive officer of Search for Change. Uh my agency provides a variety of services in both Westchester and Putnham counties. We provide a great deal of housing um for upwards of 100 people who are living in our community. They are our friends, they're our neighbors, they're our employees. Uh we provide other services as well. And as the first speaker of the evening so eloquently shared, people who are living with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, um are making their way through life much as all of us are. And as I think the testimony of that gentleman shared, um they are living, they're working, they're flourishing in the recovery. and periodically they need some more support and may experience an emergency much as one might experience an emergency with a cardiac condition or diabetic condition. In my capacity as the director of my agency, I've been in the unenviable position of trying to find emergency services for people when they are in that mode of needing some additional support. It doesn't happen often, but when it does happen, it can be quite traumatic. And as others have shared, hospitals, though essential, are not an ideal environment for people who are in mental health crisis. What we learned through the stabilization center in Duchess County and through similar models across uh the country is that it really provides a very humane alternative for people who are in that state in a very safe environment and one that is really conducive to recovery and helping people to get back on their feet

rather quickly. Um, as our county executive shared as well, it also happens to be extraordinarily cost-effective for those of us who work in social services, you know, we're led by our hearts, of course, and that's our calling, but we can't ignore the fact that we're in the midst of a health care crisis and that healthc care expenses have become just that, quite expensive. So, there's so many different ways in which this project, this initiative is bound to be a boon for our community. We've seen it happen in Duchess County and elsewhere, and I know from my personal and professional experience that it has so much to offer. So I want to thank you as well. I certainly urge you to support this initiative. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Anyone else? Good evening everybody. Um my name is Christopher Ramsey. I'm the patient care director of um for the impatient unit over at um Putnham Hospital. I just want to speak out for the stabilization center. Um, from what I see every day, um, sometimes parents struggle. They'll we're really not well equipped to handle children. Sometimes people come in, they really don't know what to do. And I I'm really don't think the emergency room is the proper place for for for them at that time. Um, as a doctor prepared nurse, I'm very big on early intervention and especially for this particular community. I think they're very much underserved and I think this would be a great initiative to make sure they get the help they need immediate good help that they need immediately, not just brought to our emergency room um in the crisis and sometimes brought into our emergency room when they don't even need when when that's not really the proper channel. They need good trained professionals and I think this is a wonderful initiative that should be supported and I just want to be heard tonight and to say that is very important to me.

Thank you. [Applause] Anyone else? Good evening. Uh, my name is Todd Matthews. I've been a resident in Brewster for almost 20 years. Uh, former vice president of privacy and data governance at Western Union, currently executive pastor and a NAMI Putnham board member. A lot of support here from that organization as well. I wanted to speak out uh on behalf of the community and the churches and what I see in the people and the families and the children especially uh and and and even more so single parents who are alone in home dealing with mental crisis issues outside of normal hours and with the fear and the sort of stigma of being alone and not knowing where to get help and then reaching out and finding that services are inadequate or not available or don't get the actual help they need. I've heard stories. I have personal experience with trying to get people into locations where if something is not imminent danger, support is not provided at a level of escalation that is required. at wee hours of the night. The alone isolation and despair that parents face and their children in dealing with issues is heartbreaking and needs a solution. This is a doorway to something very needed in our community and for our families. And I just wanted to come out and give some support from another perspective that this is something very good and very needed. So I just please ask you to consider that and support this. Thank you.

Anyone else who should be heard tonight?

Good evening board. My name is John Hagerty. I'm a senior counselor at St. Chris Zen. As we've heard from many people, there's a lot of pain in these communities. There's a lot of need for this sort of work. I happen to be in a in a position where I get to work with with well for me men every day. However, there are many men and women and children who never get those services. And what this would be is a bridge to that. The first gentleman, thank you very much for speaking, spoke about it being a step. Um, yes, nothing good happens at 2 am. Absolutely. There's a lot there are a lot there's a lot of crying out at 2 am for help. And unfortunately what they usually hear is deal with it tomorrow or they're not heard or they're sent to the hospital. Often that does not result in them receiving the need that they the the services that they need. Um someone from Armsacre spoke a few minutes ago. We have some some really good services in the county. Um but they're not always accessible when they're needed. Um so you know this would be a wonderful uh Search for Change spoke. You know, I know my organization has worked with them on the on the the the latter half when guys leave treatment, right? But getting them into treatment and keeping them safe until they can get treatment, substance use, mental health, the families are suffering. Thank you, Suzanne. Um we had met before. Um there's a phenomenal need. Uh back in the 90s I got to work with adolescence for a number of years and I got the privilege of watching these kids change their lives, never have to deal with this again. Um they were I was fortunate enough to work in a facility where they were able to get to college and start their life over. That is not the case for most people and most people don't have that sort of experience that I had. You know that that that to be part of that it was a it's a gift, right? Um, but we do have thousands, if not tens of thousands of people in in our community who are suffering and don't know where to go. There's a very very small window when

someone's willing to ask for help. And the fact that we're not there as much as we could be to answer that really is a sin. It's it's a shame. Um, we're losing our children, we're losing our adults, we're losing our vets, we're losing the resource that makes a community a community. Um, so I really hope that you guys can help push this through uh and the rest of the community can help push this through because it's absolutely wonderful uh uh incentive. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] Hi, I'm Pastor Jennifer Boyd from uh Trinity Lutheran Church right on edge of Brewster Carmel. I wasn't planning to speak, but you know, I'm a pastor. We can't keep our mouths shut. Um, and um, but I'm also blessed to work with the the suicide prevention task force for a number of years now. I don't remember how long I've been with them, but to see the ways in which this county works together and but is also so stretched thin um, with with with the care and compassion that they are able to do. Um, so I won't speak to what they do because they do it so much better than I do, but uh but it does strengthen our community when folks are being cared for, when they're getting the help that they need. It just makes our whole community stronger. And uh I've been blessed to be a part of this uh uh to be to work as a pastor in this county for 15 years now and have just continued to marvel and feel so blessed by the ways in which uh everyone works together so well uh with the care and compassion that we need. And so this crisis stabilization center I think it will be quite literally a godsend and uh and is not only so needed but will strengthen our community as a whole.

Thank you.

Anyone else? Thank you all for speaking tonight. Any comments from the board? I just have one question. Would this be mainly for people in Putinham, New York, Connecticut? I mean, does it go outside of the area or is it mainly Putnham County? Use a microphone. I'm sorry. Sorry. Mainly Putinham County. Mainly Putnham County because you're located here or I mean, you wouldn't turn down someone from We're not going to turn anyone away, but Duchess, we get very few people from outside. It's mostly Duchess people. We received um Did you receive the letter from the police department recently?

Yes, I did. And um there was um for those who have not seen it, there's a discrepancy in in numbers. Um I don't have it in front of me right now, but I did read it. Any response?

Yeah, we we went through that with the county. And the building, just so you understand, has a wellness center, which is a recovery center for people with substance use on on the one side. It's got a partial hospitalization which is now an intpatient uh intensive in outpatient treatment program there too and it has um ITAP which is a mandated courtappointed drug rehab program. Those calls everyone calls it the stabilization center but it's 230 North Road where a lot of those calls go to and most of those calls are there. Our calls are very few. Over two years, I think we had 50.

Yeah, I'm gonna have her speak to the numbers because they make more sense.

Um, so I'm Chelsea Spencer Frost. I am um the identified program director for uh the center. Um and I also oversee the mobile crisis team as well as do data for uh People USA. So, the um file that I know you had received from um Carmel Police Department that included um the calls to 230 North Road, um we received from Duchess County um the operations department from 230 North Road um a matching spreadsheet with all of the calls with the same number of calls uh that were broken down um by whether it was actually a stabilization center call or it was for part of the another part of the building for the Department of mental health. Um so the number of calls from January of 2024 through um September 1st of 2025 that were identified as stabilization center calls was 155. um of those calls um there was um a very high percentage um of the calls that were EMS responses for non-urgent medical matters um or voluntary transports to the hospital. And in Putnham County, we will not necessarily have a need for those EMS responses because we will have other options for the transportation to Putnham Hospital for non-emergency matters um that we do not have in Duchess County because we also do operate the mobile crisis team and we'll be able to utilize that as transportation for non-medical emergencies um to Putnham Hospital. Um in addition to a large number of calls, there are not there are a number of calls for um you know police assistance and at the at times um that is part of an EMS response because um we the Duchess Center will call um for an ambulance because that's the only way that we have to transport somebody to

the hospital in Duchess uh at the moment uh when they don't have resources or family members to transport them. Um and I don't have the number of calls in my head um for the police assistance right now, but the total of 155 calls that were identified to the stabilization center, which includes police assistance and the EMS calls um averages to um about eight calls a month um to the stabilization center. Uh and we know that the population in Putham County um is just over 30% of the population in Duchess County. So that would average even including EMS calls which we will not need to have in Putnham County um for those non-emergency matters that would that would in total if we're matching Duchess calls would be about three calls a month.

Okay. So the letter just came in a couple days ago, right? Yes. So it' be um very disrespectful for me not to at least ask you to close it out with our chief of police office. So maybe you can meet with them and satisfy. Make sure you're on the same page. Right now it's kind of apples and oranges. Yeah, I totally hear what you saying. I believe what you're saying. He hasn't he's not here. He hasn't heard it. So you need to meet with him and and uh close any discrepancies.

And uh Rebecca Vog law office of Rebecca Vog representing people USA. I think one of the um points I want to make is that there's also the assumption that that is going to be new calls, but as we've heard so much this evening, these are individuals from your community. So, it's really a matter of instead of the calls being from someone's home or from some other location, they're going to be at the stabilization center. So, while it's not necessarily that there won't be a call that maybe might not have been made that night, we just note that I think it's incorrect to assume that this is all new calls that are going to be coming to the police and we we're more than happy to sit down.

I'm happy to meet with you and the chief. I mean, if I'll say anything and you know, um, and we're pleased that the, um, I believe it was the town of Pipsy spoke with the town of Carmel police indicating their pleasure with our facility in Duchess County. So, Pat, can we um prepare a resolution? And we can do things in parallel maybe like that. All right. So, all right. So we can close the public hear and prepare a resolution while you meet with the and assuming you'll do that in the next two weeks and again I'm happy to join you if it helps. Okay. Um

great one question. Is it wise to close the hearing rather than keep it open? I think we've heard everything we're going to hear and this tremendous support. Um Pat, what what what do you So if there's any we're talking about the issue at hand is the operational aspects of the plan. I would not change the So I think we're in good shape to close the public hearing. It starts the clock though, right? Start clock. Oh, good point. But we won't go any further until we'll prepare the resolution, but we'll hold it until there's clarity with the police department. Yeah,

sure. Thank you. But you're fair point, Bob. But in this case, we might be able to save a little time, too. Thank you. I'm assuming that we'll be able to clear things up with the police. Yes, we will. So, pending that thoughts from the board. No, I just wanted to thank you all for your passion and especially for the first general spoke sharing your personal story. It really is very moving and we know we've heard everybody and the support that you've got and we we know what we need to do. So, we just want to make sure we do it in the right way. But, thank you again for showing up and supporting this initiative. Thank you.

Sure. Anybody else on the board? No. Is there anybody else on the board? Make a motion um to close the public hearing. All right. That Mr. Chairman, with that I will make a motion to close the public hearing. Second. All in favor? I Pat, will you prepare resolution?

Okay. Thank you. Thanks everybody. Thank you for coming out tonight. I would ask everyone to please exit as quick as possible. Do you want to stand? Do you remember? How are you? Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, please be aware we're still in a meeting and we have more items on the agenda. Thank you. Yeah, you too.

Oh, okay. Ladies and gentlemen, we have more items on the agenda, please. Thank you. the only

scared. Okay, next on the agenda, Centennial Golf Course, 185 John Simpson Road for amended site plan. Centennial Golf Town Homes, 185 John Simpson Road, amended site plan. Centennial Golf Course, 185 John Simpson Road, lot line adjustment. All for a public hearing.

Hey, I'm Chris Leaporto of Pastro Engineering. Um Rich was just checking to see if the HDMI cord is available. Um we had a brief presentation. If it's uh if it's not ready, I could just present the materials. Um I could probably put my screen up here. So anyone that wants to see I've got the We'll give Rich a minute. So you can use that screen if if so. If anyone needs to take a break, they can. Waiting for Vincent to try to get one right now. He's pulling one off another piece of machinery. bring it down when I have a chance. Well, is um Michael Festo 52 Crafts Road here? Yes.

Why don't we just give you a few more minutes? Come on, Jack. Here we go. Mike, uh, did you have any comments on 52 Craft Road? I do not. This is on for public hearing. Correct. Original comment, public hearing.

Well, this is on for public hearing. Still waiting for a summary report on the soils. Jack has uh given me bits and pieces of it. Just waiting for a full one to come through based on what I've seen. Uh from what Jack has said, but without actually having reviewing anything, it looks like all the soils were below any thresholds for New York State DEEC requirements. However, a full report was not provided

and um and per your direction, Mr. Chairman, you do have an approval resolution before you. There is a condition in it that the applicant shall certify that all the imported material is clean. So, you can either wait for Rich to confirm what Jack has submitted or that condition covers it and Jack's stamp and license is on the line certifying. So, Jack, how do you respond to Richmond? Uh, no. I provided sir

I've provided information from um well soil that my client the festo has placed is a minor amount of soil 80 cubic yards of soil and um I provided the soil sampling analysis that was the soil came from the Mercedes site down in Lewisboro and came from a wooded area. All right. And there's a soil sampling analysis. It was done by Phoenix in Labs. Okay. Um I think he's just asking for the summary. The summary is

No, but you got to write the summary with your your letter, head, Jack. That's all he's asking.

So So here's what happened. Jack did give an analytical report, 25 pages. I'm not sitting through 25 pages. That's Jack's job to do. I need a report that is signed and sealed by Jack that gives us the whole picture of what went on. So, yes, he did send an email, an email that said, "Here's or he actually dropped off the data, hard copy." He sent an email saying, "Here's how it compares to state regulations." He sent another email saying this, "I'm not coalating the documents. I'm not putting them together. It is up to him to do that and provide a report that is signed and sealed which I still don't have. The report was there in a word document but not provided as a hard copy to the town of Caramel to rows to the planning department. That's what we're talking about signed.

What's that? It's got to be stamped and got to be signed and sealed. You know, I mean Yeah. So right here it's signed and sealed and I submitted it to the to to Rich and I submitted it to Rose and the S the analysis. Rich doesn't have that. Rich does have that. Jack, I don't know when you submitted that but there was no hard copy. We didn't check your emails, Rich, because I sent it to you. This is the When did you send it to him? In over the last two weeks. This is the part of the report. This is the rest of the report. There was Let me let me interrupt. Is there anyone from the public that wishes to be heard on this? Yeah, this is there is a public hearing. Please come up and speak. State your name.

Good evening. My name is Lynn Bailey and I our property borders um everything that's been done up there, all the excavating, all of the soil delivery, the truck loads, the back hose, everything that had to be done. And there's a pile of dirt still left and we were wondering if that's not the only one that's going to be tested because the dirt that was delivered that was put into the ground and that was um I get there was a big tree there that the big stump is still there but the roots came out of the ground and then they filled the hole with all numerous trucks of dirt. So we just wanted to make sure that the soil was tested that was in the ground there. The stream uh goes down that property into our property and it is city. I believe that is watershed or city um stream. And we just wanted to make sure that the soil there and that also the excavating would just be in that area because the other side of the stream years back they did have uh numerous rocks delivered and had moved some of the um rocks that were on in the slabs that were on top of the stream and that caused the stream water which has been very dry now so it hasn't caused a problem. But in the winter and the spring, the water, if those rocks and all that is moved, it comes down the other side of our property where our well is and our neighbors property. So

So Jack, is is the um all the fill that was brought onto that site from the one Mercedes location that that the Festos put on that property? It's 80 yards. Is it all from one location at Mercedes? all of it was, but that you can see that the that there's a date on those on these um aerial photos. One is on March 22nd, 2024. That fill was placed by the previous owner of this property and that was a large amount of fill. You can see from the

Now, where are we on testing that? We didn't my I don't think my client is responsible for testing the fill that was placed by a previous owner. I mean he retested he bought the property. It's it's his property. He's he's responsible for doing it. Not for something that happened before. He bought the property. I would think that he is Pat. I mean it's like pre-existing comp. But when you up when you add to something, this isn't a contaminated site. You acquired the contamination. When did Wait a second. When was the first fill placed? When was the first fill placed? Yeah.

We don't know by the previous owner. I'm saying do you you have you don't have any photos? Um the photo says March 24. That was just a photo though. Just the reason I'm asking is prior to a certain date, we didn't require if you weren't regrading. So if you just had some potholes in on level spots and you leveled it, there was no requirement back in the day to do it. That could be I'm just asking because if you have a date, I could look up the dates when we started.

Excuse me. I do know that the uh soil that came from wherever they're saying Merced Mercedes property was started delivered December um 19th uh 24 and then again on December 30th there were numerous numerous truckloads of dirt delivered the march before I I don't even remember any holes in dirts or whatever he did he might have graded who knows but now um I believe that's probably all covered up or whatever but what was happening was all the dirt was coming over the rocks going into the stream and we were afraid that it would you know block the stream and make it divert to a different direction. So a fencing was put up by the this new owner of some sort of plastic or black to keep it from coming down. So the dirt was delivered for a large area because it was coming down in all different directions. I'm talking about many years ago there was dirt that was brought in and that's what we were saying at that time if they weren't required to do anything going backwards right I mean we we don't generally make people go backwards for older fill

the question so for a permit they would not have needed a permit if the fill is contaminated however that's a different story so if the board wants so if the board wants a few samples here and there ask for it that's you can do that I mean I I don't know why we wouldn't do that I'll defer to the I don't know why we wouldn't do that. Just to clarify, the Festos bought this property October 24th, 2024. Um, I mean, we we dug test holes in that area and it it's rock and dirt that that was previously there. Like you can see the previously there, but we don't know if it's contaminated or not.

Correct. If the board's uncomfortable and they ask you to do two two or three more spot tests, you do the two or three more spot tests. I mean, it's they're going to ask for these these analysis analyses are $1,000 a piece. Uh if you want to do contaminated soil would cost the neighborhood more than $1,000. Well, I mean, if the if the if you want us to do a Hey, Rich. Rich, you want us to do another part 375 analysis of the soils below?

It's really the board who's asking that question. If that's what they want, then yes, you you you just you just indicated that you did soil boring tests. Again, I have not I don't remember seeing that map. It doesn't mean you didn't provide. So, what did you do that testing? They they dug the holes for me to examine and I examined it and it seems like it's there it's perfectly clean soil. Is it mapped? What's that? Did you map the location of where you did these borings? No, we just Is there a report that came from it? Huh? Is there a report that you went out and looked at these samples? You looked at the holes? I looked at the holes. It's Is there a report? No. Okay.

No, I can give you a report. So, I I think the board is going to tell you what you're going to do next. Bob, you have anything to say? John, do you have anything to say? No. Anybody else? I think we should test it. Yeah. I I don't feel comfortable moving forward on two issues. I mean, first of all, this this other dirt, I think, needs to be tested. And second of all, I I don't feel comfortable moving forward with the um the resolution until, you know, we have the reports signed by you. There seems to be some discrepancy as to whether or not they were sent, but it's something that needs to be resolved before I would feel comfortable moving forward. All right. Well, if you want us to do one sample of the soil and you want to witness it,

I you know, we we could talk about that. I think at least two because you had a bigger area that was done. You had the driveway area than on the other side. So, at least two samples would need to be done. Okay. That's what the board requested. unanimous the board feels that way. Two samples of the previous fill and a satisfactory report for the fill that came from the Mercedes which is in peace meal given to us. Yes, that's my opinion. Thank you, Jack. Okay. Thank you,

Centennial. Do you have everything you need? Yep. We're all set now. Okay. So, um I know we're here for a public hearing, but why don't I open Can you close the public hearing that we just had I think it I think we're going to leave it open. We're going to There's Let's leave it open. There's no there's no rush. I mean, this is ongoing for quite a while now. If all the reports come in, we can close the public hearing at that point. We'll forward it at the next meeting or other meeting after that.

Um I I'm aware we're here for public hearing. Can you give an overview of your project and might answer a lot of questions or Yeah. Yeah. Certainly. We prepared a PowerPoint to give a brief overview of the project for the public and I could jump right into that if you'd like. Yeah. If you don't mind the people on television watching, so please speak into the microphone. Surely we're doing Thank you.

All right. So, um the the the project, the Centennial Town Homes project. It's actually uh three applications here in front of the planning board. One is for the town home project, which is on the Centennial property along the frontage of John Simpson and Fair Street. Um the proposal is um a 60 unit town home community which um would be located um at the at the corner there and that location is where the current parking lot is for the Centennial Golf Course. So, what we'll be doing is um relocating the parking lot as uh shown on the left side. That's actually in the town of Southeast. And we'll be uh relocating the parking, reconfiguring it. Um doing new lighting, new storm water, everything for it there. And slightly adjusting one of the holes on the golf course. Um I'm gonna There we go.

I have a question. Will that house be taken down that's on that site there? What's that? The house that's right there adjacent to that where you going to move the parking lot?

Oh, no, no, the house is going to stay. We avoided the house. Yep. Um I think I have another plan that's a little more zoomed in coming up. Um this this here is what we uh created. It was kind of a project road map because this uh project required approvals in two towns and it's three different applications. Um I did get a little ahead of myself, but this slide uh illustrates it here. There's uh besides the town home application, there's a separate application for the parking lot which is in the town of Southeast. And uh the third is a uh lot line revision. The parcels for the project already exist, but we had to reshape them in order to uh accommodate the the uh the town home layout. So, um, as such, we, uh, also needed to get, um, four zoning variances, um, through the town of Caramel, which we've, um, obtained all four of those variances and, um, and well, prior to that, we uh, got our seeker approval. So, we um went through the seeker process. We're referred over to the zoning board. We got the uh four variances for um the uh uh separation between the units, the uh distance to the property line. Um we had a uh a 100 foot perimeter set back around the entire uh project. Um and we needed a variance on an internal proper line property line adjacent to the golf clubhouse. So um we've gotten all four of those. We went to the town of Southeast, had our public hearings there. Um, we got our final site plan approval over in Southeast, and then we're uh we've come back to Caramel again now to uh present the project to the public. Um the the next slide here, I know it's incredibly hard to read at this uh scale on the screen, but um this was something that we uh presented

during the seeker process and we used it to illustrate all the reports and um summarize the the findings of all the studies. So through the process here we did um uh extensive reports everything from um the fiscal analysis to the traffic water and sewer um the swift report. We've um done a number of technical studies here in collaboration with uh with this board. We've um worked worked through these um studies and got them to a good place where this project was able to uh receive a negative declaration in January of 2025. Um just highlighting a few key points. You know, the traffic study was one of them that we did. We uh worked out the scope in the intersections to study. We studied um seven different intersections listed there and we uh created a trip generation model. Um the traffic generation um was uh in the peak hours it was um around 30 trips. Uh I actually uh might need to get my glasses checked. I can't read the chart from this distance but I think it was 34 trips during the um the peak hour and those are distributed between in and out. And you know from there they would uh um separate and there'd be a distribution. some would go, you know, northbound or southbound at each intersection. So, they further disperse from there. Um, and the, uh, other study that I wanted to take a quick moment to highlight was our, our water and sewer report. So, the property is located within, um, the Carmel Water District 2 and Sewer District 2. Um we went through a process um in the engineering report to look at all the uh the capacities um and went through the will serve process um and

obtained that letter. We uh also in addition to the capacity analysis we took a a hard look and worked closely with uh the technical team here at the town and the consulting engineers at WNS and looked at the off-site capacities. So we did an um extended flow monitoring where we uh put flow monitors in three of the sewer manholes in the collection system and uh created a model to project the flows and verify that we had adequate capacity in the collection system. And then on the water um we uh we we worked with the town and came up with a a way that we could create a loop in the water system. So, um, what the loop does, it's a approximately 1500 foot off-site extension, which is going to connect the water man back to, uh, a connection point at, uh, Hill Andelle Road, close to the intersection of Hill Andale and Fair Street. And what that does, it's um, it provides redundancy in the water man. It um you know helps the flow characteristics um and it also it keeps the water well circulated so you don't get um stagnant water accumulating in the in the water man. Um we uh spent a lot of time coordinating that with the town and then with the county of course uh fair street was just resurfaced not long ago. So, um we've been uh coordinating and we we uh came up with an alignment that uh most of the water main extension is going to follow a 30-foot easement which is on the Centennial property to um avoid damaging the road. And um furthermore, we're going we're uh working out a proposal um with the county or not a proposal, more of a means and methods that will uh we

could do a directional bore to create to prevent doing a uh uh horizontal uh cut an open cut across Fair Street. So um that would u really minimize the damage to Fair Street. did those horizontal cuts. Those are the ones that if they recess, you know, you get a bump in the road. So, um we're glad that we were able to to find a way to prevent that. Um I add, you know, one further point too that we uh we beyond the standard hydrants, we are providing dry hydrants to the uh golf courses, ponds for this project, which will be available for the fire department. And in the event of a fire, um if those are utilized, it would of course reduce uh any of the draw on the municipal system. Um I did want to add it the last time we presented here. Um I think that uh we discussed the fire department checking in one more time. So we did reach out to Chief Lipton. We uh sent him the plans up as a followup and uh he did respond and he uh you know re-reviewed the plans and asked if we could um place one more fire hydrant in a specific location and of course you know we agreed to do that. Um this um slide here illustrates some of the uh the project um benefits. It helps with the resiliency of the golf course. um you know uh it's um all of the 27 holes of golf are going to remain. I know long ago there were different options that we were looking at that could have potentially reduced the size of the golf course, but that's uh that's not in the picture now. So um with this proposal, the the golf course stays um it also um you know provides the infrastructure benefits that we discussed um and a lot of other benefits. some of the the key ones I think are uh some of the environmental

benefits to the uh the new parking lot is going to have all modern lighting. That lighting has been there for quite some time in the existing parking lot. So, we're going to bring it all up to today's standards with dark sky compliant lighting. Uh in addition, the uh storm water regulations have changed a number of times since uh the uh storm water practices for the golf course were put in. So now we're going to be uh putting in um storm water practices that uh we've uh we've submitted to D for review. But early on we collaborated with the DEEC and the DP. We had a number of meetings, had them out for the field testing and you know had the conversation. We said you know what what what do you want to see for an approach for storm water management here and uh what they told us was we would love to see a storm water wetland. So um what we're proposing is a system that um actually due to the infiltration rates and the D rules we had to have um change practices where we have kind of a a double treatment system where first it'll go through a bio retention then it'll flow into a storm water wetland. So, um, this project will, um, through the redevelopment, it'll upgrade all of the storm water facilities to, you know, today's standards and, uh, be a, in my opinion, a great improvement. Um, the storm water facilities are located on the lowlying part of the site, which is in the, uh, in the wetland buffer area. That area, um, as exists today, is a manicured golf course. So, we're improving the condition of the buffer by putting a a storm water wetland in the buffer.

Let me just pause you there. Okay. I'm not sure there's anyone from the audience here for this project tonight. Right here. Yes. Other than All right. Okay. Um, are you finding this helpful? Um, why don't you go let me ask you your questions and concerns because I don't need the speaker to go this way when you're asking questions on that way. So, let us know your it's public hearing. Uh, please state your name and list. Um, well, do you do you actually want me to express what my concerns are at this point? Mhm. Do you want me to go up there? Please.

I just uh didn't want the speaker to be speaking about things that might be irrelevant to you. Okay. I mean, I think the presentation I think the presentation so far has been helpful, right? Um, but I'm willing to express my concerns at the this way they can respond. State your name, please. Your name.

Okay. So, my name is Pat Shehy. I live at 10 Hillside Place, which is right adjacent to the ninth hole. Um, I've lived there for 44 years. I find the golf course to be a good neighbor. Um, I don't have objection to the golf course, but and I have to say I come here tonight, I'm tired. I've had a difficult year. Um, and I feel like, um, every three, four years or so, it's a little bit like walk. Um, housing on the Centennial golf course proposals are there again. And I my own personal feeling about it is the town water sewer here in Caramel is an attractive uh magnet for housing on the golf course. So um when I came here before I came and like I said I was kind of tired. I was debating whether or not I even wanted to step foot into this. Um, so I thought to myself, am I really opposed to putting housing there? I I don't know. I am opposed to or I have concerns about the town water and sewer, the impact on our schools and the traffic. And I wanted to know a little bit about the squa. And if you want to talk about divine intervention, I was sitting in the car because I got here early and I just was looking at my cell phone and somehow or another I came up across the January 22nd secret negative declaration. And quite frankly, I was

really um surprised that there was a negative declaration and I started to read through it. And item number six, um, and I did this really quickly, states about water. It talks about the water supply and the groundwater. It doesn't address an impact on the water supply. It does say that there's no impact on the groundwater. Now, I think you all know that this is in water district number two. Water district number two is facing a $27 million plant which now is on the back burner while we're putting out another RFP for a new um proposal. So we have to build a new water treatment plant. How a negative declaration could have been made on the secret process really is baffling to me. I mean, if we don't have enough capacity in our water treatment plant now, if we um put in another 60 units, which they say will generate about 21,000 gallons of water per day. I I don't know how that is doesn't have an impact. And then as I looked at item number 10, and I don't understand this other than maybe it's just a typo. It states that the site is located off Seminary Hill Road. Okay, you're all on the planning board.

I think you know where Seminary Hill Road is. It's nowhere near the golf course. Um, number 12 states that there's going to be no, and you know, I really took these notes very quickly, no significant impact on the visual impact. I think 60, and I was driving down that corner today looking at it. I think 60 town houses right on that corner is going to have a visual impact. I mean, it's a pretty rural type of area. Driving past the golf course is quite beautiful. And then right at the end, you're going to be hit with 60 units. And then number 13 says that um Oh, interesting. It says that water and sewer currently serve the site. Okay. It's a parking lot. Um, so it will re it says it will not result in any significant adverse impact on the town sewer water. I find that's sort of surprising too because I don't think they're using sewer and water for the parking lot. Um and then 17 says that there'll be no human hazards. Um if it impacts our water um availability, I think there is um a human hazard number one. And number two, I'm concerned about increased traffic. And I did read in the report and the gentleman just stated it. I think it's I

think I have some notes here. 20 21 or 24 in the morning and 30 something 31 in the afternoon. Um I'm not an expert, but 60 units probably means 120 cars or so. Most people are going to have two cars. Um, so I guess they're planning on a lot of people staying home because um, generally to buy a townhouse in the car town of Caramel, I would think you'd have to have a job maybe happily retired like I am, but I think people are going to be coming and going. I think it's a gross underestimation of the amount of traffic that's going through there. So, um I would just say um I'd like to see the secret process revisited and that um negative declaration revisited too. Thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else from the public wish to be heard? Would you like to respond to um Pat's concerns?

Specifically, traffic and water and sewer.

Surely. Yeah. The the traffic um the the studies that we use are an industry standard. We're just not um you know um coming up with numbers on what we think they're going to be. We use the uh guidance issued by the Institute for Transportation Engineers, the IT trip generation protocols and those are um you know um they're the industry standard. They're used um for many developments like this and they're based on a large amount of studies that have been done on similar um types of developments. Um and that is um that's the number that occurs during a peak hour. So, you know, it's the the timing of when people are coming in and out. Um, and we, you know, worked out what the the peak hours were for the AM and PM periods. Um, so

so if someone went out at 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m., that wouldn't show in the report. Yeah, we typically don't look at those periods because um you're not going to have your peak traffic on the roads and you're not I get I just wanted to clarify. Yep.

Yep. So we uh we study those specific periods when the roads are going to be in the u most congested situations. Um and you know for uh for the other items I think were uh mostly related to the the water supply. We did do the water and sewer engineers report where we um you know verified the capacity. We uh worked with the town. We got the data from the plants and you know we uh plugged our numbers into the model. Um, these properties are in the water and sewer district. So, they've been, you know, paying into the water and sewer district, which, you know, helps contribute to the new plant and all of the infrastructure as well. Um,

so am I, am I correct that the current water plant, plant two, um, can supply water to these town homes as it is today. That's my understanding. They've been in this the water district for years and been paying into this forever. Yeah. I'm just explaining. Y they've been paying into it. It's not something new that all of a sudden they have to pay into. They've been paying the tax on it for multiple years. Yep. I'm just answering the

answer is yes. And part, you know, so there was a there's a lot of girrations that went on with regards to water and sewer. I don't recall if we had a traffic study and then it was reviewed by our traffic consultant. We could talk about that next. with regards to water and to Miss Shehi's point, there was an a $27 million uh plant that was identified. We did go out for that other study. They've come back with a 15 to$18 million plant, but in either case, the plant's going to be designed at the same capacity it is now, which is one, I think, 1.1 million gallons per day because that's the size of our wastewater treatment facility. We had independent outside consulting engineers review the engineers or the applicants engineers water and wastewater report so that it was done correctly and we did a model of the water system and the water system is more than capable of handling that we have capacity within Lake Lenida. it's 50 years down the line when if the rest of Caramel grows that we might need to find an alternate water supply. But that's a different a different animal and that's already taken into account. So currently with this development and all the other developments, there's one on Seminary Hill Road with Carl Arbano and other work that is done. The board has looked at that. We have looked at it. Independent engineers have looked at it and assessed that capacity to address the cost as uh uh Chris has mentioned. Um that is you know they're paying into it. So they're going to pay based on their ad valorum like you would pay on your ad valorum for the capital cost on that plant upgrade. So those 60 units will be assessed at that. So, I'm just, you know, just, you know, there's all the other units coming up. We have Gateway Fairways, they're all going to be assessed. The work down there, the hospital, they're all going to be assessed. There's a couple hundred units down there. They're all going to be

assessed at Valorum and pay into the district and help keep that district with funds going forward. And there's sufficient water capacity for them. So, thank you. I hope that helps answer questions. Good. Thank you. And as one final check, you know, for our uh our permits, we're going to be um going to the Department of Health as well. So, they'll have, you know, one more look at this all too. And they would never allow a project that wouldn't work. So, we're but we've uh you know, developed the reports and we're pretty comfortable at this point. Anyone else from the public wish to be heard?

No, we need it. Um so, let's take them one by one. Um, this is Centennial Golf Course 185 John Simpson Road amended site plan. We would need a motion to close the public hearing. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I'll make a motion to close item number six on the agenda. Second. All in favor? I. And Pat, would you prepare a resolution? Yes, sir. Do we have to take into consideration the Southeast approval? Because they can't. It's a cart before the horse issue. So, our approvals are conditioned. Our approvals are conditioned upon their approvals. Their approvals are conditioned upon our approvals,

but they have to have the parking lot built before we can let them take the parking lot out or else we have to pull the seat up. Exactly. Right. So, it's going to be tied to this Mike's work with the building permit in the C. So, there's complicated timing with respect to this, but obviously we we can't not approve it. Um, that's not what I'm suggesting. I just want to make sure we're careful with our timing. It's all about timing. Okay. But they can never be golf course can never be without a parking lot. Correct. That's what Mike's concerned about. So we will ensure that that's the case by by coordinating the timing of the And where is the status of the southeast in the parking? We're approved in southeast. We're approved. Do we have documentation of such?

Um I have the resolution that I could send over. Do we have it? I I don't think I've sent it to Caramel yet. I was saying I didn't know anything about Okay. And item number seven, Santano Golf Town Homes, 185 John Simpson Road, amended site plan. Also, um motion to close that public hearing. I'll make a motion to close the public hearing on item number seven, Centennial Golf Town Homes. Second. All in favor? I. Uh eight on the agenda, Centennial Golf Course, 185 Johnson Road, lot line adjustment. Do we have a motion to close a public hearing? I'll make a motion to close public hearing on item eight.

I'll second. All in favor? And Pat, we needed a lot line. We need a um resolution also. Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. We're going to skip ahead to uh we we did nine ninth on the TC Graphics number 10. Yes. TC Graphics. Right. Right. Y next on the agenda uh item number 10 TC Graphics LLC 893 Route 6. I don't see him here. I don't think he came.

We have to hold that over. Is anybody here for that though? Meaning audience? I don't think so. We didn't think so that there was going to be anybody. No. All right. We have uh two bond reductions. Uh item number 11 and 12. Let's take them one at a time. GNF subdivision gateway and fairway subdivision lot 6 2054 Route 6. Uh, Rich, we just need your comments on the bond returns. I have some too, actually. Okay, Mike. Yeah.

I just I wanted to know which one is owned by Toll because there's two and I get confused. So, please Good evening, members. Uh, Keith Dioro. I live Carmel, New York, and I'm work for Toll Brothers. Toll Brothers owns lot six paraly. I'm sorry. That's the first one we're doing. First one. Yes. Then go ahead. That's fine. Okay. I'm This is on for a public hearing. I made my recommendation. I don't have that memo here in front of me. Do I? No. Anyone wish Anyone from the public wish to be heard? What's the number 15?

Mr. Chairman, is there are no public comments? I'll make a motion to close the public hearing on number 11 G andF subdivision. Second. All in favor? I. and uh gateway and fairway subdivision lot number 72054 floor route 6 also for bond reduction anyone from the public wish to be heard I actually do this is where I had the my question did the owner of the lot know that we're doing this because we wouldn't notify the owner only the people within x amount of feet of the lot we I'm sorry can I can I come up we we we did not excuse Excuse me. We did notify the owner.

That's important because it's to protect him, the town, and everybody. You know what I mean? That's the important part of it. It's really there to protect. Absolutely. Oh, fair point. Do we know that? Did you give Rose proof that you notify the owner? Um, no. I didn't give her proof. It's just that you wouldn't notify the owner. You notify everybody around within 500 feet. So, in this case, you're doing work on the owner's property. So, it's just something that I was thinking of. I'm like, does he even know? It's a fair point. So, can we condition it on himself? Yeah. Whatever. Okay. No problem. It's just protection for the board. So, let's make a motion to close.

No, he owns the property. So, we don't hit that property. I'll make a motion to close a public hearing on item 12 subject to that affidavit that we discussed. Second. All in favor? Hi, Mike. Good point. Thank you. Thank you.

Let me guess. Knights of Columbus. So, thank you for Thank you for your patience tonight. Next on the agenda is Knights of Columbus 10 Fair Street site plan. Good evening. Oh, thank you. I know that's okay. Mike, any comments on the Knights of Columbus? No, I do not. Thank you, Rich. All comments have been addressed and they are here for a public hearing. And Pat, did Mr. Chairman, no comments? We're here for public hearing. Anyone from the public wish to be heard on this?

Since I'm here, might as well. Uh, this is going to hurt. The seat, the seat of the county is in the H of Carmel. Kevin Burn, Putnham County Executive. The seat of the county is in the hamlet of Carmel. Beautiful hamlet of Caramel. And one of our great neighbors is the Knights of Columbus. And uh, very supportive. Thank you. Thank you. We need a motion to close. I'll make I'll make a motion to close the public hearing for Knights of Columbus 10 Fair Street site plan. Second. All in favor? I. Thank you. Good luck. Thank you, sir. And ma'am,

and last but not least tonight, 355 Yugen, 85 Glenn Glenita Avenue public hearing. Yes. Yes. Yes. Pat, you'll prepare Pat will prepare a resolution for that. I thank you guys for I think you ran a resolution in conjunction with this meeting. Yes. Yes. Is anyone here for um 85 Glenita?

You can. Yep. Anyone from the public wish to be heard on this? Mr. Chairman being there's no public comment. I'll make a motion to close the public hearing. Second. All in favor? Thank you. Thank you. Likewise, can we have resolutions for the 22nd? Yeah, we can do that. Adam, I still had a couple of comments here like a water and water sewer use report. So, just provide that for the record. Uh, we we did provide a report, but I can All right, let's double check. I can send my com my comment from last time. So, yeah. Yeah, no problem. If if you don't have it, I can get it to you. Thank you. Yep. Thank you. get it before get within two weeks so that we we'll have the resolution ready tomorrow. Okay.

Yeah, he'll be good. Um, Rose distributed minutes from September 11th, 20 minor 25. I provided minor comments to Rose. I propose uh approving the minutes subject to those comments. Second subject to All in favor? Thank you. Thank you. Good night everybody. Chairman, I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Second. All in favor? Good night everybody. Thank you.