While this is less money than the taxes on the expected face-value of the property when developed, that’s not the choice at hand. Because the project would provide affordable housing, it is eligible for a state tax break the town acknowledges would mean less property tax revenue than the PILOT.
Costello said he disagreed with the Planning Board’s decision to close the public hearing on the project, but noted that the Town Board could not legally require the planners to keep the hearing open. “The town does not have the authority to overrule the Planning Board, and that is generally a good thing because it keeps politics out of Planning Board decisions,” he said. However, Costello said he believes that the change in the use and the configuration of the property (from condos for sale to apartments for rent) since the environmental study was completed for the original plan justifies a requirement that the environmental study be revisited, which would require further public hearings.
The developers have maintained that the only issues the Planning Board should consider are those relating to the changes in the use of the property. Such questions as the environmental study have been dealt with in the prior approval, and the board’s authority should be limited only to the changes in the plan, said attorney Larry Wolinsky, who represents the developers.
At a stormy public hearing at the Planning Board meeting of Aug. 16, residents questioned the developer’s estimate of the number of children the project would send to Saugerties schools, the potential income levels of residents, and the impact on water and traffic in the area. More than 100 residents attended the meeting, and none spoke in favor of the proposed development.
While the public hearing is closed, the Planning Board will continue discussion of the project at upcoming meetings. The next meeting of the Town of Saugerties Planning Board will be September 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Citizens Center.
