451 homes subject of hearing

451 homes subject of hearing

By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com

Woodbury – Bill Brodsky's bid to build 451 homes on land zoned for 148 will be given another public hearing tomorrow night, offering residents their latest chance to sound off on the town's dominant political issue.
The Planning Board scheduled the hearing even though the developer is still waiting for the Town Board to vote on a zoning change and several new laws that must be approved for his project to move forward.
Planning Board Chairman Michael Queenan said yesterday that he's holding the hearing because Brodsky requested it and because he wants to "move things along" on his board's busy agenda. He said Brodsky knows the Planning Board can't act on the proposal until the Town Board has decided.
"We can't take any action on it," he said. "The applicant is well aware of that."
The hearing is at 7:30 p.m. at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers building at 67 Commerce Drive South, a space large enough for the crowd that might turn out.
That the Planning Board has begun its review before the zoning change is approved is certain to infuriate the project's opponents, who have accused town officials of rushing to approve the development.
But Queenan, who's running for Town Board, said he's neutral on the project and considers the hearing a good opportunity for more public discussion – something opponents of the development should appreciate.
"If I were in their shoes," Queenan said, "I would consider this a good thing."
Brodsky hopes to build a gated community of 451 houses on what is now 400 acres of woods and meadows off Dunderberg and Nininger roads, near Monroe-Woodbury Middle School and High School. He has asked the board to reduce the minimum lot size to increase the number of homes he can build.
Opponents are livid about the potential impact on schools, traffic and taxes. Officials counter that the proposal is worth considering because Brodsky would give the town 100 acres of open space and improve water and sewer systems.
But the central issue for many is whether Kiryas Joel developers would buy the property and build much denser housing if Brodsky's plans are thwarted, as the developer has warned.
Activists who fear that prospect have rallied behind his proposal and the Town Board, while opponents have denounced his warning as an empty threat.
The Town Board must finish its environmental review of Brodsky's project before it can vote on his zoning request.
Thursday night, the board will meet with its consultants to discuss a final environmental impact statement that Brodsky submitted on Sept. 2.