Residents speak out on development plan

September 22, 2005

Residents speak out on development plan

By Pete Connolly
For the Times Herald-Record


Woodbury – After months of heated debate and hardball politics, residents once again assembled to sound off on a proposed 451-home development.
At the center of this tempest is Bill Brodsky, president of the Carteret Group Inc. of Pearl River.
His company 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.
Approximately 80 residents gathered at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers building at 67 Commerce Drive South to hammer away on the effects the project would have on the community.
More than a dozen citizens approached the microphone and voiced concerns.
The topics ranged from open space to the effects on the school system, emergency procedures, traffic, environmental impacts on the Woodbury stream and a slew of other issues.
Robert Jackson of Highland Mills referred to the project as "imminent" and thanked the board for its service.
Others were not as receptive.
"This meeting is a mere act by the developer to give more publicity to the project," said Henry "Hank" Sullivan of Central Valley, a strong opponent of the project.
Although the village was never mentioned by name, the central concern for many is still whether Kiryas Joel developers would buy the property and build much denser housing if Brodsky's plans are thwarted, as the developer has warned.
Planning Board Chairman Michael Queenan said Brodsky knows the Planning Board's hands are tied until the Town Board makes its decision.
The Town Board must finish its environmental review of Brodsky's project before it can vote on his zoning request.
The Town Board will meet tomorrow night with its consultants to discuss a final environmental impact statement that Brodsky submitted on Sept. 2.