What are The Preservation Collective members working on?....
1) Routinely attending Town and Planning Board meetings and sending out email updates to the community on membership/distribution list.
2) Reviewing new site plans/subdivision proposals that come before the Planning Board and raising public awareness to address potential environmental impacts.
3) We are following up on public inquiries on specific new development proposals like BT Holdings, Camp LaGuardia, Camp Monroe, see /chester.html
4) Hiking the area and documenting a birdseye view of existing and new development. Hikes conducted so far include Town of Chester's Open Space, Goosepond Mountain State Parkland, and the Appalachian Trail (stay tuned for photos to be added to site). http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2007/11/09/the_chronicle/news/25.txt
5) Researching and getting educated on numerous master plans, local laws and codes. We hope to see the town create a Citizens Advisory Committee and/or Conservation Commission to advise the town about preservation, development, and use of the natural and man-made conditions within Chester.
6) Expanding website to promote kid science experiments and activities for the public to have fun and learn more about our environment. /kids-education.html
more info below:
What has The Preservation Collective members done?....
1) Raise public awareness about various development proposals and new town regulations i.e. clustering.
2) Researched concerns by Chester residents living near the C&S Wholesale Grocer expansion for approved 90 foot high, 373,000 square foot building. We questioned if Chester Town Board violated SEQR when it approved the height of the building before the SEQR review was done by the Lead Agency; the Planning Board. Also, supported requests from residents for mitigation of visual impacts e.g. trees. For more details, see /chester_hot_topics_4.html
3) Conducted informational meetings for residents that live in Chester and Monroe to discuss their concerns about possible water contamination to private groundwater wells as a result of the Henry Farm development on Lakes Road. This project's proposed water supply is only 100-500 feet from Monroe's unlined and uncapped (at the time) landfill with sporadic water sampling in 15 years. As a result, the Town of Monroe decided to move forward with closure that should have happened a decade earlier according to the NYS-DEC. Routine testing of monitoring wells will now take place.
4) Conducted informational meetings for residents to discuss their concerns of losing their prized scenic and historic landmark (farmland on Kings Hwy) to a development project named Broad View Estates. We asked the Town to consider re-zoning, transfer of developments or purchase of development rights. The Town Board decided to let residents have the opportunity to vote on the out right purchase of the land on Election Day 2005. As a result, vote passed 2-1 for preservation of the land as "Open Space for Public Use".
5) Helped the Town of Chester submit a NY State Grant application to improve public access on their "Open Space for Public Use" property (a.k.a. Broadview).
6) Initiated conversations between the Orange County Land Trust, NY/NJ Trail Conference, Trust for Public Lands and Palisades Interstate Park Commission about the management of development patterns and creating green ways to other protected land in Chester i.e. McNeil Farm, Chester Golf Club and Bellevale subdivisions.
7) Assisted a landowner in Chester with their application to be on the State and National Register of Historic Places. We are pleased to announce that their property, currently known as Fury Brook Farm, was accepted on the NRHP register in 2004.
8) Continue our education on relevant areas of environmental issues and development concerns by attending seminars and conferences. Note, in 2007 a new NY State law went into effect requiring municipal planning and zoning officials to have four hours of training, each year.
Some of the workshops The Preservation Collective attended include:
* Planning for Nature in Your Community by HRE and OCP - Oct-Nov 2009 (4 hours)
* Land Use Planning by Orange County Municipal Planning Federation, Zoning Variances and SEQR Sessions- May 2009 (4 hours)
* NYS Agricultural Districts Law and Agricultural Assessment Program Workshop by Cornell Unv Coop. Ext. OC - Nov 2008 (2 hours)
* Better Site Design Workshop by NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program - Oct 2008 (4 hours)
* Planning and Zoning for Workforce and Affordable Housing Course by Orange County Municipal Planning Federation - April-May 2007 (6 hours)
* Basic Land Use Planning Course by Orange County Municipal Planning Federation. - Oct-Nov 2006 (10 hours)
* Advanced Land Use Planning Course by Orange County Municipal Planning Federation. Area-wide Planning and Development - May 2004
* Low Impact Development and Stormwater Management Full Day Seminar - March 2004
* The Wildlife Conservation Society's Metropolitan Conservation Alliance meeting on their inter-municipal biodiversity project - Feb. 2004
* Land Use Planning Course by Orange County Municipal Planning Federation. Topics include Open Space Preservation and Growth Management Tools. - Sept-Oct 2003 (10 hours)
* Wastewater Management Options for Smart Growth - Oct. 2003
* County Historian Workshop conducted by The Preservation Field Service bureau and panel of experts for SHPO. - May 2003
