Fort Homestead Association Comments
Casperkill 1 LLC - Casperkill Country Club Draft Scoping Document
Fort Homestead Association To: Laura Wojtowicz Director of Planning CC: Chairman John Weisman and Planning Board Members From: Virginia A. Buechele, Charter Member & for the Board of Directors Fort Homestead Association Date: September 8, 2004 The Fort Homestead Association has Reviewed the Draft Scoping Document for the Casperkill County Club as submitted by Chazen Associates on behalf of their Client, and your applicant Casperkill 1 L L C, dated July 26, 2004 and offers the following for consideration by the Town of Poughkeepsie Planning board as Lead Agency under SEQRA (6 NYCRR Part 617: 1. Cultural Resources Regarding 3.6.1 of the Draft Scope "The Phase 1A and 1B Reports will be summarized within this section and included as part of the Appendix." Regarding 9.0 Appendices of the Draft Scope "9.6 Stage 1B Report ( if necessary )" These two sections appear to be contradictory "will be" vs " if necessary ". The term Phase and Stage appear to be used interchangeably and thereby causes confusion. Which is it????? Phase 1A Report is described in this section as a Cultural Resource Survey. Phase 1B Report is not defined. Can the Phase 1B Report be defined within the Scope? A Phase 2 Report will be completed in immediate proximity to the Abraham Fort House. Can the Phase 2 Report be defined within the Scope? Regarding 3.6.2 "Examination of the impacts discussed in the Phase 1B Report" Again, can the Phase 1B Report be defined within the scoping document and clarification provided as to whether it will be provided or only if necessary? 2. 3.7 Visual Impacts The Existing Visual Conditions and Potential Visual Impact as they regard the Fort Homestead, a Town Historical Landmark , must be addressed ! The Viewshed of the Historical Fort Homestead needs to be protected as it relates to the view of this Homestead from Route 9 and adjoining & affected parcels. In other words any proposed modern/architecturally incompatible structures should not be visible from the Homestead, Route 9 and adjoining lands/parcels. 3. 3.8 TRANSPORTATION A representative of the Fort Homestead Association was present at the Historical Preservation Commission Meeting on July 6, 2004 at which the applicant's representatives were present and at which they stated that they would be willing to donate the Historical Fort Homestead to a Non-Profit Organization for a nominal fee ($1.00) to be used for Historical Purposes! The same was again indicated by Ginsburg Representatives, after the July 7, 2004 Public Hearing to a large group gathered in the Hallway. Fort Homestead Association calls upon this Board to please require the Applicant to address ingress and egress to & from Route 9, as well as Traffic Impacts, for the Fort Homestead, as it would pertain to it's Public Historical Uses by such non-profit organization. Forewarned is Forearmed! These impacts need to be addressed in the Planning Process, the Final Scoping Document as well as the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements. 4. The Fort Homestead Association is desirous of working with the Town and the Developer to obtain ownership of the Historical Fort Homestead and a suitable and appropriate portion of the land surrounding it - perhaps the parcel as outlined in Grid #134689-6159-01312843-0000 - (+/- 2.2 acres) - the Real Property Tax Parcel which is part and parcel of the application should be deemed suitable and appropriate. Fort Homestead Association urges this Board that within the SEQRA Process the Applicant is required to delineate how they intend to work with the Community's Interested and Concerned Citizens and Organizations in order to follow through on their Statements made at the July 6, 2004 Historic Preservation Committee Meeting and after the July 7, 2004 Public Hearing. The Applicant must provide information on the criteria they would propose for any non-profit organization seeking to accept ownership from the applicant for a "Nominal Fee" to possess, as well as what restrictions would be imposed on such ownership. The Fort Homestead Association wishes to be considered and consulted with in regard to any future plans or anticipated sale by the Applicant as it regards The Historical Fort Homestead now or formerly situated on Grid# Grid #134689-6159-01312843-0000 and a Town Historical Landmark. We realize this perhaps is not within this boards jurisdiction but to make such known here is to let our serious intentions in regard to the Fort Homestead known to the Planning Board for future reference. 5. The Fort Homestead Association wishes to point out to the Planning Board that under Chapter 94 of the Town Code, Subsection 42-2 - Imposition of Fees: The Planning Board ("Permitting Authority") as lead agency under SEQRA may "charge a fee to the applicant to recover the actual cost to the town of preparing the environmental Assessment Form (EAF] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ." "Such fees may be imposed on an applicant for costs incurred by the town for environmental and planning services, professional engineering services, historic preservation services , legal services AND such other services as, in the judgment of the lead agency, are appropriate." The Fort Homestead Association asks the Planning Board as lead Agency to consider obtaining the services of Historical Architectural and Archaeological Consultants to provide studies independent of that of the applicant with the fees being chargeable to the applicant per the above code as cited; much as you do for the services of your consulting town engineer. The Fort Homestead is one of the few remaining Landmarks of it's period in the town, and has been designated at Historical Landmark, by the town. The property surrounding the Homestead and included in the Casperkill 1 LLC Application has surely been inhabited by Native Americans during the early history of this Town, Native American Artifacts have been found on neighboring properties which testify to this. The property over time has also been utilized for Grist Mills and Farming. What secrets of our Early History lie beneath this site that should be independently addressed by Town Consultants. In addition, Fort Homestead Association members are willing to meet with the Planning Board regarding the Historical Background of the applicants site at the Board's discretion and at their convenience. Please Don't wait for these artifacts to be unearthed/disturbed and discovered by some alert citizen when construction is progressing and then have to issue a "stop work order". Please Be PRO-ACTIVE in this regard! The Fort Homestead Association believes that the Citizens of this Town and our community would be well served now and in the future as it pertains to the application now before you, by the Town retaining the services of independent consultants in regard to the Historical and Archaeological aspects of such application. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thank You for the opportunity to provide these comments, The Fort Homestead Association looks forward to them, if at all possible, being included in some form in the Final Scoping Document and in the future, the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements. Submitted by: |