Too dense
Town board votes not to sign letter of support for affordable housing proposal

by Erin Quinn New Paltz Times Thursday, February 24, 2005

A lengthy and at times heated discussion by the New Paltz town board resulted in a 3-2 vote against signing a letter of support for a proposed 160-unit combined affordable and market-value housing complex slated for 29 acres along South Putt Corners Road.

Three weeks ago, representatives of Cottage International Group pitched their project to the town board, asking them to sign a letter of support so they could apply for funding from the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), a deadline that was fast approaching. They claimed that the project, which would have been designed by local architect Rick Alfandre, would provide 80 units of affordable housing and 80 at market rate all mixed in together. The "affordable" housing units would include renters or owners who made 60 to 90 percent of the area's median income. While the town board expressed great desire to see affordable housing projects come to New Paltz, several members stated that this parcel, currently zoned for light industrial and located directly across from the high school, was not the proper site for a residential project of that magnitude and density.

The board agreed to consider the issue and make a decision at last Thursday night's meeting.

During the public input section of the meeting, local resident Paul Brown requested that the town not sign a letter of support. "I want to thank the town board for their careful consideration as reported in the Paltz Times the question of whether or not to sign a letter of support for a high-density residential housing project on South Putt Corners Road. That 29 acres is clearly zoned for light industrial and [councilmembers] Kitty Brown and Jim Bacon were absolutely on target when they argued that it was not the appropriate site for this type of development. That 29 acres is part of 190 acres along South and North Putt Corners Road that were subject to 20 community meetings, a full EIS [Environmental Impact Statement] and the adoption of a Generic EIS to make that corridor light industrial and encourage commercial industry. It is our last best hope for New Paltz to relieve the taxpayers' burden by increasing commercial development there. That is where we put our bet...we haven't done that well yet, but it is our last hope."

Brown also pointed out the formula through which every new residential dwelling costs upwards of $1.36 for every $1 it pays in taxes while commercial development requires substantially less in certain cases. "The majority of New Paltz residents wanted that area, close to the thruway, to be the site for light-industrial growth, not for dense residential projects. I urge the town not to sign this letter of support now or in the future. Thank you again for your service."

Town councilwoman Kathleen Healey urged the board to vote in favor of signing the letter of support; claiming the dire need for affordable housing in New Paltz, which has seen its real estate prices triple over the past ten years. "I voted in favor of signing the letter because we have heard time and time again from people who live here that they worry their children won't be able to afford housing in New Paltz, or that their parents have to relocate due to the lack of affordable housing," she said after the meeting. "We had the opportunity last night to say to our community that we are willing to work towards meeting the need for more affordable housing in New Paltz, before it becomes a place that only the well-off can call home."

Town supervisor Don Wilen was the only other member of the board to vote in favor of signing the letter. "I voted in favor of the letter of support for the grant application," said Wilen. "I voted yes because I support affordable housing. Whether this is the correct site or not is a question for the planning board and not the town board."

But if this project were to go through, the town board would have an integral role in the process as a portion of the 29 acres would have to be rezoned from light industrial to residential, a decision that only the town board can make.

Town councilman Jim Bacon and councilwoman Toni Hokanson argued as passionately against signing the letter as Healey did in favor of signing off. "I voted against the letter," said Hokanson. "The project is too big, there are no studio apartments planned for this project and not enough one-bedroom apartments. The location is wrong."

"This site becomes objectionable primarily due to the density --160 units," said Bacon. "Were this 20 units of truly affordable housing it would be a different story. The high density and density bonuses result in significant increased costs to the community and higher taxes for all residents -- exactly the scenario that Kathleen wishes to avoid. Only 40 units would have been affordable...Our struggle is not unique in New Paltz. Every community is facing it and there are strategies to address it. These strategies have been developed in concert with the Pace Land Use Clinic and other housing groups, most of which are based in Westchester. What we need from our board is not an emotional response to this issue, but a response that is reasoned, taking into account what our specific needs are rather than generalities...New Paltz is not a huge community and for the percentage of persons in New Paltz, there are many apartment complexes as compared with other communities. We have Colonial, Meadowbrook, Southside, Orchard Heights, Riverside, Village Apartments, Briarwood and the apartment complexes off of Henry W. Dubois and Prospect Street. These are affordable units. My mother-in-law and mother both live in these units and are able to stay mostly because of the senior exemptions allowed by the STAR program. We need appropriately scaled projects that will accomplish goals given our population. We must not be guided by fear or a 'take-it-or-leave it' threat from a developer. We need a plan tailored to our community and it is very possible to achieve."

Councilwoman Brown, along with Bacon and Hokanson, believed, contrary to what the developer said, that the letter could have been used in the future to demonstrate the town board's support of a project that hadn't been through a site-plan review process or a rezoning process.

The "developer claimed that our letter of support would not be binding and that 'everyone knows' it isn't really a commitment to any of the plans that would be submitted along with the letter," said Brown. "A letter of support should be just that: a message to the state DHCR and our town planning board that the town board supports rezoning our light industrial corridor for 7.5 times the residential zoning of the surrounding area. I won't sign a letter with my fingers crossed behind my back."

Asked whether or not the town board had a site or sites in mind where affordable housing would be preferable, Brown responded that a project of this magnitude, 160-units, "as identified by our Master Plan would only be suitable for the village which has expressed intent to provide density bonuses for affordable housing...What the town can -- and in my opinion, should -- do is immediately pass an accessory apartment law. This would allow homeowners, especially senior citizens who are having a hard time meeting the rising costs of their school and property taxes, to stay in their homes, build a small unit for themselves and meet their rising costs by welcoming in a new family into a new rental unit."

Healey disagreed. "We need to give our community members the security of knowing that they will always be able to call New Paltz home if they choose to. Accessory apartments, while a good idea, will not solve this housing crunch."

"I would like to see the Lent property on North Putt Corners be developed for affordable housing," said Hokanson. "It is currently zoned light industrial but is surrounded by residential. If the Bienstock property is developed as planned, then water and sewer will be running right along this property. Dino Toscani also has a piece of property [behind his restaurant in the village] that he has been planning for housing. That might also be a more appropriate site."

While Bacon agrees with Brown and Hokanson that the village or the town just outside the village is the more appropriate place to locate affordable housing because it is where "services are in walking distance, and most importantly existing infrastructure is in place," he adds, "but at the present time this is a problem. The village sewer system is in crises and many of their pipes need to be replaced...Is it really prudent to approve new developments knowing that we are currently in violation of the Clean Water Act and have raw sewage entering the Wallkill River? Is that responsible? Of course it is not. Until those upgrades can be completed what is the alternative? One alternative is to allow accessory apartments in the town to allow for more residential units and to help existing homeowners offset their costs."

Bacon also noted that the town board should be "pro-active" towards meeting affordable housing needs. "The first step, however, is to avoid acting out of a response to the myth that a 150-unit housing project or a 250-unit housing project [Blue and Gold] or a series of 150-unit housing projects is what New Paltz needs. The needs should be quantified and I believe after that is done the proper response will be a measured increase in affordable units which should be allocated towards our fire and rescue volunteers, town/village employees and town/village residents. We cannot afford to be gripped by fear and let old myths guide us as the history of Rockland and Westchester shows us what the result would be." According to Bacon, that experience demonstrates enormous residential development, with a promise of "affordable" housing by developers that left the lower- and middle-income residents with such great tax burdens that they were forced to relocate.

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