Neighbors balk at Hunter condo proposal

By William J. Kemble , Freeman staff Daily Freeman Monday, February 28, 2005

HUNTER - A proposal for condominiums adjacent to the Hunter Inn on state Route 23A has neighbors upset about what they see as rapid growth in the village.

The developer, meanwhile, says he is troubled by his inability to get village officials to review his plans, which he has not yet formally submitted.

At a Village Board meeting last week, resident Christyna Sheldon said the project would create traffic problems.

"We're opposed to the proposal to build 24 condominium units in an area that is currently single-family residential," she said.

"While Hunter Inn is located on 23A ... the land where the 24 condominiums are to be built has no access to this gateway thoroughfare," Sheldon said. "The land for the proposed development was appended for the same tax billing as the Hunter Inn property only a short time ago. Clearly, a manipulative tactic devised for this current request for a zoning variance."

A moratorium on development in the village, pending approval of a zoning law, lapsed on Feb. 15. Officials said the building ban will not be extended because the zoning law, the village's first, is expected to be adopted.

A public hearing on the proposed law has been set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Village Hall at 7955 Main St.

Sheldon said the proposed housing project would take unfair advantage of a recently constructed wastewater treatment plant, which was funded by New York City as part of the 1997 watershed Memorandum of Agreement.

"We urge that the Village Board of Hunter consider environmental impacts of overbuilding land that is bordered by two flowing streams of water," Sheldon said. "We doubt that the intent of funding a sewer system by the City of New York was to encourage the construction of new high-density residential areas near streams that enter the New York reservoir system."

Hunter Inn developer Ken Tillim would not respond to Sheldon's concerns, but was upset that the Village Board declined to set a meeting for a project review, even though the board discussed another condominium project, Trailside at Hunter, at length. That project is outside the village boundaries, but developers have proposed the village annex the property. "It seems as if the village residents are not being treated equally with town residents," Tillim said. "I sent a letter. I want you to ... just look at a proposal, and the rationale is there's a moratorium, you won't look at it. But somebody else in the town can come right in and start construction." Trustees said the Trailside at Hunter project has been under review for several years. They said they would be willing to discuss the Hunter Inn proposal individually, as board members.

©Daily Freeman 2005

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