GLENHAM — Residents living near the former Texaco property are urging prudent redevelopment of the industrial site and preservation of its nearby recreation area.
Their vision is shared by town officials, who have argued the 94-acre recreation area, previously used by Texaco employees, should be given to the town to be used as a park for residents.
The Town of Fishkill intends to use zoning laws to pressure potential developers into preserving that land, Supervisor Joan Pagones said, and she suggested the town might even use eminent domain, if necessary, to condemn and obtain the parcel.
"The town board is the driving force about what will eventually happen there," Pagones said.
Conn. firm interested
A Connecticut real estate developer has shown interest in buying the property but has yet to announce specific plans. In the meantime, Glenham residents have begun meeting once a month to establish a unified voice on the property's future.
"I think when it's in your backyard it's hard not to care," said Jennifer Sipple, 37, who moved to Glenham in May with her husband, Nathaniel Binzen. Their property on Washington Avenue is bordered to the north and west by the former Texaco property. The recreation area is on the south side of the road.
Sipple is one of the organizers of the advocacy group. It started last year with about a dozen like-minded residents. When they held a meeting in January, 75 people showed up and signed a petition asking for the town's support.
Their latest meeting was held Monday evening at the Glenham firehouse.
"We would like to see the entire recreation area preserved as open space and made available to the public as parkland," Sipple said. They hope the plant buildings can be put to new use without disrupting the character of the community.
On tracks, creek
The hamlet of Glenham is just east of Beacon. Old Glenham Road runs parallel to Route 52 through the heart of the hamlet, where the former Texaco property straddles the railroad tracks and Fishkill Creek.
The plant was a hub of activity here until it was closed in 2003 by Chevron, which bought Texaco in 2001.
County property records show the property consists of at least seven parcels totaling about 150 acres. The plant is on a 31-acre parcel facing Old Glenham Road.
The largest parcel is the mostly wooded recreation area, which features a baseball diamond, tennis courts and a pavilion. It is zoned for athletic fields, according to county records.
"It's a beautify piece of property," Pagones said. She called it one of the last remaining parcels in the town fit for public recreation, and the town would deny requests to rezone it for any other use.
As for possible redevelopment of the plant, Pagones said, the town is open to ideas but has yet to receive a development plan from Reliance Realty Partners, the Connecticut developer interested in the property.
Joseph Gaudio, a partner with Reliance Realty, did not respond to requests for an interview for this story, although he told the Journal last fall his company had completed "preliminary discussions with the town on different concepts."

David Paulsen can be reached at dpaulsen@poughkeepsiejournal.com

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