Future of Highland Mills property debated

Woodbury residents voiced their concerns about the future of a Highland Mills property now owned by St. Patrick’s Church, at the July 16 Woodbury Planning Board meeting.

Kyle Bardwell, an engineer from LaBella Associates who represented the applicant, explained that the proposed plan is to subdivide the lot into two properties - one residential (the former church rectory) and one for the existing building which housed a school and gymnasium.

During the meeting, Chairperson Christopher Gerver shared a letter from the church’s chief pastor, Father David Ryder, who wrote that the church is requesting a subdivision of its former religious education building and rectory building so it can continue its ministry. Ryder added that the religious education building has been vacant since 2023 and the rectory has been vacant since 2022.

Woodbury residents who live near the property used the public hearing for the application to ask why the plans no longer involved a municipal use for the education building, as was originally intended and advertised in the public hearing notice. Gerver explained that this was the original plan, however the church did not receive any interest from the Town or Village of Woodbury.

The Woodbury Town board agreed, however, to have an appraisal prepared for the St. Patrick’s Church in Highland Mills at its July 17 board meeting. Town Supervisor Kathryn Luciani said the town is conducting the appraisal because they are interested in making it a municipal building.

One resident of Hunter Street, where the church is located, asked about the future of the property if it were to be sold, and about who would buy it.

In response to another Hunter Street resident, Gerver said the owners have the legal right to subdivide the church property if it conforms with the code. He said that if the owners ever desired to change the use of the religious, non-residential building, they would need to seek approval from the planning board. He noted that in that area there are 13 permitted uses under the village zoning code.

Referring to commenter concerns about the future of the property if it were sold, Gerver said religious uses are allowed in this area, and no matter how the property is divided, a religious use would be allowed in any of those parcels.

The board also reminded the public that if the property is sold and the new owners want to change the use, they would need to receive approvals to do so.

Additionally, a request from Home Depot to waive the parking requirements for the store to allow for outdoor storage units was reviewed. When discussing the application, members of the planning board questioned the applicant’s count of available parking, noting the presence of several RVs and other large vehicles that take up multiple spaces in the lot. The board asked the applicant to review the parking count with this information in mind.