Kiryas Joel named lead agency for development project

The Village of Woodbury, at the Jan. 22 meeting, agreed to designate Kiryas Joel as the lead agency in charge of the environmental review of their lakeside development project consisting of 200 homes.

The board debated delaying the decision until the Feb. 12 meeting, with several trustees wanting more time to review the state environmental quality review act (SEQRA). However, because the February meeting would be past the deadline for the village’s decision, village attorney Lino Sciarretta confirmed that Kiryas Joel would automatically being designated lead agency because the development was within its borders.

Trustee Tara Burek commented on the potential impact of the development on the village, and Sciaretta affirmed that the village would be able to submit comments through Kiryas Joel’s planning process.

Highland Mills resident James Ng shared his concern over the impact of neighboring development on the Village of Woodbury and asked if anyone had the authority to mitigate the situation.

“We have no one to refer to oversee and just like to step up. Hey, you’re being bad. You’re affecting your neighbors. Control yourself,” said Ng.

Members of the board said that New York State is a home rule state, which gives local governments final authority on land use decisions, while suggesting ways for the community to have a greater impact on county decisions.

Trustee Christopher Graziano encouraged concerned residents to go through the county, which controls the capacity of the sewer plant. With that capacity reaching its limit, Graziano said the county will need to consider what’s being built and be open to questions from the public.

Burek shared her enthusiasm for educating the public on the SEQRA process. With the proposed annexation of Ace Farms and other development in surrounding areas that may impact the village, Burek said it is important to understand community influence. She reminded residents that local planning projects must go through the Orange County Planning Department for review, many of which she felt were approved without considering the impact on neighboring municipalities.

“I think the voice has to be very loud at the county level because that’s who’s overseeing everything happening in our municipality,” Burek said.

Responding to concerns about the village’s water and sewer capacity, Graziano said he has been working with the village’s water administrator Jason Braghirol to scope out more solutions to the village’s water situation.

“We’re going to continue flushing those out, no pun intended, and see what we can do to, work on some of our sewer and water issues and accelerate them a little bit,” Graziano said, noting the process will be difficult and that the village is looking for the most cost-effective solution.

In other water news, Neil Crouse, who chairs the village’s land preservation committee, shared that Gov. Kathy Hochul, at the behest of N.Y.S. Sen. James Skoufis and State Rep. Christopher Eachus, supports re-establishing an inter-municipal council to monitor the Moodna Creek Watershed. Mayor Andrew Giacomazza said he and Woodbury Town Supervisor Jacqueline Hernandez support this effort to reestablish the council.

Also during the meeting, former Village Trustee Matthew Fabbro called on the Village of Woodbury to support the county’s opposition to converting a Chester warehouse into an Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) detainment facility. He also asked the village to consider a moratorium against any of its warehouses being used for a similar purpose and to review with the town local police policy regarding the community’s relationship with ICE.