Resident voice opposition to proposed hotel in Woodbury

By Daniel Stimpfle
HIGHLAND MILLS — A crowd gathered at Woodbury’s Town Hall on Thursday, Feb. 18, as residents of Central Valley and Highland Mills voiced their concerns about plans for a proposed hotel on Estrada road.

Many residents who live on Estrada Road in Central Valley, such as Dennis Lutz, came to the meeting to express their opposition to the creation of a hotel on the quiet street.

Lutz said that he was shocked to hear that someone would want to build a hotel on the road.

“I couldn’t believe it, why would somebody put this thins down here for?” he said.

Lutz said that upon learning about the proposal he sought to spread the news. He said that when he went door-to-door to inform his neighbors he was met with a response of surprise much like his own, “with a rare exception, they all chin-dropped and said, ‘you gotta be kiddin'.’”

The plan to build the hotel comes from property owner, Zeng Wen Ya, of AEON LLC., who filed an application to build the hotel.

Prestige Hospitality Group of Albany has been hired to oversee the construction and management of the 85-room, three-story Comfort Suites hotel at 100 Estrada Road.

According to Prestige Hospitality Group CEO, Jim Frennis, the land’s close location to the New York Thruway and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets would be advantageous to attract customers.

However, many residents who live on Estrada Road and in the Village of Woodbury are opposed to the establishment of a hotel on the quiet street and many of them attended the Planning Board meeting.

The residents’ concerns covered a variety of issues ranging from safety, increased traffic, environmental hazards and the loss of home value.

One resident pointed out the difficulty presented by the Metro North Railroad Bridge which crosses the road.

“We frequently see people at that overhead pass to the railroad," she said. "I constantly see trucks come through there and have to back up because they can’t get underneath."

Like many others, she also noted her concern about the many children and pedestrians who are found in the area. The resident pointed out that many who live there take these pedestrians into consideration when they drive.

However, she has noticed that there are many who drive too quickly through the area and she is worried that a hotel would increase the likelihood of an accident with a pedestrian.

Planning Board Chair person Maria Hunter said there was still work needed to be done to study the potential impact on the swamp which borders the property.

Hunter mentioned that there still needed to be an environmental impact statement made to analyze the potential impact of storm water drainage and water quality as recommended by the Orange County Department of Planning .

Hunter also brought up safety issues which still need to be discussed with the Fire Department. These included the need for ground-level access to riser rooms (storage area where the fire sprinkler system is located) and adequate sources of water for the sprinkler system.

The public hearing on the proposed hotel is set to continue on the Planning Board Meeting of March 16.