Outdoor Liaisons -- 9/18/05
Frank Carbone Jr.

Town of Marlboro protects ridgelines . . . .
So why can't the Town of Newburgh?

Dear Town of Newburgh Resident and others.

If you've been keeping up with what's been going on in the Town of Newburgh with respect to plans for the so-called Marketplace Mall and its ever widening environs, then you might be interested in the following.

The proposed mall is planned to be built on an existing ridgeline that can be seen from most of the region and from the south, east and west. The property happens to also be right under one of the major approaches and flight paths for Stewart Airport -- Runways #9 and #27.

Winona Lake in the Town of Newburgh.
And Interstate 84,  routes 300 and 52.

I wonder if the FAA even knows about this plan. It is also only about one
mile from the end of the runway.
 

In addition to the potential for an accident that could happen over 4,000 cars and shoppers. The noise impacts from removing the old trees on the more than 108 acres will definitely be increased -- even if they are unbearable now.

It's going to be interesting to see if overflight noise (and other) is going to be addressed in the DEIS for the mall and the town's comprehensive plan.All previously calculated noise data will have to be revisited and recalculated.

If the Town of Marlboro can protect scenic ridgelines so can the Town of Newburgh.

And even though the Newburgh Town Code specifies protecting the Town of Newburgh's Ridgelines the current Town Board doesn't know how to protect our ridgelines, environment, air quality, and the citizens of the Town from overdevelopment, increased traffic, and all if the impacts that overdevelopment brings with it.

It appears that the town board is catering to developers and allowing them to get away with anything and everything.  

And if one listens to certain board members
they aren't familiar with the Town's own code and just don't know what to do to about out of control growth.

Where there's a will there's a way. And in the case of the current town board there's no will. They forget too soon that they've been elected and have taken an oath to protect and serve the citizens of the Town of Newburgh. Instead and from all appearances it looks like they're protecting and serving the big bucks developers who are going to turn this town into another Woodbury Commons. Turning the town's roads into gridlock -- affecting adjoining towns and many small businesses in the region and vicinity of the proposed Mall near the intersection of Rtes. #300 and I-84.  

By all accounts and observation the current town board or planning board isn't asking the tough questions or appear to be concerned about the impacts. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt -- perhaps they're thinking about it or dreaming about it but as we all know they appear to be tacitly approving this major mall project. 

They must be pretty sure of themselves getting re-elected because they do nothing to question the impacts to the people and the rest of the town. 

If you are a candidate for office in the Town of Newburgh and reading this email --please start asking the following questions e.g.:

How many more asthma cases are anticipated in the region especially in children and vulnerable adults?

How many more motor vehicle accidents/deaths?

How much more in taxes to upgrade infrastructure, police, fire, gov't, roads, bridges, waterways, domestic water, sanitary and storm water systems?

How much more of an impact to our overloaded sanitary sewer system?

How much more storm water will be generated by over 100 acres of blacktop and building roofs?

What will the effects of the black top and roofs have on overflight noise from departing and arriving Stewart Airport flights?

How much do you want to bet that the EIS documents coming out of town hall will be short on facts, long on lies and will need to challenged?

Will the town's lawyers look out for the interests of the people of the Town of Newburgh or the interests of the board members who appear to be protecting the big bucks developers and making ill advised decisions?

Will the supervisor of the Town of Newburgh ever meet with the residents of the Winona Lake region of the Town?

Please keep these questions in your notebooks and be sure to ask them the next time you're at town hall or see one of the perspective candidates. I for one would be interested in their answers.

. . . . Frank Carbone Jr.

Newburgh, New York