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Hog Hill
Development/Croton Overlook
October 13, 2009, town board work session
The owner of this 62 acre site returned to the board with a plan for a 68 unit, fee simple, age oriented development. The units
would be 2 story duplexes. Under current 2 acre zoning, 30 units would be
possible. 40 acres would be preserved as open space for use of the
homeowners.
The development would generate approximately $1.2 million in taxes to be
split between town, county and school district.
The owner explained that as it was no longer feasible to hook up to the
county's sewer system, the new plan was to construct an on
site package treatment plant with subsurface discharge. She said
they've had talks with DEP and DOH and they're okay with the plan on a
conceptual level. The actual details would only be developed once the
application process moved forward.
Much of the discussion centered on two issues related to the adjoining Random
Farms development in New Castle which has experienced septic failure: the
ability of the soils to accept the discharge and the future maintenance and
ownership of the plant.
On the soil issue: the owner said that based on soils tests that have been
done, the soils in the area for the treatment plant would meet requirements.
On the maintenance issue: the owner said that a public transportation company
would be formed that would own and operate the plant. Money would be put into
an escrow account that would cover the replacement cost of the plant if
anything went bad. This arrangement would last for 15 years.
During this time, the homeowners would also be paying into the plant so that
the kitty would be building up. And, after 15 years, it would be the homeowners responsibility. In response to questions from
town engineer Sharon Robinson and board members, she also said that unlike
Random Farms where the buyers were not told about their obligation to
maintain and finance their system, in this development, all these details
would be disclosed in the prospectus. She said that in the event the plant
had problems in the future, it would not become a town obligation as Random Farms
had become in New Castle. Ms. Robinson mentioned the Cedar Pond development,
which even though not a town responsibility, did end up in the town's lap. In
response, Mr. Capellini said that Cedar Pond was
built in the 1980s under different regulations .
The discussion ended with the applicant agreeing that she would send more
information about the plant and the ownership and finance details to the town
engineer.
Mr. Campisi said he had no problem with the project
-- as long as the sewer/septic issue was resolved satisfactorily.
Planning Director John Tegeder said that the
development didn't fit into the pending Comprehensive Plan which has proposed
an upzoning of the site from one to four acres.
There is nothing in the Plan that supports the rezoning to an age oriented
development he said.
Ken Belfer, chairman of the town's Housing Advisory
Board asked about the 10% affordable housing set aside. Al Capellini, the applicant's attorney said "everything
is negotiable.” In general they were talking about homes in the
$650,000 range.
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