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| May 05, 2024 |
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General News: Cornwall Building Moratorium Approved
September 14, 2010
On Monday evening, the Cornwall town council approved a six-month moratorium on building and land use permits while a review of the municipality’s comprehensive plan is made.
Voting unanimously in favor of the moratorium, the council members heard from special counsel Jared Rusk, of the Nixon Peabody law firm, who advised that changes in the economy and the potential for large institutions to experience difficult financial problems could change the dynamic for how land is developed in Cornwall. He said an update of the comprehensive plan is essential. Six members of the public spoke in favor of the moratorium at a public hearing that preceded the vote.
NYMA Concerns Drove Moratorium Effort; Attorney Sites Additional Issues
The drive to review the comprehensive plan started when town officials and residents became concerned last May that the 151-acre New York Military Academy would close and fall into the hands of developers who could potentially build high-density housing under the current set of zoning rules. In July, a group of investors provided $5.8 million to keep the military school open, but concerns lingered about whether Cornwall was prepared for future land use changes under the comprehensive plan adopted in 2005, at the height of a real estate boom.
Attorney Rusk said that downtown Cornwall had suffered since 2005, with vacancies at Cornwall Plaza and on Main Street. He also said senior housing had been overbuilt and that current infrastructure does not support more development – all issues that will be taken up by a newly-appointed comprehensive plan review committee. The town council also approved the scope of the review.
Under the moratorium, certain permits will be allowed to move forward, including subdivisions of no more than two lots and commercial development of less than 10,000 square feet.
Comments:
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A good move by the board. The Town and Village are at a crossroads, and both municipalities need to figure out if, coming out of this recession, greater Cornwall is going to place a priority on preserving open space, natural surroundings, and local businesses, or if it's going to become another bedroom community that is dependent on big box stores and unsustainable development.
That empty monstrosity on Quaker Ave. next to CVS speaks volumes as to the choices before the town and Village
posted by Ted Warren on 09/16/10 at 12:17 PM
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