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Taking On Bloomingburg's Planning...
Board Hears Girls' School, Main Street Plans

MAMAKATING – The Mamakating planning board started its work handling Bloomingburg village planning matters at its July meeting Tuesday night, initiating discussion of changes to the large commercial building at the corner of Main and North streets where windows have been repeatedly broken in recent weeks, as well as to the custom garage building further up Main Street that has been pegged for a 16 room private religious girls' elementary school.

The latter issue was tossed into the board's purview by state Supreme Court judge Stephan Schick this spring after he found the Bloomingburg village planning board had acted improperly when voting against the proposal before holding a public hearing last autumn. Planning board attorney John Cappello asked that the board okay a formal letter to the applicants, and judge, acknowledging its initiation of a review process on the application.

The BBC LLC Site Plan for a change of use on a large room at the rear of the multi-use property, from dance studio to a study room/house of worship for up to 63 people at one time, was presented by attorney Teresa Bakner and engineer Tom Olley. They started their presentation by answering questions and comments they'd received in previous days regarding the site at 78 Main Street, stressing that the pizza shop, bakery, deli, retail shop, and upstairs apartments being renovated had all been previously approved and granted building permits by Bloomingburg planners.

Discussion centered on parking concerns, an empty space in the building complex previously used as a workshop and its possible future uses, and ADA and other concerns regarding the new worship space, which planners agreed was allowed under the village zoning law.

Planning board engineer Al Fusco Jr., who also serves as the Bloomingburg code enforcement officer, noted that he had also submitted a series of architectural comments, which Bakner and Olley said they'd answer.

Board alternate Rich Morris, who was named as a full-time member for the items pending a town board decision to permanently replace newly retired planning board member Joe Darmetko, grumbled that the building had too many uses as is and asked about the safety of the worship area, prompting others to talk about a "tipping point" for business at the site, and in the village center. Cappello asked for greater analysis of such matters on the part of the applicants.

When Bakner was later asked about fire department access to the various parts of the building and said she'd get a letter addressing such things, the audience laughed out loud. The planners moved on.

At session's end, Cappello reiterated Fusco's determination that a religious use of the space in question was allowed in village zoning.

For the Learning Tree private school plan, Olley and Bakner spoke at length about how the school for approximately 400 students would have "100 percent busing" in two shifts, one with older students coming in from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and younger children from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There would also be some walking traffic but no drop off from vehicles. Lunches would be "brown-bagged," and the school would have no auditorium-like space. Much was noted about landscaping, bus turnaround and parking plans, and the fact that the proposal would see the conjoining of two lots, one previously okayed for a ten lot subdivision, into a single use property.

Bakner submitted outlines for such religious schools, noting that under state Department of Health regulations, the building would not need a sprinkler system... again drawing noise from the audience.

Questions from planners and planning consultants focused on the neighboring firehouse and possible traffic congestion problems. Morris asked about a new building law requiring all buildings to be squared away with Main Street and wondered whether the entire structure had to be shifted on its axis. He also asked about permitted uses given the former two lots being joined were in different zoning districts.

Cappello said that such religious schools were allowed in both districts involved, and Bakner explained that the driveway had been deemed a street, rendering the street-facing matter moot should it be determined to apply, which Fusco said he'd look into.

Other comments focused on the need for the fire company to reach all parts of the 8oo foot by 60 foot structure, which Olley said he'd look into. When questions were opened up to the public, one woman asked why the fire siren shouldn't be seen as a hazard to the students' health, while someone else commented on the lack of sprinklers and the need for full hydrological studies at the site. Someone else pointed out that the firehouse, which also served Wallkill, couldn't be compromised.

Bakner said that she would move to answer all queries and comments as soon as possible, given that there was a wish to have the school open in September. She was told the board would return to the matter on August 19 and thanked for her responsiveness.

In other matters, the public hearing on Duane Roe's application for a two lot subdivision at the corner of Burlingham and Roosa Gap roads, with a gas station and convenience store on one lot and no agreed-upon plans on the other, ran into a long discussion about traffic safety and the need to protect streams, no matter their perceived quality. The process will be continued next month.

A similar application for a subdivision and restaurant/convenience store complex at the Riveredge Motor Home Park on Burlingham Road was deemed to be "increasing noncomformity" and asked for clarification if it was to move forward.



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