After a brief public hearing on Monday, August 21, the Marlborough Planning Board unanimously approved a proposal to subdivide a land parcel at 467 and 474 Old Indian Road.

The division of the parcel into two lots separates a 29.05-acre parcel on the north side of Old Indian Road from a 2.33-acre parcel on the south. Applicants for the subdivision were Lynn Faurie and

Barbara Masterson, the properties’ owners.
Tracy Mackey, the sole Marlborough resident to speak at the hearing, wanted to know what use the owners have in mind for the larger parcel, which encompasses a barn. “I do know that they have a proposed contract of sale to the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, for conservation purposes,” noted Richard Brooks, surveyor for Control Point Associates of Highland.

Much of the discussion at the August 21 meeting centered on two more recent applications: an 11.7-acre, seven-lot subdivision off Route 9W; and the proposed conversion of an agricultural building at 271 Milton Turnpike into a storage facility.

The new housing development is being proposed by Mitchell Mejia of Marlboro, the parcel’s owner. It would include a new private road off Route 9W, which would end in a cul-de-sac. Access to six of those seven lots would be from the private road, which has not yet been given a name. The driveway for the seventh would be off Route 9W.

Board member James Garofalo suggested that the project’s engineer – Christopher Terrizzi of C.M. Terrizzi Engineering of Wallkill – incorporate a median at the center of the cul-de-sac to assist traffic flow. “Eventually, we will also want to see some detail on the grading [of the individual lots] plus driveways,” Garofalo added.

Fred Callo asked if the private road’s intersection with 9W could be changed to a different, less trafficked roadway – such as Lyons Lane.

“Unfortunately, the parcel is landlocked and cannot be accessed from Lyons Lane to the north,” replied Terrizzi.

While noting that the 9.72 percent grade for the private road meets the town’s 10 percent maximum for such roadways, Garofalo urged Terrizzi to discuss the project with the state Department of Transportation. Of particular concern, he said, is the sight distance where the new road would intersect with 9W.

“If the DOT wants to change the location of that road later, that will change your whole site plan,” Garofalo said.

Because the development project is in its early stages, Board Chairman Chris Brand suggested that Terrizzi address some of the Board’s concerns and get it on the schedule for an upcoming meeting. This would be prior to any application for approval from Ulster County authorities.

The Planning Board also got a first look at a project dubbed Mohegan Farms, located at 271 Milton Turnpike. Owner Steven Fruchter of Poughkeepsie wants to turn a barn-like structure once used for the cold storage of fruit into a set of storage units.
Project engineer Nadine Carney of Peak Engineering noted that the building has no water or sanitary facilities currently, and none are planned. The building would not have an on-site attendant and customers would not be in the building for any significant length of time.

“Because of that, we don’t believe water and sewer facilities would be needed,” Carney said.

While Carney’s firm outlined proposals such as the installation of access doors to the storage units, several people on the board wanted to know what the exterior of the building would ultimately look like. This would include exterior landscaping.
“We’d like to see that first,” said Brand. The Board said the plan needs to more clearly outline the facility’s provisions for entrance and exiting from Milton Turnpike, as well as parking, including handicapped spots.

Among other business, the Board scheduled a public hearing for September 18 for a two-lot subdivision at 429 Plattekill Road. The parcel’s owner, Carl Fredericks, wants to subdivide the property to enable his son to build an additional home at the site.

Part of the Fredericks’ land lies in the Town of Plattekill, but the subdivided land would be entirely within Marlborough. Prior to the public hearing, the project’s surveyor will need to provide some form of clarification from Plattekill of that parcel’s status, Brand said.

The Board also scheduled another subdivision proposal – for a three-lot subdivision on Mount Zion Road – for a September 18 public hearing. The applicants are Caroline and Steven Santini, and their plans call for a house to be built on one of the three lots.

Finally, the board approved a lot-line revision at 18 and 21 Sands Avenue in Milton. The 85 by 121-foot parcel is owned by Daniel and Maribeth King, and the lot-line revision transfers the land and a three-bay garage that sits on it to the Town of Marlborough. The land will become part of Milton’s Sands Avenue Park.