The project “Blooming Hill Farm and Under Canvas Site Plan” made an initial appearance to the New Windsor Planning Board on Wednesday, August 14. The planning board approved to circulate the project for lead agency.

The project is represented by the firm Lanc and Tully and proposes the construction of a farm-to-table restaurant, a farmstand, an event space and 77 new “glamping” sites. An associated restaurant/welcome center and parking improvements are proposed.

Glamping is defined as luxurious forms of camping and is an addition to the previous proposal submitted to the town. The site will operate as two separate entities, the farm-to-table space and the event space and glamping site. The initial proposal did not include the glamping amenities.

The project sits on two parcels, which are planned to be consolidated, a total of 304.9 acres with the rural residence district. The parcel is located off of Shaw Road in the west end of town and was once an active apple orchard, of which a majority is intended to remain. Blooming Hill Farm, which operates out of Monroe, currently seeks to move its operations to New Windsor.

The town board held an informal public hearing session in June 2022 collecting public feedback on the project which received support from the town community. The board approved in October of the same year a local code amendment with an addition to the residential zone adding agro-tourism to the permitted uses. The new 77 glamping units would be provided by Under Canvas, an upscale, outdoor hospitality company.

A 14 point comment memo from MHE Engineering notes the project will require a special use permit from the planning board. The project is planned to disturb an area within a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wetland buffer and so delineation of the wetland would be required for review by the planning board. The planning board attorney noted that changes to NYSDEC wetland regulations are coming soon.