The Town of Newburgh Planning Board declared a negative declaration and issued conditional approval for the site plan 39 North Plank Road/Proposed Starbucks on Thursday, December 21. The town board also waived the public hearing for the project and granted Architectural Review Board approval.

At the request of the planning board, the project has appeared before the town board during a workshop session with regards to the painting of the water tower according to Steve Wilson of Bohler Engineering.

The colors for the tower would be a light blue base for the tank, a dark blue which reads “Mid-Valley Mall Town of Newburgh” and finally the legs would be painted a green color. For the antennas on the tower itself, they would be painted in the same color as the tank and legs to make it more uniform.

The project seeks the construction of a 2,600 square foot Starbucks storefront to be built adjacent to the KFC storefront. Outdoor seating, two ordering lanes for customers, new landscaping and additional sidewalks have been included on the site plan. The applicant will also need to review the placement of an additional hydrant on the site and requested from the planning board that several plantings be removed so as to maintain visibility of the other mall businesses which the planning board agreed with.

For conditional approval, Planning Board Attorney Dominic Cordisco noted the painting time frame for the water tower which would be in the summer of 2024, securities will be required for landscaping and sidewalks, which would need to be completed within a year of the issuing of a certificate of occupancy by the town. Department of Transportation and Orange County Health Department permits would also be required for the project.