The Town of New Windsor Planning Board hosted a public hearing on Wednesday, March 22, for the public to offer comments, raise objections or ask questions on a proposed beer garden and additional storefronts. No comments were made during the public hearing.

The current site where the proposed project would be built is where a former Hess gas station and other retail was located. The gas station has since closed and the retail spaces have remained unused. Day Stokosa Engineering P.C. have proposed the demolition and merger of the former Hess gas station along with the existing retail spaces, identified as 420 and 422 Windsor Highway. The proposed site is adjacent to the Walgreens storefront.

Renderings of the site included a proposed beer garden and additional storefronts totaling 5,600 square feet. The site would feature according to previous plan submissions a one-way entrance and exit, new site lighting, a newly proposed water connection to the site, new green spaces with landscaping and new sidewalks and curbing. The previous renderings shared to the planning board have not been amended and would remain the same upon completion of the project. The applicant had already Zoning Board of Appeals variances. For now, no new plans have been submitted as the project engineer was awaiting feedback from the Department of Transportation that would be addressed the following day.

MHE Engineering comments again listed that the proposed project is located in the town’s highway commercial (HC) zoning district and restaurant and ritual usage was allowed per the town code.

The applicant requested an update on the referral to Orange County which would be provided with a copy from the planning board. The project was also circulated to the Town of New Windsor’s Sewer and Water Department to which another update was requested. MHE Engineering would inquire and touch base with the applicant at a later date.