Is Browns Pond at risk?
The Town of New Windsor Board Meeting opened with a public hearing last night to discuss “Local Law to Amend Chapter 300 Zoning Code – Senior Citizen Housing and Totally Affordable Senior Citizen Housing.” The proposed zoning code would have isolated an area of New Windsor land as eligible for senior housing, instead of all of New Windsor (as it is currently.) A good turnout of residents and others expressed concern about the inclusion of lands adjoining Browns Pond in this senior zoning area. Currently Browns Pond serves as a reservoir for the City of Newburgh.
Due to concerns expressed by John Platt, Superintendent of the Water Department for the City of Newburgh, Supervisor George Green moved to table the proposed resolution so there would be time to review the document and concerns expressed by Platt. Green was very upset, though, that these concerns weren’t expressed earlier.
Public Hearing: Letter from William Steidle
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Orange County Open Space Alliance speaks on Browns Pond
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John Platt, Newburgh Water Dept., speaks about Browns Pond
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Pictures reubuttal – Supervisor George Green
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Supervisor George Green rebuts a letter by William Steidle and expresses about Browns Pond that “I don’t know how viable in the future it will be as a reservoir but it will always be valuable as a natural resource.”
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Why these parcels included – Supervisor George Green
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Town of New Windsor Supervisor George Green provides a brief history of the land in the proposed amended zoning surrounding Browns Pond.
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Supervisor George Green expresses his disturbance with the City of Newburgh for providing information during a public hearing on zoning surrounding Browns Pond, a city of Newburgh reservoir.

An article in today’s Times-Herald Record about the meeting, “City objection puts housing vote on hold – New Windsor senior project is near city’s backup reservoir” by Michael Randall:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080809/COMM/808090310/-1/NEWS
[...] a zoning law affecting the reservoir of Browns Pond was tabled at the August meeting (see coverage here, “Is Browns Pond at [...]