Washingtonville's is Getting A New Chance To Save Its Southern Gateway
- ejreporter
- 2 hours ago
- 10 min read
Entrance to the Village of Washingtonville at the Intersection
of Route 208 and Woodcock Mountain Road, called its "Southern Gateway"
at the border of the Village and Town of Blooming Grove
Editorial
There is no guarantee that the development design that the Village comes up with for the 150-acres of Casazza Farm Property will be accepted, there is a huge step in the negotiations after years of trying to negotiate an agreement on what to do with the vast stretch of farmland that is an iconic entry to the Village, Mr. Casazza is looking for sample layout solutions from the Village Board and Planner. Critical to many is the opportunity to be able to really protect the magnificent view of the horizon with Woodcock Mountain, and still have adequate space for some housing and business so that the Casazza family receives a fair profit for their generations of tending the land.
After over 2 years of developing its new Comprehensive Plan, the final version retained a large overlay to protect the view, and kept the vast majority restricted to Agriculture or Agricultural Business. Some space allowed for a handful of new businesses. This is what the vast majority of residents said they wanted for that part of the Village's future during several large public assemblies on the matter. Some also put stickers on the final map, wanting a Community Center and Affordable Housing in the way of some single-family houses and Senior and/or Veteran resident homes/townhouses or condominiums.
At numerous interactive public sessions, the residents made quite clear what
their preferences were about any change of zoning for the Casazza Farmland -
"Space for the Arts, No obstruction of Woodcock Mt. View, Activity/Community Center, Walkways, Community Gardens, Bike Path, Possible Swimming Pool, Pagoda for Festivals, Single Family Houses similar to styles that exist, Wellness Center, Affordable housing for Vets & Seniors, but no tiny cookie-cutter units, Small Shops - no Big Buildings"
The issue for the Casazza family is that it is difficult if not impossible to make a deal with a single developer with such variety of different uses, and still protect it as Agricultural and with a large Protected View.... unless a Developer can be found who is interested in the whole picture. And that is what the family wants.... to divest its land as a whole to a single developer. However, any developer wants to see at least a draft sample layout. Jim Casazza and his attorney, John Capello of Jacobowitz and Gubits made their case to the board several times suggesting that after all those years of ownership they had a right to develop it with an R10 housing overlay, and Capello adding that "Its a kind of TAKING" not to allow them to earn maximum profit, adding that you can't make money in Agriculture these days, and that housing would be the next logical expansion of a village of the size and density of Washingtonville. Actually, the case that Agricultural land cannot make much money these days is not the true, given the Mid-Hudson Region's love for Breweries, Cideries, Eco-Ag Education, 4H and Cornell Extension Activities, Farm to Table businesses, Equestrian Businesses, Petting Zoos, Hay Rides and Plowing Demonstrations, Driving Lessons, Orchards, Farmer's Markets, Community Gardens, Festivals et al., as shown in New York State Documents showing earnings of BILLIONS of dollars of earnings in each of the past several years. And former claims of the benefits of tax dollars gained by housing projects have numerous times been shown to be extremely overestimated because of the related costs of schooling, busing, police, fire protection and the plethora of other support services required for the number of individuals in a housing development, not to mention traffic nightmares and road repairs on roads already overburdened.
But then there is the uproar these days for "Affordable Housing", many officials calling it an Emergency. But there are thousands of residents who chose the Village of Washingtonville specifically to live in because of its country and historic nature, and spent much of their entire lives and family finances expecting it to stay that way. Would not eliminating the very nature of the community also be a "Taking". Notes on the Comprehensive Plan clearly show that they do not want a lot of housing covering those fields, and residents have seen enough of recent extremely dense housing developments to know that once the 150 acres is sold as a whole it could be turned over to a different developer with very different goals, and at best land in court for years. New York attempted to require percentages of affordable housing growth 2 years ago, but with New York being a "Home Rule" state, and its legislature listening to its residents, the mandate was not deemed legal. The Village of Washingtonville and Town of Blooming Grove have been known for over a Century as places that people go to visit "the Country and its beautiful scenic views". Blooming Grove and Washingtonville's identities are at risk and if their views and historioc native species and wildlfie are decimated, and that too would be a "taking" of our communities' and residents' biggest environmental and health benefits and loss of families' financial home values.
Two posters were shown at the Village public sessions of potential building designs for the Center of the Village businesses (not related to the Casazza Farm) and one showing potential housing styles with request for residents to tag which they prefer. Residents chose single-familyhousing designs similar the ones that currently exist, and a limited number of 2-story rental or condo's similar to those across from Brotherhood Plaza. Residents agreed that the area closest to the Village Center and adjacent to the new Schunnemunk Rail Trail would be the best area for any housing.
Single-family two-story homes on the top, similar to those currently
existing were the top choice.
Orange County Planning Map (below), showing where the new Trail is coming along the edge of the Casazza Farm property is just to the right of the South Strteet. With its proximity to the higher density in the Village Center it could become an ideal Agricultural Parkland Complex, with some housing off to the left side, per Smart Planning Concepts. And this property is the only potential space remaining in the Village that could develop as a large Community Park. It is worth noting that property on the other side of Route 208 is available and could be suitable for several units of housing (with a zoning change).
The red lines are the new Schunnemunk Rail Trail as it is and will be completed through the Village and to the Moodna Trestle. the wavy brownish line is the Moodna Creek. The bottom left quadrant and progressing upward to the Trail is the Casazza Family Farm.
While the Lower Mid-Hudson Valley, and especially Orange County, was highly respected during the past recent decades for its skill in using Smart Planning techniques, with housing bordering municipalities and walkable to jobs and also including parkland for both physical and mental health, it seems that the "Affordability Crisis" has at least led some planners to throwing that concept out the window. And ignoring increasing population density that brings other issues, like outrageous utility bills, illness and poverty and more frequent crime. Has everyone already forgotten during the COVID Pandemic that it was high density population areas that fared the worst ... bodies piled up on the streets of New York because that was the only place left to put them?
And so, Jim Casazza made a plea to hold meetings with the Village Planning Board to talk about the future development's design, "and come up with something that we both can be proud of." Builders don't usually get to meet with the Planning Board unless they have a visual plan ready, but they were permitted to do so, Mr. Casazza emphasizing that they did not think they could attract a developer without some kind of approvable plan, and their current concept (with a very large R10 housing overlay) is not approvable with the new Comprehensive Plan zoning which retains an AB (Agriculture-Business) zoning code. .
After several meetings with Jim Casazza requesting a change to a large R10 Zoning (housing) overlay, the Planning Board sent a memo back to the Village Board with the recommendation that the majority of the property should stay as zoned in the Comprehensive Plan, but perhaps a limited area could be detailed as R10, or a clearly restricted area that would receive a housing area variance.
At their last Village Board Meeting, negotiations between the Board and Jim Casazza at first seemed at the same lack of progress, with his attorney, John Cappello repeating his argument that a Village of this size should do what most such villages do, and expand housing and density. And so, what about Goshen and its huge and well-placed Salesian Park right in the Village. And what about Chester which is renovating the former Camp LaGuardia land to be 258 acres of County Parkland. Should they be required to instead fill those acres with affordable housing units. (Oh wait, that was already decided in court 10 years ago with a court decision saying that a municipality could not be required to build specific housing just because a group of people said they need it).
Washingtonville area residents have a very different Vision of what their
community could see ahead, retaining their historic look and welcoming a whole new community of Hiking Advocates and Tourists, in line with Orange
County's Parks Program, which includes the new County Park in Chester and Trails all the way through Blooming Grove and Washingtonville to Salisbury
Mills. And there is no reason the Casazza farmland could not include some housing.... perhaps for young couples or seniors who would love access to the new Trail.
County officials are "at the ready" to bring the trail through the Town of Blooming Grove and Village of Washingtonville to Salisbury Mills.
The new Schunnemunk Meadows and Moodna Creek loops at the Moodna Trestle, about 5 miles just Northeast of Washingtonville.
Blooming Grove Councilwoman Johanna Kiernan taking a Spring walk last year on the existing portion of the Schunnemunk Rail Trail behind Mays Field (adjacent to Fulton Square and the Village Center.) Historic Bridge #1 can be seen in the upper left corner.
These Trails currently being built have the opportunity to dramatically increase
local environmental enthusiasts and hikers on the new Schunnemunk Rail Trail loops and Heritage Trail, which by the way are being connected to the famous Appalachian Trail. This could obviously open up even more environmental Tourism related opportunities both in the Village and on the Casazza Farm property.
Just when things seemed at an ultimate impasse, Jim Casazza suggested that, "Well then let's have the Village Board and Planner come up with a (or several) sample designs" that they would be willing to consider. This was like the sunshine coming out after a frigid cold. snowy and rainy Winter (sic). And so the ball is back in the Village Board's lap. They started chatting about perhaps putting some housing units along the far side of the field, in the area near where the proposed Schunnemunk Rail Trail is scheduled to be constructed.
This could indeed, with proper landscaping and buffer space, be ideal. With approval by the County there could be a crossing of the Trail to Fulton Square, within feet of the Village Center. And a walking plan and some low-lying landscaping could be included in the newly protected viewshed for both new and older residents and veterans. There might also be an opportunity for a very limited number of single-family houses on the Woodcock Mt. Road side of the field..... but that could create the additional challenge of a traffic issue in an area that is already congested between 2 and 6PM with school and commuter traffic. Housing near the Trail might be a better fit as far as traffic issues, because at least it has a South Street easement which might be an exit that could include a stoplight if needed.
Perhaps the Owner, the Village Board and Planner and Residents could benefit by discussing the best options for this site with the Open Space Institute which,
even if it doesn't have suitable grants that would be available before a suitable developer's purchase, has HUNDREDS of contacts with environmentally friendly and financially wealthy Project Developers that would be suitable for a development project that meets the Village vision. And targetted advertising promotion to environmental groups would have a much better chance for enticing that kind of project may have a better chance at finding a suitable buyer than those who see a sign on the road (150 Acres for sale).
The other remaining issue is what will be decided as far as roofing heights, both for houses and businesses, but some "small-ish" trail-friendly businesses would
likely have low roofing anyway. And roof height for other businesses not in the protected view area) could be increased a little and/or proposals could include an application for a variance.
This new puzzle, now in the hands of the Village Board and Planner Bonnie Franson, has great potential. It still could present some challenges as far as finding a willing developer, but this reporter thinks that 3 slightly different versions of a real plan with enticing drawings (and READY to be distributed) would have the potential to become an attractive and financially viable Plan that helps solve some housing needs, is attractive to the new flood of tourists the Village hopes will be visiting for the new Trail, and a way to connect this property to all the other Village resources.
The one remaining important set of code acceptable issue details is exactly what kind of limited structures will be permitted in the open space overlay....and where they would be placed to be both appealing and still not block the central view. A list of potentially acceptable suggestions would be helpful. So far a large pavillion and a low profile Community Center have been suggested. There was also some talk of a possible low profile Wellness Center, owners of which were considering its potential. And while they are determining details that will maintain the quiet country admosphere, experts should take another look at what has happend to the many codes that were passed about a decade ago that were designed for "Night-sky friendly downlit lighting" so that all of the stunning wildlife will not disappear due to the growing (and traffic- blinding) high-powered floodlights which are probably still technically illegal.
Washingtonville is extremely fortunate that Jim Casazza is willing to consider drawings for some alternative solutions by the Town Board, and Planner Bonnie Franson that could indeed find a creative middle ground and make both the Casazza Family and the entire Village proud.
By Edie Johnson
Executive Editor
Orange County Courier Journal
3/19/2025
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