Representatives from the Woodland Pond at New Paltz senior living center came before the Village of New Paltz Planning Board last week to revisit the idea of adding three cottages to their complex in an effort to meet demand.
The application has been before the Planning Board before, most recently in September of last year. Woodland Pond is seeking approval for a special-use permit to build three single-story duplex cottages, each containing four bedrooms.
“We’re full basically with waiting lists everywhere,” said Michelle Gramoglia, president and CEO of Woodland Pond.
Gramoglia said that opportunities for expansion on the property just off North Putt Corners Road are limited due to some undeveloped areas including a conservation easement or federally protected wetlands. Woodland Pond has been working on the project with Poughkeepsie-based engineering firm the Chazen Companies, which recently changed its name to LaBella Associates.
“Our opportunities for expansion are very limited,” said Gramoglia. “Our wait lists are primarily tilted towards our freestanding units, or our cottages, of which we have the fewest of all of our units…They have the most extensive waiting list, many, many years.”
The Woodland Pond campus currently has 12 duplexes with a total of 24 units serving 350 residents. According to Gramoglia, the new cottages would serve around 12 additional residents.
The plans show the new units would be modeled mostly after the existing buildings, which have been there since Woodland Pond opened 12 years ago.
“Other than minor modifications within the buildings to have more functional floor space, our goal is to make them look like they should have been there right from the beginning,” said Gramoglia.
The new units would also be able to connect to existing water and sewer utilities, minimizing the need for more invasive changes.
At their virtual meeting on Tuesday, February 15, the Planning Board confirmed the project would be an unlisted action under SEQRA (New York State Environmental Quality Review Act) and voted to refer the application to the Ulster County Planning Board. But they also had issues they say still need to be addressed.
One of the issues covered by Attorney Rick Golden was that county records show the listed owner of the property is the Kingston Regional Senior Living Corporation. Gramoglia said Woodland Pond had become a standalone organization in 2016 and would ensure the records are updated with the county.
Another concern was that the application identified the property as being healthcare residential, a zoning classification not recognized in Village code. Gramoglia said it was actually life care/continuing care, which is in the code and would ensure that was reflected in an amended application.
Ultimately, Planning Board members appeared to favor the project, pending the clarification of minor issues on the application. But Golden said those issues had to be correctly addressed.
“This puts forth various standards that this board has to take into account in saying yes or no, you’ve met those standards or you haven’t met those standards,” Golden said. “And right now it it’s rather conclusory, you’re saying that you simply met them basically. You have to convince the board that you’ve satisfied all these things. So explain how you’re satisfying all these things so the Planning Board can use that in analyzing it.”
Gramoglia said she expected Woodland Pond would be able to address the issues quickly in the hopes of getting the application before the Ulster County Planning Board at their meeting scheduled on Wednesday, March 2.
The next meeting of the Village of New Paltz Planning Board is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1.
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