TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Prepared for: The Town of Blooming Grove

Prepared by:

December 27, 2005 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Town Board Charles J. Bohan, Town Supervisor Gerard F. Strommer, Deputy Supervisor Frederick S. Horn, Town Councilman Brandon L. Nielsen, Town Councilman Joseph E. Zippilli, Town Councilman

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Tom Beasley Matt Carmody Tom Corl Alec K. Galli, AIA Ed Gannon Ron Jurain JoAnne Kelly Frank McCue Ted Rahon Charlie Rodstrom

AKRF, Inc. Graham Trelstad, AICP, Director of Planning Michael Marrella, AICP, Planner/Urban Designer Richard Klusek, Planner/Geographic Information Systems Jeanine Tucker, Graphic Designer Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION 1-1 A. Introduction 1-1 B. Purpose of the Comprehensive Plan 1-1 C. Relationship with Other Jurisdictions’ Policies 1-2

2. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VISION 2-1 A. Introduction 2-1 B. The Town’s Vision 2-1

3. NATURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY 3-1 A. Introduction 3-1 B. Inventory of Natural Resources 3-1 Topography and Slopes 3-1 Water and Wetlands 3-3 Soils 3-4 Flora and Fauna 3-5

4. HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES 4-1 A. Introduction 4-1 B. Narrative History of Town 4-1

5. DEMOGRAPHICS AND POPULATION 5-1

A. Introduction 5-1 B. Inventory of Demographic Information 5-1 General Population Statistics 5-1 Economic Characteristics and Employment 5-5

6. LAND USE AND COMMUNITY CHARACTER 6-1 A. Introduction 6-1 B. Inventory of Land Uses and Housing 6-1 Community Character 6-1 Existing Land Use Pattern 6-2 Analysis of Existing Land Use 6-2 Expected Growth 6-4 Housing Characteristics 6-5 Housing Needs 6-6

7. TRANSPORTATION 7-1 A. Introduction 7-1 B. Inventory 7-1 Street Network 7-1 Public Transportation System 7-5 Non-Motorized Travel 7-5

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1 Table of Contents

8. UTILITIES 8-1 A. Introduction 8-1 B. Inventory of Utility Services 8-1 Water Services 8-1 Wastewater Services 8-2

9. COMMUNITY FACILITIES 9-1 A. Introduction 9-1 B. Inventory of Community Facilities and Services 9-1 Schools 9-1 Fire Facilities 9-3 Police Services 9-4 Health Care Services and Facilities 9-4 Town Hall and Other Public Buildings, Facilities 9-4

10. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 10-1 A. Introduction 10-1 B. Goals and Objectives 10-1 Natural Resources 10-1 Historic and Cultural Resources 10-1 Demographics and Population 10-1 Land Use 10-2 Transportation 10-2 Utilities 10-3 Community Facilities 10-4

11. IMPLEMENTATION 11-1 A. Introduction 11-1 B. Implementation Actions 11-1 Natural Resources 11-1 Historic and Cultural Resources 11-2 Population Growth and Housing 11-2 Land Use and Community Character 11-3 Transportation 11-8 Utilities 11-11 Community Facilities 11-12

APPENDIX A A-1 A. Inventory of Historic, archaeological and Cultural Sites A-1 Cemeteries and burial Grounds A-4 Cultural Resources A-4 Archaeological Resources A-4 Cemeteries and burial Grounds A-5

B. Nearby Historic, Archaeological and Cultural Sites A-5 Attractions Located Outside of the Town A-5

2 Table of Contents

LIST OF FIGURES

All Figures Are Located at the End of Each Chapter 3-1 Topography 3-2 Waterbodies and Waterways 3-3 Wetlands 3-4 Floodplains 3-5 Soils 3-6 Areas of Biological Significance 6-1 Existing Land Use 6-2 Unprotected Open Space 6-3 Protected Open Space 7-1 Road Hierarchy 7-2 By-Pass studies 7-3 Traffic Problem Areas 8-1 Water Supply Districts 9-1 School District Boundaries 11-1 Rural Residential District Development 11-2 Rural Crossroads II Development 11-3 Proposed Zoning 11-4 Scenic Roadways 11-5 Scenic Viewsheds 11-6 Proposed Route 208 Realignment 11-7 Collector Road Design 11-8 Local Roads, Low Density Design 11-9 Local Roads, Mid-Density Design

3 C H A P T E R I Introduction

• Charles J. Bohan, Town Supervisor • Frederick S. Horn, Town Councilman • Brandon L. Nielsen, Town Councilman • Gerard F. Strommer, Town Councilman • Tom Beasley • Matt Carmody • Tom Corl • Alec K. Galli, AIA • Ron Jurain • JoAnne Kelly • Frank McCue • Ted Rahon • Charlie Rodstrom

Graham Trelstad, AICP, Technical Director, and Michael Marrella, Planner/Urban Designer, of the firm of AKRF, Inc., assisted in the preparation of the Comprehensive A. INTRODUCTION Plan. This Comprehensive Plan has been prepared for the Town of Blooming Grove to reflect changes to the B. PURPOSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN community’s vision and changing demographic and A Comprehensive plan serves as a general guide for land development trends since adoption of the Town’s the future physical and socioeconomic development 1994 Comprehensive Plan. This Comprehensive Plan of a municipality. It is intended as a well-considered, was prepared pursuant to Section 272-a of New York reasonable, long-range and comprehensive State Town Law and supercedes all data, analysis, development policy statement. The plan provides policy, and recommendations made in the 1994 guidance for the day-to-day administrative policies of Comprehensive Plan. This Comprehensive Plan is also the municipal government and related agencies with considered a “Master Plan.” respect to planning and zoning.

In August 2003, a Comprehensive Plan Steering The adoption of the revised Comprehensive Plan for Committee was formed including members of the the Town of Blooming Grove documents the Town’s Town Board, Planning Board, and interested citizens. land use policy objectives, reflects a comprehensive The Committee met monthly to discuss topics and goal to guide the development of the Town, and issues related to the update of the Comprehensive ultimately provides the optimum living environment Plan, including community demographics, visioning, for all its residents. The Plan is intended to make the land use, housing, open space, parks and recreation, wisest use of the Town’s resources, while protecting transportation, utilities, community facilities, historic the environment and preserving the Town’s rich resources, and natural resources. All meetings were history and natural beauty. The Plan provides a scheduled and notified as public meetings and frame of reference for the Town planning and zoning members of the public were invited to attend. In activities so that it develops in an economically, January 2004, a public information workshop was aesthetically, and environmentally sensitive manner. held to discuss the initial findings with the public. The Comprehensive Plan provides the cornerstone The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee of the Town’s planning process and the framework comprises the following members: for both long-range and day-to-day policy decision-

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1-1 Chapter 1

This Comprehensive Plan is a vision for how the Town of Blooming Grove will grow and develop over the next decade or more. This Plan updates the 1994 Comprehensive Plan, and should be revisited and updated within five to ten years. The Comprehensive Plan should be a “living” document, and every year the Town Board should review the Plan and develop a specific set of goals and actions for the year, noting which goals have been met, and examining those which have not. This annual review should result in a strategic implementation plan for the upcoming year. making. It has been prepared to reflect the increased development pressure experienced within the Town over the past three decades, especially in environmentally sensitive areas.

From a planning perspective, there is little difference between a “master plan” and a “comprehensive plan.” Either term describes a document that describes a community’s vision for land development, natural resources, transportation systems, and community facilities among other issues. “Comprehensive plan” is defined in the New York State Town Law Section 272-a.2(a) as “the materials, written and/or graphic, including but not limited to maps, charts, studies, resolutions, reports and other descriptive material that C. RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER identify the goals, objectives, principles, guidelines, JURISDICTIONS’ POLICIES policies, standards, devices and instruments for the immediate and long-range protection, enhancement, VILLAGE OF WASHINGTONVILLE AND growth, and development of the town located outside the limits of any incorporated village or city.” This NEIGHBORING TOWNS Comprehensive Plan is prepared under the authority Though located within the Town of Blooming Grove, of Town Law Section 272-a. the Village of Washingtonville is a separate local government entity. However, this Plan acknowledges All land regulations (zoning, subdivision, natural that the implementation of recommendations of resource protection) must be “in accordance with this plan may affect the Village of Washingtonville. a comprehensive plan” (Town Law Section 263). Similarly, implementing the recommendations Consequently, the policies articulated in this plan contained within the Town of Blooming Grove’s serve as the basis for future revisions of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan may affect surrounding Towns, land use regulations. In addition, the law requires including Hamptonburgh, New Windsor, Cornwall, that capital projects of other government agencies Woodbury, Chester and Goshen. The Town of on land included in the adopted comprehensive plan Blooming Grove seeks to be a good neighbor and must take the Plan into consideration. As a result, ensure that future development within the Town this Plan not only helps the Town of Blooming Grove does not overburden neighboring municipalities. develop its own programs, but it enables the Town The Town has developed its Comprehensive Plan to help shape the capital programs of other units of with that goal in mind. government acting within its borders.

1-2 Introduction

Portions of the Town of Blooming Grove are identified by the County as Priority Growth Areas, defined as general areas of preference for future development of infrastructure and services. These areas include the land west of the Schunnemunk Ridge and east of Route 94. The Village of Washingtonville is identified as a Community Center, an area with a central business district, a mix of civic, community, and cultural facilities, and a variety of housing types and densities.

In 2004, the Orange County Department of Planning completed a County Open Space Plan that documents existing resources, defines future open space needs, and makes recommendations for actions to ensure future open space protection. The Plan focuses on farmland protection and better management of development patterns. The Plan identied land within the Town as environmentally sensitive and recommended that that such lands be preserved.

The concepts espoused in the County Plan and Open Space Plan represent fundamentally prudent planning principles and it is the objective of the Town SCHOOL DISTRICTS of Blooming Grove’s Comprehensive Plan to adhere Under New York State law, local municipalities and to these principles. local school boards are separate political entities. As such, this Comprehensive Plan focuses on the Town’s STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT development policies, while acknowledging that This Plan shall be used to document the Town’s these policies, and in turn, future development within desires related to, and guide the provision by state the Town, are likely to influence the School Districts. and federal agencies of, transportation funding This Comprehensive Plan examines the School and design, school funding and construction, open District’s published plans and discusses how best to space acquisition, and natural resource protection. achieve mutually beneficial goals. This document shall in no way undermine the State and Federal Governments’ funding or regulatory COUNTY authority. In 2001, Orange County updated the County Plan and in January 2003 completed an addendum entitled “Strategies for Quality Communities in the 21st Century” that discussed development patterns, utilizing the “urban-rural” concept of the previous County plans. This concept encourages development in and around existing built-up areas. The Plan also describes various “Smart Growth” techniques, outlining specific strategies focusing on open space, housing, economic development, transportation, and utilities.

1-3 CHAPTE R 2 Comprehensive Plan Vision

A. INTRODUCTION B. THE TOWN’S VISION This chapter discusses the Town’s Comprehensive Plan The town’s overall vision is captured by the following Vision. To create the Town’s Vision, the Comprehensive statement: Plan Steering Committee photographed areas and sites within the Town that help define the Town’s “The Town seeks to retain its rural character by character and/or are considered problem areas. directing commercial development in appropriate Committee members took photographs of many locations and providing a broad range of housing of the Town’s natural and built elements as well as options.” structures, features, or architecture that are appealing and spoke of how the rolling hills, open fields, wooded The Town’s Vision is further clarified, as it relates to hillsides, rambling streams, and placid lakes define Natural Resources, Historic and Cultural Resources, the Town character. In contrast, committee members Demographics and Population, Land Use, also took photographs of other elements with which Transportation, Utilities, and Community Facilities. they were displeased, including newer residential developments, the loss of open space, commercial- strip development, and numerous traffic problem NATURAL RESOURCES areas. From this exercise, the Comprehensive Plan The Town seeks to protect open space. Steering Committee was able to define the Town’s existing multi-faceted character, which led to a The Town seeks to protect scenic vistas, characteristic discussion of the Town’s Vision. of the local area.

The Town’s vision statements were developed through The Town seeks to protect existing natural facilitated discussion with the Comprehensive Plan resources. Steering Committee and attempt to describe the assets of the community and how the Town intends The Town seeks to protect rare species and rare to protect those assets. ecosystem types.

HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES The Town of Blooming Grove will strive to recognize, preserve, protect, and celebrate its rich culture and history.

The Town of Blooming Grove will strive to recognize, preserve, protect, and celebrate its existing cultural resources.

DEMOGRAPHICS AND POPULATION The Town actively seeks to encourage a diverse population.

The Town seeks to ensure that community services are not overburdened.

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2-1 Chapter 2

The Town seeks to provide incentives to encourage new or existing agricultural uses.

TRANSPORTATION The Town seeks to preserve the essential character and scale of existing roads while adapting the roads to ensure safety and safe traffic flow.

The Town seeks to encourage the use of streets as public space.

The Town seeks to limit road improvements to specifically target only necessary enhancements of traffic safety. LAND USE The Town seeks limited new commercial uses to The Town seeks roads built in a manner appropriate increase the tax base and provide employment, its rural location. though such uses should not over burden the existing infrastructure. The Town views transportation as vital infrastructure for the community character and economic The Town desires new commercial uses that conform development. to the Town’s rural image. The Town seeks that infrastructure improvements The Town seeks to encourage limited new regional- should not alter the character of the Town. destination office, or commercial establishments in The Town seeks to improve alternative means of appropriate locations along Route 17M that do not transportation, including improvements to mass harm the quality of life in the Town. transit and non-motorized travel.

The Town seeks to balance its growth with the preservation of its rural character and natural environment.

The Town desires that development should be located where infrastructure is, or can be, provided.

The Town desires that new commercial development should occur in a location and design appropriate to its rural setting.

The Town seeks that development should occur in a manner that encourages a sense of town-wide community.

The Town seeks to preserve a diverse stock of housing.

The Town seeks that the design of housing, regardless of price, should be consistent with the Town’s rural character.

2-2 Comprehensive Plan Vision

The Town intends to coordinate with Orange County and New York State in the design of road improvements or new roads.

UTILITIES The Town seeks that development should be located where utilities are, or can be, provided.

The Town seeks that the utilities are not overburdened by development.

The Town seeks to actively encourage a reduction of water and electricity useage and wastewater production.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES The Town’s Community Facilities should be sources of local pride.

The school system should provide superior educational experiences to all students.

2-3 C H A P T E R 3 Natural Resources Inventory

A. INTRODUCTION The Town’s natural environment defines the character especially as the Town’s remaining open spaces of Blooming Grove more significantly than the Town’s and undeveloped lands are considered for potential built environment. development. Protecting natural resources and protecting community character go hand in hand. Residents of Blooming Grove can identify with the rolling topography, steep ridges, and open fields; the This chapter inventories and analyzes the Town’s streams and reservoirs; and the broad vistas available Natural Resources. Specific recommendations with from many local roads. The quality of this landscape respect to natural resource protection are included in is important to the residents of Blooming Grove for Part III of this Plan. many reasons: it provides quality-of-life, it provides clean drinking water and clean air, and it provides a B. INVENTORY OF NATURAL RESOURCES character that makes Blooming Grove distinct from TOPOGRAPHY AND SLOPES other communities in Orange County. Protecting the Blooming Grove’s topography is perhaps its most Town’s natural resources is a significant consideration defining feature. The presence of Schunemunk in the Town’s Master Plan. Mountain in the east can be felt from many sections of the Town. Long distance views of the ridge frame As concern for environmental quality, and the impact vistas of open fields, lakes and streams, and forested that new development has on the environment, bottom lands. Within the Town, other local features has increased over the last decade, especially with such as Round Hill, Woodcock Mountain, Bull Mine respect to wetland and water quality issues, new Mountain are easily recognized and are so reflected in regulatory and planning tools have been introduced street names or place names. The Town’s topography at multiple levels of government. Local laws and is depicted in Figure 3-1. Master Plan policies should be coordinated with the evolving practice of environmental protection to The uneven topography in Blooming Grove is ensure a unified approach to protecting the Town’s characteristic of other areas in the Hudson Highlands natural resources. Coordinating protection efforts which have been formed over tens of thousands serves the Town’s interests by ensuring that the Town of years by geologic uprisings, glacial scouring, has the first opportunity to protect its own resources; and subsequent erosion by wind and water. The topography in the Town can be divided into four physiographic areas:

• The western half of the Town is characterized by generally hilly topography with approximate elevations ranging between 400 and 500 feet above sea level. Several small areas within this part of the Town have elevations of up to 700 feet;

• The area located just east and west of Clove Road extending from the north near the Cornwall Town border, to the south near the Monroe Town border is characterized by many hills with general elevations ranging between 400 and 850 feet. These hills form a chain extending from the northeastern to the southern part of the Town;

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 3-1 Chapter 3

The topography or terrain of the Town constrains where new development can occur. Much of the continued attraction of Blooming Grove and similar towns is a result of the attractive views of the wooded hills. If development were to occur on the hillsides, the development would likely give the impression of more extensive development than, in fact, had occurred, given the high visibility of the Town’s hillsides. Judicious development could occur on the hillsides if such development is sufficiently screened from view, maintaining the open, rural character of the land. It is difficult to develop large residential subdivisions on slopes in excess of 15 percent because of the • Schunemunk Mountain forms the eastern border of infeasibility of constructing roads whose grades the Town with the Town of Woodbury. The ridgeline, exceed 15 percent and the lack of suitable areas for which is visible from many areas of the Town, ranges septic systems. While it is possible to build homes on in elevation from 900 to 1,600 feet above sea level; slopes up to 30 percent, it is difficult to build the roads and septic systems to service them and excessive • The eastern half of the Town, located between erosion may result from such development. Schunemunk Mountain and Clove Road is slightly hilly near Clove Road with elevations around 400 feet, By the same reasoning, slopes between 10 percent becoming steep in nature, up to 900 feet, approaching and 15 percent can be used for both residential and Schunemunk Mountain. commercial development but are more conducive to residential development since commercial Schunemunk Mountain which forms a western development would require extensive regrading of boundary for the Hudson Highlands, is the central the land to produce more level contours. Slopes from element of a larger 2,458-acre area designated as 5 percent to 9 percent are generally preferred for both the State’s 163rd State Park in March 2001. The types of development while slopes under 5 percent Orange County Open Space Plan of 2004 describes are generally sought for commercial development. Schunemunk Mountain as a biological diversity hotspot for its high concentration of rare or critical WATER AND WETLANDS plant and animal species. In addition, the area Lands located between the ridges and hills and along from Schunemunk Ridge to Stewart State Forest the valley bottoms are occupied by streams, creeks, is designated as a Potential Wildlife Corridor. The rivers, ponds, lakes, and wetlands. These features, Schunemunk Mountain State Park includes deciduous much like the topographic features discussed above, hardwoods, scrub and pitch pine, an understory of help define the Town’s rural character. blueberry, and one of the most extensive stands of mountain laurel in the area. The eight-mile long and Surface Water three-mile wide ridge is geologically distinct from the There are numerous streams, creeks, and lakes in the Hudson Highlands to the east. The sandstones and Town that form divides between the physiographic shales on Schunemunk are capped by an iron-rich areas noted above. The surface water bodies are conglomerate which is, itself, a remnant of erosion displayed in Figure 3-2. Of the several lakes in Town, from the Taconic Highlands. The name Schunemunk Tomahawk Lake is by far the largest at approximately (pronounced “shun-uh-munk”) is an indigenous word 170 acres. This lake drains north into Cromline Creek that means “excellent fireplace” in the Algonquin and then into Moodna Creek. According to Orange tongue of the Leni Lenape (Delaware) tribe that County’s Open Space Plan, the Moodna Creek, originally inhabited the area. from Orrs Mills to its confluence with the Hudson,

3-2 Natural Resources Inventory is a selected priority watershed, designated as an In a study prepared by the Orange County Water “irreplaceable significant coastal fish and wildlife Authority in 1994, the Town’s water supply far habitat” by the New York State Coastal Management exceeds the current demands placed on it. According Program. Beaverdam Lake is located in the northeast to the study, the projected water demand for the corner of the Town. Beaver Dam is approximately Town of Blooming Grove (including the Village of 162 acres in size, is lined by residential development Washingtonville) in 2020 is 0.626 millions of gallons predominantly on the eastern side and is used per day (mgd.) In 1994, the capacity of the Mountain for active recreation. Orange and Rockland Lakes, Lodge, Orange and Rockland, Orchard Lake and Lake which straddle Route 17 and the Town of Monroe, Anne Wells had a maximum yield capacity of 1.312 are approximately 54 acres and are used for active mgd. As such, the capacity exceeds the expected recreation including swimming and water skiing. demand. However, while groundwater quantity Other lakes include Korby Lake (approximately 8 may be sufficient, it is not necessarily available in all acres), Hildegard Lake (approximately 13 acres), and locations equally. Further testing may be necessary Merriewold Lake (approximately 9 acres). to ensure that future developments are able to gain Within the central portion of Town, several unnamed adequate water supplies without harming others. streams drain north toward Moodna Creek and into The water quality of the Town’s groundwater several large wetland areas. Perry Creek drains the supplies is in general good though several known areas between Woodcock Mountain and Mountain and potential sources of groundwater contamination Lodge Park west and north into Moodna Creek. are present throughout the Town, according to the Satterly Creek drains a large wetland area near Route Orange County Water Authority study. 94 east toward Moodna Creek. Wetlands Groundwater Wetland areas greater than 12.4 acres are mapped The Town’s subsurface geology creates pockets and regulated by the New York State Department of of groundwater which can be tapped for drinking Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The United supply for both private and community wells. Both States Army Corps of Engineers regulates smaller the quantity and quality of the Town’s groundwater wetlands under the Clean Water Act and the National is of utmost concern to the Town. Wetlands Inventory (NWI) maps identify many areas that may be regulated by the Army Corps.

3-3 Chapter 3

There are eighteen NYSDEC designated wetlands According to the Orange County Soil Survey, the in Blooming Grove. The largest wetland (MO-3), is Town of Blooming Grove consists of four primary soil located west of Route 51 and north of Route 17, associations: the Mardin-Erie complex; the Nassau- extending into the Town of Chester. Approximately Bath-Rock outcrop complex; the Hossic-Mardin- 120 acres of this wetland are located within Blooming Canadaigua complex; and the Arnot-Swartswood- Grove. The remainder of the wetlands in the Town is Hollis complex. The Town’s soils are depicted in less than sixty (60) acres in size. They are generally Figure 3-5. scattered throughout the Town, west of Clove Road, with the majority in the western half of the Town. The The majority of the Blooming Grove soils impose location of NYSDEC and National Wetlands Inventory severe restrictions to development. These areas have wetlands are shown in Figure 3-3. a combination of soil characteristics such as stoniness, Similarly, floodplains, which often coincide with steep slope, slow permeability, shallow depth to wetlands, must be protected. The Federal Emergency bedrock and /or seasonal high water table which Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for limit the extent to which the land can be used. All of mapping floodplains and have shown six 100-year these characteristics inhibit the function of a septic floodplains within the Town. The largest coincides system, an extremely important factor in a town such with Tomahawk Lake, Lake Hildegard, Toro Hill Pond, as Blooming Grove, which depends upon the use of Merriewold Lake and includes the Cromline, Otterkill, septic systems rather than a community sewer system. Satterly and Tappen Creek basins. An additional 100- The constraints do not prevent the use of land for year floodplain includes the Moodna Creek basin development, but do require careful consideration in located east of Washingtonville. The remaining design, layout and density of development. floodplains are relatively small and/or coincide with designated wetlands. Floodplains are shown in Figure Due to the complex nature of Blooming Grove’s 3-4. soils, it is difficult to make generalizations in regard to soil properties within certain areas of the Town; SOILS however some basic observations can be made. Soils The Town’s soils characteristics are important formed by steep slopes or by the presence of bedrock development and conservation information, as outcroppings are widely dispersed throughout the they determine vegetation, wildlife, surface and Town, but are generally found in upland areas such groundwater resources, and development potential. as Schunnemunk Mountain. Soils within the Town New development is particularly constrained by that are generally unsuitable for development due to shallow soils (shallow depth to bedrock) and poor or poor permeability, ponding, or flooding, are located slow permeability. primarily in lowland plains and in valleys. The area

3-4 Natural Resources Inventory south of Route 94 and along the western border of nature of the information regarding threatened the Town is characteristic of these traits. As noted or endangered species and ecosystems, the exact previously, many of the soils within the Town are locations cannot be divulged. However, many of the characterized by properties which may inhibit the threatened or endangered species are found along overall development potential of a given site. Schunnemunk Mountain.

Table 3-1 summarizes the geographic coverage of Table 3-2 identifies the threatened or endangered soils in Blooming Grove by Hydrologic Soil Group – an species identified by the Natural Heritage Program as indicator of a soil’s suitability for development. Table occurring in or around the Town of Blooming Grove. 3-1 also indicates the amount of soil in Blooming Grove that may have hydric properties. ORANGE COUNTY OPEN SPACE PLAN The Orange County Department of Planning has FLORA AND FAUNA updated the County’s Open Space Plan and identified The Town of Blooming Grove is home to many lands within the Town of Blooming Grove as having species of wildlife. According to the New York State high levels of biological value for its species of animals, Department of Environmental Conservation Natural plants and natural ecosystems. Moreover, the Moodna Heritage Program, several plants, animals and Creek is listed as a Priority Aquatic System due to ecosystems located within the Town are threatened its unique biotic and abiotic components and its or endangered. As such, future development must ecosystem health. The Areas of Biological Significance occur in a manner which protects these threatened Map is included in this Plan as Figure 3-6. or endangered species and places. Given the sensitive

3-5 Chapter 3

The shaded regions on this map represent areas where both 1) biological surveys have been calculated and 2) rare species or significant ecological communities have been found. Shaded regions represent the habitat of these rare species or, if habitat information was not known, a conservative estimate for the area/ habitat needed for species survival. Darker grey areas generally have more occurrences of rare species or significant ecological communities than lighter grey area. The Moodna Creek corridor (shown as a 100m shaded buffer on either side of the waterway) was recognized in the 2004 Orange County Open Space Plan as being of countrywide importance for plant communities. The Moodna Creek was also recognized as being a Priority Aquatic System due to the uniqueness of its geology, biology, morphology, geography, and watershed.

As stated in a draft of the plan, the presence of uncertain perimeters during the formation of the plan as well as limited amount of biological data available reiterates the need for on-site inventory. The Town should continue to work closely with Orange County to study and protect the Town’s natural resources.

3-6 C H A P T E R 4 Historic and Cultural Resources

Later in 1614, The Netherland Company was formed to create a monopoly on fur trade in North America. Only six years later, the Dutch government formed a stock company in an attempt to control American trade. In 1664, however, the Dutch colony, which included New Amsterdam, was claimed by James, the Duke of York and became what is now known as New York. Twenty years hence Colonel Patrick Mac Gregorei was granted the right to purchase the land from the native Indians and settled at the mouth of the Moodna Creek (previously named Murderer’s Creek).

Thomas Dongan, the appointed Governor of the A. INTRODUCTION Province created New York, Kings, Queens, Soffolk, The Town’s history, principally revealed in specific Richmond, Westchester, Albany, Ulster, Orange, historic structures but also evident in the overall Dukes and Cornwall Counties. About this time Sarah arrangement of land uses, is another defining Wells preceded her adopted parents, the Denns, to element of community character. Recognition and Orange County and was said to be the first white protection of historic resources is an important woman to live in Orange County. Concurrently, Daniel function of the Town. This chapter includes a brief Cromline purchased part of the Wayayanda patent, history of Blooming Grove. An inventory of historic where William Bull constructed the Grey Court House. sites is included as an appendix. Recommendations In 1718 Sarah Wells and William Bull were married. for protecting these resources are included in Chapter William Bull built many of the historic structures 11 of this Comprehensive Plan. within Orange County. Many of the early settlers from the area played a key role in the Colonial Revolution. B. NARATIVE HISTORY OF TOWN1 Numerous roads in Blooming Grove bear the names Hundreds of years prior to Henry Hudson’s trip up of Revolutionary War heroes such as Horton, Tuthill, the Hudson River in the Half Moon, native Indians Woodull, Clinton, and others. migrated from the cooler mid-west and northwest to what is known as the Hudson Valley. These natives belonged to the Minsi part of the Lenni Lenape alliance of the Unami, the Turtle, which included the Waranawandongs, the Catskills and the Warwarsings. In 1609 when Henry Hudson arrived with his crew, they were greeted in a friendly manner by the natives sharing their corn, pumpkins, tobacco and animal skins. Heading north and realizing the Hudson River was not the sea passage to the Indies, the Half Moon sailed back down the river. After stopping at Plum Point at the mouth of the Moodna Creek the Half Moon headed back out to sea.

1Excerpts from Around the Water Trough, by Edward J. McLaughlin

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 4-1 Chapter 4

Mountains on Clove Road. He and his wife Anne Gregg had twelve children, six sons and six daughters. The Moffat clan exerted a great influence on the Town of Blooming Grove. Samuel Moffat III had five children. One of his sons, David Halliday Moffat took over managing the store Samuel Moffat III and Ed Brewster established. As the region was populated with dairy farms, David speculated in butter, shipping it in sailing sloops to merchants and warehouses in New York City. David Halliday Moffat and Catherine Gregg parented eight children, the youngest was David Halliday Moffat Jr. David Jr. followed his older brother, Samuel, to De Moines, Iowa at the age of twelve and took a job as a bank teller. His first fortune made in real estate diminished in 1859 when he met up with the Woolworth brothers in Omaha. He established the first Woolworth store in the growing village of Denver, Colorado. After marriage to Frances Buckhout of Washingtonville, David returned to Denver and became treasurer of the Denver Pacific railroad and Telegraph Company. He later sold this business to the Denver and Rio Grande for $3,100,000. David’s cousin John Newton Moffat suggested that David make a lasting gift to his hometown and David agreed. In 1887 the new Moffat Library was completed much as George Clinton, the Governor of New York for seven it appears today. While David Moffat was creating his terms and Vice President of the United Sates under empire in Colorado in the Rail Road business, the New Madison and Jefferson, was responsible for laying out York Erie broke ground in Blooming Grove in 1835. It Toleman Road between Washingtonville and New wasn’t until 1909 that the Erie Railroad’s Graham line Windsor. His son, Dewitt Clinton, served on the New constructed one of the areas most photographed York State Assembly, State Senate, and later became landmarks, the 3,200foot long, Moodna Viaduct. Mayor of New York City. He went on to serve as Governor of New York State.

On March 23, 1799, the Town of Blooming Grove was established from a section of Cornwall and as the population of the town grew so did its industry. The first paper mill in Orange County was established by James Craig at Craigville in 1790. In 1863 the mill was sold to Salisbury Mills Manufacturing Company and moved. This mill was then transferred to G.W. Severance and Company and the name changed to Arlington Mills, which now included a rag mill. Further to the south, Nathaniel Satterly established flour and saw mill using the Satterly Creek for primary power. The Alexander Hornby Grist mill at Craigville was the most famous of the local mills because it produced the HO oat brand breakfast cereal. One of Blooming Grove’s early pioneers, Samuel Moffat, left Ireland in the early eighteenth century and settled between Schunnemunk and Woodcock

4-2 Historic and Cultural Resources

The same year construction started on the railroad, John costs declined and the larger mid-west dairy farms Jaques planted his first grapevine in Washingtonville. became more cost effective, local dairy farming soon Four years later he produced his first vintage. The declined. winery was handed down to John Jaques’ sons and has changed hands many times since. Rapid growth came to Blooming Grove between 1960 and 1990 when the population within the village of Brotherhood Winery has the distinction of being the Washingtonville tripled. The population of Blooming Oldest Winery in The United States and has been Grove rose to 16,673 in 1990 and continued to climb in continuous operation for 165 years. Today this to 17,351 by the 2000 census. The majority of adults historic jewel remains a viable working winery and in Blooming Grove now commute to their work center for community events. rather than staying home to tend dairy farms, making the town much more of a bedroom community. Blooming Grove continued to grow moderately Although the jobs and commutes have changed over through the Civil War, World War I and World War II, years, the rural character of the town remains. It is the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Local memorials attest the intent of this document to support, embrace and to the brave men that fought to preserve our country preserve the rich history of the town so it remains and freedom around the globe. The greater New an embedded part of our community fabric for all to York population grew even faster and presented an know, experience and enjoy. It is imperative that we excellent market for dairy products. Blooming Grove maintain this rich history while carefully planning for had an ideal location, climate and soils for small the future. dairy farming. The industry expanded to the extent that Bordens constructed a creamery in the Village of Washingtonville. However, as transportation

4-3 CHAPTER 5 Demographics and Population

By assessing the demographics of the Town, we are able to view a snapshot of the Town’s makeup and understand the underlying trends.

Though the County and the Town have similar population densities, persons per unit, persons per family and median age, the County’s overall make up is greatly different from that of the Town. The county as a whole ranges from the dense urban centers of Newburgh and Middletown to the rural, pastoral settings of the Town of Tuxedo and Greenville. The Town of Blooming Grove represents approximately A. INTRODUCTION 4.3 percent of the County’s land area, 5.3 percent of Changing patterns of growth within the Town can the County’s housing units, and 5.4 percent of the be tracked by examining relevant demographic County’s families. trends. Comparisons between Blooming Grove and Orange County help clarify whether the Town is Population Growth part of a broad trend or whether it is experiencing In recent years there has been a population shift from unique changes. This chapter identifies changing the City of New York to the outlying regions. Orange demographic patterns that indicate how the Town is County and the Town of Blooming Grove have been, likely to change in the future. and will continue to be, among the areas of population relocation and growth. Proximity to New York City, B. INVENTORY OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION rail and road transportation systems, and relocation GENERAL POPULATION STATISTICS of corporations into neighboring counties all have The Town of Blooming Grove has grown over the past played a role in this shift. The Town’s location within several decades, but not at the explosive growth rate the triangle formed by major expressways (Interstate experienced by some neighboring towns. Moreover, 84, the New York State Thruway, and New York Route the Town is increasingly more diverse, both ethnically 17) enhances accessibility to the entire region. and economically.

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 5-1 Chapter 5

The Town experienced significant growth in the options as a means of attracting and retaining its 1980s, growing at a rate faster than the County as a young population. whole. However, growth in the Town slowed during the 1990s, below the growth rate of the county. Interestingly, the age trends also show higher This slowed growth rate is difficult to assess as percentages of children between the ages of 5 and 19 surrounding towns, including Monroe, Woodbury, in 2000 and significantly lower percentages of young and Hamptonburgh all grew at rates above the adults between 20 and 34 when compared to 1990. County average between 1990 and 2000. In addition to shifting age cohorts, not all households It is possible that Blooming Grove’s relative distance fall into the category of a traditional family. As seen from the metropolitan area (compared to the slightly in Table 5-4, 7.1 percent of all households in Blooming more accessible Woodbury and Monroe) could Grove are headed by a single parent, similar to the explain the difference in growth rates. However, given county’s average of 8.9 percent. that much of the desirable lands in many of the towns south and east of Blooming Grove are already built upon, it is likely that Blooming Grove will experience Race and Ethnicity increased growth in the near future. Though largely homogeneous, Blooming Grove is increasingly diverse, beginning to reflect the County Age as a whole. See Table 5-5 Reflecting national trends, the Town’s population is growing older. This is particularly important given that The 2000 Census indicates that 84.4 percent of the a large percentage of the Town’s population consists Town’s residents were white, 8.9 percent were Hispanic, of baby-boomers, who are quickly approaching and 3.4 percent black. By comparison, the 1990 Census retirement. indicates that of the 16,673 people in Blooming Grove, 87.4 percent were white, 5.6 percent were Hispanic, Table 5-3 indicates the shifting demographics in the 5.5 percent were black, and the remaining 1.5 percent Town. As the population ages, housing opportunities were various ethnic backgrounds. This suggests that for empty-nesters or retired individuals need to be the Town is becoming more diverse, approaching the provided. Thus, the Town can expect a change in the overall ethnic make-up of the County. real estate market. While it is unlikely that the demand for single-family homes will likely be adversely Tenure in the Community affected by these changes, since much of that market Though Blooming Grove experienced significant is driven by forces outside Blooming Grove, the Town growth pressure during the 1980s and 1990s, the will have to consider how to incorporate empty tenure (the length of time people live in the Town) nesters, retirement communities, and assisted-living of those residents living in the Town indicates that, facilities into its land use pattern. Simultaneously, despite the growth, many of the residents have lived the Town may need to consider zoning and other within the same house for more than five years. measures to encourage a complete range of housing

5-2 Demographics and Population

5-3 Chapter 5

Tenure in the community can be seen as a proxy for As shown in Table 5-9, the largest percentage general satisfaction with life in the Town. For instance, of Town residents is employed in management, high levels of tenure suggest that life within the professional and related occupations. Similarly, many Town is amenable; whereas low tenure rates could town residents are employed in sales and office suggest that the quality-of-life and/or availability of occupations. This suggests an educated and affluent employment are unfavorable. In Blooming Grove, workforce. It is important to note that, according to the tenure rate has increased over the past decade, Census figures, no residents are employed in farming, suggesting that residents are satisfied with their fishing, and maintenance occupations. This fact is current living situation, as shown in Table 5-6. reflected in the amount of fallow farmland that is visible during a drive through Town. It is likely that on Educational Achievement the remaining active farmland, farming is not the sole The availability of skilled, educated workers is often source of income but rather a hobby. cited as a key component to the economic vitality of a region. Since 1980, the Town of Blooming Grove has seen an increased percentage of residents with Bachelor’s, Graduate, and Professional degrees, as shown in Table 5-7.

Educational achievement is an important characteristic, particularly when considering economic development opportunities within the Town. Businesses considering locating within the Town may view high levels of educational achievement as a key attribute. Should the Town desire to actively recruit businesses to locate within the Town, these figures should be showcased.

ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS AND EMPLOYMENT Income The 1980 Census reported that the median income in Blooming Grove was $22,750 per household, whereas this figure grew to $50,570 in 1990. By 2000, the median household income grew to $66,040. In 2000, there were 676 people (3.8 percent) in the Town and Village who lived below the poverty level, as shown in Table 5-8.

This distribution shows that, in 2000, approximately 60 percent of households in Blooming Grove have an income between $50,000 and $150,000 per year, suggesting the Town’s relative affluence.

Occupation As is the national trend, Blooming Grove’s economy has shifted away from farming, manufacturing, and industry to managerial, sales, and service fields. This shift is reflected in the occupations of Blooming Grove residents.

5-4 Demographics and Population

5-5 Chapter 5

Location of Work Blooming Grove is largely a bedroom community as few residents actually work within the Town. Table 5- 10 displays this pattern.

As evident from the Table 5-10, a majority of workers, 50.2%, travel out of Orange County for employment. The majority of these trips are to New York City, Westchester County, Rockland County Putnam County, Dutchess County and Northern New Jersey. According to the US Census, 12% of the Town’s residents work in Blooming Grove itself, whereas 11% of the Town’s residents commute to the borough of Manhattan. The Towns of Monroe, Woodbury, Ramapo, and Goshen each have approximately 5% of Blooming Grove’s residents traveling to the town for employment.

As a result of the great distances between home and work that many Blooming Grove residents face, large amounts of time and money are spent on transportation to and from work. Long commutations have been shown to decrease quality-of-life and increase transportation related problems (such as local and regional congestion).

5-6 Demographics and Population

Journey to Work These data show the trend that an increasing number of residents are finding alternative means of travel to work or are working from home rather than relying on their private automobile, as shown in Table 5-11. However, despite this trend, some residents are now experiencing longer commute times, as shown in Table 5-12.

The data suggest that an increasing percentage of residents are traveling greater distances to work. The data support the view that Blooming Grove is a bedroom community, in that the majority of residents work more than 20 minutes from their place of residence. Jobs located in New York City and Westchester Counties continue to attract Town residents, ultimately requiring over an hour for each trip.

5-7 C H A P T E R 6 Land Use and Community Character

As more people are choosing to live in southeastern Orange County, Blooming Grove’s community character is shifting from a rural to a more suburban community. However, the Town is committed to maintaining its overall rural quality in areas outside of the more developed residential districts. Guiding new development while retaining the Town’s scenic resources and rural quality-of-life is a goal that should guide the Town’s land use and growth decisions.

Physically, the streams and lakes and the rolling hills throughout the landscape define the character of the Town. Historically, where land flattened out from the hills and steeps slopes, the rural landscape was A. INTRODUCTION dotted with farms, small hamlets, and low-density This chapter inventories the Town’s land use patterns residential areas. By the middle of the 20th century, and overall town character. The inventory includes small bungalow communities grew up in the Town as community character, land use, housing, open space, seasonal resorts for urban residents looking to escape parks, and recreational facilities. the city and enjoy the scenic landscape. Shortly thereafter, as the post-World War II residential boom B. INVENTORY OF LAND USES AND HOUSING began to creep northward, several small mid-density COMMUNITY CHARACTER housing developments were built. Since the first The Town of Blooming Grove is a picturesque and suburban developments were built, the Town has peaceful community of nearly 40 square miles. Within experienced development pressure as homebuyers that area is a diversity of landscapes and community seek reasonably priced housing and a proximity to patterns including: rolling hills and wooded hillsides, jobs. Housing prices in Blooming Grove have lagged lakes and streams, rural settlements and suburban behind those in towns in Westchester, Putnam, and neighborhoods, and neighborhood shops and retail Rockland Counties, attracting homebuyers otherwise strips. The Village of Washingtonville, a separate priced out of those markets. political jurisdiction, is the historic center of the Town of Blooming Grove, and retains its identity as one of the centers of the Town.

Despite quick and easy access to Route 17, the Town of Blooming Grove is not a regional economic center. Nearby Woodbury and Harriman serve as regional retail destinations with the commercial centers of Woodbury Commons and Harriman Commons. However, the Town’s rural character, proximity to the highway and commuter railroad transportation systems, and an attractive housing stock has made it a desirable residential community. As a result, the Town is a major exporter of workers to jobs in Dutchess, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, and New York City.

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ANALYSIS OF EXISTING LAND USE As seen in Figure 6-1, “Existing Land Use,” and summarized in Table 6-1, Blooming Grove is primarily an area of low-density development. Despite tremendous growth pressures in the area over the past 30 years, Blooming Grove remains largely rural. The land areas discussed below are based on an analysis of the New York State Real Property Tax Office land use classification codes for each parcel. The parcel- based analysis may over-estimate existing levels of development. For example, on a 20-acre parcel on which a single-family home is built, the entire parcel is classified as single-family residential even though only a small portion of those 20 acres may be improved EXISTING LAND USE PATTERN and built-upon. However, the analysis does provide a Despite development pressures over the past half- glimpse into the overall character of the Town. century, Blooming Grove remains predominantly a rural residential community with few concentrated areas of commercial activity. Large tracts of open space remain in the town, which help define its rural character. Striking views of the pastoral fields and wooded hillsides are present throughout the Town, including the scenic vistas from Clove Road, Craigville Road, Prospect Road, Round Hill Road, and Mountain Lodge Road.

Housing within the town has been developed in small, isolated clusters. Most housing has been developed at very low densities, primarily along the existing roadways. Few new residential developments have been built in the typical “suburban” design with curvilinear roads and cul-de-sacs. As a result of minimal mid-density residential development, the Town appears largely rural. Though Approximately 18 percent (3,683 acres) of the Town’s Blooming Grove remains largely rural, the Town land area is classified as agricultural by the State Real continues to experience residential growth and new Property Tax Office. While much of this farmland sits development threatens the Town’s rural character. fallow, the agricultural land and large open fields define the Town’s rural character. An additional Within the Town, commercial development has been 32 percent (6,633 acres) of the total land remains limited. Several small strip shopping centers have undeveloped or vacant. Thus, nearly 50 percent of been developed along the Town’s busiest corridors, the Town is land that could possibly be developed, including Route 208 and Route 94. Very little office though much of the undeveloped land is constrained and manufacturing development has occurred in the by wetlands and poorly draining soils. Town. The Village of Washingtonville continues to serve as the Town’s main commercial center. Despite the large tracts of undeveloped open space in the Town which provide the rural character, very little of the open space is protected. Much of the open space in the Town is available for residential

6-2 Land Use and Community Character development. Moreover, the existing zoning and The Town contains approximately 1,193 acres of subdivision codes do little to ensure that these multi-family lots and bungalows. As a percentage of lands will be preserved. Much of the Town’s open the Town’s total land area, multi-family residential is space is currently unprotected and is threatened by less than 1 percent of the Town’s total land area (183 development. Nearly 15,000 acres in the Town, close acres). The Real Property Tax Office classifies several to 75% of the Town’s total land area, can be classified large parcels (each parcel being over several hundred as open space. If developed, the Town would lose its acres) as “bungalows” even though only a small rural character. The breakdown of the Town’s Open portion of the site (less than 10 acres) is used for such Space is seen in Table 6-2. purposes. As such, the actual total land area devoted

Figure 6-2 shows the Town’s unprotected open space. to such uses is not necessarily reflected in the amount Figure 6-3 shows the town’s protected open space. of land so classified.

Though much of the Town’s land remains open, Commercial uses total less than 2 percent (305 acres) approximately 37 percent (7,675 acres) of the town of the town. However, it is important to note that has been developed for single-family residential, as commercial uses do not require much land area, in so classified by the State Real Property Tax Office. This far as the Town’s population can be served by relatively number is exaggerated in that many of the parcels few commercial areas. Moreover, the surrounding classified as single-family residential are quite large towns and villages serve many of the commercial and only a small portion of the lot is used for the needs for Blooming Grove. Similarly, industrial dwelling. Of those properties classified as single- uses total only 22 acres within the Town. Given the family residential, the lot sizes vary greatly. As seen reasonable access to Route 17 and the large amounts in Table 6-3, many single-family lots are five acres or of land zoned for industrial uses, it is perhaps surprising greater. that so little land has been developed for industrial

6-3 Chapter 6

addition to playground equipment, these sites offer playfields for interscholastic athletic programs, little league baseball and youth soccer clubs.

EXPECTED GROWTH As is the trend in many surrounding communities, the demand for residential development is likely to remain high in coming years. Four reasons account for the continued residential growth in Blooming Grove: First, the proximity of the Town to major employment areas throughout the New York region offers flexibility to residents; Second, the transportation system exists to make those jobs accessible; Third, many of the easily developed land in other towns has already been uses. This is likely a result of industrial development developed, forcing builders to search in Blooming being lured to other surrounding towns where access Grove; and Fourth, and perhaps the most important to the Interstate is easier and the physical topography reason, is that the homes in Blooming Grove are better suits industrial development. generally more affordable than those in Westchester The Town of Blooming Grove has approximately 169 acres of land presently allocated to public recreational uses on a Town-wide basis. These sites include not only those owned by the Town itself but also those that fall under the jurisdiction of the Washingtonville Central School District as well as the State of New York. Specifically, the Town-owned parks include Mays Field (10.2 acres), William J. Brown Park (4.6 acres) and Lasser Park (50 acres). Mays Field consists of three ballfields and various playground equipment. William J. Brown Park contains a baseball field and a soccer field. Lasser Park is located on Station Road. Goose Pond Mountain Park, administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, extends into the southern portion of the Town. In addition, the Town’s residents have access County to the southeast, Putnam County to the east, to the playgrounds and ballfields associate with the and Rockland County and Northern New Jersey to the three elementary schools and the Middle school. In south.

Recent development has largely followed existing zoning. Despite the developments’ conformity with zoning, the style, density, and location of recent development remain a concern to many residents. Many residents have commented on the development of large single-family homes that are out-of-character with the existing housing stock and the loss of the town’s rural character. Moreover, residents voiced concerns that large lot tract development leads to a lack of sense of community.

The design of the recent developments and the architecture of the homes is a concern and should

6-4 Land Use and Community Character

While the number of building permits per year typically remained at approximately 30 per year between 1994 and 2001, in 2002, 86 new single family building permits were issued. Moreover, in 2003, the Town Planning Board received subdivisions applications for a total of 486 dwelling units. Should all of these projects be approved and built at the same time and an influx of new residents move to the Town, the Town’s resources would be severely overburdened.

The value of homes in Blooming Grove has decreased between 1990 and 2000, after adjusting for inflation. The 1990 Census reported that the median home value was $160,000. In 2000, the median home price be addressed in revisions to local codes that require was $166,175. Adjusting for inflation, the $160,000 in adherence to design guidelines. 1990 is equal in value to $210,000 in 2000, suggesting that the median home value actually decreased in the At some point in the future, should the Town become ten-year period. fully developed under existing regulations, the Town would likely lose its rural character. The existing Though it appears that many of the new homes being zoning regulations do little to protect open spaces, constructed in the Town are directed toward the conserve wildlife corridors, and preserve important upper end of the home-buying market, Census figures viewsheds. As such, the Town seeks to further ensure indicate that within the Town, home values are quite that development will occur in accordance with the diverse, with the large majority of the homes ranging Town’s rural character. between $150,000 and $250,000. However, these homes are not necessarily for sale, but are rather the HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS existing housing stock which remains occupied. Blooming Grove contains a diverse stock of housing, ranging from small apartments and condominiums As is the trend across the country, newly constructed to large single-family houses on large lots. However, homes in Blooming Grove tend to be larger than older within recent years, development has shifted away homes. Within the Town, the new homes market is from multifamily units and has focused on single- directed to the higher end. This is reflected in the size family lots, as indicated in Table 6-4, “Single-Family of homes being built and the increase in the median and Multifamily Building Permits Issued Per Year.” number of rooms in a home. According to the 2000

6-5 Chapter 6

in 1999, according to the 2000 Census. One hundred- twenty percent of the median income is $79,248 and the monthly mortgage payment therefore should not exceed $1,981.20. Assuming a 30-year mortgage with a fixed rate of 8 percent, the total mortgage should not exceed $270,000.

Census data suggests that, on average, Blooming Grove residents do not spend out of their budgets on housing. According to the 2000 Census, the median monthly costs as a percentage of household income were only 21 percent in 1999. According to the 2000 Census, the median monthly costs for specified owner- occupied housing units with a mortgage is $1,474, far below the calculated monthly threshold of $1,981.20 for affordability. While the average monthly costs Census, the median number of rooms in all housing may be within reason, this does not necessarily hold units in the Town was 6.3. This is an increase over true for houses that are for sale. Given the relatively the 1990 figure of 6.23, suggesting that new housing few older houses for sale and the development trend tends to have more rooms than the older houses. toward building houses for the high-end market Though the increase is only slight, this is largely due coupled with the increased demand for living in to the great number of homes that were built prior Southeastern Orange County as a whole, the demand to 1990 and relative few homes built between 1990 for mid-priced housing in Blooming Grove remains. and 2000. As such, a demand exists for houses that cost less than $270,000. If such housing were to be constructed, the In 2000, the Town’s vacancy rate was 11 percent (723 diversity of housing stock would be preserved. units). This represents a reduction in the vacancy rate from that of nearly 14 percent in 1990 (811 units). This vacancy rate seems surprisingly high. Only a small percentage of those vacant houses were unoccupied because they were for sale or rent. The majority of the vacant homes were vacant for undetermined reason, though seasonal vacancies may account for a portion of the vacancy rate. The vacancy rate cannot be viewed as static, as the vacancy rate likely fluctuates throughout the year.

HOUSING NEEDS As with many suburban towns in the New York metropolitan region, Blooming Grove’s housing prices are quickly escalating. Young professionals, single adults, and service-sector workers are increasingly shut-out of homeownership as housing prices escalate. As much of the recent development within the Town has been focused toward the high-end market, a demand remains for a variety of housing. Workforce housing can be described as housing which costs less than 30 percent of the gross income on a mortgage for up to 120 percent of the area’s median income. In Blooming Grove, the median income was $66,040

6-6 C H A P T E R 7 Transportation

roadway, i.e., to what degree it acts like a local street providing access to adjacent properties, or as a major arterial serving primarily through traffic.

Limited Access Highways Freeways are limited access roadways designed strictly for through travel. Access is provided at limited interchanges with arterial roadways and other freeways. Blooming Grove is well connected to the surrounding region despite the relatively low percentage of highways compared to total roads in the Town. New York State Route 17 is a four-lane highway running East-West through the southern portion of the Town. Route 17 provides access to A. INTRODUCTION other major regional highways including Interstate The Town’s road network is integrally tied to its 84 and Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway). Table community character, land use pattern and its 7-1 shows average annual daily traffic counts for economic development. While Blooming Grove’s State Roads from the New York State Department of rural winding roads help define its image as a Transportation 2002 Traffic Volume Report. There are pleasant, rural community, the roads also provide three interchanges on Route 17 in or just outside of the necessary link from home to work and other Blooming Grove: Route 208 (Exit 130), Museum Village daily necessities. The extent of a person’s mobility Road (Exit 129), and County Route 51 (Exit 128). is an essential determinant of quality-of-life and the attractiveness of the Town as a place to live and do business. This chapter evaluates key features of the traffic and transportation system. Recommendations for improvements to the transportation network are contained in Chapter 11 of this Plan.

B. INVENTORY Although Blooming Grove is adjacent to a major regional highway system, relatively few of these highways are within the limits of the Town. According to the New York State Department of Transportation, of 86.24 miles of public roads in the Town, 17.33 miles are state highways (20 percent), 12.48 miles are county roads (14 percent), and 56.43 miles are Town roads (66 percent).

STREET NETWORK Street Heirarchy Figure 7-1 indicates the functional classification of Blooming Grove’s roads. This hierarchy organizes the road network according to the function of each

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 7-1 Chapter 7

Major Roads Major roads, or Local Highways, in the Town of In Blooming Grove, Round Hill Road, Prospect Road, Blooming Grove are State Routes 208 and 94, and Woodcock Mountain Road, Horton Road, Tuthill Road, County Routes 20 (Orrs Mill Road), 27 (Clove Road), Helms Hill Road and Mountain Lodge Road serve as 44 (Seven Springs Mountain Road/Ridge Road), 51 collector roads. (Hulsetown/Craigville Road), and 66 (Craigville Road). Route 208 is one of the primary gateways into the Town Local Roads of Blooming Grove and Village of Washingtonville. Local roads comprise the majority of roads in Volumes on Route 208 are consistently high. Traffic Blooming Grove, fulfilling the function of access to counts are also high on Route 94, especially east of adjacent land. These roadways should have relatively Route 208 where a relatively large retail center exists. low speed limits and should have daily traffic volumes

The county highways generally have lower traffic of fewer than 2,000 vehicles. Local roads may be volumes, but they carry a significant portion through-streets, dead-ends or cul-de-sacs. of local traffic in Blooming Grove and adjacent municipalities. In Blooming Grove, the condition of local roads vary. Mountain Lodge Road east of Clove Road, for All of the local highways in the Town are two lanes example, is relatively narrow and in poor condition for wide with a few sections that also include turning the number of vehicles that it serves. Sharp turns and lanes. Congestion and safety issues are of particular sections of steep grade also make the road dangerous concern along Route 208. Current traffic volumes for high speeds. on this roadway result in difficulty of making left hand turns to and from other roadways. Numerous Other local roadways such as those in the Worley accidents have occurred along Route 208 in Blooming Heights subdivision around Duelk Avenue are in Grove. good condition but have unnecessary excessive widths. These widths encourage high speeds, which Collector Roads create dangerous conditions for pedestrians. Wide Collector roads generally handle less traffic than local local roads also result in excessive land consumption highways but serve a similar function in that multiple and in an increased amount of impermeable local roads feed into the collector roads. These surfaces. Impermeable surfaces result in decreased roadways tend to be through-streets but have slower groundwater replenishment. speeds and often times have sharper curves than local highways. Moreover, collector roads differ from major Private Drives roads in that the Town typically maintains collector There are numerous private driveways in the town roads whereas the State or County often maintains that extend from public roads onto private property. major roads. The individual property owners or neighborhood associations maintain these roads. The greatest

7-2 Transportation

Safety Hazards There are numerous safety hazards in the Town’s road network, as illustrated in Figure 7-3. Limited sight distances cause most of the known problems. Limited sight distance is most often caused by changes in elevation, sharp curves, or vegetation. Specific areas of concern and possible solutions are listed below:

• Intersection of Route 208 and Peddler Hill Road—When entering Route 208 from Peddler Hill Road, limited sight distance creates a hazardous condition. Vehicles traveling north on Route 208 and making a left turn are subject to a rear end collision. The limited sight distance is caused by concern with private driveways is when they connect a slope and bend in Route 208. Possible solutions to public roads in areas of limited visibility. In some to remedy the hazards include redesigning the instances, private driveways intersect public roads Peddler Hill Road entry and installing a left hand at curves or at grade changes. These intersections turning lane on northbound Route 208. (Location present problems for congestion and safety. Private 10 on Figure 7-3) drives should be carefully placed to reduce the number of conflict sites. • Intersection of Route 208 and Seven Springs Road (County Route 44)—Making a left turn onto Seven Problem Roads Springs from southbound Route 208 is dangerous Traffic and difficult due to the high speed of traffic. Delays There are few traffic and congestion problems in are caused on southbound Route 208 when the the Town of Blooming Grove that cause significant lane is blocked by a motorist waiting to turn left. delays other than along Route 208 which also has Possible solutions include lowering the speed limit several safety hazards along its length. The portion in this area from 55 mph to 45 mph and installing a of Route 208 entering Washingtonville is especially turning lane on southbound Route 208. (Location congested during evening rush hours. A new road 9 on Figure 7-3) that runs roughly parallel to Route 208 and that would carry through traffic to Route 17 from areas north of Blooming Grove is a possible solution to safety and congestion problems. Construction of the new road would be costly and would require an extensive process of land acquisition and environmental review. The Town should coordinate with the New York State Department of Transportation to initiate the necessary traffic and environmental studies to determine if a re-aligned Route 208 is feasible. The Southeastern Orange County Traffic and Land Use Task Force has identified a new Route 208 as a possible solution to regional traffic needs in a report completed in 2004. A possible alignment for this road was developed using data in a Geographic Information System and is shown in Figure 7-2.

7-3 Chapter 7

• Intersection of Route 208 and Clove Road—The problems of the sharp curves as vehicles often awkward geometry of this intersection makes travel in the center of this section of road. Possible turns difficult during periods of high traffic solutions to this problem include widening of the volumes. (Location 7 on Figure 7-3) roadway, straightening of the curves, and marking lane lines. (Location 2 on Figure 7-3) • Route 208, north of Clove Road—A sharp turn just north of the Route 208 and Clove Road • Intersection of Oxford Road and Prospect intersection is the site of many past head-on Road—This intersection presents a problem when collisions. Loss of control has also been blamed on entering Oxford Road from Prospect Road because standing water and ice on the roadway. Possible of limited sight distance. Possible solutions to the solutions include reducing speeds from 55 to 45 problem are to control vegetation or redesign the and enforcing violations for crossing the double intersection. (Location 8 on Figure 7-3) yellow line. Installation and/or maintenance of the road gutter on the west side of Route 208 can • Intersection of Craigville Road and Hulsetown help to prevent surface water on the road surface. Road (County Route 51)—Limited sight distance of (Location 5 on Figure 7-3) southbound Hulsetown Road is a safety hazard for those making a left turn from the eastern portion of Craigville Road to the western portion of Craigville where Route 51 becomes Hulsetown Road. It is also difficult to make a right onto Craigville Road when traveling south on Hulsetown Road because of the “Y” configuration of intersection. Possible solutions include installing a “STOP” sign on the southbound lane of Hulsetown Road and redesigning the intersection. (Location 8 on Figure 7-3)

• Intersection of Clove Road and Orrs Mill Road— This intersection in Salisbury Mills has a staggered sharp angle entry from the north portion of Clove • Intersection of Route 208 and Round Hill Road; Road onto Orrs Mill Road. A possible solution to curves directly north of Round Hill Road—A the problem is to install lane lines. (Location 1 on dangerous curve on Route 208 and its proximity Figure 7-3) to the intersection with Round Hill Road has been the site of numerous head-on collisions. Entering • Intersection of Farmingdale Road and State Rt. Route 208 from Round Hill Road is dangerous 94—Limited sight distance creates a safety hazard because of limited sight distance. The limited sight when turning onto Route 94 from Farmingdale distance also presents a problem for northbound Road. The intersection is elevated compared to travelers making left turns onto Round Hill Road, the rest of Route 94. Solutions are limited because where northbound travelers have a limited view of the topography in the area. (Location 3 on of southbound traffic. This location has been Figure 7-3) referred to as “Dead Man’s Curve” as a result of the high concentration of accidents. Possible • Lake Road one lane bridge—The one lane bridge solutions include reducing the speed limit from has limited site distance and poses a danger 55 mph to 45 mph, installation of turning lanes, and flattening and straightening of Route 208. Maintenance (Location 4 on Figure 7-3) Roadway maintenance is a problem on West Shore Drive. The road has a poor surface with a one-lane • Tuthill Road, near Hamptonburgh town line— bridge. Possible solutions to the problem include Tuthill Road has no lane lines and is narrow near repaving the road surface and widening or installing the Hamptonburgh border. This magnifies the better signage for the bridge.

7-4 Transportation

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM The Blooming Grove Senior Center also offers rides Commuter Rail to seniors over age 60 in need of transportation to The Metropolitan Transit Authority provides select locations in the area. The bus services the commuter service linking Orange County to New senior center and shopping locations on select days York City via the Port Jervis Line of Metro-North throughout the week. Commuter Railroad. There is a nearby Metro-North station in Salisbury Mills, along Route 94, just east of NON-MOTORIZED TRAVEL the Village of Washingtonville. Another Metro-North Biking and Walking station is in Campbell Hall, in Hamptonburgh. Travel The Heritage Trail, located along the southern time to lower Manhattan, via connection with the section of the Town is the only designated biking Path Train in Hoboken, New Jersey, is approximately and walking trail in Blooming Grove. The paved trail 120 minutes. New Jersey Transit’s Secaucus Transfer totals 11 miles in length and stretches from Monroe Station allows connection to midtown Manhattan in to Goshen, with eventual plans to extend the trail approximately 90 minutes. from Middletown to Woodbury. The trail is located on the former Erie Railroad right-of-way. The trail is used Commuter Bus mostly for recreational purposes and is not frequently Coach USA, formerly the Short Line Bus Company, used for journey-to-work trips. The Heritage Trail is offers commuter bus service to New York City with approximately 2.75 miles in length within the Town numerous stops around Blooming Grove including of Blooming Grove. Washingtonville, Monroe, Museum Village, and Middletown. Busses depart from Orange County from There is a second old railroad right-of-way extended approximately 5 AM to 11 PM. Trips from New York City from Washingtonville south roughly parallel to Route to Orange County are available from approximately 94 that could be improved as an additional biking and 6 AM to 1 AM. Through connections and additional walking trail, though it is currently privately owned. routes, passengers can also travel to destinations in the Catskills, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Long Island.

Coach USA is the only commuter bus service within Blooming Grove, offering frequent service between Orange County and New York City, as well as many other destinations in the Hudson Valley. The bus routes traveled in the Town are: the entire length of Route 208; Route 94, from the Cornwall border to the intersection with Route 208; Routes 17 and 6; and, Route 17M. There is a park-and-ride lot for bus commuters and carpoolers located next to Museum Village.

Local Bus Inter-Municipal Bus Service is provided by the Town of Warwick. Service is provided from Washingtonville/ Blooming Grove and the Town of Warwick to shopping centers in Monroe, Harriman, and Woodbury. The service operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and requires advanced reservations. Passengers can be picked up and dropped off anywhere in the Town. Orange County also provides Dial-a-Bus service in Blooming Grove and the surrounding area for a small fee. The service is provided to all residents and requires reservations 24 hours in advance.

7-5 C H A P T E R 8 Utilities

A. INTRODUCTION Water supply from groundwater sources and the water consumption in each water district. Many water ability to discharge wastewater effluent into surface districts in Blooming Grove have emergency wells streams or soils is one of the principal constraints that can be used in the event of a water shortage and on development within the Town of Blooming need for increased capacity. However, many districts Grove. While the typical pattern for rural/suburban are in need of additional capacity. Although excess residential development is to have individual house capacity exists in some districts, there are currently no lots served by on-site wells and septic systems, this plans for expansion of the water district services. pattern of development often requires large lots and separation of individual houses. In areas where community systems can be established, greater WASTEWATER SERVICES density of housing can be achieved, thereby allowing There are currently three wastewater treatment the possibility for preserving greater areas of open districts that provide services in the Town of Blooming space. Balancing the availability of water and sewer Grove: Orange County Sewer District Number 1, utility infrastructure with open space preservation and Tappan Hill development, and Glenwood. The preservation of rural character is a central objective majority of wastewater is treated through private on- of planning for communities such as Blooming site septic systems. Both methods of treatment must Grove. This chapter identifies the existing water be monitored closely to prevent contamination of supply and wastewater utility infrastructure. Chapter groundwater and the existing bodies of water within 11 of this Comprehensive Plan identifies possible the community. recommendations for enhancing the use of utilities and strategies for integrating utility development Orange County Sewer District No. 1 with land development. Orange County Sewer District Number 1 (OCSD1) serves eight municipalities including the Towns of B. INVENTORY OF UTILITY SERVICES Blooming Grove, Chester, Woodbury, and Monroe, and WATER SERVICES Villages of Chester, Harriman, Kiryas Joel, and Monroe. The majority of Blooming Grove residents rely on The plant is located in the Village of Harriman and has private wells and six municipal water supply districts a total treatment capacity of 4.5 million gallons per (which also use wells) for potable water. Figure 8- day (MGD). The current flow at the Harriman plant 1 indicates the locations and approximate service exceeds this level at 4.99 MGD. Expansion of Harriman areas for each of the water supply districts; and Table treatment plant is expected to begin by the end of 8-1 indicates the current approximate average daily 2003 and will raise capacity to 6.0 MGD.

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 8-1 Chapter 8

Blooming Grove’s 12-month average flow into the and ponds and 10 feet from property lines. Dwellings plant was 303,138 gallons per day (or 0.3 MGD). with up to three bedrooms require tank capacities of However, the Town’s allotment of capacity is closer 1000 gallons with additional capacities of 250 gallons to 480,000 gallons per day meaning there is available for each bedroom thereafter. These requirements for capacity (approximately 800 homes) within OCSD1 septic systems limit the possibility for new compact for new development in Blooming Grove. Orange developments without installation of municipal water county Sewer District #1 serves the areas around distribution and wastewater treatment facilities. Worley Heights and Merriewold (Water Districts #1 and #6) (See Figure 7-1). One of the most dense areas in Blooming Grove is Mountain Lodge Park. This area is located on the west Tappan Hill Sewer District side of Schunnemunk Mountain, east of Clove Road. It The Tappan Hill sewer district serves approximately was originally built as a summer bungalow colony. It 156 homes in Blooming Grove. The plant treats an has evolved over a sixty year period into a year round average of 62,000 gallons of wastewater per day but community. Many of the homes are situated on small has the capacity to treat up to 150,000 gallons during parcels of land that are accessible by private roads heavy rain storms1. As of November 2003, the plant and trails that do not conform to standards that could was in disrepair and the Town was in the process of qualify them as town roads. In the past, most of these taking bids for construction a replacement plant. The homes were serviced by a private water supply system replacement plant is not intended to provide any that was above ground. Because of this, water was additional sewage treatment capacity. turned off in the fall and not turned on until spring. Year round occupancy has forced the individual Glenwood Sewer District home owners to supply their own sources of water. The Glenwood sewer district has been operating for Although most homes use private sewage treatment approximately 1.5 to 2 years and serves approximately systems that do not conform to the new requirements 40 homes around Mountain Lodge Park. This plant for sewage treatment systems, there are no known treats approximately 12,000 gallons per day .1 problems of groundwater contamination, according to the Orange County Water Authority. However, in Private Septic Systems locations where septic systems exist on smaller lots, The majority of wastewater in the Town of Blooming groundwater contamination can be a significant Grove is treated with private septic systems. New concern. In order to preserve health and water quality, York State Health law maintains standards for these it is necessary for dense areas like Mountain Lodge systems. These standards generally require septic Park to closely monitor sewage treatment. systems to be installed at least 100 feet from wells

1Rick Hannon, Town of Blooming Grove, November 20, 2003

8-2 C H A P T E R 9 Community Facilities

A. INTRODUCTION The Town of Blooming Grove provides a number east and extends into New Windsor to the north and of services and facilities to its residents. While into Hamptonburgh to the west. some of those services such as police, fire, and emergency services are either directly operated According to the New York State Education by the Town, contracted to private vendors, or Department District Report Card for the 2001-2002 serviced by volunteers, other services such as the school year, WCSD average class sizes in the district for schools and public library are controlled by separate Kindergarten, Mathematics Grade 8, and Mathematics boards not within the direct control of the Town. Grade 10 were 19, 27, and 24 respectively. While Town of Blooming Grove policies relating to land WCSD strives to have K-3 classes of no more than 25 development and transportation can have direct students, grades 4-5 of no more than 30 students, and effects on these services and facilities. This chapter no more than 27 students for classes in grades 6-12, outlines the main community facilities and current these class sizes are somewhat higher than average operating levels. Recommendations with respect to class sizes in the Monroe-Woodbury Central School community facilities are included in Chapter 11 of this District, and Chester Union Free School District. Comprehensive Plan.

B. INVENTORY OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES SCHOOLS The Town of Blooming Grove is serviced by three school districts: the Washingtonville Central School District, Monroe-Woodbury Central School District, and Chester Union Free School District. The Washingtonville School District serves the majority of Blooming Grove. Figure 9-1 shows the school districts within the Town.

According to the 2000 census, there were a total of 3,711 Blooming Grove residents enrolled in public schools, grades K through 12. Of that number, 317 were in Kindergarten, 1,040 were in grades 1 through 4, 1,252 were in grades 5 through 8, and 1,102 were in grades 9 through 12.

Washingtonville Central School District The Washingtonville Central School District (WCSD) consists of a total of five schools including the Taft Elementary School, Little Britain Elementary School, Round Hill Elementary School, Washingtonville Middle School, and Washingtonville High School. All of these schools are used by Blooming Grove residents. WCSD serves the area roughly bounded by Worley Heights to the south, the Blooming Grove town border to the

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 9-1 Chapter 9

Long Range Planning Study excluding the 128 Kindergarten students that attend In March of 2003, the BOCES Office of School Planning Round Hill Elementary. Enrollment at Taft Elementary & Research published a Long Range Planning Study excluding the kindergarten class is expected to for the WCSD. The study projected district enrolments decrease in 2003 to 746 and then rise slowly to to the year 2012. Projections were made based on 2009 with a peak projected enrollment of 818. The current enrollments, birth and fertility rates, in and enrollment is expected to slowly decrease to 803 by out migration, transfers to and from non-public 2012. schools, population variations, and resident family characteristics. Peak enrollment in the district is Washingtonville Middle School is located at 38 West expected to occur in 2006 with 5,301 students enrolled Main Street in Washingtonville. The school currently (see Table 9-1). Projected enrollments indicate that the houses grades 6 to 8. Enrollment at the middle total number of students begin to gradually decrease school reached 1,304 students in 2002 but this and will fall below current enrollments by 2012. number is expected to decrease to 1,148 by 2008. After 2008, enrollment is expected to rise to 1,573

The Little Britain Elementary School is located at in 2012. Beginning in 2009, the entering 6th grade 1160 Little Britain Road in the Town of New Windsor. class is expected to be larger than the exiting 8th Enrollment in 2002 was 673. Future enrolment is grade class. The Long Range Planning Study for the expected to rise to a peak of 722 in 2008 at which point school identified concerns about capacity and future it begins to slowly decrease during the remainder of enrollment at the Middle School. the forecast period. Washingtonville High School is located at 54 West The Round Hill Elementary School is located at 1314 Main Street in Washingtonville. Enrollment in 2002 Route 208 in Washingtonville. Enrollment at the was 1,586. Enrollment is expected to increase to 1,767 school was 841 in 2002 including Taft Kindergarten in 2006 at which point it begins to slowly decline until students. Future enrollment is expected to fluctuate it reaches 1,570 in 2011 and 1,573 in 2012. The Long only slightly with a peak enrollment of 845 in 2008 Range Planning Study identified concerns about followed by a gradual decrease to 830 in 2012. future enrollment at the school and the ability to hold future classes which may require small class sizes for The Taft Elementary School is located at 20 Toleman optimal education. Road in Washingtonville. Currently, Taft kindergarten students attend Round Hill Elementary School. Total In response to the Long Range Planning Study, the enrollment at the school in 2002 was 754 students Washingtonville Central School District voted on

9-2 Community Facilities

November 13, 2003 to approve plans for a new school Kindergarten, Mathematics Grade 8, and Mathematics and modifications to the existing middle and high Grade 10 were 22, 26, and 23 respectively. Additional school. The new school will house grades 7 and 8 and capacity analysis was unavailable for the Monroe- the existing middle school will now accommodate Woodbury Central School District. only grades 5 and 6. The school is scheduled to be open for the 2006-2007 school year. The new school Chester Union Free School District will be located behind the existing high school will According to the New York State Education have an expected capacity of approximately 900 Department District Report Card for the 2001-2002 students. The project also includes expansion of the school year, 979 students were enrolled in grades K existing high school to include fifteen new classrooms Through 12 in the Chester Union Free School District. and alterations to the cafeteria. Of the estimated Average class sizes in the district for Kindergarten, $39,800,000 in total construction costs for the project, Mathematics Grade 8, and Mathematics Grade 10 $21,594,678 will come from state aid, while the were 19, 18, and 25 respectively. A new Middle/High remaining $18,205,322 will come from a tax levy. School was recently constructed in Chester on Route 94. Additional capacity analysis was unavailable for As with all school districts in New York State, the the Chester Union Free School District. responsibility to plan for increasing enrollment lies with the school district but the ability to control land FIRE FACILITIES use regulations, which determine future enrollments, Fire protection services for the Town of Blooming lies with the municipality. The Town of Blooming Grove Grove are provided by four volunteer fire departments. cannot develop specific policies or implementation The Washingtonville Fire Department covers the measures to aid in the accommodation of increased northwestern portion of the Town and is located student populations, but it can adopt policies along Route 208. The South Blooming Grove Fire and implement local laws relating to zoning and Department covers the southern part of the Town subdivision. The Town recognizes the direct link south from Round Hill Road. There are two other fire between land development regulations, this departments, both along Route 27, which cover the Comprehensive Plan, and long range planning efforts east half of the Town of Blooming Grove. These are by the WCSD. Part III of this Comprehensive Plan the Salisbury Mills Fire Department and the Mountain contains specific policies that the Town intends to Lodge Fire Department. A portion of the Town is pursue to bring new residential development into served by the Chester Fire Department. In addition, balance with the ability of the WCSD to continue to the 52 Fire Departments throughout Orange County provide quality educational services that residents of offer aid through a county-wide mutual aid system. Blooming Grove have come to expect. The quality of service provided by these Fire Departments is considered excellent. Fire trucks Monroe-woodbury Central School District generally respond to an emergency call within three According to the New York State Education minutes. Volunteers spend thousands of hours each Department District Report Card for the 2001-2002 year in training for emergencies. This training is school year, 6,982 students were enrolled in grades provided by Orange County at the new training facility K Through 12 in the Monroe-Woodbury Central and by the individual fire departments. Additionally, School District. Average class sizes in the district for the County-wide 911 Emergency phone system is in place.

9-3 Chapter 9

TOWN HALL AND OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS, FACILITIES Town Hall is located at the intersection of Route 94 and Horton Road. The building is recently built and is well situated to serve residents.

The Town has a nutrition center located next to the Town Hall. Orange County sponsors a senior citizens dining program at this location, and the building is available for use by various senior citizens clubs. In addition, the Town provides transportation services for senior citizens.

The Highway Department is located along Route 94 near Hudson Road. The current needs of the department include an increase in the building space, POLICE SERVICES an indoor wash facility, and additional trucks and Police protection services in the area are provided maintenance equipment. by the Town of Blooming Grove police department located on Route 94 that consists of 11 full time officers, two part-time officers, and two clerical personnel. In general, the police department is understaffed based on national standards for police protection. The Police Department is in need of four- wheel drive vehicles, communication equipment and general office equipment. The Police Department is currently located in facilities adjacent to Town Hall that make the efficient and safe operation of the Department challenging. New physical space has been contemplated as part of a proposed private development on the west side of Route 94. The Town is also served by the Washingtonville Police Department located at 38 East Main. In addition, Troop F of the New York State Police and Orange County Sheriff’s Department provide 95 and 131 men respectively.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND FACILITIES Ambulance service is provided by the Blooming Grove Volunteer Ambulance Corporation, Inc. located in the Village of Washingtonville.

Area hospitals include Orange Regional Medical Center on Harriman Drive in Goshen, and St. Luke’s Hospital on Laurel Avenue in Cornwall. Orange Regional Medical Center is a not-for-profit hospital of a general acute care nature. St. Luke’s Hospital is a not-for-profit, community hospital providing general acute care medical and surgical services. The First- Care medical center is located at 500 Route 208 in Blooming Grove.

9-4 C H A P T E R 1 0 Goals and Objectives

HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES • The Town of Blooming Grove will recognize, preserve, protect, and celebrate its rich culture and history. All new development should be sensitive to the Town’s agrarian history by preserving and protecting historic structures, landscapes, and views.

• The Town of Blooming Grove will recognize, preserve, protect, and celebrate its existing cultural resources. The Town will actively encourage new small-scale cultural resources. A. INTRODUCTION The Town’s Vision is set forth in Chapter 2 of this DEMOGRAPHICS AND POPULATION Master Plan. The Vision identifies the overarching • The Town actively seeks to encourage a diverse principals guiding the Town in considering its future. population and will seek ways to do so as the This chapter identifies Goals and Objectives for each population increases with future development. subject area based on the Vision statements and the inventory of existing conditions contained in Part II of • The rate of population growth should be limited this Plan. The Goals and Objectives provide slightly to ensure that community services are not more direction than the overarching Vision statements, overburdened. but do not represent actionable steps. Even greater specificity with respect to implementation of the Vision and Goals and Objectives is provided in Chapter 11, “Implementation.”

B. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES NATURAL RESOURCES • To preserve the Town’s rural character, the Town seeks to protect open space. All new development within the Town should be designed to protect scenic vistas and other significant areas.

• The Town seeks to protect those scenic vistas that are deemed culturally and aesthetically important to protecting the Town’s rural character. LAND USE Economic Activity and Employment • All new development should be sensitive to the • The Town will actively encourage limited new existing natural resources. No new development commercial uses to increase the tax base and should be located in, on, or harm environmentally provide employment, though such uses should sensitive areas including steep slopes, wetlands, not over burden the existing infrastructure. flood plains, streams, rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, • New commercial uses should conform to the and reservoirs. Town’s rural image. • The Town seeks to protect rare species and rare ecosystem types.

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 10-1 Chapter 10

• The Town seeks to encourage limited new regional-destination office, or commercial establishments in appropriate locations along Route 17M that do not harm the quality of life in the Town.

Land Use and the Design of Development Housing • The Town seeks to preserve a diverse stock of housing.

• The design of housing, regardless of price, should be consistent with the Town’s rural character. of traffic safety. To preserve the Town’s rural • The Town seeks to guide the conversion of character, capacity increases shall only occur seasonal housing to permanent residences so as on limited-access highways. Capacity increases not to burden the Town’s infrastructure. should not occur on Major Roads, Collector Roads, Local Roads, or Private Drives. TRANSPORTATION Preserving Roadway Character New Road Design and Community Character • The Town seeks to preserve the essential character • All new roads should be built in a manner and scale of existing roads. appropriate for the Town’s rural character. Future roads should be built in accordance with Town Roads As Public Spaces design guidelines. In general, all new roadways in • In addition to providing a means of access, the Town should be designed as collector, local, or roads function as communal public spaces where private roads. All new roads should be designed neighbors meet and children play. Roads are the with the express intention of protecting the safety extension of front yards on which people live, of drivers, pedestrians, wildlife, and adjacent work, and play. The town seeks to encourage the residents. use of streets as public space. Local roadways should be designed to limit automobile speed and • The Town views transportation as vital encourage neighbor interaction. infrastructure for the community character and economic development. As with other Limited Road Improvements infrastructure, development should be located • Road improvements should be limited to where infrastructure is, or can be, provided. specifically target only necessary enhancements However, in keeping in harmony with the Town’s policy of preserving its rural character, new infrastructure improvements should not alter the character of the Town.

Speed Limits • Speed limits should be appropriately controlled to suit the scale, visibility conditions, alignment, traffic load, and abutting intensity of development, in order to minimize risk to cyclists, school children, joggers, pedestrians, and wildlife, as well as vehicles on the road.

10-2 Goals and Objectives

Alternative Transportation Systems COMMUNITY FACILITIES • In order to combat growing automobile traffic, • The Town’s Community Facilities should be the Town seeks to improve alternative means sources of local pride. of transportation, including improvements to mass transit and non-motorized travel, including • The Town should seek to enhance existing regional hiking and biking trails. structures that detract from the Town’s character.

Transportation Improvement Plans/transportation Improvement • The Town should seek opportunities to combine Districts municipal services with other community services • The Town seeks to utilize innovative funding such as libraries or schools or with municipal sources for roadway improvements including services of the Village of Washingtonville. using Transportation Improvement Plans and Transportation Improvement Districts. • The Town seeks to support the school system to provide superior educational experiences to all UTILITIES students. Water Service and Supply • Development should be located where water service is, or can be, provided.

• The zoning code should be revised so that the water supply is not overburdened by development.

• The Town should actively encourage a reduction of water usage through, possibly, a series of tax credits for those residences and businesses with water-saving features for plumbing, irrigation and landscaping.

• The Town seeks to encourage new technologies and methods of conserving and protecting ground water supply.

Wastewater Service • Development should be located where wastewater service is, or can be, provided.

• The zoning code should be revised so that the wastewater service is adequately supplied without harming the natural environment. Permitted development levels should be decreased in locations where wastewater service is not available and soils are poorly draining.

• The Town should actively encourage a reduction of wastewater production through, possibly, a series of tax credits for those residences and businesses with alternative wastewater treatment features.

10-3 C H A P T E R 1 1 Implementation

the zoning regulations of a community. However, the function and process of each is distinctly different. The Comprehensive Plan and its land use discussion provides broad recommendations for the general location and nature of residential, commercial, industrial, and other uses, along with underlying policies such as environmental protection. Zoning stems from the regulatory or police power of the Town and prescribes regulations to specific districts that must be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Zoning is a tool to implement the Plan, and the Town Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals use the recommendations in the Plan as a guide to new construction, expansion, and/or change in use of existing development, rezonings, zoning variances, and other relevant regulatory decisions. A. INTRODUCTION This chapter identifies the specific implementation The Comprehensive Plan is part of an ongoing strategies and techniques the Town intends to pursue planning process and should be reviewed and to meet the Vision and Goals and Objectives outlined revised as needed. The goals, objectives, and in this Comprehensive Plan. This chapter discusses recommendations of this plan should be revisited both policy changes and programmatic actions the regularly, with implementation progress monitored Town should take to implement the Town’s Vision. regularly. All of the elements discussed in the previous The Town Board has the responsibility for adopting chapters of this Comprehesive Plan are thoroughly the Comprehensive Plan after all required public intertwined. Therefore the implementation strategies hearings and the State Environmental Quality Review for the Comprehensive Plan are presented in this Act (SEQRA) compliance procedures have been single chapter. completed. The adoption of the Plan has two steps: The Comprehensive Plan is the guide to how • The first step the Town Board must take to development and redevelopment of the Town implement its Comprehensive Plan is to comply should proceed. Although it is the core document with the requirements of the New York State providing the basis for land use and policy decisions, Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). This the Comprehensive Plan is general in nature so that action, which is under the sole jurisdiction of the changes in the community and development trends Town Board, is classified as a Type I Action. The can be addressed as they arise. SEQR regulations require that the Town Board, as lead agency, identify any potential areas of The Comprehensive Plan is often confused with concern related to the action, thoroughly analyze

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 11-1 Chapter 11

the identified areas of environmental concern coordinated with the existing provisions of Chapter to determine whether any significant adverse 132, “Flood Damage Protection.” Such regulations environmental impacts would result, and then should include reduced residential densities and set forth its Determination of Significance or Non- safeguards for wastewater treatment. Significance in a written form. Furthermore, to further preserve the quality of the • The next step in putting the Comprehensive Plan Moodna Creek, the Town should petition the State to work is for the Town Board to adopt the Plan as Department of Environmental Conservation to raise the formal policy of the Town. the classification of the Moodna Creek. NYS DEC stream classification is based on existing or expected To implement the Comprehensive Plan, the Town best usage of the water. Should the Town wish to use Board should review the Town Code as it pertains the Moodna Creek for additional purposes, the Town to the recommendations contained within the should specify their requests to the DEC. Comprehensive Plan, specifically focusing on the Zoning and Subdivision of Land sections. To ensure To protect and enhance the Moodna Creek, the Town the consistency and comprehensiveness between should place conservation easements at high quality the Town Code and the Comprehensive Plan, it is habitat or at other biologically-sensitive areas along recommended that the Comprehensive Plan not the river corridor, as well as its tributaries, to prevent be adopted until changes to the Town Code are development on the riverbank and floodplain. prepared. Similarly, any amendments to the Town Moreover, the Town should create appropriate no- Code should be devised, considered and studied build zones on either side of the Creek to prevent bank under SEQR, and enacted into law at the same time as erosion, destruction or disturbance of habitat in the the Comprehensive Plan. river corridor, and water quality degradation, while justly and adequately compensating all land owners B. IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS and/or farmers whose land is involved. NATURAL RESOURCES Surface Water The Town should require a 100-foot vegetative buffer To protect the water quality of surface water bodies, between land uses that generate non-point source the Town should establish a Surface Water Buffer area pollution, such as golf courses and some agricultural that regulates certain activities and improvements uses, and the riverbank of the Moodna Creek or an within 100 feet of any stream, lake, pond, or other immediate tributary, while justly and adequately water body (including wetlands) and any associated compensating all land owners and/or farms whose 100-year floodplain area. This regulation should be land is involved.

The Town should consider adopting the US Army Corps of Engineers methodology to delineate wetlands for development application review.

Groundwater To protect groundwater quantity and quality, the Town should establish safeguards that adequately address groundwater supply and recharge. Limitations on site impervious surface area and specific aquifer protection

11-2 Implementation

The Town should establish a overlay district for the protection of Areas of Biological Significance in which safeguards and procedures are put forth to protect environmentally sensitive lands.

The Town should require the completion of a thorough biological inventory for all site plans, special permits, and subdivision applications.

The Town should require that any development within Areas of Biological Significance be designed so that the project, including construction of such project, has a minimal impact on the biological resources of the Area. zones should be established as could well testing protocol for new supply sources. In areas within the Potential Wildlife Corridors, the Town should coordinate the design of development Soils to provide habitat linkages and protect key pieces A parcel’s ability to adequately carry development of land by fee simple purchase or the purchase of is related, in part, to the composition of its soil. As conservation easements. such, the zoning code should be modified to reflect the Town’s soil types and their ability to feasibly The Town should encourage the completion of carry development. Soil suitability for construction biological research and inventories where sufficient of structures and use for sub-surface wastewater research has not taken place or where more research disposal should become a principal determinant of is needed in order to better assess biological lot count within residential subdivisions as described conservations needs, including areas at elevations in greater detail below. above 700 feet and areas that support farming and early successional habitats. Topography The Town should develop a ridgeline protection ordinance to protect the uppermost portion of HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCE significant ridges and hilltops and should develop a As a strategy for economic development, the Town steep slopes ordinance to protect slopes of 25 percent should consider tying historic, cultural and agricultural or more. preservation to tourism. Within the Hudson Valley, tourism is a major industry, second only to computer Flora, Fauna, And Habitat Protection manufacturing. As such, the Town could take The Town’s environmental review of site plan, special proactive steps to encourage small scale tourism- permit, and subdivision applications should include related business and protect existing resources. evaluations of any threatened or endangered species To accomplish these goals, the Town should take a or vegetative communities, including, but not limited two-pronged approach: to, those listed in this Comprehensive Plan. • The zoning and subdivision codes should be The Town should strive to safeguard the areas shaded revised to reflect the need to protect cultural in the Areas of Biological significance by protecting and historic resources. Furthermore, the Town’s areas of noteworthy biological diversity and/or codes should be revised to encourage small-scale valuable habitat within and adjacent to these Areas. tourism such as provisions allowing bed-and- The Town should consider the establishing an open breakfasts, agricultural tourism, place-based space fund for fee simple purchase these properties or cuisine, micro-farming, and cultural uses. the purchase of conservation easements. Furthermore, the Town should designate the Areas of Biological • The Town should create a taskforce to address Significance as Critical Environmental Areas. the retention and creation of cultural resources

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within the Town comprising Town residents, To encourage a diverse population, the Town should business owners, and cultural professionals. take steps to preserve the diversity of housing stock, This taskforce should focus on retention and including: recruitment of cultural resources, and revising Town land-taxation policy to encourage desirable • Permit clustering of houses on smaller lots development. The taskforce should also consider without increasing overall density. establishing region-wide cultural programs to link Town attractions with those throughout the • Consider methods of increasing the diversity region. The Town is fortunate to be located within of housing stock by allowing lot count increases close proximity to numerous cultural resources, if a certain percentage of units are allocated including those identified in this Plan and should for households meeting regional affordability take advantage of the opportunity to link with criteria. those sites. Such an approach could be similar in spirit to the Hudson Valley Winery Trail in which • Develop zoning regulations to address accessory local wineries are promoted through the regional apartments in residential districts and commercial tours. districts that are compatible with neighborhood and Town-wide character. As part of the preservation of the Town’s history and culture and with an added emphasis on encouraging • Establish regulations protecting the long-term tourism, the Town should consider open space affordability of housing developed as affordable preservation as directly related to the culture, history, housing. and tourism. The Town should consider preparing an open space preservation plan that identifies priority LAND USE AND COMMUNITY CHARACTER sites to be preserved and mechanisms to protect Zoning Code those sites, such as the purchase of development The zoning map and zoning code should be altered to reflect the Town’s Vision, Goals and Objectives. rights and real property transfer tax for open space The following changes to the zoning code should be acquisition. made:

POPULATION GROWTH AND HOUSING Rural Residential Population To preserve the Town’s character and protect the As is apparent from the data examined in Chapter natural, scenic, and culturally significant landscape, 5, “Demographics and Population,” the demand for the Town should modify the existing zoning code to housing in Blooming Grove exceeds the capacity create a single residential zoning district to be called of the Town to absorb the increased population. the “Rural Residential” District. In the Rural Residential As such, the Town must take steps to ensure that District, the prescribed amount of development should future development will not overburden the Town’s be based on land suitability, infrastructure availability, ability to handle the increased population. In order surrounding neighborhood character, and the Town’s to accommodate increased population while Goals and Objectives. This zoning district would be a preventing the overburdening of public infrastructure shift away from conventional zoning and subdivision and facilities, the Town may wish to consider codes that stress minimum lot sizes to a site- and implementing a rate-of-development law that seeks infrastructure-based zoning, recognizing site-specific to cap the number of residential building permits environmental constraints and issues related to Town per year so that the increased population can be character. Limited non-residential uses, compatible absorbed without overburdening municipal budgets. with rural character, would be permitted as Special Moreover, the Town may wish to consider preparing Permit uses in the Rural Residential District. a Capital Improvement Plan and implementing an adequacy of public facilities bylaw to ensure that the Within the Rural Residential District, the development Town’s infrastructure is not overburdened by new of a site should require three distinct but equally development. important steps: environmental site analysis, lot calculation and site design.

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Environmental Site Analysis The first step in developing any site should be conducting an environmental site analysis to determine the site’s physical, environmental, and cultural constraints, attributes, and resources. A physical survey of the site should be conducted which identifies surface water bodies, wetlands, areas of steep slopes, historic and cultural resources, mature trees, open fields, viewsheds, hedgerows, critical habitat areas, and other resources that may influence the design of the site.

Lot Calculation To calculate the total number of lots that could be developed on any site, the first step is to conduct engineering studies and environmental tests. Such studies and tests would consider soil suitability, water and wastewater availability, topography, hydrology (presence of streams or wetlands), transportation availability, and issues related to the natural environment (such as habitat type). If a site is capable of connecting to, or building new, community water and wastewater infrastructure, the lot count should be adjusted to reflect that infrastructure availability. To preserve the Town’s character and control growth, in no event should the total number of lots calculated in step one exceed an average gross density of one unit per two acres, regardless of environmental constraints and infrastructure capacity. Should a site developer choose not to perform water and septic calculations described above, in the event that there tests, the default density should be 0.1 dwelling units is strong justification to do so, such as environmental per acre (or 10-acre minimum lot size). The large lot constraints and aesthetic character. size would ensure that total density does not cause significant adverse environmental impacts associated Site Design with water and wastewater availability and would not Once the total number of lots is calculated for a given result in “sprawl” development which would detract development, the site design should be conducted so from the Town’s rural character. that all developments meet the following objectives set forth by the Town: The second step in calculating the total number of lots should be to allow for lot count bonuses for those • Retain the town’s rural character by providing no developments that provide elements associated less than 50 percent protected open space (which with the Town’s Goals and Objectives, including can include wetlands, steep slopes, recreation the preservation of environmentally and culturally areas, or a portion of private yards.) sensitive resources, the provision of affordable housing, creation of small-scale commercial uses • The authority of the Planning Board should be in residential developments, and provision of expanded to include the option of mandating recreational amenities open to the public. In no event greater than 50 percent of the total land when should the bonuses achieved allow a development to the site contains other important environmental exceed an average density of one unit per two acres. and cultural resources including, active farmland, The Planning Board should be granted the prime agricultural soils, critical environmental authority to reduce the lot count, regardless of the areas, sites bordering designated state, county

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or local scenic roads, New York State Protected Rural Crossroads I District Streams or Town Designated environmentally- Continuing with the traditional development sensitive areas, sites where public trail systems pattern in which commercial uses were located at can be linked or created, mature forests over 100 the intersections of rural roads, commercial uses years old, or locally important vegetation. should be guided to key intersections where nodes of commercial and residential activities would enhance • Open space created through conservation Town character. The Rural Crossroads I District would subdivision design should be permanently allow small-scale commercial development, including preserved and maintained through conservation professional offices and retail uses, while following easements, the donation of the land to the State, strict development design guidelines that preserve County, Town or a non-profit entity, or held the Town’s rural character in a manner consistent in common ownership by a property owners’ with the historic feel of the area. association or similar entity. Rural Crossroads II District Similar to the Rural Crossroads I District, the Rural Crossroads II District would allow for mixed-use development in a manner that is in accordance with traditional development patterns. However, the Rural Crossroads II District would allow for a higher intensity of commercial, institutional, and residential uses. The design of the Rural Crossroads District II should create a node of activity and a focal point for the Town. The form of development—including the use, bulk, design, and setback requirements—should echo the traditional building and development pattern associated with older Town and village centers. The • Preserve all environmentally sensitive lands by development of the Rural Crossroads II District should clustering buildings on non-environmentally- occur in a cohesive manner. The development of sensitive lands. the Rural Crossroads II District must address traffic safety concerns. Figure 11-2 illustrates a conceptual • Provide needed recreational amenities available design for development within the Rural Crossroads to the public. II district.

• Design all streets, lots, and buildings in a manner ORI District that reflects the traditional development pattern The bulk and setback provisions within the ORI District and lot layout and all natural features and/or should be modified with focus placed on preserving boundaries. rural character. The allowed uses should be modified to encourage uses that reflect the Town’s heritage, • Provide a sensible and easy-to-navigate such as conference centers and tourism-related road network that has a high degree of road- businesses. connectivity (especially between subdivisions). Cul- de-sacs should only be used where environmental constraints preclude connecting roads. Zoning Map • Design the site, lot, and buildings in a manner Figure 11-3 shows a proposed realignment of the that meet the Design Guidelines discussed below. zoning districts to reflect the Town’s Vision. Such changes would include: Figure 11-1 illustrates how development within the Rural Residential district could occur using Rezone all land currently zoned for residential use to a conservation analysis approach compared to the Rural Residential District. conventional development.

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Rezone the land currently zoned General Business Comprehensive Plan, the Town Board may evaluate along Route 94 near the Chester border to Rural and analyze on a site-specific basis the best use of Residential. This area should not be zoned for an identifiable parcel of property regardless of the commercial purposes due to environmental underlying zoning. If the Town Board determines constraints and lack of sufficient transportation after careful review, which review shall consist of a infrastructure. land conservation analysis and any other analysis as required by the Town Board, that the property Consistent with current NYSDOT plans to close the Exit is appropriate for a more flexible land use plan, the 128 off-ramp from Route 17, rezone the land along Town Board may entertain an application to rezone Craigville Road, a portion of which is currently zoned the property subject to development of a master plan ORI, to Rural Residential to preserve the scenic view prepared for the property. In its deliberations as to of the site from Route 17 and onsite environmental whether to entertain an application, the Town Board constraints. If, in the future, NYSDOT does not close shall consider and give weight to all factors including, this exit, the Town may consider a differnet zoning for but not limited to proposed uses; public benefit; this area. natural features such as waterbodies, wetalands, steep topography, or ridgelines; and scenic views. Create three new Rural Crossroads I districts generally replacing NB districts and located along major Additional Modifications to the Zoning Code thoroughfares. To meet the Town’s Visions, Goals and Objectives, the Zoning Code should be modified as follows: Rezone the portion of land along Route 94 near the existing Town Hall to Rural Crossroads II, to allow • Allow the development of residential units a higher-density mixed-use development and within commercial zoning districts subject to a the creation of a new Town center for residential, Special Permit to ensure such development is commercial, governmental, and educational uses. appropriately sited and designed. The development of a new Town center could be an opportunity to build new school facilities integrated • Allow accessory apartments in the Rural with government facilities, including the sharing of Residential District as a means of providing space or building infrastructure. Moreover, such a zone affordable housing and meeting housing needs change would provide tax-revenue to the northern for diverse family types. portion of the Town, within the Washingtonville School District. Potentially Objectionable Land Uses Though the Town does not currently have any land Specific Plans for Development uses that could be classified as “adult uses,” it is in the To further the goals and policies of the Town’s Town’s interest to strengthen the Town Code to more strictly regulate adult uses. While the courts have stated that a Town cannot outright ban adult uses, a local municipality can restrict the locations of adult uses based on their known secondary adverse impacts. Numerous studies, conducted by a variety of municipal planning departments across the country, have found a direct relationship between the presence of adult uses and increased crime rate and depreciated

11-7 Chapter 11 property values. Local governments can use land • Designate environmentally sensitive lands as use controls, i.e., zoning to regulate the locations of Critical Environmental Areas (see Section 617.14(g) adult uses in order to minimize secondary adverse of SEQRA) including wetlands, stream corridors, effects. The Town may wish to adopt regulations that lakes, ponds, areas of high groundwater, and set specific minimum distances between adult uses areas of steep slopes. and land uses that are particularly sensitive to their secondary impacts, such as residential developments • Protect environmentally sensitive lands by and places where children congregate like schools, requiring that no development occur on, in, or near parks, churches, and playgrounds. Moreover, the environmentally sensitive lands and require that Town may wish to ensure that the site, architectural, such areas not be disturbed during construction. and sign designs of such uses are in context with surrounding uses. • Subtract environmentally sensitive lands from buildable area when calculating development Signs density for both residential and commercial uses. The Town should consider strengthening the Zoning to address commercial signage. In general, the Town’s • Require all development, including the commercial sites have reasonable signage. However, construction of a single-family home on an the Zoning is currently generous in the amount of individual lot, to pass percolation tests and signage allowed. The Zoning should be modified to minimum well tests so that no development establish sign design guidelines that address scale, causes significant adverse impacts to adjacent height, material, and design of signs. wells.

Environmentally Sensitive Lands • On pre-existing legally-created parcels in To protect important natural resources, the Town which environmentally sensitive land makes the should revise the Zoning Ordinance to: entire lot unbuildable, the Town should consider

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allowing Transferable Development Rights. This character. The district should apply to those sections is an innovative concept that would help preserve of road corridors that substantially retain their scenic environmentally sensitive lands. The Town or a character and have not been subject to significant developer could purchase the development rights commercial or intensive residential development. of these parcels and transfer them to increase the lot count of development on more suitable Any exterior alterations or new construction on sites, up to a particular density limit. This could properties within a scenic roadway should be required be done through private market transactions, to obtain site plan approval. The board reviewing with a development rights “bank,” or simply by the site plan should require that the plan will not establishing a town development rights fund to result in the degradation of scenic character and will which developers contribute to enable the Town be aesthetically compatible with its surroundings, to acquire development rights in appropriate will minimize the removal of native vegetation, and locations. The Town would have to designate will locate or cluster buildings and other structures. specific “sending” and “receiving” zones. Landscaping and site design, including the preservation of native vegetation, the location and • Consider establishment of a mechanism to material of fencing, and architecture of buildings and purchase development rights from undeveloped or structures, should be examined closely to ensure the underdeveloped properties. Create a committee preservation of scenic quality. to over see such a program. As designation of scenic roadways is a legislative Historic Structures Protection act, he Town Board should be responsible for such The Town’s historic structures, as identified in this designation. Comprehensive Plan should be provided with Scenic Viewshed Protection additional protection to preserve the Town’s historic Many locations in Town provide splendid views of legacy. The Town should adopt an Historic Sites the Town’s rural landscape. The views from these Commission charged with issuing certificates of locations deserve additional protection. Figure 11-5 appropriateness for modifications to designated sites identifies these viewsheds. Any development within and new development on properties within 200 feet these viewsheds should be required to minimize of any designated site. clearing of natural vegetation and site any proposed buildings or structures in a way that minimizes visual Scenic Stonewall Protection impact. The Zoning Code should be amended to Many of the older stone walls in the Town provide empower the Planning Board to review projects for a rural element to the landscape. It is in the Town’s impacts to viewsheds. interest to seek to preserve these rural elements. As such, the Town should amend the zoning ordinance Gateway and Entrance Corridors and/or subdivision regulations to provide additional At the moment, when driving along the roads that safeguards to existing stone walls. enter the Town, there is little distinction between the neighboring towns and Blooming Grove. In particular, Scenic Roads Protection when entering Blooming Grove on Route 208 from the Many of the Town’s roadways are particularly scenic south or Route 17, likely the most common route for and deserve additional protection to ensure their those entering the Town for the first time, there are scenic qualities. Figure 11-4 identifies these roadways, little identifying characteristics that suggest that this as identified by the Comprehensive Plan Steering area is different from any other. At the gateways to Committee. the Town, by establishing a clear delineation between the Towns and marking the entrance to the Town, the Special protection of the scenic road corridors is Town can present a clear identity and create a lasting necessary to preserve the attractive rural quality of positive impression for those entering the Town the Town. The purpose of scenic roads protection is to for the first time. The image of the Town, critical to regulate land use within the designated scenic road healthy economic development, can be established corridors to protect the Town’s scenic beauty and rural through the design of these gateways.

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should include such elements as: • Consideration of development potential of adjacent parcels when determining appropriate site design.

• Retention and reuse of existing old farm roads and lands rather than constructing new roads or driveways. This minimizes clearing and disruption of the landscape and takes advantage of the attractive way that old lands are often lined with trees and stone walls.

• Preserve stone walls and hedgerows. These traditional landscape features define outdoor areas in a natural way and create corridors useful The gateway and entrance corridors can be for wildlife. strengthened in two ways: signage and site design. Posting attractive, well-crafted signs welcoming • Avoid placing buildings in the middle of open drivers to Blooming Grove would delineate the town’s fields. Place them either at the edges of fields or in boundaries for drivers entering the Town. The sign wooded areas. should reflect the character of the community and display the image the Town wishes to project. • Use existing vegetation and topography to buffer and screen new buildings unless they Properties along these corridors would be subject to a are designed and located close to the road in a gateway overlay specifying site design and landscape manner historically found in the town. standards. • Group buildings in clusters or tuck them behind Ridgeline and Hillside Development Protection tree lines or knolls rather than spreading them out It is the intent of a Hillside Preservation to place special across the landscape in a sprawling manner. controls on any proposed development, public or private, within hillside areas of the Town in order to • Minimize clearing of vegetation at the edge of preserve and enhance their use as a prime resource, the road. help protect people and property from all potentially hazardous conditions particular to hillsides, ensure • Site buildings so that they do not protrude above that any development be economically sound; and the treetops and crest lines of hills as seen from encourage innovative design solutions. public places and roads.

Within the Hillside Preservation area, the uses, lot • Siting and designing buildings in a manner which size, and density calculations allowed or prescribed minimizes regrading and removal of trees. in the underlying zoning district remain. However, additional guidelines are established to ensure site- • The use of natural building materials. appropriate development. It is the purpose of Hillside Preservation to promote the Town objectives that • Building design should reflect the Town’s should be considered as guidelines by the Planning traditional building form and size. Board when considering development proposals within the Hillside Preservation area. The Town should consider adopting the Building Form Guidelines, Hamlet Design Guidelines, and the Rural Development Design Guidelines Development Guidelines prepared by the Dutchess To preserve the Town’s character, the Town should County Department of Planning and Development. adopt guidelines regarding the siting and design of These guidelines provide simple to understand new development. The siting and design guidelines recommendations for ensuring new development

11-10 Implementation adheres to the Town’s rural character. The Town Board may consider requiring a minimum lot If neither of these improvements is made, another size for lots within clustered development. However, option is to continue using Route 208 but with minimum lot size may conflict with the objectives of modifications to correct each hazardous intersection cluster subdivision design and such lot size may not and bend (identified in Chapter 7). Even with such be appropriate in all instances. corrections, Route 208’s present high traffic volume and lack of capacity may cause further development Architectural Review Board in the Town to be more highly restricted than soil The Town Board should consider creating an and environmental considerations alone. Especially, Architectural Review Board that would serve as an the proposed moderate-density development (many advisory board to the Planning Board on matters of hundreds of homes) along Route 208 and Clove Road architectural and site design. Such a board should should not be approved until highway capacity is review applications related to architectural design, properly considered. site design, scenic corridors, and historic properties. The Architectural Review Board’s roll would be strictly Route 208 to Cardinal Drive Connector advisory and all decisions regarding the approval The morning traffic jam in Washingtonville occurs or disapproval of a project would be made by the because of the volume of vehicles turning south Planning Board. on Route 208 from Route 94. The evening traffic jam occurs northbound on Route 208 entering Washingtonville from the south. A Route 208 to TRANSPORTATION Cardinal Drive connector would extend from Route Transportation System Improvements 208 near the former Spear Bros. Lumber yard easterly Route 17 Museum Village Exit (Exit 129) to the present bridge over the Moodna Creek on The Museum Village exit of Route 17 is a gateway into Cardinal Drive/Locust Street. This road would allow the Town and serves and important function for the traffic from the east side of Washingtonville to Town. The Town should notify the NYS DOT that the bypass the main intersection in the Village. By using Museum Village exit should remain intact at such time the existing bridge on Cardinal Drive, the cost of as Route 17 is converted to Interstate 86. completing such a connection would be made more reasonable. Route 17 Oxford Depot Exit (Exit 128) The Oxford Depot exit of Route 17 is an important Advantages: gateway into the Town and provides and important • would reduce the traffic volume on Route 94 link between Route 17 and the Oxford Depot in the center of the Village during morning rush neighborhood of the Town. The Town should notify hour NYS DOT that the Oxford Depot exit should be improved to a full entrance and exit at such time as • would reduce the traffic volume entering the Route 17 is converted to Interstate 86.

Road Alignments and Safety Improvements The main traffic problems in Blooming Grove include hazardous traffic locations (previously discussed in this section) and daily traffic jams in Washingtonville during rush hours. The committee has discussed two road network enhancements that may alleviate many of these traffic problems:

• a Route 208 to Cardinal Drive connector road near the southern Washingtonville Village line,

• a new North-South limited highway through the middle of Blooming Grove.

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Village center from Route 208 in the evening detail below: Disadvantages: Parallel Route 208 Bypass • would interfere with 1 to 3 homes in the Cardinal This route is shown in purple in Figure 11-6. The Drive area and would result in increased traffic highway would start at the Museum Village Exit of through this residential neighborhood. Route 17, travel north behind the golf driving range, along the eastern base of Bull Mine Hill, across Peddler • considering potential development of the land Hill Road, continue north behind Merriwold, follow along the south side of the Village, the Village and Satterly Creek northward, across Round Hill Road, and potential developers may find it beneficial to all connect with the existing Route 208 at “dead-man’s parties to incorporate such a connector road into curve” just north of Round Hill Road. future development plans. Advantages and disadvantages of this bypass road New North-South Limited Access Roadway include: The present Route 208 through Blooming Grove has Advantages: a traffic flow of 17,000 vehicles per day (southern • would reduce the traffic volume on the southern portion from Route 17 to Clove Road) and has been section of Route 208 (south of Round Hill Road the site of numerous traffic fatalities in the past. Because it is the only main southerly road out of the • would straighten out the dangerous “dead- Town, its closing during emergencies is also of major concern.

A second north-south roadway may alleviate these problems. There are three possible routes for such a roadway. The first route has been informally discussed by the State and County planners. It would run approximately parallel to Route 208 about 200 to 400 yards to the west. For the purposes of discussion in this Plan, this route is called the “Parallel 208 Bypass.”

The Comprehensive Plan Committee has discussed another route that runs farther west through the center of Town and connects to Route 94 near Farmingdale man’s curve” and Round Hill Roads. This route is called the “Town Center Connector” in this Plan. The Committee has Disadvantages: also discussed an enhancement of the Oxford Depot • would require numerous home buy-outs in Route 17 interchange that uses the existing CR51/ Merriwold and at the base of Bull Mine Hill Craigville Road and Oxford Road rights- of-way. It is termed the “Oxford – 94 Connector.” • would disrupt some of the best active farmland in the town. These three routes are mutually exclusive – only one of these routes would be needed to solve these • would traverse some beautiful open and wooded traffic problems. Further, each of these routes would land be considered limited access roads and would not open up new lands for significant development. Their Town Center Connector advantages and disadvantages are discussed in more This route is shown in green in Figure 11-6. This

11-12 Implementation highway would start at the Museum Village Exit of tax-ratable uses Route 17, travel north along the ridge near the present • would utilize the existing rights of way. high-voltage transmission line, travel along the west side of Bull Mine Hill, across Prospect Road, continue • would make the Town center (Town Hall, Police north near the present high-voltage transmission line, Department, future shops, etc.) more accessible pass north of Lake Hildegard, continue northward through vacant land to connect to Route 94 between • possibly no homes would be affected depending Farmingdale Road and Round Hill Road. This road on exact routing would be a two-lane, limited access highway such as Long Mountain Parkway (Route 6) through Harriman Disadvantages: Park or Route 293 through the US Military reservation. • no existing east-bound ramp at Route 17 exists; No driveways would be permitted. It would be a more would require full interchange direct way to travel from Washingtonville to Route 17 via Route 94 and the Connector. • not as convenient for south-traveling commuters compared to the other options Advantages and disadvantages of the Town Center Connector include: • may require expansion of underpass at Heritage Advantages: Trail • would reduce the traffic volume on the entire length of Route 208 in the Town Access Management In order to prevent increased congestion and • would reduce the amount of morning left-hand reduce the likelihood of accidents on Route 208, it turns from 94 onto 208 south in the center of is recommended that no new driveways be installed Washingtonville unless a property owner has no other options. Rear and side entry access should be encouraged. • would make the Town center (Town Hall, Police Department, future shops, etc.) more accessible Traffic Calming Install traffic calming devices at specifically targeted • possibly no homes would be affected depending locations to reduce speeds and minimize the likelihood on exact routing of accidents. Traffic calming should be considered on Town-maintained collector streets and local roads. Disadvantages: • would traverse some beautiful open and wooded Road Maintenance land Although the condition of the roads in the Town can generally be characterized as good, a consistent, Additional traffic, engineering, and environmental scheduled monitoring program should be followed. studies would need to be conducted on any of these Such a strategy will aid the conduct of a regular solutions. However, these plans should be considered ongoing and deliberate road maintenance program, as land development progresses within the Town. which is necessary not only to provide convenience and safety of traffic, but will also help to reduce the Oxford – 94 Connector cost of repairs in the long run. This route is shown in orange in Figure 11-6. This route would start at a full-sized cloverleaf at the current Non-Motorized Travel Oxford Depot on Route 17. This route would utilize Though used mostly for recreational purposes, the existing rights of way of CR51/Craigville Road and bicycling and walking trails could provide an Oxford Road. alternative means of transportation. The Town should seek to encourage alternative means of transportation Advantages and disadvantages of the Oxford – 94 including biking and walking trails and paths. A Connector include: gradual, piecemeal development of the trail and path Advantages: system can be achieved through encouraging future • would open up the Oxford Depot area to more development to construct the trails through a series

11-13 Chapter 11 of incentives, easements, and/or condemnation. the pedestrian. On such streets, the pavement width Two trails would be particularly useful: a north-south should be narrowed, and amenities such as grassy link to lead to the Heritage Trail and a pathway along planting strips, parking islands with large canopy the Moodna Creek. A north-south link possibly using street trees, and wide sidewalks should be provided the abandoned railroad right-of-way leading to the to encourage pedestrian activity. On-street parking Heritage Trail could provide a means of connecting should be allowed on these streets, in particular the Trail to the Village of Washingtonville. Such a sections of the roadway where parked cars will not trail would encourage non-motorized transportation overly-interfere with the flow of traffic. The design of and provide recreational opportunities. A trail along roadway is illustrated in Figure 11-9. the Moodna Creek would provide recreational opportunities and provide better public access to the Shared Private Driveways Creek. In those areas where shared private drives are to be built, the shared private driveway should be built to Roadway Design Town design standards. Access from shared driveways To preserve the Town’s rural character, all future roads should be limited to no more than five dwelling units. should be built in a manner that conforms to the These standards for private driveways should be Town’s setting. Though roadway capacity is certainly revised to allow for narrower pavement widths and/ important, the Town seeks to encourage context- or alternative road surfaces in circumstances where sensitive design. To the extent that it can recommend traffic is low. However, the construction of these and encourage good design on State and County roads must meet the engineering standards of Town roads and require for future Town-maintained roads, to ensure the durability of the driveways. Moreover, the Town seeks to promote its rural image through the Town should insist that strong maintenance the following design standards: agreements be in place to ensure that private drives will be properly maintained. Collector Roads Scenic Corridors Should new collector roads be constructed, the rights- As described earlier, the Town seeks to implement a of-way should be designed to ease traffic, respect the scenic corridors overlay district that places additional town’s rural character and provide an area for non- protection on scenic roadways. Those roads motorized travel. The design of the right-of-way is designated by the Town Board as scenic roadways illustrated in Figure 11-7. should be maintained and protected to keep their scenic qualities. Local Roads, Low Density For future roadways serving low-density areas, those Cul-de-Sacs areas less than one unit per two acres, the roadway Though generally discouraged, in the event that should be designed to preserve rural character. a cul-de-sac is to be used, the cul-de-sac should be Context-sensitive design including narrow pavement designed in a manner appropriate for the landscape. width and natural drainage swales respects the rural setting. The design of the right-of-way is illustrated in Cul-de-sacs should only be used in instances where Figure 11-8. through-roads would conflict with other goals of this Comprehensive Plan, such as the protection of natural Local Roads, Mid Density resources. For instance, it would not be appropriate New roads serving higher density areas, in which the for a roadway to be constructed through wetlands buildings are more closely spaced and positioned closer or steep slope areas. In such an instance, alternatives to the street, should be designed to complement the should be explored. buildings’ architecture and provide a sense of intimacy and invoke a neighborhood feel. Such design was The overly wide, round cul-de-sacs often associated common in the region prior to large-scale suburban with suburban development consume incredible development that took place after World War II. In new amounts of land, create vast impervious surfaces, higher-density neighborhoods, the roadways should and are inappropriate for most of Blooming Grove’s be designed not only for the automobile but also for rural character. Instead, alternative designs should be

11-14 Implementation encouraged. These designs include: Redesign of the Site Plan and Lot-Layout Roadway Network If a subdivision were to be proposed that includes As development increases in the Town, new roads are a cul-de-sac, the applicant should show that an likely. To reduce the amount of traffic traveling on the alternative lot layout which avoids the use of a cul- already-burdened corridors, new roadways should de-sac is not possible. At the time of subdivision be designed as through streets to alleviate traffic application review, the Planning Board should insist problems. Distributing traffic throughout the road on connected roads. network instead of onto a limited number of major roads will lead to fewer traffic problems. Loop Roads and Planting Island cul-de-sac Similar to a standard cul-de-sac but instead of a large, To increase mobility in the town, all new roads should flat paved area, loop roads and planting island cul- be designed as through streets. However, to ensure de-sacs provide planted or natural areas inside the a high quality of life for the residents living on the circular drive aisle. Such a design lowers impervious streets, through streets should be intentionally surface, lowers stormwater runoff and provides a designed with traffic-calming methods. more attractive setting for residents. UTILITIES Smaller turning radius cul-de-sac Water and Wastewater By reducing the turing radius of the cul-de-sac, All new infrastructure should be constructed to impervious surface is decreased and stormwater the Town’s standards. Performance bonds should runoff is lowered. Though smaller radius cul-de-sacs be required to ensure that the infrastructure are more difficult for large vehicles to turn-around, improvements are made. The town should also they do provide a more attractive setting for the consider establishing special infrastructure tax residents. districts to fund the operation and maintenance of infrastructure improvements. T-Shaped and L-Shaped Turn-Arounds Rather than providing a circular turn-around, two To ensure long-term water quality, the Town should alternatives are the T-shaped, also known as hammer- invest in groundwater, soil, and subsurface geology head, and L-shaped turn-arounds. These types of turn- studies to gain a better understanding of the Town’s arounds typically require less space than standard cul- subsurface conditions and any impacts development de-sacs and can be design in a context-appropriate may have on water quality. manner for rural locations. The town should conduct studies on the soil, Temporary cul-de-sacs: subsurface geology and groundwater supply to better During the time of subdivision, if a roadway is planned understand the water and wastewater capacity within to lead to an adjacent parcel that may be subdivided the Town. Future development within the Town in the future, the Planning Board may require a is likely to be built with on-site or neighborhood- temporary cul-de-sac. The temporary cul-de-sac based water and wastewater service, such studies are should be of smaller turning radius to traditional cul- necessary to determine the land’s capacity to service de-sacs. At such time as the road is extended, the future development. Comparing the results of the Planning Board should require the removal of the two studies could be the basis for a more specific temporary cul-de-sac. To ensure that all residents of infrastructure-based zoning. subdivisions with temporary cul-de-sacs are aware that the road will likely be extended, the Planning Soil and Subsurface Geology Study Board should require that the filed subdivision map A study of the Town’s soils and subsurface geology and all deeds make not to the temporary nature of should be conducted to assess the ability of the the cul-de-sac and the planned future extension of ground’s soils to absorb wastewater treatment. Such the road. a study would provide necessary information to determine the capacity of the land to support future development.

11-15 Chapter 11

services is a key factor to the successful development Groundwater Supply Study of a community. Often it is the extent and quality of Similar to the proposed Soil and Subsurface facilities and services offered by a community that Geology Study, a Groundwater Supply Study distinguish it from other communities and make should be conducted to assess an area’s ability to it more attractive to prospective residents and produce groundwater. The study would provide the investors. information necessary to determine the capacity of the land to support future development. The Town should consider preparing a Community Facilities Plan or strategy for providing an overall Financing and Costs of Proposed Studies system of facilities and services designed to keep pace Though likely expensive to conduct, the proposed with the present and prospective growth of the Town. studies are necessary to ensure that future Included in this plan would be recommendations for development will not over-burden the land’s ability cultural facilities, public buildings and services, as to handle the growth. As such, any up-front costs well as for semi-public and private facilities that offer associated with conducting the studies are likely to services which are substantially public in nature. be significantly less than the costs associated with allowing over-development. The Town should consider creation of a new Town center along Route 94 (in the Rural Crossroads II zoning Another option is to increase the fees charged district) to include Town Offices, community meeting to developers for the review of development rooms, senior center, and possibly school facilities. applications. If the Town were to conduct such studies, Such a center would work best when integrated with the developer would likely be saved time and money. new residential and commercial uses. Such studies would provide definitive answers to the question of density and would save the developer The Town should coordinate with the Village of money, as the developer would not be required to Washingtonville to identify services or facilities that conduct costly water and wastewater tests. could be shared by Town and village residents. As a means of benefiting from economies of scale and COMMUNITY FACILITIES reduce unneeded redundancy, the Town should seek The availability of adequate municipal facilities and opportunities to share government services with the Village and other municipalities where possible.

11-16 A P P E N D I X A Inventory of Historic, Archaeological, and Cultural Sites A. INVENTORY OF HISTORIC, ARCHAEOLOGICAL Stafford Building. (Now Candlelite Florist and the AND CULTURAL SITES Trophy Shop.) Circa 1880. Location: 1/16 mile The Town of Blooming Grove has many historic, east of Route 94 and Route 208 intersection on archaeological, and cultural sites of great importance Route 94. Wood structure. to the community. Should any of these buildings, structures and sites be demolished, the Town’s Hope Chapel. Circa 1800. Location: 1/16 mile history and culture could be forever lost. These sites south of Orrs Mills Road and Clove intersection should be given further protection. The following is on Clove Road. Wood Structure with bell tower, a list of sites within the Town of historic, cultural, or built by the Caldwells. archaeological significance. Keller’s Machine Shop. Circa Unknown. Location: Brotherhood Winery. Circa 1839 (cellar in 1902). 1/16 mile west of Orrs Mills Road and Clove Road Location: 1/8 mile north of Route 94 on Toleman intersection on Ors Mills. Stone Structure. Blvd. The nation’s oldest winery which includes multiple stone structures and extensive wine Windsor Hill School. Circa 1870. Location: on the cellar. corner of Bull and Moffat Road. Brick Structure.

Blooming Grove Church, also known as The Corner Candle Store. Circa 1872. Location: on Congregational Church of Blooming Grove. First Depot Street. Wood structure formerly Thomas built between 1800 and 1824 in the Federal Style Fulton’s feed and grain. designed by Joseph Cromwell. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Edward Conklin Farm, Hector St. John de Crevecoeur. Circa 1778. Location: on Route 94 Moffat Library. Circa 1887. Location: the near Chester. northwest corner of Route 94 and Route 208. Mark Roe Farm. Circa 1716. Location: Route 94 Police Station. Circa 1916. (Previously Monell Fire almost to Chester on north. Built by Wiliam Bull. Company) Location: on the north side of Route 94, 1/8 mile from town center. Painted brick Craigville Mill area including houses (blacksmith). building. Circa unknown. Location: Craigville Road.

First Presbyterian Church. Circa 1847. Location: Craigville School. Circa Unknown. Location: approximately 1/8 mile north of Route 94 and Route 94 just before Roe’s Orchard. Route 208 intersection on Route 208. Wood construction with bell tower. Horton Home. Circa unknown. Location: Korby Lane, off Craigville Road. right. The Bank of New York. Circa 1914. Location: the south west corner of Route 94 and Route 208. All Barrett Ames Home. Circa unknown. Location: stone construction. Originally The First National on Route 94 east of Craigville Road. Bank.

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN A-1 Appendix A

Hunter Home. Circa unknown. Location: Craigville Goldsmith Farm, Walnut Grove Farm. Circa Road. to Monroe on left. unknown. Location: Route 208 north on right, grey out buildings. Bull Mine area. Circa unknown. Located in South Blooming Grove. Location: off Craigville Road. David Moffat Home. Circa unknown. Location: Route 208 north on right going into Spear Home (formerly Sears Home, Dr. Marcus Washingtonville. Yellow on Moffat Road Dennis Sears.) Circa unknown. Location: on Route 94. Barnett.

Versweyveld Home (formerly Thompson public John Springstead Bull Homestead. Circa house.) Circa 1750. Location: on Route 94. unknown. Location: Route 208 south (golf Benjamin Sears Homestead cemetery. Circa driving range). unknown. Tuthill Road at railroad, post office, Train Station and General Store. Location: Route Moffat Homestead. Circa unknown. Location: 94 BAC. Clove Road on left going north from Route 208.

Gerow Homestead. Circa unknown. Location: Dubois Homestead. Circa unknown. Location: Route 94 east of Horton Road. Route 94 and Station Road.

Gerow Home (formerly Bailey Home). Circa David Hudson Homestead. Circa unknown. unknown. Location: Route 94 on right heading Location: on Hudson Road from Route 94 on east. Victorian. right.

Howell Homestead (formerly Sears Hunter School House. Circa unknown. Location: on Home). Circa unknown. Location: on Round Hill Hudson Road on the right at the bend. Road. Now Cartwright home. Rahl Farm. Circa unknown. Bull Road over railroad Henry Bull Homestead (formerly Steele home.) bridge on left. Circa unknown. Location: Round Hill Road. Howell House. Circa 1838. Location: south side Round Hill House. Circa unknown. Location: of Clove Road 1 mile from Route 208. Stone on Round Hill Road. Premise currently used as foundation. catering establishment. William Bull. Circa 1716. Location: Route 94 Akers Homestead. Circa unknown. Location: between Blooming Grove and Chester. Colonial Round Hill Road. house; a good portion is stone. (Listed on page 12 of Old Orange Houses Volume I). Round Hill School. Circa unknown. Location: Round Hill Road. John S. Bull. Circa 1856 (may be located in New Windsor) Location: south on Bull Road from 207 Heard Home. Circa unknown. Location: the end West of Little Britain. North on Bull Road from of Farmingdale over bridge on right. Washingtonville. Large stone colonial. (Listed on page 19 of Old Orange Houses Volume I). Many Property (white house) and cemetery. Circa unknown. Location: on Hulsetown Road. Beattie. Circa 1776. Location: leave 94 at Salisbury Mills follow Main Street to terrace on north side. Farmingdale School. Circa unknown. Location: Three small dormers and full porch. This was the on Hulsetown Road, right, first house on right. Caldwell house at one time. (Listed on page 30 of Old Orange Houses Volume I).

A-2 Inventory of Historic Archaeological and Cultural Sites

John Caldwell. Circa 1820. Location: leave Route first tavern. (Listed on page 26 of Old Orange 94 at Salisbury Mills follow Main Street, third Houses Volume II). house of three on terrace. Front porch with 4 columns. (Listed on page 31 of Old Orange Jeremiah Horton. Circa 1777. Location: Route Houses Volume I). 208 south, 2 miles south of Washingtonville. Stone house with front porch. (Listed on page 33 Richard Caldwell II. Circa 1800. Location: Salisbury of Old Orange Houses Volume II). Mills from Route 94, center house on terrace. Single dormer, six large columns (Listed on page Craig. Circa 1776. Location: North from Route 94 32 of Old Orange Houses Volume I). continue north on eastside of creek. Looks like rambler with front porch and 3 dormers. Long Elihu Marvin. Circa 1745 (may not be history as gristmill, powder mill, and paper mill. standing) Location: north from Route 17 to Camp (Listed on page 35 of Old Orange Houses Volume Laguardia. Large colonial house section of brick II). with single dormer, addition with three dormers. (Listed on page 68 of Old Orange Houses Volume Aaron Burr. Circa 1800’s. Location: North from I). Route 94 at Craigville, follow right hand road a mile toward Farmingdale. Unassuming house Woodhill. Circa 1854. Location: north from Route with small porch. (Listed on page 36 of Old 17 towards Oxford Depot, south off Route 94 on Orange Houses Volume II). Craigville. Large square 3 story stone mansion. (Listed on page 69 of Old Orange Houses Volume Jonathan Brooks. Circa 1778, 1812. Location: Route I). 94 near the eastern limits of Washingtonville. Two houses joined together with passageway. (Listed James Findly. Circa 1740. Location: Route on page 67 of Old Orange Houses Volume II). 94 south on Clove, from Salisbury Mills, first eastward turn, see it on the north side. Stone John Tuthill. Circa 1776. Location: Hulsetown with three dormers. (Listed on page 85 of Old Road south from Sarah Wells or north from Orange Houses Volume I). Craigville to head of Tomahawk Lake. Looks like saltbox with front porch. (Listed on page 71 of Coleman Home. Circa 1750. Location: leave Clove Old Orange Houses Volume II). Road. at Round Hill School. Follow Helms Road north. (Listed on page 22 of Old Orange Houses James Smith. Circa 1813 (Questionable.) Volume II). Location: north from Route 17 just west of Orange and Rockland Lake next to railroad track. Sam Moffat, William Moffat. Circa 1766. Location: Two sections one of rock one of wood. (Listed on west side of Clove Road _ way between Route page 74 of Old Orange Houses Volume II). 208 and Route 94 Colonial with center peak at entrance (Listed on page 24 of Old Orange Brewster. Circa 1777. Location: approach by Houses Volume II). long lane near Erie Crossing on Blooming Grove- Farmingdale Road. Transferred to B. H. Clapp Sam Moffat 2nd. Circa 1780. Location: point after the revolution. Two dormers and small between Washingtonville and Lincolndale on porch. (Listed on page 82 of Old Orange Houses Goshen Road. Dormers, bay window and front Volume II). porch. (Listed on page 25 of Old Orange Houses Volume II). Henry Brewster. Circa 1776. Location: Route 94 just south of Blooming Grove Church. All wood Sam Moffat 3rd. Circa 1800 moved in 1884. structure with small porch. (Listed on page 82 of Location: North Main St. opposite library. This Old Orange Houses Volume II). was made into the Washington Inn and was the

A-3 Appendix A

Zachariah DuBuis. Circa 1776. Location Route 94 Hudson. Located on Hudson Road behind old at western end of Salisbury Mills. Combination school house. of stone and wood. (Listed on page 101 of Old Orange Houses Volume II). Seeley Farm. Located at the intersection of Oxford Road and Craigville Road. CEMETERIES AND BURIAL GROUNDS Goldsmith. Located on Moffat Road over railroad Greycourt. Located on Greycourt Rd. bridge. Tuthill. Located on Felter Hill Road. Hulse. Located off Route 208N near Twin Arch Road. Caldwell. Located on Orrs Mills Road near School House. Tuthill. Located off Tuthill Road and Cherry Hill Road. Marvin. Located on Angle Rd. near Bull Mine Road. Heard. Located on Farmingdale Road. Horton. Located on Craigville Road north of Coleman/Howell. Located on the east side of Korby Hills. Hustletown Road, south of Farmingdale Road. Oxford Depot. Located on Bull Mill Road. Hawkings (Ames) (First Presb. Vault). Located at Craigville Road and Hamptonburg Road. Stuart/Woodhull. Located on Cherry Hill Road.

Benj. Spears Farm. Located on Route 94 west of Satterlytown. Round Hill Road. Phinease/Coleman Round Hill Cemetery. Located on Clove Road, near Lake Anne. First Prebyterian. Located within Village of Washingtonville on Route 208 and North Street. St. Columba. Located on Route 94 near Chester. St. Mary’s Cemetery. Located within Village of Sears Family. Located on Route 94 railroad tracks Washingtonville on North Street and Ahern near Roe’s Orchard. Boulevard.

Gonzaga. Located off Seven Springs Road. CULTURAL RESOURCES Weir’s Dairy Bar, a 1950’s drive-up ice cream Mapes. Located on Route 208 and Peddler Hill shop. Located on Route 94, east of the Village of Road. Washingtonville. Swissete Herb Farm, a small herb farm Young. Located off Heritage Trail near Oxford Springs. Museum Village

Unnamed. Located off Route 17M near Blooming Hill Organic Farm. Located on Route Goosepond Park. 208

Mary Crest Convent. Located on Quakerhill Conklin Farm. Located on Route 94. Road. Rose Orchards on Route 94. Brewster. Located on Farmingdale Road near railroad bed. Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast. Bethlehem Art Gallery in Blooming Grove.

A-4 Inventory of Historic Archaeological and Cultural Sites

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES Native American Rock Shelters. Given the sensitivity of archaeological resources, exact locations are not disclosed.

Burial Grounds. Located throughout the Town.

NEARBY HISTORIC, ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL SITES Though Blooming Grove has no direct authority over the treatment of buildings and resources outside its jurisdiction, the following sites are of great regional importance. The Hudson Valley is teeming with cultural resources, many within close proximity of the Town.

ATTRACTIONS LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN Moodna Viaduct, the largest railroad trestle spanning a land mass in America. Located in Cornwall. Visible from within the Town.

Brotherhood Winery, America’s oldest winery. Located in Washingtonville. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

US Military Academy- West Point.

Storm King Art Center.

Gomez Mill House, the oldest existing Jewish residence in the US. Located in Marlboro.

Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh.

New Windsor Cantonment

Henry Knox Headquarters, New Windsor.

Schunnemunk Ridge Trail.

Tuxedo Park.

Harriman State Park.

A-5