Zoning Board variances for mixed use developments along Broadway

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Call the City Council Board Members

at (845) 569-7301

and tell them you DO NOT WANT THIS for Newburgh!

At the April 22nd City Council Meeting, an amendment to Article 7, Special Use Permits was proposed to allow the city officials to circumvent the Zoning Board and grant variances for the development of large mixed use developments along Broadway (between Concord Street and Grand Street, spanning a total of 10 city blocks), that of which is being proposed is a phantom supermarket and approximately 100 low income housing units.

Broadway developement 2

The issues at hand are as follows, the first one being the most critical at the moment:

  1. There is no apparent reason why the City Council should have the discretion to grant this variance, as opposed to the Zoning Board.
  2. Low income housing would mean other current occupants of the City would have to absorb higher tax burdens while services provided by the City will decrease.
  3. The variance would be for the building of an imaginary supermarket (the reason the supermarket is a figment of the City’s imagination is because there has not been a single supermarket that has agreed to come into this area and set up shop at the time of this posting).
  4. The building of a large chain supermarket would jeopardize the well-being of numerous other small businesses currently in the City’s Downtown District, leading to even more vacant spaces in Newburgh.
  5. Approximately 100 low income housing units that would be built (most proposed to be 1 bedroom units) will not foster any family ties to the community and will not help revitalize the City’s Downtown District.
  6. Low income housing will not encourage new visitors to come into the City of Newburgh.
  7. Proposed parking associated with this project will not support the actual parking needs should this development happen.

Call the city officials (The City Council Board Members) at (845) 569-7301 and tell them you DO NOT WANT THIS for Newburgh and remind them its there duty to represent the public’s interest, and not the personal/financial interest of a developer!

    • Mayor Judy Kennedy
    • Council Member Regina Angelo
    • Council Member Cedric Brown
    • Council Member Curlie Dillard
    • Council Member Gay Lee

Watch the April 22 City Council Meeting here

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