Pine Plains development proposal is scaled back

PINE PLAINS - Though the Durst Organization reduced its development proposal for the 2,200-acre Carvel site by almost half its original plan, town officials foresee the number of houses being reduced even further before it's approved.

"I'm happy to see the direction that Durst is going with their plan," said Gregg Pulver, the Town of Pine Plains supervisor. "It's obvious that they listened to a lot of the public comments that were made during the public hearings for the DEIS (draft environmental impact statement) and I think they're really headed in the right direction."

Durst officials recently unveiled tentative plans for a drastically reduced alternative to the controversial luxury golf community they planned to build on the 2,200-acre Carvel site.

The alternate plan calls for 648 housing units and an 18-hole championship golf course to be built. Durst officials had initially intended to build a total of 1,022 housing units, one 18-hole championship golf course and a 9-hole academy course. The new plans also calls for larger wetlands buffer zones and larger areas of protected open space.

Jordan Barowitz, a spokesman for the Durst Organization, said the proposal modifications were made in response to community feedback. Several public hearings were held this year on the project's draft environmental impact statement.

The draft environmental impact statement is part of the state environmental review process.

"We feel that we have crafted a plan that protects the environment, provides resources to the local community and is financially viable," Barowitz said.

He declined to release design plans for the new proposal, saying they were still in the early stages. He said more detailed plans would be provided to the public after further consultation with the Pine Plains town planning board.

Durst, which is developing the site with Maryland-based Landmark National, bought the old Carvel site in 2003. More than 1,600 acres of the property sits in Pine Plains and about 550 is in Milan.

The property is referred to as the Carvel site because Tom Carvel, a successful businessman responsible for the Carvel ice cream brand, was previous owner of the site.

Some residents worried

Durst's proposal has been a source of controversy for residents who fear the project would tax the infrastructure and bring a rapid increase in the town's population. Pine Plains had an estimated population of 2,727 in 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Other residents have welcomed the proposal because they believe it will bring a much needed economic boost to the town.

Jim Mara, co-chairman of Pine Plains United, said the modified plan represents a good starting point for Durst. Pine Plains United is a grassroots group concerned about future growth in the town.

"I would say it reflects, at least, an honest approach at considering the various restraints of the land and taking them into account," Mara said. "But there are still questions that need to be answered as far as the fiscal impact this is going to have on the community."

Pulver noted the Durst plan could have even further reductions once the town approves its zoning law. Pine Plains, which hasn't had zoning laws to this point, is in the process of passing such a law for the first time in its history.