Town building ban imposed - 9-month stay slows dorm plan

Residential construction in some parts of the Town of Poughkeepsie will end for at least nine months - likely delaying Dutchess Community College's plan to construct a dorm complex off Cottage Road in Fairview.

The town board unanimously approved a nine-month moratorium on residential construction in institutional zones, which includes property owned by Dutchess, Vassar and Marist colleges, as well as Saint Francis Hospital.

A total of 940 acres townwide would be affected. The measure approved Wednesday allows the board to extend the moratorium two times, or an additional 18 months, if necessary.

Supervisor Patricia Myers said the moratorium is needed to give officials time to review potential effects of development in institutional zones throughout the town.

"We really didn't look at what could happen in the institutional districts when we did the master plan," Myers said Thursday of the updated planning document the board approved in September. "We have to take a look at what could happen."

Several residents sporting shirts promoting the local citizen group Fairness for Fairview were at town hall to support the moratorium. Many Fairview Fire District residents are concerned about safety and increasing fire tax bills in a district with many tax-exempt properties.

While some tax-exempt properties have payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT agreements, to help offset costs in Fairview, many residents believe those property owners should pay more, considering the amount of public services the parcels receive.

"They give a little bit, but it's just not enough," Fairness member Linda Rutherford said. "Our taxes have just skyrocketed."

Latest obstacle

The moratorium is the latest setback for DCC's plan to construct a 450-student dorm near its town campus on county-owned land. Officials had hoped to have the complex open by fall 2009.

College spokeswoman Ann Winfield Thursday said officials there had no comment on the moratorium or the dorm project's status.

The town last month initiated what is known as an Article 78 proceeding in state Supreme Court in Westchester County related to the dorm proposal.

The town claims the proposal failed to undergo the environmental review process known as SEQR, or state environmental quality review. Article 78 actions allow plaintiffs to challenge decisions by governing bodies or agencies.

The matter is scheduled for an initial court session July 31 in White Plains.