Eerie silence in Pine Plains over Carvel, proposed zoning

PINE PLAINS — After months of action over both the proposed Carvel project and the town’s proposed zoning ordinance, developments on both the project and the ordinance have slowed.

In July, after holding two public hearings, the now-defunct Zoning Commission submitted a completed version of an ordinance to the Town Board.

Town supervisor Gregg Pulver said the town is still waiting for town consultants to fully review the ordinance.

“We are waiting for information to see how much we possibly need to change in the ordinance,� Pulver said. “Our goal is that we do not extend the building moratorium for another six months. Hopefully we can wrap this all up in January.�

 The first building moratorium was enacted on Jan. 23, 2006, and was last extended in late July.

Progress has also slowed on the proposed Carvel project.

Real estate tycoon Douglas Durst, of the Durst Organization, bought the Carvel site a number of years ago. Jordan Barowitz, spokesman for the Durst Organization, said the company has completed a Phase 2 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) archeological study on the proposed site, but that a laboratory analysis on the study will not be completed until the end of November.

“They’re looking at it right now to see what they have found,� Barowitz said. “So far, I know they found a 60-year-old Coca-Cola bottle. We have to see what else they have found and present it to the Planning Board, who will make a decision.�

At a meeting in August, representatives from The Durst Organization debated with the Planning Board on whether or not the company should be required to do archaeological tests on the site. The company eventually agreed with the Planning Board, and project legal representative Nelson Johnson said he hoped that the DEIS for the project would be completed within “a few weeks.�

If approved, the project could add 951 homes over 2,000 acres of land, which could potentially double the size of Pine Plains.

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