Officials get a glance at Silo Ridge project

AMENIA — Local government officials visited the Silo Ridge Field Club offices and site for a presentation and tour on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Among those present were Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, Dutchess County Sheriff Butch Anderson, Amenia town Supervisor Victoria Perotti, Planning Board Chairman Norm Fontaine and Amenia town Councilman Mike DeLango.Stoneleaf Partners CEO Pedro Torres and Discovery Land Company Director of Sales Dan O’Callaghan reviewed the project background and status.“In 2009 we received the special-use permit, so over the last year what we’ve been working [on] with the Planning Board and their consultants to make sure that the amended plan complies with that permit,” Torres said. “And also provide the protections to the town and its residents that what we’re going to be going forward with is going to be right.”Torres added that Silo Ridge has finalized comments received on the project and is submitting responses to the Planning Board, and that the board’s consultants will determine if the comments have been properly addressed. Torres continued that if the board deems the process complete, there will be one more public hearing followed by preparation of an amended finding statement and an amended special-use permit.Molinaro asked for a time line assuming the board grants its approval. Fontaine responded first.“We’re hoping that by spring, we’ve got things in place for these guys to take off and start going, but again, there’s no definites on that,” the Planning Board chair said. “You’ve got to go back and forth for some things, and we’re going to do whatever we can to make it happen, as long as we make sure we cover all the bases.”Torres added that the developers are already constructing the golf course and that the goal is to address all public comments and concerns in order to move forward in the spring and “put a shovel in the ground”“I think the new documents will show that the new plan definitely reduces environmental impacts substantially from the previous plan,” Torres said. A scheduled meeting before both Town and Planning boards on Wednesday, Jan. 14, regarding these documents fell after press timeThe county executive asked O’Callaghan for his perspective for the local economy.O’Callaghan compared sales to other Discovery Land communities, such as Baker’s Bay Golf & Ocean Club in the Bahamas, which he said will make $260 million this year.“I was at Baker’s Bay last week and I had four people come up to me and say, ‘let me know when I can buy at Silo Ridge and I’m ready to send you the money,’” O’Callaghan said. “These are real people that know finance, they know the market and they can see, as you do, an incredible opportunity in Dutchess County.”Molinaro shared his views on the project’s potential impact with The Millerton News following the presentation.“It’s a half a billion dollars worth of private sector investment in a careful way,” the county executive said. “It speaks again that Dutchess County is growing, we’ve begun to work out from the great recession and that there is a considerable interest in careful development in the Harlem Valley, and that is positive news for local businesses and it’s positive news for the county as a whole.”