One Silo Ridge lawsuit dismissed, another filed

AMENIA — Despite experiencing legal challenges, the application for the Silo Ridge Field Club — a large-scale luxury residential development off Route 22 in Amenia -— continues to move forward.

Updates on the project’s current status were given at a Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

To carry the project through  to the next phase, two major steps need to be completed, said Planning Board Chairman Joseph Fontaine.

The first step is to approve the site plan. The Department of Health (DOH) issued a remaining permit on Thursday, Feb. 25; stamped final plan drawings from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) were expected to arrive on Monday, Feb. 29.

With the permits in place, the Planning Board can sign off on the site plan. Once this step is completed, construction can begin.

In addition, subdivision approval will be issued by the Planning Board once a conservation easement, in addition to four other easements, and the home owner association (HOA) agreement are approved.

Article 78

In the past year, Silo Ridge has faced two lawsuits from those seeking to delay the project’s progress.

Last August, Amenia Fish and Game Association (AFGA) — the gun club that neighbors Silo Ridge — filed an Article 78 lawsuit against the development.

According to www.nycourts.gov, an Article 78 is “a special proceeding … which seeks to challenge actions of administrative agencies and other government bodies.”

The lawsuit challenged the Planning Board’s environmental review process, specifically its  ruling allowing a residential development within 500 feet from an active shooting range.

The court case, however, was dismissed by all parties after Silo Ridge executive Pedro Torres agreed the project will build a fully-enclosed  indoor shooting range for the gun club. In exchange, the club’s outdoor shooting range will be eliminated.

Millbrook resident Oakleigh Thorne and Standfordville resident Frederick Whitridge filed an appeal against the court’s original ruling. Their appeal was dismissed by the court, according to Torres.

Though that case was officially dismissed on Thursday, Feb. 18, another Article 78 lawsuit was filed on Dec. 18, 2015, against the Town Board and the Planning Board. That suit came from the Wassaic Watershed and Viewshed Protection Project — an unincorporated association- — which comprises Frederick Whitridge, Thornes Dam LLC, Christine Pizzutti and the Rev. Douglas Grandgeorge. The lawsuit claims there are contaminants at the development site, which pose a threat to the environment.

Town officials, however, said they remain confident the project will progress to its next phase hassle-free.

“As far as I’m concerned, the Article 78 has no merit. The motives of the people who filed [the lawsuit] are unclear,” town Supervisor Victoria Perotti said, adding that a presentation on the Silo Ridge project will be given at the March 3 Town Board meeting.

Although the project has  been delayed slightly, Fontaine said the delay is not significant.

“I don’t expect any issues  now,” he said. “We did what we had to do properly.”

Standing up together

Many residents support the Silo Ridge development, said Torres and project sub-contractor Steven Parrino, as it promises to increase revenue for the town. 

In the last month, Parrino created a petition entitled, “Amenia Residents for Jobs and Lower Taxes,” in support of Silo Ridge.

Parrino owns American Tree and Landscaping in Pawling.

“My company, and people who work with me, are concerned with losing their jobs,” Parrino said, adding that he depends a lot on seasonal workers and contracts a workforce averaging 15 to 25 workers.

The project will not only provide jobs for local residents, according to its supporters, it will improve the town’s tax base. Additionally, many of the 245 residential units will be owned by part-time residents, who will contribute to that tax base while using fewer services than full-time residents.

“Taxes being pumped from this project [into town coffers] will be tremendous,” Parrino said.

Future property taxes will support the school district, senior services and local businesses, according to Parrino.

“We want to see our town move forward and prosper. That is why the Silo Ridge project is so important to us,” Parrino stated on his website.

The petition, which has accumulated more than 600 signatures in the course of four weeks, has been submitted to the Town Board in support of the project. Parrino said in addition to residents, a number of local businesses have supported the initiative.

Jeanne Rebillard, of Rebillard Public Relations, has been a Silo Ridge press contact since 2007. She said she supports the petition.

“I think there is confusion by the community, in general, on how these projects truly affect small businesses and growth in the region,” Rebillard said, adding a development like Silo Ridge can serve as an anchor for the local business community.

The petition will remain posted on the Internet, at least until the most recent Article 78 lawsuit is resolved, Parrino said.

To learn more about the petition, go to www.ameniajobsandlowertaxes.com.

Famous faces

Meanwhile, several athletes and high profile individuals who are reportedly on the waiting list to purchase property at Silo Ridge have been making headlines.

According to the Hudson Valley News, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and  his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, have shown interest in  Silo Ridge as well as New York Yankee Mark Texeira.

While Torres said he would not disclose his client list, he did confirm that Discovery Land — the developer and operator behind Silo Ridge and numerous other high-end residential communities — serves many famous personalities.

“There are a few athletes in the Northeast and groups from the financial sector in Manhattan who have shown interest,” Torres said. “Hopefully, we will be selling property by next month.”