Psych Center Developers Urge Public Comment, Town Cooperation

The proposed project consists of roughly 1,400 residential units (work force, single-family homes and townhouses, among others), approximately 100,000 square feet of retail space, recreational facilities, green space and a golf course.

The Benjamin Companies purchased the 850-acre site in 2003.

On Nov. 22, 2004, Dover Knolls’ consultants submitted the first formal application to the Dover Town Board, only to have it rejected a few months later in spring 2005.

The team submitted a new application, which was accepted on Dec. 29, 2005, by the Town Board.

The board strongly suggested The Benjamin Companies hire a "new urbanism" expert to design a Primary Alternative Development Scenario (PADS) for the project, which would require that 90 percent of the units be located within walking distance of the Harlem Valley Wingdale Metro-North train station, a walkable "main street" on both sides of Route 22, and the majority of the property preserved as open space.

To fulfill the board’s request, The Benjamin Companies hired planning and design firm Torti Gallas Partners to create an "exciting and new traditional neighborhood," the most recent Knolls of Dover newsletter states.

Dover Knolls also sought the services of Economic Research Associates "to study the market realities of retail and residential components of the project," according to the newsletter.

The results of the study would form the basis of the DEIS, which is required under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), a document which The Benjamin Companies has not drafted at this point.

A recent letter from the board rejected the traditional neighborhood alternative plan, which the applicant’s consultants, as well as the town’s consultants, worked on for five months.

The town suggested The Benjamin Companies prepare another "alternative" plan consistent with the SEQRA scope.

"Most of the town’s concerns could have been addressed in the DEIS, if we could only get to that important step," the newsletter continues.

"We’re committed to stay and our experts will tell you why," said Russell Mohr, The Benjamin Companies vice president, noting that his firm has successfully converted two other psychiatric centers, both in Long Island. "We’ll show you a little bit of our frustration and where we are in the process. The next important step is to draft the DEIS."

Shuprotim Bhaumik, Economic Research Associates principal, noted that his firm conducted many studies.

The Benjamin Companies can expect to sell about 60 to 70 units per year if the project is accepted by the Town Board. He also predicted 45 percent of buyers would be 55 years of age or older; the remainder, 55 years or younger.

The project will feature 55,000 to 155,000 square feet of retail space, which may contain grocery, apparel or convenience stores.

Bhaumik said that the development cost could be as much as $150 million.

Erik Aulestia, associate principal of the design firm Torti Gallas, said he wants the Knolls’ center to replicate old-fashioned main streets that can be found in Millbrook or Millerton.

According to Aulestia, typical main streets feature housing and retail that closely abut the street.

"This is not strip retail," he explained.

In planning terms, neighborhoods are composed of parcels that can be walked in five minutes.

"Otherwise, people want to drive," the associate principal said.

A 10-minute walk, which equals about half a mile, is tolerable if transit can be reached in that timeframe.

The Knolls of Dover is composed of three neighborhoods, or three five-minute walking circles.

The Benjamin Companies is striving to create a village center feel, something associated with most main streets, "by making you feel like you’re actually driving into a place," as Aulestia put it.

"Route 22 should feel like a main street, not a highway," he said. "We’re trying to capture that great character of Millbrook and Millerton."

Zarin and Steinmetz’s Michael Zarin, the applicant’s legal counsel, stressed that he wants The Benjamin Companies and the Dover Town Board to be "on the same page."

"Let’s work out the problems and make this happen," he said.

Zarin said last month the applicant received an eight-page letter from the board that said "everything you’ve worked on so far is no good," as the attorney put it.

"When we got the letter, we were absolutely floored," Zarin said. "We don’t know where to turn. We can’t spend millions of dollars on a project that will fail. We don’t want to create a white elephant."

Zarin strongly suggested The Benjamin Companies and the town enter into a memorandum of understanding which will act as a binding good faith agreement.

"It’s a common type of understanding that I use for all partnership projects," the attorney explained. "We can’t spend hundreds of thousands more until the memorandum is executed. Otherwise, we’ll be at this exact same meeting a year from now."

Tonia Shoumatoff, the Housatonic Valley Association’s Tenmile River Watershed Coordinator, wondered what The Benjamin Companies expected to get out of the meeting, to which members of the Dover Town Board were not invited.

"What do you want the public to do? This feels like a bullying tactic to the town," she said.

"We should be doing this every six months, not every year and a half," said Saccardi.

"We felt a need to reach out to the public," Zarin added.

Shoumatoff told the applicant to consider the cumulative impacts of other proposed developments in the Harlem Valley, such as the one at Silo Ridge Country Club, or equestrian community Depot Hill Farm, both located in Amenia.

"But anything will be better than what we have here now," Shoumatoff said as the crowd broke out into applause.

"I don’t see them as trying to destroy our town," added Dover resident Bob Hill.

Amenia Planning Board member and Wassaic resident Tony Robustelli suggested that these meetings should be shown on public access television.

"Nobody has time to go to these meetings," Robustelli said as the crowd applauded.

Town of Dover Deputy Supervisor Brian Kelly said more joint meetings would take place if The Benjamin Companies were more responsive.

"We asked for a more technical meeting and Russell Mohr refused. Another time, we never heard back from them," he said.

Omar Ventegeat, vice-president of The Benjamin Companies’ construction division, begged to differ.

"Members of the Town Board said, ‘I don’t care if it takes another 10 years,’" he remembered. "It’s unfortunate that more of the public didn’t get to see those meetings."

Ventegeat encouraged the crowd to talk to the board if they want to see Dover Knolls on future agendas.

The Benjamin Companies representatives and their consultants thanked the public for coming out and said they would take all comments into consideration.

For more information about the project, visit www.knollsofdover.com.