The Poughkeepsie Town Board voted unanimously to enforce a nine-month moratorium on residential construction in institutional zones on Wednesday, July 9, delaying construction of Dutchess Community College’s plans to build a proposed 450-room dormitory off Cottage Road in the Fairview Fire District and leaving some with a lot to say – and some speechless.
A move affected a total of 940 acres town-wide, and the board is able to renew the moratorium for up to two more nine-month terms.
Supervisor Patricia Myers said the moratorium is necessary to allow officials time to determine potential effects of development in institutional zones throughout the town. Myers said the town also wishes to evaluate its services such as fire, emergency, medical, police and traffic.
Some services utilized by DCC are a source of debate, considering the college is one of several tax-exempt properties located within the Fairview Fire District, an area with escalating fire taxes. Marist College, Vassar College and St. Francis Hospital are three other properties affected by the moratorium.
DCC spokeswoman Ann Winfield did not return several phone calls seeking comment as of press time.
DCC planned to have the dormitory completed and ready for students by the fall of 2009.
Meanwhile, members of the citizen group Fairness for Fairview, an organization dedicated to lowering fire taxes in the district, said they were pleased with the decision.
“Dutchess Community College and the county legislators forced the town into this,” said Kurt Hornick, a Fairness for Fairview member.
The Legislature voted 13-12 in favor of a land-lease agreement with DCC in March.
Since then, residents of the Fairview Fire District have gathered in droves at Town Board meetings and monthly firehouse meetings, protesting DCC’s plans, and they said they’re frustrated by the fact that DCC doesn’t pay fire taxes.
“We’re paying for their (DCC’s) services,” Hornick said. “We (citizens) are not powerful. We don’t have public relations departments. We’re homeowners,” he added, noting that the rise in heating oil is enough to drive some tax-paying citizens out of the area completely.
Town fires lawsuit at college
The town last month filed an Article 78 lawsuit proceeding in state Supreme Court in Westchester County involving the dorm proposal.
The town claims the proposal failed to undergo the environmental review process known as SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review). Article 78 proceedings are used to challenge action or inaction by agencies and officers of state and local government.
The matter is scheduled for an initial court session on Thursday, July 31 in White Plains.