1989-09-12
'.........I-,'--1~r /~~r
I
\-
6ate:
September 12, 1989
Administrative Memo # 5-1989
To:
Supervisor Irene Paino &
Town Board, Town of Wappinger
Elaine Snowden, Town Clerk
Subject:
Raymond H. Arnold, AICP
Consulting Town Planner
Implementation of the Comprehensive Plan
Proposed Revisions to zoning Ordinance
SEQRA Review/Long Form EAF.
HECEIVED
SEP 20 1989
ELAINE H S .: /
. NOWD
Town Clerk EN
,
I
i '~1
,;.j
..,
!
.,
From:
,
j
. .'
-:1
. ..
~ "1
..)
A
:~
, .~~
'1
-":
Background:
Administrative memo #2-1988
Administrative memo #3-1988
Administrative memo #4-1988
Administrative memo #1-1989
Adminis~rative memo #2-1989
December 1, 1988
December 19, 1988
December 29, 1988
January 10, 1989
January 25, 1989
.,
.-;:-
.. A
, .
.:~
I
;
.
-
.~:.:
1. The Town Board of the Town of wappinger is in the process of revising
its zoning Ordinance to make it more sensitive to the environmental
constraints on the remaining vacant lands of the town. To this end,
propose changes to Section 3 and Section 4, together with an
Environmental Review Report were presented to the Town in January of 1989.
.....l
~
~- "-'2
::t
:'~~
.~:::
j~
.J
"
..~
"'~
~!
2. A public hearing on the proposed changes was held on May 11, 1989,
which time various questions were raised including comments upon the
and comments upon the proposed map changes. Additionally questions
raised about the economic effect of the proposed changes on the tax
of the Town.
at
text
were
base
j
: 1
,
~1
. ~ -".j
.:,"1
3. For the past 3 months the Town Board, with the advise of th Growth
Management commdttee and town professional staff, have been reviewing the
comments and have made changes to both the text and the map. These changes
will be the subject to a second public hearing in the immediate future.
..
",
."
...
~~
4. In order to comply with the intent of the N Y State SEQRA law, I am
enclosing copy of the Long Environmental Assessment Form, generally
required by the SEQRA regulations when a Type I action is proposed. Such a
form is very site specific, and has little relationship to the proposed
action.
5. I am therefore also enclosing a report titled "Environmental Impact
Review". I feel that the enclosed report better describes the proposed
action and the possible significant negative effects that may result from
the proposed action, and will more adequately document and support the
Town Board's Determanation of Significance of this action. It has been
revised to September 1989, in order to reflect and elaborate upon concerns
set forth 'at the May 11, 1989 hearing.
~,J
'i).~
.........
:::.{
':':l
.~j
.J
'=
....,
1
<~
...
.",
1
~
I
i' _. ..' .....: ..... . -.. .' - .., . ...- ..... ...--..... ;~.'::- ."'.,::, '''''.":: . ~.-:":'. -~...:"..~.:-.,-,. .-:'" ..~'~ .,- ~: .r';'."'_ .,. '." ....,:...,. ...~":. :.'.:~..:,.t.~:->: ;~. :.",...,,: ......'.?':::',~~..:?:iT.?::.:.::..":::::.::.':,~ ,_;:I"..~.~~.::7.
_." .....--::..:.::=..:_..:. '. .~~~ .'.:.~';:=.":'~.:~~~,::;::,.~:'::.~:,:.:.::,,:::;~~:"~~~ ::::~ ;:~:~~,,:,~::;~;;~,,",~~:;:'-;j~;.. ":::':'T;:;~n ,">.~'... -'~::~.r .:.-._.~~. ',-:,':. - -~:""-,..,..
...~..... "-"":'~-' ",'~."".':~ ','''''
..
.
. .
".
Environmental Irrpact Review
Town of Wappinger NY
January 1989
REVISED SEPTEMBER 1989
PROJECT
Proposed Revision to Zoning Ordinance
January 1989
Public Hearing May 11, 1989
Revisions
As proposed September 1989
report
prepared
by
Raymond H. Arnold, AICP
Consulting Town Planner
".:~,.:"",.:.,,:'...:.~r-..."":,,: .'.7,' .. .--
'.' . ~:"'.""'?,:'-': ~.-:_::"'~'~~"",".=":,,,,,,",:.'::"''''"'!._:-.'''::_':-:-: :!-~_~~r:'.~ .::,:-~ _.: ~~.,.,...___ "_"~.'~____ - .-- 'yo' -:"'-"~",',"""--'- ......,.~.:.. ~.~'."'..r.~..,.-..-
~ ~.'.' '::'7;~;:~'o~~i':;:;;';;::;~~:;:/;'~~~~;;""e.~;.;;;';"'.:;-.';:;;':'r-::~:;;~;;; ;:i'.".~:,:,:..:~~.-~;::;;.;;.~-::;;~';~~;.:';:;:~.:'~: '~'~~;ii;0~r:':'~<:";:;i~~,:~,%:-;;:;:;';;;~,:.~....~::f.~:"~':~Z:::'~ .-:
Background
The Town of wappinger - through the Town Board and Planning
Board, and wi th the advise of the "Growth Management
~
..
Corrmittee", the Zoning Board of Appeals, the town staff and
the Town's professional consultants - are in a planning and
development review program leading to major revisions to
the Town
Comprehensive Plan,
and its implementing
regulations.
l
The program, so far, has led to the adoptions of a revised
comprehensive plan on August 8, 1988.
'j
.,
.
"
j
The following excerpts from that Plan docurrent are included
in this report:
'.
"
Surrmary of Communi ty Values
Surrmary of Population
Surrmary of Housing
Surrmary of Economic Base
Natural Resources Section
,
i
:;1
~ _:
':J
~. I
.~
'.~-I
'.,~
~J
Surrmary of Community Facilities
Exerpts from Water a ,Sewer Section
Land Use Section
'"':;
'~
"
.
1
~~
"j
~f~,
.~~
...
;j
:," .~
..;'.
.
Land Use Plan - narrative a methodology
:~"~'-:"--"""'-'.'-;!-~--":::"""~7''':';<':;-'':;'''~''''~'~''-7': -:-~':"~.~::7r~:~~:-::'~:-::'T"~~:7''':::-~~.'::~~-::~:''~''':' ---~.- -~:-- -.- ,.".'.'" . -<;:-:--' ~",:-~:,-:-,,--,-,;,,-::,-;;,:,.~,",:~ ;:~:~
. '" .; ;';-r:: ":;;""':"'~'7;~;:,,,'-;;.=i~:;~: ~,;;,;"",~~.,;;..,"'~,:'.,,:;',' ,,~,;.;,~;.~;!, :..<', ':~::7;;.j;-",~;g:r;;G":~,~~y::,~::,,,~~;)~~'ii ?~S~~~~~';';~"'-~.iP~:;;i.;'~;;;;~' -:'7~,;;-~,:.;';~::i';'~ .
The second phase of the planning and develooment.. review
program is the review and proposed revisions to the Town's
Zoning Ordinance,
so
that
the Objectives of the
Comprehensive Plan as adopted August 8, 1988, may be
achievea.
This report addresses the environmental impacts of the
1
;l
~
~
proposed revisions.
,
"
.;
;...
The Town Board, on May 11, 1989, held a public hearing on
the propos~d changes. As a result of "the input received at
th hearing, moirication'in the original proposals have:been
made, and will now be. the subject of a second public
hearing.
"f
~
l
:J ."
.,
j
~J
~
.,
"
.,
~1.
"
,.
As part of this review, and as requested at the public
... .
]
"~
~,.,
~z1
~,
<.
.~..
.;j
.'!
';l
hearing, an econorrUc analysis of the proposed changes is
being formulated for the Town Board's consideration.
:J
.~
~
~:i!
. ~~
...
<-I
::1
-.
-j
J
J<.A
.,:'!
':;.j
.~
.":':l
'-'-,
1
-..~ ~
,
.,
. '..~
_ I
/'~:~':".. ~.__.~..-:~'~ ':"-, :._~':"- ~."..'= -." .' ,.- ,. : -~- . .----...~-:' .'~"~:-::::.:":~:-';';~;~;::~~::::~~':" -:~-_:-:,:::':~~:::':=2~::::'&:~:=~::'~~':'-="~:--'~
,'.' ,..~ "~~.i~',~.:~:':~."~'-~' 1_'::~,~~;.l;\("l~,~~ft~ :;r~~l~~,~~~~.:_;:!," -- ~t": ,~." ~"'~ . ~' : -~:',~~~,:,~:.'-7,~~'~;~:~::T;.~'~",:'~:,~:~:~"" >~ :~, :.-::~:-:;p~;~Z::~~~:.;T:~:~~~~--,_:'
J
i1.
.~
':,
~
.^'~
.. ~
Project Description
.,.
The proposed project is broken down into 3 parts
.
,
, :~
."
.::
J
~
Part 1, proposed for public hearing on
include:
, 1989,
.,
~::;~
~-. J
a. A'~evised Article III, Establishments of Districts,
. including a revised Zoning Map.
.,
.;
:,
':~
.1
'..~
;~!
; ~.::~
'. -~l,."i
. .
<;
b. Revisions to the following sections of Article IV:
Section 421 - Use a Bulk Regulations - Residential
..'~
';1
,~
'{':,.~"
.{~
~
,.
,/;
.:~
:,i
t.:
Districts
Section 422
Use a Bulk Regulations
Non-Residential Districts
Section 425 - Planned Unit Development District
Section 446.501 to 446.825 Special Use Permit
".; ~
'.-;.."
.,-,'
" J
~.~~~;
':';'.~ ~.,
"?_~~
w.
~.!t~J
;~
Standards
Copies of the proposed changes are attached.
J',
.~~
.~
;"1
:.:1
'.:~;..
<dJ
i~
.",t.,:~
_I"
Part 2 includes possible changes to Articles I, and II,
while part 3 include proposed changes to Articles V, VI a
.
VII.. They are being studied for future consideration, and
public hearing, as the articles relate to the latest
revisions to the Town Comprehensive Plan.
. , "~_"'~__''''.~ "'.~""'''.!'' :-._.,.... 7-,.~-""-:'::~'~.t:..~:--~"'::...-..:-"'~:. :.....-.,~;....:~.=.;..;"::~.~_~~~.':"~.~,~ ._::."f".:~::?;"~~~.';;~.~~~~:~;f.~~~~.-..~,.:7~~~~~..~"'~~'.o:-:~.-:~.;..:,.~:....- "'r .-."-.. '-.
'-.!'________-..___w~~~
The existing table of contents is attacheQ.
..
'i
r
I
t
,~.~-;'::'7;',::;'-":>""--'"~~""''''''7.:~~~'~ _.,-~".. '---""'7""',' _. '~--:-'. ': ",:' '." .-,~. .;....... --::-. ~_..~.--:-:---:";'-~~'7-..".,.':.:-:,."'~...-!:.-r~~~~.~:~~n:-:~<::'?
. '. :-~ -~- . .-'~....". ' -~~_~~.. ~-.:._~~.:~2~._~:~- '__:-=:-~'~'''':-:'~_~-'-'"\'-'7''7.~.:'~'~;:'.~:' .~, ' . ::":: ~ .~~.~ .. ~-~:. -~
0'__ "___'--"_"'-'___ "'_'_"'_~"'''''';_'~-'' -,"""-:-:-- ~.I':,...-:."...-.,.-.....:---,:,-.o:_"'::""i-:"l~""~~~:oW-_
Review Staff
The Zoning Adnrlnistrator, Mr. Levenson; Consulting County
Planner, Ms. Holly Thomas; and ff!Yself have been meeting
"
since August 1988 reviewing the current zoning ordinance,
;!'I
;1
"
.,
.;
'.,
and recommending these changes to it, so that the ordinance
mey effectively implement the goals and policies set forth
in the revised Comprehensive Plan.
,',
.'j
..~
~'1
Review coordination
."l
.,.
.
The review staff has met with the Growth Management
-1
..,
,.
'";
Corrmi ttee and lor Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning
Board of Appeals (in joint session) during the course of
the instant review to provide guidance to the Board for
their review of the input from the public hearing.
. ~'j
'1
i
of
".
:...
"
..
A number of drafts of changes have been prepared and reviewed by
":,,:.
the above groups.
, ~
>
~j
_.~
~::3
"'1
'.1
;..~
~
~.:(?
,J
~
).
~,
....
,..~
..~
':.i
.~
j
. ~1
::',1
.,
. _ .._ '___:=~':~.:' '. '.=:~~ .:.~:.-._'~ .~- .~~~ '.~~"-::~~~'~:~=-:-:_":'-:-7:' .-....~:~".:~. ':.'-'::=~--":~~--:"::-'-:~'~:.::-:;::'~~:::::':'~:~:"!E,::.:;~.:;~::.;;:...". .~.~:~.?"--
SEQRA Requirement
The proposals require a SEQRA action under the SEQRA
...
,"
regulation 6 NYCRR Part 617
The Town Board, by law, is the only body that has the
jurisdiction to adopt revisions to the existing zoning
ordinance.
On that basis, the Town Board, December 5, 1988,
declared themselves Lead Agency in this matter.
:1
-,
~
:.
In accordance with the language of Section 617.12 TYPE I
ACTIOfllS, Type I actions are rrore likely to require the
preparation of an EIS.
.;
.~
:~
~
Under Section 617.12 (b) (2) the adoption of changes in the
allowable uses within any zoning district, affecting 25 or
more acres, is a Type I action.
.'
:~
-:'.
~ . ~
,
",
..!
'?~
Generally a Type I action requires, at the least, a Long
Environrrental
Assessment
Form (EAF),
gi ving
the
:J
ii
J
environrrental setting, explaining the proposed changes and
setting forth their environmnetal effects.
.;
.~~
..
."'~~"-'''''_.'''~''-''-'--:..-o:'..;.,~.-.~~;'':1''''-.o::;- -:---..-...... ..-......~~:-. ~~-:-'..,..-'-~.
.....~__...._....._..- _". . '._. ._.. ..... _______._' _. _.'_ _~ 0.. ,:..~_...~~.~~..-=-:-.,,~:"!.:-:~':"'~"'"
" . .
..._-_..... _.--.------.~ ,...,.....~,~J'~.,._:~~~-~~~~
___.__ _-:-'-.._ .......~-_.-'"' _ __..!"!'....;,;1'~_.,......-.;:. '-. ..~_;o..___--=,. ~.-.~_._-.-..~:-.-..~
A review of the long EAF indicates that it is rrore si te
speci fic . (see Part 1) and does not. "address the general
,
"
questions involved with the proposed actions.
The Comprehensi ve Plan docurrent (June 1988 Draft) provides
the required environmental, economic and social setting to
allow the Town Board to rreke qn informed decision on the
environrrentaL effects of the proposals. Excerpts are
provide with this report. The full documents is available
for review in the Planning office.
I am therefore substituting this document, for the Long
EAF.
Based upon a review of this docurrent and the proposed
changes to the Ordinance, the Board, prior to voting on the
proposed changes rost make a determination of significance.
A determination of significance will be prepared for the
Board's consideration at the conclusion of the next Public
.~
.1
Hearing.
i
4
"
"
.._'" ..... .~.. ". .._ ~.,'... ....._......__ ," .....- '.-'-- ..-.".;- - _....--_....,~,. --..~. -..--r,....----..~-";""..'":....--'-.~~.=-..-:-~;----~~-::.~.,.:-:;>~..:~:~~........:!..--:...:..~~J:..::~~~~~~-::-:.~~:1':;;:
.....,;__~..._._... '_, __._ ....__, ~.__........-_.-.,- 7~ U'.___ ,-.r.-:-.'---' -- '-'--~::,'----'.-~~.-~~:;--:~'Q.--;:O:-,'~,,~,:-:;~~':~~.-," ...-..;----;,'..-........,. " ._
Overview:
1. The major work and/or changes undertaken in this review
include:
a. Review and recommendations in the level of allowable
densities, in the various areas of Town, as they relate
to the .availability
and/or possibility
of
"Corrmuni ty /public"
water supply
a distribution;
"corrmunity/public" sewage collection a treatment; and an
adequate road network.
b. Review and recommendation regarding the types of uses
allowed in the various districts as they relate to the
existing environmental constraints.
c. Addressing the need and/or compatibility of a range of
residential densities, including the "affordable housing"
issue, within the parameters of the Zoning Ordinance and
within the context of the recently adopted revisions to
the Corrprehensive Plan.
J
i
..
1
j
1
.. ~-'.-"--"" ......:....
, '.._ .__,_: _ ...... ._____. ",~."_,,..,::~~':,-~"=--'~"~~:" ,"J'!..~:..---r::"~'---'"7'-~',~"",,,,,,,,,,~;~- -::--:-:--.....,' ~.~:~-:-:-----::-~...,.,... - ..---::--.
_____ __ _ _ .-.r.......-___--.._........'"$--~-..-...-~- - .--w-- ....--. ,-::-.- .--.*
~-..,.. .- ...-....,.... -- -..-
,___"'__ ___~._ ~~-~r-.;~~--:_: _7.,:-~~~-~:::-~
. '. .
Future review will consider:
~
".
a. Review of the Purposes & Definitions
b. Review and recommendations in
the area of zoning
,
'1
ad~nistration and code enforcement.
c. Review and recommendations in the area of review and
approval procedures for site plans & special permits.
:l
~ ,1
.~.1
::~1
...,
~
d. Recommendations for addressing the sensitivity to the
. visual aspects of site development, particularly along
~:I
.~~
,
~ !
-'j
major corridors.
':
'~~:j
. ;~
l"l
-.-;
j
J
...
i~
..1
.~
.~
~
::1
. .-- ._..-~-;""'.-. ..... .. '.--.--":",, ..'.....-. ._-_....-:-'...:~..::..-..!-
,:~:;.~;:.~~.~...:-:'~._.:.-:'--.._-:..-:a.,.~..,....,.~:..... "",~_"",;-_"..:..;-. ...-.-=",:""'~-:' '0"'. :-"-'.-."-'"'-''' ': 0"" --.- .-..,...: ,,,
. _. '. ".... ._....__ ;~_ __,:..,__.,,:,,:,..-..._.~...::........_. t,~_:::.:..:._: .;::.. :.:-.-:._:"'...,.>.....~.::_:---::-:.._.:..;_...:.' .:.......-=:.~-r--.;---.~.~_....-.:..'. _- ........ - --_.--::':~--:-"-......-.-.""":"-- ...r-..-::_::-:-:7~,~;..:'>::.r.~_..~.': ,-:".-::,,;;', -::~:~.-:~..:":.;.:'.--:.---
.~
Specific Review'
a. Review and recomnendations in the level of allowable
densities, in the various areas of Town, as they relate to
the availabili ty and lor possibility of - "Corrrnuni ty Ipublic"
water supply &- distribution; "comnunity/public" sewage
collection & treatment; and an adequate road network.
"
The vacant residential land areas of the Town were
generally remapped to the next lower density,
consistant. with the proposed availability of public
water ana public sewers. Certain areas were afforded
options to lessen this effect, in order to direct some
residential growth into certain area shown on the
apopted co~prehensive plan.
Allowable densities (via lot coverage restrictions and
other bulk regulations) were reduced for the vacant
non-residential lands, especially along the Route 9
corridor.
~.~,-~. ..... ..7"::::'" _.'~".-.-;"~'.'..""-:-'-.. .' ':- :-..-
.- --.' ._'~"~.-:~_~'~-';~~-'~""-:-~~..~ ':'~'=:'Z:~=:':=~:~:~__~':-".r"7~.";._::"7::::'":~.~~~,,;,
b. Review and recommendation regarding the types of uses
allowed in the various districts as they relate to the
existing environmental constraints.
"
The uses, other than single-family detached housing,
allowed by right, special use, and accessory to
permitted uses, were revises and/or rrodified in all
single family districts.
.;
"
"
j
~
'1
...~
:;
No uses were changed in the Multi-family districts.
In the non-residential districts, some districts were
.~ ~
c;ombined and/or renarr.ed and the list of uses roodified
to reflect the environmental conditions of the
~~
J
a
.
j
'.
~
1
particular districts.
Two addi tional districts were designed and mapped "CC
,-'
. :~
,
-.;'
_ Conservation Corrmercial";"rM - Hamlet Mixed Use";
..;
both of which serve particular environmental concepts.
~
,-\
-i
I
<
;
~
..~
~.~
::..~
~~
!~
-'2
'~
~i~
~';1
--:;
~:.;
The PI Planned Industrial zone was eliminated in the
plan and ordinance' and was replaced in roost part by
the "COP Conservation Office
Park"
district, also
having
particular
environmental
constraints/considerations
in
the district
regulations.
'j
._ .... .... '':'' ," .......-:,....:..._._:::_ .:---:-:':-;h__'--:~"'.~ .::.' :-.-!'--',~~"-'-'-:-7'.. ..,.. ..--,_....,_. .::.-~.......,.._-:::- ~'..-::-r~..7--...;:"..:"'-!-":......-;.&::-.-~~~.--:-~..~.~~
-" "" ..--:-'....... --,'.'---'- . '" ....,...,.~_.,.._.~... ~~--.'";:-::.~._-.-:-':-'''''--':-~-~~-~_._~-'''''::~~-~--'~~-:;~
"
)
..
;'1
:'1
j
-,
;i
.~
.'f.
:.~
.'
j
'.~
~
...
.';
,]
:":t
:-{)
)
:~.~ \. ',", ..:.,.~. '~.. .
c. Addressing the need and/or compatibility of a range of
residential densities, including the "affordable housing"
issue, within the parameters of the Zoning Ordinance and
within the context of the recently adopted revisions~to the
Comprehensive Plan.
In the area of housing, the revised portions allow for
ECHO housing in all single family residential zones
(accessory apartments were added during the last
couple of.. years); it provides for the continued
conversion
of existing large old structures for
rrulti-family use; it strenghtens the PUD standards
( which
allows
residential
of
various
use
d~nsities /incomes); and maintains the existing level
of rrulti-famly mapped districts, all wi thin the
constraints of the present environmental setting
wi thin the Town.
...... ,'~~"._..",..". ";C;"-~"'7--:._.--:,.~.t::-,,~\,~~'::~:,,'_.''':",:''''.1..''''::'t':.::.-":.-r;--:'.~.'-~-'-"':-" .;' -', "
. ..... .. .'
----... . ,.......---. - --'--," - ", . --,
__.._. ._. ".~_': _..' :"I;IT,-...._..._.,_._.~............'_..~:.....~,<~~":"'..~~~{..'1.c=;'-:=-=7".:-:\ :.--, ;_-. '.,::.:~~~.; ",:_,~.' 0" .:';:.::=:-"';"- ':-::-
"
. .... .-:--_-'-...-~--~l!"':"~'7~:::~-
Deterrrdnaticn of Significance
...
Initial review of the proposed changes reveal that the
changes are designed to reauce the adverse environmental
effect associated with the development of the vacant lands
within the Town, all in accordance with the recently
adopted Comprehensive Plan.
It is therefore anticipated, that at the conclusion of the
Public Hearing, and prior to any decision, the Town Board,
as lead agency will adopt a "Negati ve Declaration" (a
determination of no adverse significance).
..~ - 0.: -"~"'~_'--:~.:'-:~~"'''''':''-'-~~.~7''':='~~~~.':':'~~~
1 .... .
. '.__..~__ _~_~",___-:-~""-.;":.T~'~~'~' .".......-..-.- _.",...-.~,
FI/. ;.4-()(~" (:"
-
1- ~ c....-z-,
/f /'-7 t/). ~<
.j i, ~ ,? ~ ' c; "-"
".
Co t1o/t r~_ h~"l Stv'-c'.
n
I ~ rhAJ
-
,~)J!-ICI F ")
"
j;... :/7 <' J C7!b B.
{; c/(- I
C~h1m"'rJ--L.,"/ !/~,/.;.?
?::'" jJ....1 $k +- .
}bvo?; yJ.'j
Ec~- i3A.5~
/-' ff/v ,;Ls~'-
(.n ~ "
'" r=~"'~ c..E.5
~~ :2
c::;.)?1 h'I- ~ /?"C. '+7'C,4c -E t.. - ~'77.E. So
U./ATCJ'l- 1-, <S~~r' ~JJ.-
r:~?~ ='-" /,"",-,4--1-
A~-P UlA-
UK, /1---.
^~7;?
.- ~". ..'-....~,.--.,- .-..........; ~-,.
-:- _.~~..~:~_.:~~:~.,..... .,---:- " -'~'~-:-":,,"",....._,,..--~-- -------.-",~.__...----""---~--
._ ,-..- _ - ,-:-<:--,::,,,,~-~,':-~~::-:;;"';.T"""r~~--::-:--"'~':";,,:>-_,__,__ .-:~';~~
COMMUNITY VALUES
A good master plan expresses the values of the community. The public policy
that a master plan represents should be firmly based on the public will as
well as on public needs. Plans that are far removed from community desires
have little chance of being implemented.
In the spring of 1986, the Town of Wappinger. surveyed its residents tQ learn
their opinions regarding the town's needs and i~s future. The s~rvey was
intended to lay the groundwork for an effective planning process. This
chapter presents the survey results.
SURVEY METHOD
.;
;
Description
The survey entitled "Wappinger 2000 - Community Values Surveyll was prepared
and distributed by the town board. A copy of the survey appears in Appendix
A. Survey questions are grouped into twelve categories:
- community atmosphere
fire/police/ambulance
- zoning/building
roads/transportation
- government/finance
recre at i on
water/sewer
housing
growth/development
possible services and facilities
- expectations
survey information
I
i
,
'.
~
:~:i I
:J
,~
': ~
I
I
q
,.,
i
..
For mo-t nuestions the respondent was asked to answer yes, no, or uncertain.
Comments were also requested in each category. The community atmosphere,
housing, expectations, and survey information categories contained questions
in various formats discussed below.
Distribution
"
,
A copy of "Wappinger 2000: Community Values Surveyll was mailed in April, 1986
to every residential parcel in the town that has a Wappinger billing address.
The survey area included the Wappinger portion of the Village of Wappingers
Falls. Surveys were not mailed to apartment complexes or condominiums. A
group of blank surveys was brought to Chelsea Ridge Park, the largest
apartment complex in the town. It is not known how many were then distributed
to tenants.
Copies of the survey were also available at the town hall. Newspaper articles
and radio interviews publicized the survey and described how interested
individual~ could obtain survey forms. An extension of the original May
deadline was also announced.
:.1
d
,
;
J
l
1
oj
-~
,:
Approximately 5,000 surveys were
received and compiled by the town.
1980 census total of 8,961 occupied
number of surveys distributed.
distributed. A total of 705 surveys were
The sample size equals 7.9 percent of the
housing units, and 14 percent of the total
. .-. -- ..~=----.,.-
" , .~ '::'". ""','C. .- '-:~',,~''''''<'":;-,:,,:' -~,".'."7':'."'"""'''-~:.-''''': ~'.':'.."".""" ,...:~~.,:: -.-.~,.,....-.-,~.;.::-,!..,....~.~. ,:=-=-':-........,.,.._...~.
_;_~'_'. --.--,,~.....,...,.w.........._...;.-::-..,-...,,~~:.:--...~.,~-"7,~~.~7::~,~.::.r:~. .~;~. -.r"-=:-. .:::.:.~,: .
~. -. -j ~. -.-. -~
The last survey item dealing with sewer and water districts is the statement
"I do not live in a (water/sewer) district but would like to". Only 24
percent agree, 19 percent disagree, and 57 percent, a substantial majority,
are uncertain. All 705 respondents answered the question. Both the "no" and
the "uncertain" responses are difficult to interpret because any of a large
number of circumstances may apply to these respondents.
Wappinger's Future
.I"
The vast majority of survey respondents expect the town to grow both in the
next few years and the next 10 to 20, and a majority expect growth to be
rapid. Only four percent believe the town will decline or remain the size it
is now in the short and long terms. Sixty-two percent expect rapid growth
through the next few years and 52 expect this to continue. Thirty-four
percent believe the town will grow more slowly in the near future, and 43
believe slow growth will prevail through the end of the century. The clear
opinion is that significant growth is inevitable.
SUMMARY
Of all the issues raised in the community values survey, those related to
strict development controls, environmental protection, and preservation of
Wappinger1s semi-rural character found the greatest consensus of opinion.
More than 90 percent of the respondents want to require developers to arrange
homes in a way that maintains a semi-rural character, impose strict
regulations for protecting water supplies and environmentally sensitive land,
strictl-y control the pl acement of new commerci al bus inesses, .. and allow
development only if it fits in well with the existing comnunity. In addition,
they want aesthetics to be a significant consideration as developments are
reviewed, and would support town efforts to purchase significant open spaces
even if this meant taxes would increase. Those who have a clear opinion see
room for improvement in zoning enforcement and in the zoning itself.
Respondents al~o feel strongly about what kinds of development should be
encouraged. They believe Wappinger already has enough variety in its
businesses, and does not need more commercial business in order to stay
economically healthy. In comparison, most respondents support the development
of light industry and office complexes in the town as a way of limiting taxes.
Many woul? welcome a large corporation.
Most believe the town should not encourage the construction of new attached
housing, apartments, mobile home parks, expensive condominiums, and low-income
. hous i ng. Instead . the respondents, 99 percent of whom are homeowners
themselves, favor single-family housing on lots of I/2-acre to more than
one-acre in size. To serve these homes, a majority of the respondents agree
that one sewage treatment plant should serve the entire town.
The overall message regarding recreation and community services is that survey
respondents wQuld like Wappinger to offer a wider variety of high-quality
amenities. They are pleased with the level of fire and ambulance protection
and with road maintenance efforts, but they would like a stronger police force
and more public transportation. They are either dissatisfied with or
uncertain about the adequacy of various recreation facilities, and would like
year-round access to more varied outdoor recreat i on, such as ice-skat i ng
areas, picnic spots, and well-lit playing fields.
12
;0.... .,~ ...7.....--:...,-;.:--..- _.,_.._...~~~~....;.:'._._... -.: ',-- .~ ,-.
._-. ---."-.. ....-.....--..- '--:-"-""..,:,",,:,_~_,,~~~,-' .-::> --:--~:-:--::"""'!"""'----:~",.,
.. ---:,:.~-.-
.-...-...-...-::
~.._"~,,....,._._ _.."'_ --- ,",,:,'-..0":- ~~'-'_;.,._~'_.....-...--, T.-................'.~...-.:_-.--- --"':"'7,-:o---.-~~::--
POPULATION
An understanding of the size and characteristics of a community's population
is a critical- part of the planning process. Decisions involving housing,
transportation, community facilities, and economic development will affect and
be affected by the people who live in Wappinger. This analysis of population
examines historic and projected future trends, and djscusses their impli~a-
tions for the town's management and development. ~
HISTORIC TRENDS
Total Population
Dutchess County's population has grown steadily since 1900. As shown in Figure
2.1, the rate of growth was lowest during the first half of the century and
surged after World War II. From 1950 to 1980, the county population grew by
more than 108,000 people, or about 80 percent. Although the greatest
population increase took place during the 195Us and 1960s there was also a
significant amount of growth during the 1970s.
Unlike the county, the population in Wappinger declined early in the century,
from 1,692 in 1900 to 1,249 in 1920. From 1930 until 1970 the population in
Wappinger increased by 16,000 people to a total of 17,559.
Table 2.1
POPULATION 1900-1980
Year
Wappi nger1
Dutchess County
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1,692
1,542
1,249
1,619
1,997
2,615
6,165
17,559
22,621
81,670
87,661
91,747
105,462
120,542
136,781
176,008
222,295
245,055
Source: u.s. Bureau of the Census
. lOoes not include the village of Wappingers Falls
In the past 15 years Wappinger has continued to grow at a very rapid pace. In
the decade between 1970 and 1980 the population of the town increased almost
29 percent from 17,559 to 22,261 people. In the same decade the county grew by
approximately 10 percent.
':
20
". . .. ....-- - .. . .... . -- . ."
.... - ",," .- ~.. .-..-" ""~,,,,,,-~,,,,,-:-""-'-'-'-'
~___ __.~..... _. _:___ _...""':.....,.._._~..__::-.~........_~.".,~": ":~_..~1'"I.".._~~,.,.....c....,....-- '-"'-.~
. . .. ._- .......----._..'---._..~-~-_...~.....~-'..""":-:. , .......,
. -. .
..:......:,~-~
,-',' ,:.-.-......... .......- "'-,,"'- "-~..-:7.~~ -; .
Tab 1 e 2. 12
POPULATION PROJECTIONS 1990-20101
DEC Constant County Constant Numerical
Year Projections Sh are Increase
1980 22,621 22,621 22,621 - "
1990 25,100 26,357 ~ 27 721":
, .
2000 27,350 30,092 32,821
2010 29,100 33,825 37,921
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Dutchess I
County Department of Planning
lOoes not include the village of wappingers Falls . :
Constant County Share
The second method utilizes the county projections prepared by the
poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in 1983.
Three sets of county-wide projections were prepared using three sets of base
data: 1975-1982, 1970-1982, and 1960-1982. The projections based on the
1975-1982 data are the most conservative because growth during this period was
slower than growth in the early 19705 and the 1960s. The constant county share
projections in Table 2.12 are derived from this 1975-82 base. 'The town
population was projected by assuming that its share of the county population,
which was 9.23 percent in 1980, will remain constant. These calculations
resulted in a 1990 population of 27,721, a 2000 population of 30,092, and a
2010 projection of 33,825.
Constant Numerical Increase
The final set of projections is the highest of the three. In the decade
between 1970 and 1980 the population in Wappinger increased by about 5,100
people. This set of projections assumes that Wappinger's population will grow
by 5,100 people in each of the next three decades. These calculations result
in a population of 27,721 in 1990, 32,821 in 2000 and 37,921 by 2010.
Although it is impossible to know whether the projections are accu,'ate,
Wappinger can expect at least some growth, and probably significant growth, in
the future. Regional growth pressure will produce a greater demand for
housing, utilities, roads, community services, and shopping facilities in and
around the community.
SUMMARY
In 1900, the population in Wappinger was 1,692. By 1920 the population had
declined to 1,249. From 1930 until 1960 the population in Wappinger increased
by 16,000 people to a total of 17,559.
In the past 15 years Wappinger has continued to grow at a very rapid pace. In
the decade between 1970 and 1980, the population in the town increased from
17,559 to 22,261 people, an increase of almost 29 percent. In the same time
period the county grew by approximately 10 percent.
~
i
.~
'1
...
.
~
"
31
.. _~. _~._ _." "'-............._..,........ _0_ ~.~__ .___..___, -:-.......---..--.,._":_.~___-_..-.-::-.-_....7":--~>:':r"""~~,7~.-:"".~~
. ., ._0.. ~4'.. "'\'"':..-" ..,:.-:-. -..-"'.....-.-
.". '"
..... -. ":':" ...._._~.~.-:.;.:. ~r'-~-::'.:~.-':.......-.-:...;-":::;-,:!'.~'~::'~...,..~...,~.~:.:.;... '"' -"'..~- ,'-~--
:,;"
Wappinger and the surrounding towns of East Fishkill, Fishkill, LaGrange and
poughkeepsie are part of the county's core area and are among the most populous
communities in Dutchess County. With the exception of poughkeepsie, all of
these towns have at least doubled in population since 1960.
In three towns, East Fishkill, LaGrange and Wappinger, the household size
actually increased between 1960 and 1970. The household size of all the
communities decreased between 1970 and '1980, , but, with the exceptio,n' of
Fishkill, all of these communities currently have a household size greater that
that of Dutchess County.
The trend toward smaller household size, both locally and nationally, is due to
the decisions by couples to postpone childbearing and to limit family size, an
increase in the number of older people, and the increased number of one-and
two-person households.
More than 25 percent of Wappinger'S population is less than 15 years old, and
nearly 45 percent is under 25. The significant number of children and young
adults in the town affects the types of services and facilities needed. There
is also a sma"" but growing number of people who are over 55. The continuation
of this trend could also affect the types of services and ~ousing opportunities
requested by the town's citizens.
Mobility and migration are very important influences on population in
Wappinger. According to the 1980 census just under 25 percent of Wappinger'S
residents moved to the town from outside the county between 1975 and 1980. The
longer distance moves, those from outside the county, tend to be job-related
'while -moves within the county tend to be the result of desire for a more
appropriate home. Between 1970 and 1979 migration accounted for 54 percent of
the town population growth. Wappinger, like Dutchess County, will continue to
attract new residents--people who are new to the region, to the county, and to
the town.
a
~
...
'.~
-'.,
,
,.3
.-,
:.....~
":q
~'~
d
.'.,~
.~
n
"
.~~~
':':--:;
."
-,
.,"~
c,
~:~
.i
~-~
population projections indicate that by the year 2000 population of Wappinger
will be between 27,350 and 32,800. By 2010 the town can expect a population
between 29,100 and 37,900. There is little doubt that Wappi~ger will grow.
The major issues that need to be addressed are where the growth should be
located and what services, utilities and facilities will be needed to
accommodate the increased population.
"
~
....
-
;.i
---~
/~
'.'r::
:~
::,,~
/.~
~'"~
"-,:
-,
...:yc. 5/ A-
,...- .~-.... -.-.......-...... -- -. . -.......-... ......
"_"_"__ .' ..,....... _' ......... .u'
-. -.' .'..< '. :'. .....-s-.~.'--.:-::.~:~.~.:;..\~.:;-;.!~~:;~-:-:-,':~;~~~-
-~ ,- - ...-- ---..... .,.._...-,......:-..-.... -.-
__ ,,....._ - __.-0,_-.-.-..
_____._. _--::__.---.---. - .__._._........"7~.~--,..,...7.~-.-
'..~',_'",_,A.~t:IoAo&no"""'~_______-_____~_ ---
HOUSING
Population growth has been transforming southwestern Dutchess County from a
rural, agricultural area into a network of suburbs since World War II. The
quantity and variety of housing available has changed significantly to keep
pace with this growth. Much of Wappinger's former farmland has been developed
as single-family residences or apartment complexes. These changes have
brought a continuous stream of new residents into the cOlT1Qlunity. ..
The demand for new housing persists throughout the region. An understanding
of the town1s housing supply, and of housing costs and needs, is critical to
planning how Wappinger's share of this continuing demand can be met. The
information presented in this report will be used with the other background
studies to develop a plan for efficiently accommodating anticipated growth.
All data presented for Wappinger, Fishkill, and poughkeepsie exclude the
villages of Wappingers Falls and Fishkill, except where noted otherwise. .
HOUSING SUPPLY
Total Units
The number of housing units in Wappinger, outside of the village of Wappingers
Falls, grew from 5,336 in 1970 to 7,686 in 1980--an increase of 44 percent.
With the 2,350 new units, Wappinger ranked first in housing growth and
surpassed poughkeepsie, which ranked second, by more than 500
units. Wappinger accounted for 13.3 percent of the growth of the county's
housing stock during the 1970s.
The high rate of growth from 1970 to 1980 continued a trend that began in the
1950s. From 1950 to 1980, Wappinger.s population grew from 2,615 to
22,621--an eight-fold increase--and its housing stock increased by a factor of
12. The town's immediate neighbors also grew steadily throughout the period,
forming an increasingly suburban group outside of the cities of poughkeepsie
and Beacun that contains 44 percent of the county.s population and more than
40 percent of its housing units.
Tab 1 e 3.1
HOUSING UNITS, 1950-1980
Total Un its and Percent Increase Per Decade
1950 1960 1970 1980 1980
it it % Ii % /1 % % of County .
Wappinger 616 2,036 231% 5,336 162% 7,686 44% 8.8%
East Fishkill 1,237 2,324 88 3,877 67 5,700 47 6.6
Fishkill 1,199 1,643 37 3,385 106 4,824 43 5.6
LaGrange 823 1,880 128 3,056 63 3,944 29 4.5
poughkeepsie 3,974 6,218 56 10,550 70 12,382 17 14.3
Wappingers ~alls 1,064 1,430 34 1,994 39 2,062 3 2.4
Dutchess County 38,344 53,592 40% 69,126 29% 86,852 26%
Source: u.s. Bureau of the Census and Dutchess County Department of Planning
32
..' _ .. ........ ,.",:,~.,....,. ...........-:--...:.:.:-:-.~..~-7.~
......_ .e-..' _ e_.'_. _.."...... .'-.. v....
-y-..: .._..-..~-_...,......_~.~---.-. .- -
--. --:-". .,........---,..--- -; .. .'.- .... .-- .....-.--..-----.
.' ....~ --':r
These projections indicate the potential for a large increase in Wappinger's
housing stock. They are being borne out by current building activity. It is
important to remember, however, that projections assume a continuation of past
trends. Unforeseen events such as sharp sustained increases in interest
rates, energy crises, or depressions of the local or regional economy could
drastically affect population and housing growth in Dutchess county, as could
shortages of critical resources such as water and developable land.
"
".
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS
Numerous residential development projects that are being reviewed or have
recently been approved by the town or are under construction could add at
least 1500 new units. This equals almost 20 percent of the 1980 total. Such
growth will have a major cumulative effect on the population, housing,
infrastructure, and service characteristics of the town.
,
i
'~
The number and size of these projects indicate that Wappinger is an active and
growing housing market. It is important to note, however, that the vast
majority of the proposed units wi 11 be owner-occupied,. s ingle-fami 1y
residences on individual lots, and they will be expensive. Such development
cannot be counted on to help Wappinger meet its share of the regional demand
for diverse, affordable, and innovative housing.
~
~~
..
...t..
. .\~
SUMMARY
'"
r:
Wappinger is growing steadily. Its housing stock, which increased 44 percent
in the 1970s, is continuing to expand in response to local and regional
demands. However, several significant trends are influencing the town's
housing supply. These trends include conversions from apartments to
condominiums, a decline in apartment construction, diminishing household size,
and rising housing costs.
In 1980 apartments comprised 35.5 percent of total housing units, which was
slightly higher than the county average of 33.5. By 1986, 30 percent of that
rental housing had either converted to condominiums or was in the process of
converting. This is occurring in apartment complexes throughout the county as
condominiums become more popular. No new large-scale apartment complexes are
proposed in the town. Apartments, therefore, especially apartments in
complexes of five units or more per building, are becoming a less significant
component of the town housing supply. As the rental supply diminishes,
households who cannot afford to buy a condominium or their own single-family
residence may face escalating rents and shortages or rental units.
-\
.t,O
>,.
1
}.t;
'"J
j.
,\Jot
-,'.1,"1
'.'::
'-~:3
"! ~
"
; ,
~ ..~
,,AJ
"
,./1
<;;:~
',_~,: ..i
-
.<'''1....
-'
,
,
"
50
... - ;:"....... --~
....,... '''''.," ...._.,~ __ "_~_ .._'4.
... ;. '-'-.0: " ...._...-....._..._~.-..- _...... ......'" ".'- I'~ . ..- :....... ..,...--....... .....-- ._-. ''':,. '"'":'"':' . .....,-.' .~,.........
. . . -.' .' . ~.. . . .
._ .. .~ '._,___....... -.-:O'..___I__.._---'"""---.--'":'-::"I'-:---.~ ~ ~~....~I.,.:___~.......~..~:.-_n ~~~-..~~-:--:~:~~
The average household size in the town declined to 3.04 persons by 1980, in
keeping with county and national trends. More than 43 percent of the town's
households contain only one or two persons--less than the county average of
50.6 percent--yet 59.8 percent of its units have three or more bedrooms.
Housing policies should encourage the contruction of units suitable for small
households that the owner-occupied housing market has previously ignored.
Housing costs are soaring throughout the greater New York metropolitan are&{
and Wappinger is no exception. From an estimated 1980 ~alue of $35,018, ~the
average sale price for a detached, single-family home in Wappinger rose t,o
$143,000 for the first half of 1987. In 1980 a median income household in
Wappinger could barely afford an average home. By 1988 the gap between income
and housing prices had greatly widened, so that households with average
incomes, and especially those with incomes below the median, compete
successfully for single-family homes.
Rents have also risen steeply, between 54 and 70 percent from 1980 to 1985.
In 1980 well over a third of Wappinger's renters committed more than 25
percent of their income to gross rents. As re~tal vacancy rates fall below
the 5 percent cPDsidered healthy, it becomes more likely that rents will
continue to climb.
~
.,
All of these trends reflect a strong demand for housing in the town and
region. This demand is likely to persist. Projections of housing needs range
from 8,257 to 9,119 units for 1990 and from 9,572 to 12,474 by 2010, compared
to a 1980 base figure of 7,686 units. Residential development proposals that
are currently being reviewed or have already been approved are likely to bring
1,264 new' units into the town by the early 1990s--enough to meet a significant
protion of the short-term demand. If Wappinger is to accommodate its
long-term share of regional population growth, however, more housing will have
to be provided. Effective and far-sighted land use policies will be needed to
absorb such growth without destroyi ng the town's qual ity of 1 ife, and tlJ
ensure that the housing is diverse enough to maintain a diverse and balanced
community.
.~
..~
.
j
;1
!
'2
.,
-:J
,
oj
'"
.~
-)
~
.~.
"'ll
,..
..
.
<':
.,
'.'1
.....
'j:~
51
.' _......_.....,_.~_... ._....... .___ -P'" "_"-_,,:,u_.....
_ . __.....~.. ", . -: _.....__...._.;~""... '..":"" ~.'; _._:_ .._a.....J' .. '.'.:' "':.,..... ... __ ''':':'' ---: .. ..-,.~-..'..-....:.....,:-..;..~::
.. _._....... . ,_ ___ _ _._ .... - - ;..----. ---.: --.--.-..::O',-___!_~---.. -.' " ," ~........-......-.~ .. -...---.~:---..:-'~-:--.~...-:-~
ECONOMIC BASE
Economic health is a critical component of a well-rounded, stable community,
and is therefore a major consideration in a comprehensive plan. Economic
characteristics such as major employers, occupational groups, employment, and
income outline the past and future health of a town's economy. This study
provides information about both the local economy and major trends affecting
the regional economy.
THE REGIONAL ECONOMY
The local economy can best be understood in terms of the regional economic
profile. Over the last two centuries, the economic base of the Mid-Hudson
area and Dutchess County has undergone significant changes.
Agriculture was the mainstay of Dutchess County's early development. While
agriculture is still an important part of the county economy, changes in the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries have lessened the importance of agriculture
to the county's and town's economy.
The ni neteenth cent.ury saw the ri se and dec 1 i ne of mill sin-the county. The
number of mills increased significantly as settlers selected sites along
creeks and streams that provided the necessary waterpower. The mid-1800s was
the peak period for mills in Dutchess County; by the end of the century, the
mill industries had moved from New York and New England to the southern
states.
Agriculture also changed fundamentally during the nineteenth
shift from wheat and corn crops to an emphasis on dairy farming
the coming of the railroads made the New York City market
Dutchess dairy farms. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825
perishable grain crops from the Midwest to compete with Dutchess
and corn.
century. The
occurred as
accessible to
enab 1 ed 1 ess
County wheat
~
The twentieth century brought the development of manufacturing industries to
the southwestern part of Dutchess County. This area was accessible to the
region's transportation network and had a larger work force available than the
rural areas of the county.
Until the early 1900s, the New York metropolitan region was dominated by New
York City as the center of economic activity. A shift of population over the
last 50 years has, however, had important effects on the entire region. While
the region continued to grow in population, there was an accompanying trend of
decentralization within the region. The actual shift of population has not
been one.of peo.ple moving from rural areas t9big cities. Instead, especially
after World War II~ the pattern has been one of movement from rural areas to
cities and towns clustered around the central city of the metropolitan area.
The industrial relocation from the central cities has been the result of
several factors. Some industries required the labor supply which was now
locating in the suburbs. Highway transportation improvements increased the
accessibility of ~any parts of the region; the availability of transportation
had previously been one of the advantages of the central city. ~any
industries moved in search of space as new manufacturing techniques requlred
horizontal rather than vertical expansion. Industries may also have relocated
to provide better commuting conditions for their employees by moving to
uncongested areas.
:.3
"1
; .:~
.,
52
. . '. _-:.,. ;-._.__~..:- .._.... __~._.__...--:... ._._'__.4__~-:-~
.,..__.,'_,J,.-,..,' _~..~'~
.. .:~,~ . .~
Table 4.10 (cont.)
EXISTING BUSINESSES IN WAPPINGER
NAME OF USE
LOCATION
*
Mrs. Max
Cl eaners*
Optometrist*
Shear Perfection*
Harry T's Dancin~*
Shear Perfection
Knapp Shoes*
Video World*
Mr. T's Arcade*
pizza Barn*
1 Vacant*
Metropolitan Life' Insurance*
Channel*
Computer System Specialists
Wappinger Bike Shop
Used Car Factory
Convenient Foodmart
Video Treats*
Guardian Storage*
Vacant Commercial
Waldbaums Ptaza
II II
...
II
\I
\I
\I
II
II
II
\I
II
II
II
\I
II
\I
II
II
II
II
II
\I
II
II
U.S. 9 Northbounq of CR 104
\I II
II
\I
II
\I
II
II
II
\I
II
II
,
,
~
'1
,
~
~
~
~-
;
~
Source: Preliminary Survey, 1986, Dutchess County Department of Plannin9
.Located in a Shopping Plaza
SUMMARY
The town labor force has responded to the changing economy and its changing
needs. The loss of manufacturing jobs, for instance, has not adversely
affected the local employment rate because residents have found jobs in othe'r
occupations. Wappinger has reflected the national trend of increasing labor
force participation by women. The town has had a lower unemployment rate than
the county, state, or nation. Income indicators for town residents are higher
than county, state, or national average and mean and median incomes.
Wappinger is a growing community within a growing county within a growth area
of the state. The recent economic climate has been favorable and projections
are promising. Much of the future, however, will depend on how present growth
is handled. If the infrastructure (utilities and roads) is planned to meet
future economic needs, if affordable housing is available, and if the
cOrmlunity can retain its quality of life while accommodating growth, the to'ltl'n
will receive its share of economic growth over the next decade.
,
-:
;~
:4
.-~
~
~
...
'j
~
~
."
.~
'.1
~~
;.~
..
.,'
,~
'1
"\
1
~c:
- .' . ...-...._~~~.. "'.... -..'
.~, . """.'~'.-'.. ,..~. 'lO._..-~_."",,":~":."'"'''''~~~ :~...--:-
NATURAL RESOURCES
,"
-.
As Wappinger grows, increasing pressure
natural resources that have enabled the
resources has never been more important.
that reflect environmental constraints
preserving the well-being of the town.
This chapter describes major environmental features that Wappinger's land use
decisions should respect. They include geological characteristics, steep
slopes,' shallow soils, soils with low permeability, surface waters, wetlands,
and floodplains. The sources of the information are described in the
appropriate sections. .
is being brought'to bear on the
town to prosper. Protecting these
Land use policies and regulations
and opportunities are critical to
-j
. .~
.~
".J
~
"
<,;.
\~
'-'
,.~1
~ i
':t,'-;'''
';j
:';4
:"~
;:.-4
TOPOGRAPHY
'.'
.~.
t<~
:'~~i~
..,.~:tl
~:;
--:.....
.:.#.
"...
;,;i
'.;" ,
..;
"
,~:j
.,
.;
_. .
'"
'~t
~
~
Relief and slope are two topographic features that significantly affect land
use. Relief refers to the pattern of elevations or irregularities on the land
surface. These contribute to the character and identity of:the town. The
slope of an area is its degree of. steepness.
Topography can constrain development. Land that slopes more than 15 percent,
for example, is considered steep and is usually both expensive and difficult
, to develop in an environmentally sound way. Topographic location also affects
groundwater yields. Wells of the same depth penetrate a greater thickness of
saturated material in valleys than on hills and usually yield more water in
the valley areas.
"
.... ".1
-.:.:~
~;;j
"~
,
",' 41
Re 1 i ef .
The main topographic features in the town are the Wappinger and Sprout Creek
valleys. Central Wappinger is characterized by a mixture of large'flat areas
and. low undulating hills typically rising up to 50 feet above the surrounding
land surface. Lowlands along the Wappinger Creek define most of the western
boundary of the town, changing abruptly to the steep hills of Van Wyck Ridge
along the Hudson River.
Elevations range from near sea level along the Hudson River to 540 feet at the
top of Cedar Hill just east of Smithtown Road. The highest hills are
concentrated west of Route 90, including Wheeler Hill and Van Wyck Ridge
(approximately 380'), and east of New Hackensack, Myers Corners, and Spook
Hill and Smithtown roads. Elevations reach 450 feet on All Angels Hill and
425 feet north of Oiddell Road. Elevations of 150 to 250 feet are typical in
the broad central section of the town.
Topographically,- Wappinger is's imil ar to the other towns that form Dutchess
County's Hudson River shoreline. All of these towns occupy the low points in
an irregular patt~rn of hills and valleys that climbs to 1500 feet at the west
wall of the Harlem Valley.
."~
"
:~.~. ~
...... !
~..~~
.~'~i
; ...~
.~:~
,~'.~
....
".~
,~
,
'"
<.j,
.,.1
,.:"1 .
'. ~
'2..~
.;~'~
..........
;" ;~
66
. ."-. .--".- --.------.---
. - .. .... .--.-....--.--.
.- ,'- .......-. ,.".-.... ,.. ....-. .---
'.. ..-...-..........-....-
"..~.__. -,.--...._._....._~-_....-.. ,"; -~
Slope
Steep slopes, defined as areas with slopes greater than or equal to 15
percent, appear as small, isolated hillsides and bluffs in central Wappinger.
The only extensive steep areas appear at upper elevations on Van Wyck Ridge
west of Route 90 and in the eastern third of the town. The largest expanses
of steep slopes occur east of Lake Oniad on both sides of Kent Road, northeast
of Smithtown Road and along Pine Ridge Drive, and northeast of Myers Corners
and All Angels Hill roads. A steep slope map prep.ared ,on aU. S. Geo 1 ogi caJ '
Survey topographic base shows that approximately 12 percent of the town -has
slopes exceeding 15 percent.
GEOLOGY
The geological features of the town influence drainage, topography, ground-
water availability, and soil types. Each of these natural characteristics, in
turn, has shaped the patterns of land use in the town and affect its potential
for future growth.
A hydrogeologist mapped the county's surface and bedrock geology for the
Dutchess County Department of Planning in 1982 using soil. survey data and
state geological reports. The following descriptions of Wapplnger's surficial
deposits and bedrock types draw on this work, as well as on maps prepared by
the United States Geological Survey in 1961.
Surficial Deposits
Unconsolidated materials deposited by glaciers and glacial meltwaters cover
much of the bedrock in the town as we 11 as the county. These depos its fall
into three categories: till, sand and gravel, and lacustrine materials.
_ Till consists of a mixture of materials ranging from microscopic silt to
~ders. Its permeability and porosity can vary widely. Most of the till
deposits in Dutchess County have a high clay content. This limits their
usefulness as groundwater suppl ies and makes it . necessary for septic:
systems in till areas to be carefully designed and separated. Reported
yields from till wells range from 1 to 180 gallons per minute.
_ Sand and ,ravel consists of larger particles deposited in l~lands and
river val eys. These deposits are the county's most productive ground-
water sources, with reported yields of 2 to 1,400 gallons per minute.
They are the best water transmitters and, therefore, are the most reliable
recharge areas for. sand and gravel aquifers. These deposits also provide
important building and road construction materials, extracted from mines
throughout the county. I
_ Lacustrine deposits consist of fine-particled silt and clay laid down by
glacial lakes. These deposits have very low permeability and porositYl~
which makes them unsuitable for septic systems and poor sources of
groundwater# Lacustrine materials form the worst recharge areas of the
three major deposits.
67
.~.. " .......--; - : ,-~ -..._-~.
. ". _...... _'_'_ ,.. ..._n_ _~_.....
__4.-.....-.. ...,... -.".' l,......,_ ......_.....-"~ ..." -,.. ~ -.. -.,. ....- .
Glacial till deposits more than three feet thick cover most of the town,
including almost all hills, ridges, and other upland areas. A few areas of
thin glacial till and exposed bedrock appear on the hills along Smithtown Road
in southern Wappinger and other scattered locations. Together, thin and thick
till cover approximately 74 percent of the town.
Sand and gravel deposits cover 11 percent of the town, concentrated along the ,
Wappinger and Sprout creeks. Soil maps show extensrve sand and grav~l:
formations on the Dutchess County Airport site and its surroundings, as well
as in the lowlands along Robinson Lane in the northeast. The surficial sand
and gravel layers in these areas are believed to be at least five feet thick.
The deposits along the Sprout Creek form the western edge of the Fishkill-
Sprout Creek aquifer, one of 18 aquifers in upstate New York that .have been
recognized by the State Department of Health as primary water supplies. The
aquifer contains extensive sand and gravel deposits that extend along the
creek valleys through Fishkill, East Fishkill, and LaGrange. Wells for the
Central Wappinger W~ter Improvement Area and Rockingham Farms tap the aquifer
close to Sprout Creek. The Brinkerhoff Company wells on the Fishkill Creek
also draw from this aquifer system.
Sand and gravel aquifers often yield enough water to support intensive
development and industrial uses. However, these formations are so porous that
pollution from overcrowded septic systems, salt, waste disposal sites,
chemical spills, or other sources can spread through them easily, making them
highly vulnerable to contamination. This combination of productivity as water
supply and,susceptibility to contamination makes it doubly important that land
uses above sand and gravel deposits be carefully managed.
Lacustrine deposits cover approximately 1170 acres, or 6.7 percent of the
town. Large areas appear in the lowlands south and west of Lake Oniad; north
and south of Myers Corners Road between Losee Road and Route 9; west of Route
9 on both sides of Hughsonville Road; west of the crossing of Widmer and All
Angels Hill roads; and on both sides of Route 376 west of the Maybrook
right-of-way. Numerous smaller areas of lacustrine soils also occur. Many of
the deposits support wetlands and are associated with floodplains, stream
channels, and other depressions where water collects.
A fourth category of surface deposit that is significant for land use planning
includes floodprone, alluvial, and peat soils. Such soils are usually not
glacial deposits. Rather, they appear along stream courses and wetlands where
floods, normal river sediments, and decomposed wetland vegetation have built
them up on top of glacial materials. In Wappinger, they usually overlie till.
Along the Sprout and Wappinger creeks, however, they are underlain by sand and
gravel. They cover approximately 8 percent of the town and typically occur
with floodplains and wetlands.
'i
,
1
l
jl
~
j
l-
.
"i
,
-~;
:-....-,
68
~..._~-_._. ..... ..... -.......-...:...,;.'.".. --'_._-~ -- .. ..........
- ".....- .""..,...-~":-._- :;'.; ;.....-... ...-.-.' ........,-. .:..-..~..:--- -",,- .....-.. ,.......!. ."-;.:-- -'.- ,...-,
It mus~ b~ recognized that Wappinger's geology, like the rest of Dutchess
County s, 1S far more complex than what maps showing only surface deposits can
portray. Test borings often find layers of till that contain sizeable pockets
of sand or clay, or both. Cross-sections of some sand and gravel formations
show alternating layers of till, while other gravel deposits in the same
region or aquifer may be pure all the way down to bedrock. Maps of surface
features are useful indicators of the dominant geological characteristics of
the town, but they should not be used as substitutes for field investigations
of areas proposed for subdivision or development. . ~ ..
Tab 1 e 5.1
SURFICIAL DEPOSITS IN THE TOWN OF WAPPINGER1
Approximate Acreage % of Town
F1oodprone soils 1,375 7.9
Lacustrine soils 1,170 6.7
Sand and gravel soil s 1,920 11.0
Till soil s 13,037 74.4
Source: Dutchess County Department of Planning
llncludes the Wappinger portion of the village of Wappingers Falls.
Bedrock
Shale bedrock underlies almost all of Wappinger and most of Dutchess County.
The shale is part of the Hudson River Formation. The metamorphism of this
formation increases from northwest to southeast across the county from shale
to slate, phyllite, and schist. Within Wappinger, the formation includes
graywacke and shale, phyllite, and schists. These rocks tend to have a high
clay or silt content with low porosity and permeability.
Wappinger lacks the large areas of carbonate rocks--limestones and dolostone-
-that make up the county's most productive bedrock aquifers. Small patches of
carbonate rocks cross the southern and northern boundaries, including the
southeastern corner along the Sprout Creek, but they cover only a small
percentage of the town. By comparison, Fishkil1 and East Fishkill contain
extensive limestone bedrock formations that help sustain the Fishki1l-Sprout
Creek aquifer system. Those, formations also extend into Beekman and Union
Vale where they underlie sand and gravel deposits in the Fishkil1 Creek and
Clove Brook valleys. The best aquifers in the county exist in such
combinations of sand and gravel over limestone. In Wappinger, the absence of
these combinations limits the resilience of the town's groundwater supplies.
69
- ....", -.... ':" "... ....~...-...-".-.~._-. ..--.-........~-... --~---.~.~-:._.,~........... .. .;.~.-:--~..-..~-._.""":-..~.-~.-.-:--:-...,..~---:::.-.:-
"__'_' ,........__.. "r' ~,'_""~
SOILS
The analysis of soils in Wappinger is based upon the Soil Survey of Dutchess
County, first prepared .in 1939. The survey, which was updated in 1972, lists,
describes, and maps 134 different types of soils. Of the many characteristics
that vary among soils, permeability and depth to bedrock are two that directly
influence their suitability for development, crops, and other land uses.
Permeabil ity
~
"
Permeability rates reflect the ease with which water flows downward through
soil layers. Septic fields and other uses requiring good internal drainage
may not function properly in soils with low permeability rates unless special
designs or substantial filling are used. poor permeability, therefore, can
make it necessary to place tight restrictions on development densities in
areas without central water and sewer systems. The Soil Conservation Service
of the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses a standard permeability rate of
0.63 inches per hour in rating soils; a lower rate is considered a significant
limitation on the ability of septic systems to function properly.
According to maps developed from the Dutchess County Soil Survey, nearly 70
percent of Wappinger is covered with soils that at some depth ,fail to meet the
0.63 inches per hour standard. Soils that combine adequately permeable upper
layers with less permeable lower layers are included in this group.
Wappinger's most permeable soils are concentrated along the Wappinger and
Sprout creeks and in inland areas wherever sand and gravel deposits occur.
Also, small pockets of soils with no permeability problems may appear within
soil units mapped as poorly permeable. -
"
Shallow Soils
Shallow soils limit the placement of septic systems, foundations, and other
development features. Because they often appear on steep slopes, shallow soils
can be highly vulnerable to erosion and transmit pollutants quickly. The Soil
Conservation Service uses a standard of three feet to bedrock to distinguish
between shallow and moderately deep or deep soils.
Shallow soils cover approximately nine percent of the town. The largest
concentrations appear at the upper elevations in southern and eastern
Wappinger. Deeper soils tend to occupy the lowland areas along the creek beds
and floodplains, where they have been deposited by gradual processes of upland
erosion. They also occur in wetland complexes along the southern boundary of
the town, in the lowlands north and south of Lake Oniad from Myers Corners
Road north to Widmer Road, and north of Route 376 west of the Maybrook
right-of-way.
Agricultural Soils
Soils with few agricultural limitations--the best potential farming soils--
cover approximately 40 percent of Wappinger. The Robinson/Diddell area and
the lowlands southwest of Stringham Mill contain large tracts. The remainder
are concen~rated'west of a northeast-southwest axis through the middle of the
town.
70
. - -. '.~_#.".". ~'""""':,:,#,,,,:-::-_~'-.-I-:-~.~'--':.._-:~'~-
It is important to recognize that the 40 percent figure is based on the soils
as they were found during the county soil survey of 1939. Since that time
development has occurred on much of the town's good soils because the same
characteristics that make soils suitable for farming make them relatively easy
to develop. The Soil Conservation Service of the USDA estimates that as much
as one-half of the prime agricultural soils found in Dutchess County in 1939
have been developed for residential, commercial, or industrial uses. In other
words, 50 percent of the county's best soils hav.e p~rmanently lost thei.~'
agricultural potential.
SURfACE WATER RESOURCES
Drainage
Wappinger drains into the Hudson River through the Wappinger, Sprout, and
Fishkill creeks and several small streams in the Chelsea area. Sprout Creek
is a principal tributary of the Fishkill Creek, and drains approximately 15
percent of the town. The Wappinger Creek drains approximately 71 percent.
The drainage divide between the Wappinger and Sprout/fishkill creeks generally
runs southwest~northeast through the uplands near Sprout Cree~. Approximately
one percent of the town drains directly into the Fishkill Creek system without
entering the Sprout Creek. This area lies along the town's southern boundary,
east of Route 9.. .
Wappinger is the farthest downstream of all of the communities that drain intcl
the Wappinger and Sprout creeks. The only exception is poughkeepsie, which
shares the Wappinger Creek along the full length of the Wappinger border.
Encompassing 210 square miles, the Wappinger Creek drainage basin is the
largest in Dutchess County. Wappinger's position at the bottom of the basin
means that stormwater runoff from large portions of Pine Plains, Milan,
LaGrange, and most of Clinton, Washington, Stanford, and Pleasant Valley flows
past Wappinger and poughkeepsie. As the amount of developed surface area in
the upstream towns increases, the volume of runoff will also increase,
resulting in more frequent flooding throughout the Wappinger Creek corridor..
Development in Wappinger and poughkeepsie will also contribute to this burden
on the drainage channels.
The Wappinger Creek drainage basin is shaped like a large funnel. Because
Wappinger and poughkeepsie form the neck of the funnel, they receive most of
the pollutants discharged throughout the basin as well as the runoff. It is in
Wappinger'S best interests to work with upstream municipalities to reduce
pollution and to protect the systems of wetlands and streams that break down
certain pollutants through natural processes.
,.
71
..-- ~ --,- ~---...:----.-,....-.. - -....:~ "--"""--";-'-..-'"
Table 5.2
DRAINAGE BASINS IN THE TOWN OF WAPPINGER1
. ..
..
Approximate Acreage % of Town
Wappinger Creek 12,330 70.7
Sprout Creek 2,580 ~ 14.B,
Fishkill Creek 1,260 7.2
Hudson River 1,290 7.4
Source: Dutchess County Department of Planning
Ilncludes the Wappinger portion of the village of Wappingers Falls.
Surface Waters
'1
Wappinger and Poughkeepsie are the only towns in the county bordered by more
water than land. The Wappinger Creek and Hudson River form the entire western
border of the town if the village is included. The creek is tidal from its
mouth to the Wappingers Falls. The Sprout Creek forms the eastern border, as
it flows south from LaGrange and Union Vale into Fishkill and the Hudson.
The U.S. Geological Survey has recorded an average flow for the Wappinger
Creek of ?55 cubic feet per second (cfs) at a gauging station just below Red
Oaks Mill. The highest flow recorded since 1934 occurred during an BO-year
flood in August 1955. On August 19, 1955, the creek surged to 18,600 cfs near
Red Oaks Mill. The BO-year flood designation means that such a flood has a
1.25 percent chance of occurring in any year. This may be compared to a
lOa-year flood, which has a one percent chance of occurring in any year.
Most of the streams within Wappinger are tributaries of the Wappinger Creek.
An exception is tributary 1a of the Hudson and its subtributaries, which drain
the Chelsea area south of North River Road and west of Route 90. Several small
streams in southeastern Wappinger flow into the Fishkill Creek in Fishkill,
south of its confluence with Sprout Creek. In northeastern Wappinger, streams
pass through numerous wetlands south of Diddell Road before flowing into
Sprout Creek. The rest of Wappinger's streams wind through the undulating
lowlands that form a wide band oriented northeast to southwest through the
center of the town.
..
~
~.1
-
.~!
J
.;,
"J
.i
,
Wappinger has two major lakes. Lake ani ad, south of Kent Road, occupies
approximately 13 acres and serves as the focus of a small community.
Wappingers Lake grew from a small man-made lake to its present size when the
existing dam above Wappingers Falls was completed in 1911. It is owned by the
village. The lake covers 103 acres according to the New York State Department
of Environmental ~onservation, but measurements ranging from 88 to 122 acres
have been produced.
72
: ......;._..~... .._ ~.~_:--:-.-.....~ -:_~_~~~'-:-:-'_~.~_"'::-:_:""",:,:"~~":~ L.~~~ .:r-_~""".~r~': ----:-._.~.. :"_':......,~'^~~..:r:--~-:~-:-:.~.~::~;~~~,....--~.......~.~~-:~-
Wappingers Lake functions as a settling basin for sediment and other materials
in the runoff from the Wappinger Creek watershed. As a result, the lake is
eutrophic and is gradually being filled in. Although the lake is still used
for recreational. fishing and boating, a dense population of aquatic plants and
algal bloom limits the lake's appeal during the summer. Suspected water
quality problems and the build up of sediments discourage swimming. Ice-
skating and bird-watching are additional recreational activities that the lake
supports.
..
,"
Wetlands
Freshwater wetlands occur where the water table is at or near the land surface
for most of the year. Wetlands cover almost eight percent of Wappinger. They
play an important role in regulating and purifying groundwater supplies and
surface waters. They slow floodwaters and often act as natural retention
basins. Many of the town's wetlands occupy floodprone areas. Wetlands also
provide valuable wildlife habitat and open space, and combine with stre~
channels and ponds to form natural green space corridors through the town.
Under the New York State Freshwater Wetlands Act of 1975, the State Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC) maps and regulates wetlands covering at
least 12.4 acres and smaller wetlands judged to be of: unusual local
importance. The law requires permits for all non-agricultural activities that
could change the quality of a wetland. A total of 36 state-regulated wetlands
cover approximately 1280 acres in Wappinger or 7.3 percent of the town. These
numbers can change, however, as NYSDEC continues to update and improve its
maps and as the wetlands are affected by natural processes or disturbance.
Most of these wetlands are located within the Wappinger Creek drainage basin
in al arge swath that runs southwest to northeast through the mi ddl e- of the
town. A group of regulated wetlands also exists in the lowlands between Route
376 and Diddell Road and Robinson Lane. In the southern part of town, Route
90 and Ketchamtown Road border an area traversed by numerous wetlands,
floodplains, and streams.
One of the largest wetlands in the town is Greenfly Swamp. It covers 180
acres in Wappinger and Fishkill between Route 9 and Osborne Hill Road.
Greenfly contains wooded, open water, and marsh areas that support varied
wildlife and provide a pleasing open space area along an increasingly built-
up highway. The Dutchess County Environmental Management Council has desig-
nated Greenfly a significant environmental area in recognition of its many
natural values.
Wappinger, like other Dutchess County towns, has many wetlands that are not
regulated by the NYSDEC. Most are smaller than five acres, although several
mapped by the Dutchess County Environmental Management Council in 1979 and
1980 are 5 to 12 acres in size. They are concentrated in the same general
areas as the larger, state-regulated wetlands. Individually, the smaller
wetlands tend to offer fewer natural benefits. Cumulatively, however, they
play a critical role in regulating water quality and quantity, moderating
floods, supporting wildlife, and contributing diversity and open space to the
town.
73
. _ .. ____ _~_ __......._.._...,. ",,.,. ~_..." ............,..................__,,_ _~... _......_~.":._.....---.. .._--...._--:--."":~.-;r:-~,..--~,~~~...~~.~-....:~~~.~~":':.-:~ .~~.~~..."'-~~.
. . -'
Floodplains
Floodplains are low-lying areas that are inundated in times of heavy rain or
severe snow melt. They act as shock absorbers in a drainage system by
providing space for excess runoff. They can also serve as recharge areas for
groundwater supplies.
One-hundred year floodplains have a one percent chance of being completely
inundated in any given year. They have been mapped throughout Dutchess Coupty
as part of the National Flood Insurance Program administered by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These maps depict ribbons of floodplains
along the Wappinger and Sprout creeks and most of the tributary streams. One-
hundred year floodplains cover 7.5 percent of Wappinger. Five-hundred year
floodplains--areas with at least a 0.2 chance of being inundated in any year--
cover 20 percent.
Wappinger has adopted floodplain management regulations pursuant to the
National Flood Insurance Program. Under this program, communities that adopt
and enforce floodplain ordinances are eligible for federal disaster assistance.
In addition, indi~iduals who own or purchase property in the floodplain may
purchase insurance to cover flood losses. In those communities that do not
participate, flood insurance will not be available for any property in the
floodprone areas that have been identified and mapped. ;
The need for flood-conscious land use regulations extends beyond the flood-
plain. Drainage regulations are usually designed to manage stormwater runoff
rates while allowing total-runoff volumes to increase when a site is developed.
As more and more of a watershed is developed, such regulations lead to more
frequent.flooding downstream because the cumulative result of increased runoff
volumes is a greater load on downstream channels. Regulations that require the
use of stormwater infiltration galleries (with proper water quality safeguards)
and long-term retention ponds in up-basin areas can be used to prevent new
development from aggravating flood problems.
For the Wappinger Creek in Wappinger, expected elevations of 100-year floods
range from 9 feet above sea level at the mouth of the creek to 126 feet at the
LaGrange town line and 225 feet at Lake Oniad. Flood elevations along the
Sprout Creek climb from 227 to 290 feet between the Fishkill and LaGrange town
lines. .
OPEN SPACE AND SCENIC RESOURCES
Wappinger still has .large expanses of undeveloped land. Many of these areas
offer scenic vistas to travellers in the town. They also provide important
benefits. as open spaces that support wildlife and diverse vegetation, agricul-
tural activities, or recreation. By catching rainfal', they help recharge
groundwater and surface water supplies and moderate floods. They contribute to
the -semi-rural character and attractiveness of the less densely-populated
regions of the town.
Chelsea, Chelse~ River Road, and Wheeler Hill offer views of the Hudson River.
The summit of All Angels Hill has one of the best views of the Catskill
Mountains in southern Dutchess County. The scenic and open space values of
Greenfly Swamp and Wappingers Lake have also been mentioned. Many other
hillsides, farmlands, streams, and other areas are equally important.
74
_ -- -_._..- -..... - .-. ...- -. -""....-:......-.... .- ..-...... ,--"
.4O '._ _.__ __...._..__ -::" ,.r.-~...~.~"""7~'''''''''~,~,~._. .:-~.:"':tI:_:~~~':r:.~;.~:
The corridors along the Wappinger and Sprout creeks and the town's
floodplains form linear open spaces that help define the town
natural areas together with those of adjacent municipalities.
streams and
and tie its
The value of preserving open space resources should not be underestimated.
Developments that indiscriminately carve hillsides into single-family 'lots
without preserving ridge lines or open space buffers have marred scenic values
in many developing areas. Alternative 'forms of development, such as clust~r
subdivisions, should be used creatively to protect the natural, visual,'~nd
recreational amenities that open spaces offer. '
Table 5.3
NATURAL FEATURES IN THE TOWN OF WAPPINGERl
Feature
Approximate
Acreage
Percent
of town
,
,
!
;>
~
Surficial Deposits,
F 1 oodprone So il s
Lacustrine Deposits
Sand and Gravel
Till
Soils with Low Permeability
Soils with Few Agricultural
L imltatlons
1,375 7.9
1,170 6.7
1,920 11.0
13,037 74.4
2,0002 11. s,2
1,550 8.9
12,435 71.0
7,608 43.5
1,310 7.5
1,280 7.3
:..;
'"
-;
...
c'
"
"
~
-,
.,
;
~
:,,!
~
,"'I
..il
'1
:,1
,.
;"~
Steep Slopes
Shallow 'Soils
"
"
100-year Floodplains
NYS-Regu 1 ated
Freshwater Wetlands
.' ~
.'~
~~
'.~
~
,:'J'
.'.';
;;1
i"!
Source: Dutchess County Department of Planning
1Flgures include the Wappinger portion of the Village of wappingers Falls.
based on 17.511 acres as total town plus village area. The total size
esti.ate depends on base maps used. A County Highway Department figure (1963)
gives 16.706 for the town acreage alone. A 1985 recount by the Dutchess
County Department of Planning produced an estimate of 17002 acres for the town
alone. using a 1": 4000" Ighway map. The village portion was measured in
1986 as 509 acres. out of 769 in the entire village.
~~~
d
~
'.. '
:::1 .
..~
{1'
~
-;,~ '
:..~\~ :
2The steep slope acreage and percentage esti.ates are very approxiaate. and are
derived from a generalized version of the detailed slope aap prepared for this
study. Steep slopes are defined as slopes greater than or equal to 15
percent.
75
./
--------...-- ---'--"- --, >'''~-''--'.-~.~--~-._'-'-'
..--.....~r.~' .._.-'--.-':':"-.......,.~:-~:~--~...~~~...~~..~..:.:-
NATURAL LIMITATIONS
(r1ap)
76
._ __..... . ...._._..._...__.._:.~,:--<-...~__._- -_ -........._'le't"'...r. .,,_:,",,\,_~~""'l"~,,_..._.-- --. .... -',-- ..---.- -----..
~
. .._~~-..-...-.-"~"' -,- "'~'-~'-"'.- ---~..-.-:.~~..
." . .
NATURAL LIMITATIONS
Because soils with poor permeability are so abundant in Wappinger and wetlands
are so evenly distributed, only 12 percent of the town is free of fundamental
development limitations: steep slopes, soils with poor permeability, shallow
soils, wetlands, or floodplains. The unconstrained areas are concentrated in
the valleys of the Wappinger and Sprout creeks and in scattered inland areas
throughout the northern half of the town. The largest tracts include the
airport and its immediate surroundings, a 1.S-mile stretch along the Wappinger
Creek between Reese Park and the Bowdoin Lane area, thi Robinson Lane district,
and the southeast corner of the town between the Sprout Creek floodplain and
the hills west of Route 94 (All Angels Hill Road).
If soils with poor permeability are not considered, many more large expanses of
land can be found that have few natural limitations, especially in the centr,a"
western portion of Wappinger. However, there is no single major section of the
town larger than the airport site that is free of sensitive natural features.
The areas with the most natural constraints occur where shallow soils cover
steep hills and.wetlands fill the intervening valleys and hollows. Such
patterns appear between Lake Oniad and All Angels Hill Road, southeast of Old
Hopewell Road and Route 9, northeast of Myers Corners anp All Angels Hill
roads, and south of Ketchamtown Road in the hills above the Hudson River.
SUMMARY
Wappinger possesses a wide variety of natural features that lend diversity,and
beauty to the town. They include rolling hills, rivers, lakes and wetlands,
open spaces, floodplains, agricultural soils, and steep slopes.' Table 5.3
shows how abundant some of these features are. '
Many natural features place constraints on how the town can or should develop.
Wetlands cover significant portions of the lowland areas, and floodplains line
all of the major streams. Because Wappinger lies at the'bottom of the
Wappinger' and Sprout Creek watersheds, the land use decisions of upstre:am
communities can greatly affect the town's floodplains and surface water
quality. Soils with poor permeability cover most of Wappinger, as do glac:ial
till deposits and shale bedrock that cannot always be relied on to provide
large volumes of groundwater. The sand and gravel formations along the
Wappinger and Sprout creek valleys form the only rich aquifers in the town ;~nd
even they are limited because of the bedrock they overlie.
Because of these 1 imitations, Wappinger should carefully tie its development
policies to the natural limitations of the land. To respect environmental
1 imits in the face of continued development pressure will require comprehensive
and progressive land use 'controls. The town will also have to consider
regional solutions to water supply, water quality, drainage and sewage
treatment pr~blems that 'strain the local natural resource base.
An equal challenge will be preserving significant open spaces and scenic
resources. THe networks of wetlands and streams, floodplains, the Wappinger
Creek and Sprout Creek corridors, the Hudson River, and roads and hillsides
that offer scenic views of the 'Catskill Mountains and the river valley are
natural and recreational amenities that will become increasingly important as
the town grows.
77
__ __ _ _ ____. __...._...~....... _.__,_.-;",:r:-- ..:'o':'_-.-:";'"-........~~~..-...--':-:"-~~-_. ~_~~_..:_-......_- .._~'"':~......-..-:'---..._..- ~.~-.., ..----.--.--,....;..-~....--:------ -:__..._N-,...':",..~...~::
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
The community facilities and services available to residents are important
factors in the quality of life of the community. As growth occurs, the strain
on existing services and facilities increases; additional services and
facilities are often needed for the new residents and businesses. This
chapter provides an overview of the services and facilities available to~town
residents.
RECREATION
i
"
I
.'
j
~
This section addresses the recreation and open space opportunities available
to town residents. Recreation facilities are generally defined as areas set
aside for ballfields, picnicking and similar pursuits. Open space areas are
undeveloped lands set aside for limited activities such as hiking. In
practice, . recreation and open space are frequently found together in large
public facilities.
"
.,
~
Stony Kill, which is located in the towns of- southwester;n Wappinger and
extends into Fishkill is an environmental and open space area along Route 90.
The site is owned by New York State. Stony Kill comprises 735 acres of land;
285 acres are in the town of Wappinger.
Bowdoin Park, while not located in the town of Wappinger, is a major county
facility serving southwestern Dutchess County. This park comprises 299 acres
of land -off Sheafe Road in the town of Poughkeepsie. Bowdoin Park has
ballfields, play areas, picnic grounds, hiking trails and other facilities.
;
~
':>
.
'!
~
~
~
.~
~
Table 6.1
TOWN RECREATION FACILITIES
Park
Location
Size
o.
1
-,
"
'"'
1
:..1
J
....
"~
A
j
-,
~
~
~
-..<l
~
Robinson Lane
Reese Park
Martz Park
Chelsea Boat Ramp
T a 11 Trees
Quiet Acres
"Ange 1 Brook
Castle Point
Fleetwood
Rock i ngham
Sch 1 athaus
Spook Hi 11
Moccasin Hill
Deer Run Drive
Robinson Lane
Creek Ro ad
Montfort Road
Front Street
Amherst Lane
Helen Drive
Rich Drive
River Road South
Fleetwood Drive
Regency Drive
All Angels and Myers Corner Road
Spook Hill Road'
Moccasin Hill Road
Deer Run Drive
51.0 acres
40.0 acres
2.5 acres
2.0 acres
1.0 acres
11.0 acres
4.0 acres
40.0 acres
2.0 acres
11.0 acres
5.0 acres
3.0 acres
3~0 acres
6.0 acres
M'
;..
.:r.;
Source: Dutchess County Department of Planning.
78
0-11
~~:~
,_ _._ _...._..._.. ______..."...__-..,. ,_._~:~....~,~....__-:.-...~--:r--' :.--.~"....~~...~~'~ ~:-:",_:_":-~~,,,~~.-:,::,_..-.~~--:.~.~:~:-::-.-::'
,-
SUMMARY
Wappinger offers a variety of services and facilities to its residents, but
continued growth pressure is producing a need for change and expansion. The
town recreation areas include approximately 189 acres of parkland, spread over'
16 sites, as well as. school sites and firehouse recreation areas. The~
state-owned' Stony Kill center provi des . additional recreation space. The
largest town park covers 51 acres on Robinson Lane that"can only be reached
from East Fishkill or LaGrange. It offers valuable amenities but stands
remote from any community or neighborhood center.
Rec~eational use of the Hudson River is severely limited by the lack of public
parking space at the Chelsea Boat Ramp'and the absence of public recreation
areas with river frontage. Metro-North owns almost all of the river frontage,
through Wappinger, and its rail lines preclude public access everywhere but in
Chelsea and the mouth of the Wappinger Creek.
Wappinger has a number of historic sites. In addition to 135 structures in
the village that,nave been placed on the National Register of Historic Places,
approximately 55 buildings and sites in the town may be eligible for national
listing.
Town facilities located in or near the village include Grinnell Library, the
new town hall on Middlebush Road, and the town highway garage on Old Route 9.
Volunteers in three fire districts, headquarted in Chelsea, Hughsonville, and
Myers Corners, provide fire protection for the town. The County Sheriff ancl
State Police provide police protection; the town has no police department.
Wappinger is within the service area of the Dutchess County Resource Recovery
Facility.. There is "no active landfill in the town. Private carters contract
.with town residents to pick up solid wastes.
Three separate school districts serve the town, but only one, the. Wappinge'r's
Central School District, has school buildings within Wappinger. The buildings
include town elementary schools, one junior high school, and one high school.
The Beacon City School District, which serves a portion of southwestern
Wappinger, .has no facilities within the town. Facilities for the Arlington
Central School District, which includes part of northeastern Wappinger, are
also entirely outside of the town.
Enrollment figures in the three districts are levelling off after significant
declines in the 1970s and early 1980s. In Beacon and Arlington they have even
.increased slightly in the past few years. It appears that this levelling off
is due to. regional p'opulation growth and the fact that the baby bClom
generation responsible for the large school enrollments of the 1950s and 1960s
is now raising children of its own.
.Demands on Wappinger's services and facilities will continue to increase as
its population growns. Many residents already see a need for expand~d
recreational opportunities and police services. As more and more land 1S
developed, pressures on the town's historic and scenic resources will also
increase. . Consistent leadership, capital funds, and careful land use policies
will be needed to preserve Wappinger's heritage and to provide services in way
that will enhance the town1s self-image.
85
-- - .- .- -_._---:----:~.--:::"-:-:_..-.:.-.::~_:-.:.:..~-=-._-:::--_.---':::-.
'~'~.'."___"'. ..._.rI_'...........,,'...~.... ...-..........,~._.... -....-,~._, .....~. ...-.--".---' ..
WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS
Adequate su~plies of clean water and the proper treatment of waterborne wastes
are essen~lal to a heal~hy community. Controlling the provision of these
resou~c~s 1n accordance w1th.asound comprehensive plan is an important means
of gUld1ng land use and protecting the environment.
~
In Wappinger as in most of Dutchess County, community water and waste
treatment needs are met by a mixture of central and individual systems. In
1980 central water systems using groundwater served approximately 63.5 percent
~f .t~e housing units in . the town, while the remaining 36.5 relied on
1nd1v1dual wells. Sewer systems served 53.7 percent and septic systems or
cesspools served 46.2.
Wappinger is at a critical point. Many of the town's central systems are old
and overburdened, and have developed chronic maintenance, operation, or
capacity problems. Several must be improved to meet state health and
environmental standards, and will require further upgrading before they can
accept any more customers.
Wappinger's many individual septic systems and wells also face difficulties.
Reports of contaminated wells, failing septic systems, and water shortages are
of increasing concern. If such problems become more common, many developed
areas that are without central water or sewers now may need such services in.
the future. In addition, Wappinger's undeveloped land is under intense
development pressure. Hundreds of units now being planned will have a major
impact on -town water and sewer needs.
This chapter describes Wappinger's central water and sewer systems, as well as
certain features of its many individual wells and septic systems. Major
problems affecting the systems are discussed, and issues identified that the
town should consider in its land use plan and local regulations. Community
water systems are reviewed first; the second half of the chapter is devoted to
sewer and septic systems, regional water and sewer issues, and a summary.
COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS
All of Wappinger's water supplies tap ground rather than surface waters. As
noted previously, the 1980 census reports that 63.5 percent of the town's
year-round residences are served by central water systems; all of these
systems draw on large supply wells. Thirty-three percent of town residences
have their own drilled wells, three percent have dug wells, and one percent
are served by unknown sources.,
As shown in Table 1.1, the ratio of central systems to individual wells varies
widely among Wappinger's neighbors, with Wappinger falling in the middle?f
the range. East.Fishkill relies almost entirely on individual wells, even 1n
Hopewell Junction.. The village of Wappingers Falls, in comparison! is
supplied by.a central well field that t~ps the aquifer beneath the Wapp1nger
Creek.
86
~
.j
4
.,
j
!
J
'~
'1
~
.'
.,
"
'i
-l
~
WATER AND SEWER NEEDS
Planning Issues
From a planning perspective, central utilities are usually preferable to
individual systems in all but very low density areas of rapidly developing
communities, for two reasons. First, it is much easier to monitor one or a
. few central systems than hundreds of individual systems. Because centraL ~
water supplies and sewage treatment plants are periodically tested and
inspected and must meet strict county and state standards, malfunctions are
more likely to be identified and corrected. This means that surface and
groundwater quality is better protected, benefitting environmental quality and
the community health.
The provision and planning of central systems also enables a town to manage
and direct growth. Intensive development can be limited to those areas
serviced by central water and sewer facilities, and the rate of growth can,
within reasonable limits, be linked to the availability of the services and
the capacity of the systems. Where a patchwork of central and individual
systems exists, as' 'in Wappinger, bringing the entire community under a
coordinated utility management plan can help the town regain cootrol over its
land use pattern. '
From a financial perspective, a coordinated plan is also needed to help
achieve economies of scale in the water and sewer plants themselves, and to
spread the costs of utility improvements fairly among as large a population as
possible. Generally, central utilities begin losing their cost effectiveness
when densities fall below one unit per acre in residential areas. A plan is
also essentlal to minimize the number of cases where individual systems are
installed in inappropriate locations, only to be replaced by central systems
at great expense when the individual systems can no longer functions.
In Wappinger, projected needs for central utilities, combined with the severe
problems affecting existing water and sewer systems, make it clear that an
aggressivp., town-wide utilities plan is badly needed. The following sections
discuss the future demands and the current problems that the plan should
enable the town to face.
Projected Needs
In 1980 the town population, outside the village of Wappingers Falls, was
22,621. The Dutchess County Department of Planning has estimated that the 1985
population was 24,209. The population projections presented in chapter two
range from 27,350 to 32,821 for'the year 2000, and from 29,100 to 37,921 for
2010. Assuming a per capita water need of 120 gallons per day, this
represents a need for 570,000 to 1,224,000 more gallons per day by 2000, and
777,000 to 1,836,000 gpd by 2010. Per capita water use has grown steadily in
recent decades and is likely to climb higher. This range of projected water
needs may, therefore, be conservative. Sewage capacity would have to be
similarly increased to treat the waste water produced by this growing
population.
100
.__..,___.~___. ~.._.'___>,_ _. ._.~. _. .~.~______'<' .___. ,__",_~_',_""'_.'_"" ~.._~,~._,_~._,""':_'_ ,~"_' c.,--:-."".,
Another way of projecting water and sewer needs is to look back at the housing
projections fiven in chapter three. In 1980, 63.5 percent of Wappinger1s
housing units were served by central water systems, and 53.7 percent by
central sewers~ If these percentages were to remain constant, the town's
cent~al water systems would have to accommodate 5,713 to 6,855 units in 2000,
an. 1n~rease of 18 to 42 percent. Central sewer systems, which served 4,080
un1ts 1n 1980, would have to accommodate 4,830-. to 5,800 units by 2000, and up
to 6,700 by 2010.
,
"
If the proportion of units served by central systems increases significantly,
as should be expected and planned for in an increasingly suburban community
the capacity of the central water supplies and sewer systems will have t~
increase also. Central systems might, for example, be asked to provide water
to 75 percent of housing units by 2000, or from 6,748 to 8,097 homes, compared
to the 4,820 served in 1980. At 400 gallons per housing unit, the standards
used by the Dutchess County Department of Health, this amounts to an increase
in water supply of 771,000 to 1,311,000 gallons per day by 2000, and from
944,000 to 1,814,000 gpd by 2010. For comparison, as shown in Table 7.2, the
CWWIA currently pr~duces an average of 875,000 gallons per day.
In the past, Wappinger has taken a fragmented approach to me~ting water and
sewer needs. The existing pattern of scattered private and municipal systems
of various sizes is evidence of that approach. Projected demands, oupled with
the numerous problems that are making it difficult for the town to meet even
present water and sewer needs, make it clear that a fragmented, ad hoc
appraoch will no longer suffice.
Current Problems
~
~
~
Increased development pressure and recent growth have combined. with existing
water system features and land use patterns to produce serious water problems.
Supplies are overburdened and, in many cases, their distribution systems are
inefficient. Quality problems threaten both central and individual supplies.
Additional supplies are needed, and the possibility of serving some areas that
until now have relied on individual wells may have to be considered.
,1
Wappinger's sewer systems face even more serious problems. All five of
Wappinger's municipal waste water treatment plants have reached or exceeded
their maximum capacity, and are under schedules established by the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation to bring them into compliance
with state water quality or operating standards. According to the Dutchess
County Department of Health, which inspects the systems and acts as an agent
to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in requiring system
improvements, none of the five appears to have the capacity needed for any
more customers. Improvements and studies currently in progress, such as
reconstructing sand filter beds at the Mid-Point Park and R~ckingham plan~s,
will help bring the town closer to compliance with state requlrements but wlll
not produce the additional capacity needed to accommodate planned growth. The
need for more comprehensive improvements is under study.
,
~
~
'~
~
.~
j
'J
,
s
,~
~
1
'J
~
101
'..,'.~'''' ~".' -.~- ~."'~..:,.-4'.-'--''''~' -- --...-;....---.-..- .....-
Problems common to all of the systems are age and inflow/infiltration. All
five of the town systems were built in the 1960s and have deteriorated
considerably. Inflow/infiltration allows stormwater and groundwater to enter
the systems and exceed their treatment capacities. The town has undertaken a
comprehensive inflow/infiltration study to pinpoint needed repairs.
The Tri-Municipal Sewage Treatment plant was regarded throughout the 1970s and
early 1980s as the solution to Wappinger's 10ng-stand5ng sewage problems. The
plant was to serve most of the town as well as poughkeepsi~, LaGrange, and the.:'
village of Wappingers Falls, and would have involved phasing out the existing
municipal and private community systems. When the town withdrew from the
Tri-Muni program in 1983, because of voters' reluctance to assume the
necessary financial burden, county and state officials made it clear that the
chronically poor condition of the municipal systems was unacceptable.
Alternatives to the Tri-Muni approach would have to be found.
Since that time the town has developed and, so far, is meeting compliance
schedules that will eventually bring its systems up to state standards and
enable them to function for years with proper maintenance. However, as noted
above, such compliance leaves no room for growth that the town is compelled to
accept. The town is under court order to expand the Oakwood system in WSI No.
l, for example, to meet the needs of its assessment area,: including the
Cranberry Hill 550-unit project. To meet these demands the town would have to
more than double the plant capacity and meet more stringent effluent
standards, while also paying for improvements at Rockingham, Wildwood,
Mid-point Park, and Fleetwood.
The town faces a critical decision: whether to invest large sums in repairing
sewage systems that are scattered, old, and unable to meet growing needs
without even larger investments, or to begin to develop a regional system that'
could efficiently meet Wappinger1s long-term needs. The choice is critical to.
effective land use management .and community planning. A fragmented system
encourages fragmented growth, whereas a town-wide or area-wide system,
combined with better management of septic systems in areas reserved for
low-density growth, could make it possible to balance development with open
space preservation and environmental protection, and to steer growth toward
areas considered most suitable for more intensive development.
Wappinger still has an opportunity to improve its water and sewer services in
ways that will help achieve long-term land use goals. Missing such an
opportunity could damage the town's natural environment as failing systems
violate state standards for drinking water, groundwater, or surface water
quality. Inaction could also cause property values to decline as water and
sewer problems become known. It will be far more costly to correct problems
in the future that could be corrected or prevented now. And finally, failure
to implement a coordinated utilities plan could deprive the town of one of its
most powerful growth management tools.
102
-. -." ., ....-.-.. - ..
,. ~. - .. . .
c.. ~~,_~,..___-. '--:_-;~- :;:::.-- .-~ :::~.:':'-'::.- ~: :--:=-:=:.-~:-::';::~: _-:-o.~:.;:;-~' -..:... ~.~
."-:'''':~;':'''' c.. ,,,,-'. ........~_..__.__.~,_._....-_._..___.....__.._.,_.___...-
REGIONAL WATE~ AND SEWER ISSUES
:.~
In considering Wappinger's water and waster water needs it is important to
take a regional, intermunicipal perspective. Wappinger may need to develop
management strategies that involve physical links with other systems, and
cooperative management strategies for drainage basins, aquifers, and recharge
areas. Because of the costs involved in developing new systems, it behooves
the town to look at a broad range of local' as wen as regional solutions to
long-term water and sewer problems. -.
--
. ,
."
.'
~
"
-:
..
'.J
~:....
. .
,
~
..
The communities that surround Wappinger cover the spectrum from being
completely served by one central water and sewer system, as in Wappingers
Falls, to having scattered systems that miss the town center, as in East
Fishki11. Of the neighboring towns, only poughkeepsie has a town-wide central
water system. However, contamination problems, failing or inadequate
treatment plants, and water supply shortages have prompted all of these core
communities to consider ways to develop morecentral water and sewer systems.
The county has aJso recognized this need. A central water service study
completed by the' Dutchess County Planning Department in 1970 called for the
creation of central, area-wide systems for the core area communities through
inter-municipal cooperation or the creation of a part-county water district.
'.'1
~
.
,
i
--I
;:;;
."
,:j
!it
?
~
zJ
:'i:
..
,
A 1969 companion study entitled Central Sewerage Service in Dutchess County
recommended the construction of area-wide central sewage systems for each
drainage basin within the core area. This was to be achieved through
implementation of inter-municipal plans that had already been prepared,
including the joint Hyde Park-Poughkeepsie Sewage Plan; the expansion or
replacement of the Wappingers Falls plant to serve the village, poughkeepsie,
and Wappinger within the Wappinger Creek drainage basin (also known as the
Tri-Muni plan); and the construction of a system in Beacon to serve Beacon,
the town and village of Fishkill, and East Fishkill within the Fishkill Creek
drainage basin. The study also recommended creation of a part-county sewer
district if needed because of insufficient inter-municipal coordination.
In 1985 the Dutchess County Water Resources Task Force found a compelling need
to develop central utilities for water distribution and sewage disposal in the
core area. Directions: The Plan For Dutchess Count, completed in 1986,
also calls for centra systems ln t e sout west sector.
Two major regional developments affecting Wappingers's sewage treat~ent
planning are the Tri-Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant, now under constructlon,
which will serve part of poughkeepsie and the village of Wappingers Falls, and
the extension of the Beacon sewage service area into Fishkill and possibly
East Fishkill. The regional expansion of the Beacon system represents the
long-awaited implementation,of the basin-wide solution envisioned in the
1960s. Wappinger's withdrawal from the Tri-Municipal Sewer Improvement .A~ea
in 1983 signalled the town's decision not to participate in a similar JOlnt
venture for the Wappinger Creek basin. The town engineer is studying whether
Wappinger should consider re-joining the Tri-Muni syst~m, ~ow as a.custo~er
rather than as a partner, or pursue other means of coordlnatlng and lmprOvlng
town sewer services.
~
.
:.~
".-.
~ i
-
.
~
~
...
')
~
;::,
<;';
Y.i
~)
.. .~
.j
....:
.
',.,.
~':j
. '.
-1
'.;
.;.."
;.
~~
,
.';
-:.I
~!i
....:"\
:1
,1
.
'1
103
....
_ . _.~':...: .._ :.__. :.--:. .':. ....._ :"'_'-f':--.~'~:::..':!"':,-:.,_...-:....._~-. ',-.::-' ..-...~.~---:- . -..-.;..-.:- 'U _... . ., -._ -." ._,h ..' - - ......- - --....-.. .
. __ --,... ..,..-.-......-~-c:~..... -......,....~-_._ ~
... -. -_.._-..._..__.~_.._---""'--~--
- --"-'-~~_:'_ '--:;...,:,.....':-.-."-..:'.----.7-....:---"~~~..";-=_'~~,~:~::f~J"
A regional water issue that could affect both Wappinger and all of Dutchess
County is the possible expansion of the New York City water supply. The city
is currently examining several ways of augmenting its supply in response to
increasing demand. The Hudson River is likely to be New York City's next
water source.- One proposal being seriously considered is expanding the
Chelsea pump station used during the 1985 drought for the first time in 20
years. The station can currently pump 100 million gallons of Hudson River
water per day into the city reservoir system. ' Plans for increasing withdrawal,.
to 300,000 or 500,000 mgd are under review. The town should urge the county
and state to ensure that if such a proposal is implemented, any adverse
impacts are fully mitigated and, in addition, that the possibility of having
Dutchess County communities draw from the expanded city system is fully
exami ned.
On a more local scale, linkages with Fishkill and poughkeepsie and the
development of additional well sites along the Wappinger and Sprout Creeks are
among the alternatives Wappinger should consider for meeting its water supply
needs. Drawing water from the Poughkeepsie system may be a technically
feasible and institutionally workable means of significantly enhancing
Wappinger's water .supplies. Better coordination of water supply within the
town and the entire southwes tern core of the county is crucial towell-planned
growth.
SUMMARY
In areas experiencing development pressure, the presence or absence of central
utilites greatly influences how land is used. Having a realistic utilities
plan in place enables a community to guide land use in a coordinated way. For
example, a utilities program can direct higher density development to desired
centers and require developers to contribute to the cost of the necessary
sewer and water systems, while targeting more rural areas for low densities
with individual wells and septic systems. When development occurs without
such a plan, the proliferation of small, private central and individual
systems often leads to haphazard sprawl. Later attempts to retrofit central
water supplies and sewage treatment in such areas are costly and cumbersome.
Wappinger is at a critical point. Many of the town's central systems are old
and overburdened, and have developed chronic maintenance, operation, or
capacity problems. Several must be improved to meet state health and
environmental standards, and will require further upgrading before they can
accept any more customers.
The land use pattern that has evolved in Wappinger over the past 40 years has
been based on a framented approach to meeting water and sewer needs. Despite
numerous studies and plans to develop town-wide or regional utility systems, a
mixture of public and private central systems of various sizes and individual
wells and septic systems have met the town's needs. Today, six municipa.l
water districts, two private companies, five private apartment complext water
systems, and eight mobile home park systems serve the town. The largest
system, Hilltop a~d Rockingham Farms, provides water to the central Wappinger
Water Improvement Area, which encompasses 22 percent of the town. A total of
63.5 percent of town residences have central water supplies, while the
remaining 36.5 percent rely on individual wells.
104
:.t'-.......~.-.. --:-~..' .:.;"\T~':~ ~'~~.'~-::" ~~;-~~..:~~,,~",:.. 7,' ,",;,;"~:"~.,- .".0: ;-:..:...~.::..-:-~:.._~-::,-~. -~-::-~:-::'::-::.',~ ::~..~--~:---,....:-....~.~ :-:-".
..--.-....-. ......:-.........: - ,~_.,-_.,.:._-.: _.-.--.--~...--
>,.-"~'-'--.
.,
-_.-..~:--oo:...-,.....~_.;:~,..,....-;.-...,,::"". ..-;.....-.~
A similar mixture of public, private, and incidvidual systems meets the town's
sewage treatment needs. Wappinger Sewer Improvement Number 1, also called the
Oakwood system, serves 12.4 percent of the town land area. It and four other
municipal systems, six' private apartment complex treatment plants, and at
least 10 mobile home park and other small central systems serve 53.7 percent
of the town's housing stock. The remaining 46.2 percent relies on individual
septic systems.
Population and housing projections indicate that Wappinger may have to greatJy'
increase the capacity of its central water supplies and sewer systems by the
year 2010 to accommodate anticipated growth. This trend presents a tremendous
challenge to the town because the existing systems are unable to adequately
meet existing demands. Most of the town's water systems are operating at the
limits of their capacity and several have significant distribution and water
quality monitoring problems. All five of the town's municipal sewage
treatment plants have serious quality and capacity problems that the town must
correct. None of the scheduled improvements, though potentially costly, will
enable the systems to accept large numbers of new customers. The individual
wells and septic systems throughout the town are also developing problems that
may eventually necessitate the installation of central services.
As it attempts to reconcile growth, water'supply needs, and sewer
improvements, the town faces a difficult series of decisions. The town should
look beyond the existing mixtures of systems to regional, town-wide, or
area-wide approaches that will enable the entire community to benefit from,
and share the costs of, better water and sewer management.
105
-.' -.. '. -:0"- -.-,
"-:: .-. .7':-'.' .:- -.--- ~.. .~....---- -- - :
.' "." ...._...___.__---:-,- __ ..... 0" '"'"':" __.~_ ;--:_-:----:-_.:.':""'.~..;.~.~;.::--...~
. ".,- ._.....".,.,.....,.. .,- ... <"""O'..:---.~:. '---.
..'-- _..,.....>..~......'....'..-'...'....-_..._- - ....,. ",~,""""".' ....-...~:
..---.'.,.....--:...~..-_.._.,........<.. .--,.
TRANSPORTATION
The transportation system serves to connect individuals and the communities in
which they live, work, shop and participate in leisure activities. In Dutchess
County, the transportation system includes automobiles and the highway network,
private and public bus systems, railroads, commuter and charter air service,
private planes, trucks, waterborne transportation, bicycles and pedestrian
walkways. For Wappinger and most other communities -in Dutchess County 'the
primary element of the transportation system is the network of roads and
highways. The analysis of the transportation system will include a review of
commuting data, a description of water, rail, air and bus services and
facilities, an examination of the road network including state, county and
local roads, an analysis of traffic counts and accident data, and discussion of
current transportation issues.
TRANSPORTATION TO WORK
One critical function of the transportation net\;ork is to provide access to
places of emplojrnent for the work force. In the United States as a whole the
automobile is the primary means of transportation to work. In 1980, 86 percent
of the nation's work force travelled to their jobs in private automobiles while
only six percent used public transportation. The remainder of the work force
either walked to work (6%) or worked at home (2%). Reliance on the automobile
and the highway network is also evident in Dutchess County and the town of
Wappinger.
Commuting Patterns
.- .
The automobile is the primary means of transportation for workers in Wappinger
and in the county. In 1970, 89 percent of the town's workers used a private
vehicle to get to work, two percent used public transit, nearly five percent
walked, and two percent worked at home (Table 8.1). By 1980, there were higher
percentages of workers in both the county and the town driving/carpool in~~ or
using public transportation. Fewer people walked to work or worked at home.
Tab 1 e 8.1
COMMUTING PATTERNS, 1970 AND 1980
PRIVATE PUBLIC WORK AT
AUTOMOBILE1 TRANSIT WALK OTHER HOME
/I % /I % /I % JL % /I %-
1t
Wappinger2
1970 7,378 89.4 156 2.0 391 4.7 166 2.0 155 1.9
1980 11 ,570 93.1 406 3.2 236 1.9 97 0.8 122 1.0
Dutchess County
1970 67,603 84.4 1,317 1.6 7,099 8.9 1,579 2.0 2,461 3.1
1980 90,720 87.5 3,322 3.2 6,500 6.3 1,124 1.1 1,939 1.9
Source: u.s. Bureau of the Census
Itncludes drivers and passengers
Ztncludes Yillage of Wapp1ngers Falls
106
",
'~-' .". ,_.~.~....'
. . -<. .'~ ..... .""" ..-.. _ .._ . ~ ",_,,~""_"'__. _. ._.~..._.,...-.___::- ...,.. ___...~.~:_.~-.-- ~.__ .--:-'.~ ---c .......".- __00- _.~~.,....r---
-r.'7"~~__'__"":"'-"~--'--"- __.,...,~...~...-<!~~_--,.~~~~._~..";..__...,.,.;.......~",-_.",._,.,.,,.::....,;-, 'c';;".A."'.._~.-~
- Route 9 - Myers Corners Road (CR93)
- Route 9 - Old Hopewell Road (CR 28)
Route 376 - All Angels Hill Road (CR 93) - New Hackensack Rd. (CR 104)
- All Angels Hill Road (CR 93) - Widmer Road
- All Angels Hill Road (CR 93) - Brown Road
. The local road system is in good shape. The town has a regular sChedule
for surface maintenance. There is, however; a limited budget for
reconstruction, widening or improvement projects. At the present time,
some town roads are used as short cuts by residents trying to avoid
existing trouble spots. If this trend continues, the traffic on some town
roads may increase enough to warrant major capital improvements.
SUMMARY
Wappinger has good access to water, air, rail and bus facilities. Roads and
highways are a critical component of the transportation system in both
Wappinger and Dutchess County. The vast majority of the work force either
drives or rides' in an automobile to work. In addition, most school children
are transported to school over the road network.
Traffic volumes on state and county roads continue to increase. Volumes on
several county roads are increasing very rapidly due to their locations within
the local and regional road network. As traffic increases, it will become
necessary to upgrade and improve the road facilities to accommodate higher
volume~. Major highway projects in Wappinger include the reconstruction of
Route 9 between Wappinger Lake and Old Route 9 and the construction of the
Maybrook Railbed Highway by the county in the eastern section of town. State
and county officials have also undertaken a preliminary study of the technical
feasibility of constructing a -highway along the Hudson River. The
transportation network is an essential component of the community, and any
future transportation improvements must balance regional and local needs.
.-
..
~
i
~~
:1
:'i
-~
i
:,
122
....-.--. ... _... .~.'-"- -
. -
-- -
. ":" _:- ~ _._.. ,'" M"'" '_.-... .......,. "..0
_. ..... _._".0 '00:_ -"0 __._. _~.._.... _ ,,:.__'": :-- n.!" __:::-~:_~";""...~.~t--:-~~""'..'-"'~"""::~'r.o:-'
..,..... .' ---:--- ..-",__<..;_.:::;:,;~,~.';";'<:'.:...,,~~..:~' ,:-,~,,,'H~ .~~
. -
._..----..-~~....-,.._..-,.-.---............,--.".".;;-,.- ~~
LAND USE
Understanding how land is used in Wappinger, and how that pattern of use is
changing, is a critical step in planning for the future of the town. Trends
and patterns in the way land is developed determine needs for public services.
and utilities, transportation improvements, and environmental protection; they
also fundamentally affect the appearance and character of the cOlffilunity. .-.'
This chapter presents an inventory of land use in the town and discusses how
land use has changed since a previous inventory was undertaken in 1970. A
discussion of land use trends concludes the chapter.
INVENTORY METHOD
Land uses in Wappinger were inventoried in the summer and fall of 1986 using
field surveys, land use codes on the real property tax database, and 1980 air
photos. The coun~yls real property tax data base, whose accuracy depends on
the quality of the information that local assessors provide, proved to be
highly reliable for Wappinger. It was used to develop a base: inventory of all
non-residential parcels. An extensive field survey was then undertaken to
check residential and non-residential parcels throughout the town. The air
photos were used to supplement the field work and to determine the location of
site features.
Information from all of these sources was used to prepare a new land use map
at a scare of 111:1000', with the following codes:
. Low-density residential (fewer than two units per acre)
. Medium-density residential (two to five units per acre)
. High-density residential (more than five units per acre)
. Commercial central business
. Commercial shopping center
. Commercial and commercial strip
. Offices
. Industrial Uses
. Transportation and communication
. Public and semi-public
. Recre at ion
. Agriculture
. Orchards and vineyards
. Water resources
. Vacant 1 and
The definitions and assumptions used to assign land uses to these categories
are listed in the Appendix. A few of the less obvious definitions are wor'th
repeating here~ The vacant land category, for example, includes woodland,
brush, open areas, wetlands, and agricultural land that appeared to be
inactive. The wnused or undeveloped portion of a developed parcel was mapped
as vacant if it covered three acres and was accessible from a nearby road or
an adjacent vacant parcel with road frontage.
,,,.,
___ _.__: ,__ ._.r' _.~__.~..-:".--.~ ---.... -..,-:..---.----.......-~.....----..~~.
.... ':0.:"_"''1. ,-. :- .:P,~-.-.- ..... .-~ '. .... :.......-,~....,.-.._.....-.......:_::. ~.~:--: ,,--,.'
- _~.__ - .~~ ,,";'_. '0"
. ....r.. -:"'-:_,....";.._l~,:<.',-..- ,'--.
. ...-..".Tr...""..--;-....-:-r-r-'_ -'--'~'" -"-'~'~'.-:-'- -.----
- .
- --.........-~..-_.~-p.'.....
- 0-".__".,,-, .... ..".,........'... ...._..._...~-
._~:.-:.___'_,... ...' -_."....__.':'"'7;c-~"":-"":7..~';""""'".~~,..,.V.::..:.,T.r;.'::--
The office category includes office buildings with little public visitation.
Offices that involve considerable interaction with the public, such as doctor's
offices, real estate firms, and banks, were mapped as commercial activities.
The p~bli~ and semi-public category includes a wide variety of facilities and
organlzatlons, such as churches, schools, publicly-owned land, waste water
treat~ent. and water supply facil ities, fraternal lodges and other non-profit
organlzatlons, the Stony Kill Farm and Environmental Education Center, post
offices, fire stations, libraries, hospital lands, and so on. The Dutchess
County Airport, though publicly owned, is mapped as a transportation facility.
Recreation uses include both private and public recreation facilities, such as
parks and tennis clubs. Indoor facilities such as roller rinks and video game
arcades were assigned a commercial code.
The remaining codes are largely self-explanatory. Acres taken up by roads and
streams were not separately mapped and measured. It should be noted that the
boundaries between land uses shown on the land use map do not necessarily
coincide with parcel or lot lines. Instead, they represent the approximate
edges of the area devoted to a particular use.
EXTENT OF DEVELOPMENT
The results of the land use inventory show that most of Wappinger, 55.9 percent
of the town, is undeveloped. Vacant land--land that is not devoted to crops,
pasture, orchards, or any developed use--comprises the single most extensive
land use, covering 46.5 percent of the town. Farmlands and orchards account for
another 9.4 percent.
The developed areas in Wappinger, which make up 44.1 percent of the town, are
primarily residential. Residential areas cover 28.4 percent of the town, or
approximately 4,837 acres, far more than any other category of developed land.
Most of the residential land, or 19 percent of the town, is devoted to
low-density development with fewer than two housing units per acre.
The next largest developed land use category--public, semi-public, and
institutional lands--covers more than 12 percent of Wappinger. Transportation
and communication facilities, such as the 511-acre Dutchess County Airport site,
make up most of this land.
Commercial uses cover only 2.3 percent of the town. Their concentration along
Route 9 and the resulting effects on traffic and visual quality make the~ appear
to be much more extensive than they actually are. Office and industrlal uses
are even less extensive, covering only 124 acres or 0.7 percent of the town.
The extent and distribution of each of the land use categories inventoried for
this background study are described in detail below. Table 9.1 lists the
acreage and percentage of the town devoted to each use, as well as subtotals for
the major categories. Tables 9.2 through 9.6 provide additional information.
124
,~....,,~__.'" _,~_.~_' _. _' --. ~~".'-""""':"'"--'~_''''';'~'''''''''\''''''''''__~~'~''.''''''''''":l'',~~_.~~~,
~........._~:~-~
Tab 1 e ~,1
LAND USE IN WAPPINGER, 19861
Type of Land Use Acreage % of Town
Low-Density Residential 3,233 19.0
Medium-Density Residential 1,257 7.4
High-Density Residential .347 2.0
TOTAL RESIDENTIAL 4,837 28.4
Commercial and Strip 264 1.6
Shopping Center 28 0.2
Commercial Recreation 92 0.5
TOTAL COMMERCIAL 384 2.3
Offices 68 0.4
Industry 56 0.3
TOTAL OFFICE/INDU,STRY 124 0.7
Transportation/Communication 1,092 6.4
Public/Semi-Public 756 4.4
Public/Semi-Public Recreation 303 1.8
TOTAL PUBLIC/INSTITUTIONAL 2,151 12.6
TOTAL DEVELOPED LAND 7,496 44.1
Agricu1ture 1,467 8.6
Orchards/Vineyards 129 0.8
Vacant Land 7,910 46.5
TOTAL UNDEVELOPED LAND 9,506 55.9
TOTAL LAND 17 ,002 100.0
~ource: Dutchess County Department of Planning
The total acreage In the town. excluding the village. 17,002 acres. was
estimated in 1984 by the Dutchess County Department of Planning, using a
1":4000' map of the entire county.
125
. -.. - ".-' -- ~ .. . .. ..- - - -~... ....---. '~-" ----.-." -." -.-
. '.' ~,,'''''-'' -. .... ._.. --
--'1"' -....~ .;--~.--.c- ".~~-:.~...,7~ ':;'}"""'''~';;-'''''---'.'. "'.
..,__:.._;':<""....~'.-'..;r.~-: 'T~ ....,~,,"_ _ ....' ",......~.T'._~._.,... -..,......., .......--....._._.._.____.'__..-..'.....~ "io}'"" ~~~..L'__~......-_...,...._~.._"'O:.-_..o'....~,...,:~~~
Residential Areas
Approximately 28 percent of Wappinger's land area is devoted to residential
uses. This equals close to 64 percent of the town's total developed land.
Two-thirds of the residential area has been developed at a density of fewer than
two units per acre and one quarter of it, 26 percent, is medium density. High
density areas, with more than five units per acre, account for only 7.2 percent
of the residential land, 4.3 percent of the total develeped land, and 2 p'ercent
of the town. These figures are given in Table 9.2.
The largest low and medium-density residential developments in Wappinger are
concentrated in the eastern half of the town, north of Old Hopewell Road and
south of Route 376 along All Angels Hill and Myers Corners roads. Extensive
developments also exist in southeastern Wappinger in the'Watch Hill area, west
of Route 9 along Osborne Hill Road, on Widmer and New Hackensack roads between
the airport and the village and, increasingly, along Route 90 in the
southwestern quarter of town.
High-density residential developments are scattered along the town's major roads
and primarily consist of large apartment and condominium complexes built in the
1960s. Most of th'ese complexes are close to routes 9 or 90.: Mobile home parks
and small apartment units are scattered through the town; the largest
concentrations are in New Hackensack and along Osborne Hill Road.
Strip residential patterns appear along all of the major town roads and are
uniformly distributed throughout the town.
Tab 1 e 9.2
RESIDENTIAL LAND USE IN WAPPINGER, 19861
Residential Density2
% of Town
% of Developed
Land
Low Density = <2DU/Acre
Medium Density = 2 to SOU/Acre
High Density - 5+DU/Acre
TOTAL RESIDENTIAL
19.0
7.4
2.0
28.4
43.1
16.8
4.3
64.2
Source: Dutchess County Department of Planning. 1986
1Total area in Wappinger. excluding the village of Wappingers Falls. assumed
to be 17,002 acres.
20U . Dwelling Units
Corrvnercial Areas
As shown in Table 9.3, commercial uses cover 2.3 percent of Wappinger, and 5.1
percent of total developed land. Shopping centers account for only 7.3 percent
of the corrvnercial area. Commercial recreation facilities such as riding stables
and raquet clubs. take up 24 percent of the commercial area. General businesses
and stri~ commercial areas account for 69 percent of the category and 1.6
percent of the town.
127
.,'" .........-...
. .
~.. .-....-..-.-.- -..-..._-_.,.......--":-.....-.-.-.~;--.....--,.-.-: ....--..--..-., ',.-'-
..~,.~'.~...._.t".~....;:-./~:.7:...,-.._"";>;.::'.-:...__.~...r;-.~"",",:,;':"'!"":"""-:--.-::,:---'" '--.-' - ----. _.#....,.~---^... -.0.'''"",""",-' --_....._-~._..T.-...."'I''''_...,....>r ",,"(.", ,....,-~,... ~.: -_._..-.~?-_.~.."""':-::~..~_~_-_..,.'!' :1,;'",r7'--::-~'-'::""'!':::."':"'"~-?
Commercial uses 1n Wappinger, as in most towns, are concentrated in a
pattern along the major roads. Route 9 is the central commercial
Businesses form a nearly continuous narrow ribbon along the highway.
uses, however, are less intensive in the town than in poughkeepsie
village of Wappingers Falls.
1 inear
strip.
These
and the
Only one large shopping center is located in the town--the Waldbaums Plaza at
Myers Corners Road and Route 9. Most of the other businesses on Route 9 are
small enterprises with individual access points and varying setbacks. Two' other
shopping centers are situated on Route 376 north of the airport property, and on
Myers Corners Road at DeGarmo Hills Road.
The village portion of Route 9 is one of the most congested and built-up
sections of the roadway. It also forms the entrance to Wappinger, and gives
southbound travellers a negative first impression of the town. The
proliferation of strip commercial uses south of the village reinforces the sense
of congestion and visual disarray. A large undeveloped and wet parcel east of
Route 9, just south of Myers Corners Road, offers the first relief from the
commercial intensity of the village. Greenfly Swamp, west of Route 9 at the
southern border of the town, is another open, natural area that breaks up the
commerci al strip. In contrast to the vi 11 age, Greenfly offers a northbound
traveller a less congested first impression of Wappinger. :
Scattered commercial sites exist throughout the town. Route 90 and New
Hackensack have the largest concentrations. Small commercial clusters exist in
Hughsonville and at the intersection of All Angels Hill Road and Route 82 in the
southeast corner of town.
Table 9.3
COMMERCIAL LAND USE IN WAPPINGER, 19861
Commercial Use
% of Town
% of Category
% of Developed Land
Shopping Center
Commercial and Strip
Commercial
Commercial Recreation
TOTAL COMMERCIAL
0.2
1.6
0.5
2.3
7.3
68.7
24.0
TOO
0.4
3.5
1.2
IT
~ource: Outcness County Department of Planning. 1986 .
Total area in Wappinger. excluding tne village of Wappingers Falls. assumed
to be 17,002 acres.
Office and Industrial Areas
Industries, warehouses, and large office complexes take up only 0.7 percent of
the town, or approximately 1.7 percent of the total developed area. The largest
individual office site is the Pizzigalli-IBM complex on Myers Corners Road. The
Fairchild comp.lex on All Angels Hill Road is the largest industry site. Other
industrial uses are located along the Hudson River north of Chelsea, along Route
9 in southern Wappinger "across from Greenfly Swamp, in a largely undeveloped
industrial park north of Angel Brook Estates, and a few other scattered
locations. Offices are also found along Route 9. .The largest office building
is at the intersection of Old Hopewell Road. As shown in Table 9.4, offices and
industry sites take up roughly equal portions of the town.
128
I
t
\
t
i
I
i
I
f
.... _. __....-.... __._ .....,. _.. .._, ..~:---"-r--""" . -'.' - - ..;." ",.'" .~__h~ _..,-~"' --~-- --~,----
'~. .-,-~ ._,_,....' --. :' .... -:"--'. '. "-"".1;~""'--.'
.. .~.., r:'J.-,;,:,-~.-'~ 'no~.--"":::O-' .
......... . ~--"""",..-:o:-_. ..-.00-'" ~~__~_~:n..~~.....-._~.rr""~}'"
A, .~,!"",~~~~~~~'~l--'---!."'oor
Table 9.4
OFFICE AND INDUSTRIAL LAND USE IN WAPPINGER, 19861
Use % of Town % of Category % of Developed Land
Offices 0.4 54.8 0.9
Industry 0.3 45.2 0.8
TOTAL 0.7 100.0 TI
rource: Dutchess County Department of Planning
Total area in Wappinger, excluding the village of Wappingers Falls, assumed to
be 17,002 acres. .
Public and Semi-Public Uses
Public and institutional areas, excluding recreation lands, take up 10.8 percent
of Wappinger and 24.7 percent of the developed land. Although some of these
areas are not developed, such as the Stony Kill Environmental Education Center
property that covers 285 acres in Wappinger north of the Wappinger - Fishkill
border, they are grouped with developed lands because they are assumed to be
unavailable for future private development. Examples of public and semi-public
areas include school properties, portions of areas owned by religious orders,
churches, town facilities, water and sewer plants, and lands owned by fraternal
organizations.
Public and semi-public uses appear throughout Wappinger but they seem to be
concentrated in the western half of the town. East of the Maybrook corridor and
in the southeastern corner defined by Route 9 and Old Hopewell Road,. public and
semi-public uses are scarce.
Public and semi-public recreation areas are also scattered throughout the town.
They cover approximately 303 acres or 1.8 percent of Wappinger and 4.0 percent
of its developed land. Most of the public recreation sites are small parks
associated with residential developments. The Robinson Lane recreation area and
Reese Park south of the village are the two largest parks. The permanent open
space areas associated with the Hamlet, Fieldstone Boulevard, and Kendall F~rms
are also included in this category. They cover 125 acres, or 41.3 percent of
the public and semi-public recreation lands.
Transportation and communication facilities include the county airport, the
Maybrook rail line, and the numerous transmission line corridors in the town.
Together they encompass 1,092 acres, or 6.4 percent of the town and 14.6 percent
of the developed land. The airport site takes up 511 acres of this total,
extending from New Hackensack Road to the Wappinger Creek. The major
transmission lines, including the new Marcy-South 345 KV line, criss-cross
southwestern Wappinger. Lines run east along Old Hopewell Road and northeast
past Angel Brook Estates. A separate corridor traverses the northeastern
section of town from LaGrange to the Sprout Creek, crossing Diddell Road and
Route 376.
.""
~.'; ._~--o;--.-~ ~ ~:-"'~.~.----
-- .~ "\C."~"'~--C----~-,~n-'-''''' .~"7'-"".".--'i"",": ,_~-:-,--, ;""~"":r-~'''''='''',~,:---:..~ ~:r- ~""_'...:~"_"fl': ~-, ~',..."-~'" .,":'..-.....--.......-.'.-----;'"'"'"V,.,............. ~:":--:~.""
Tab 1 e 9.5
PUBLIC AND INSTITUTIONAL LAND USE IN WAPPINGER, 19861
Use 0/ of Town % of Category
10
Transportat ion/ 6.4 50.8
Communication
Public and 4.4 35.1
Semi-Publ ic
Public Recreation 1.8 14.1
TOTAL 12.6 100.0
% of Developed Land
14.6
10.1
4.0
28.9
Source: Dutchess County Department of Planning
lTotal area in Wappinger. excluding the village of Wappingers Falls assumed to
be 17,002 acres.
Agricultural Land
Orchards and vineyards cover approximately 130 acres in Wappinger, or 0.8
percent of the town. - Substantial orchards are located in four locations: near
the intersection .of Myers Corners and All Angels Hill roads;. on All Angels Hill
Road northeast of Widmer Road; on the Wappinger-LaGrange border east of Maloney
Road; and west of Route 90 near Old State Road. A small orchard exists in the
southeast corner on Route 94 near Apple Blossom Lane. A vineyard is located on
North River Road in southwest Wappinger.
Active agricultural areas, including crop fields, hay fields, and pasture cover
an estimated 1,467 acres, or 8.6 percent of the town. As shown in Table 9.6,
these farmlands make up 15.4 percent of the undeveloped land. Horse farms make
up a large share of the town's active farming operations.
Most of Wappinger's working farms are situated in the northern quarter, east of
the airport, along Robinson Lane and Didell, Maloney, and All Angels Hill roads.
Concentrations of active farmlands also exist near Myers Corners,. the junction
of Old Hopewell and All Angels Hill roads, on New Hackensack and St. Nicho'\as
roads, and west of Route 90 and North River Road. There is no significant
agricultural land left within a mile of Route 9.
Tab 1 e 9. 6
UNDEVELOPED LAND IN WAPPINGER, 19861
Use
% of Town
% of Category
Agriculture
Orchards/Vineyards
Vacant Land
TOTAL
8.6
0.8
46.5
55.9
15.4
1.4
83.2
100.0
rource: Dutchess County Department of Planning
Total area in Wappinger, excluding the village of Wappingers Falls assumed to
be 17.002 acres.
130
_4..__...___- -,--.. '.~-"~' -----
","_ ......._. _______~ ...._~ ._"__' ._ __ '_... . ,"."'___ , _,__._ ._ ...._.. _._,_ _. 0'-
~.":'.',~T-'-.'.
. __""...._..,_ "_.~"_~""'''''_'''__~'' ....~-r ";,......,.,..or;~ ....-.-..,.."'\.......""" .~---.-..~~~- .:~- ~.=--- -----.-.-_~f;3-:-,~.. -p/,'"< ...~-.~"'Vi~~~~~~~";'~"T:"T?~
Vacant Land
Nearly forty-seven percent of Wappinger is vacant land--land that is not devoted
to any of the uses described above. Most of the town's vacant land is wooded,
brushland, wetland, or inactive farmland. The unused portions of developed lots
are also counted in this category.
Extensive networks of vacant land can be found in sou~hern Wappinger, south of
Old Hopewell Road both east and west of ~he Route 9 corridor. A large vacant
~rea also exists in northeastern Wappinger southeast of Diddell Road. As shown
1n tables 9.6 and 9.1, vacant areas cover more of the town than all residential,
commercial, office, industrial, public and institutional uses combined.
Central Wappinger also has a significant amount of undeveloped, non-agricultural
land. Much of this open space is already proposed for development as Cranberry
Hills, with 550 units, and Angel Hill with 137 units.
TRENDS
The two most app~rent land use changes since 1970 are an increase in residential
development throughout the town, and the intensification of strip commercial
development along Route 9. The area devoted to agricultural uses has diminished
significantly as this development has occured.
Residential Development
More land has been developed for residential purposes since 1970 than for any
other use. This continues a trend that began after World War II, which has
suburbanized much of southwestern Dutchess County.
Although the mapping methods used for Wappinger's land use survey in 1970 are
not identical to those used in 1986, the two surveys can be generally compared
to identify major changes in residential acreage. In 1970, an estimated 2,759
acres, or 16.6 percent of the town, were devoted to residential uses. By 1986
the acreage had increased approximately 75 percent, to 4,837 acres or 28.4
percent of the town.
Most of the recent development has occurred in central Wappinger east of Route
9, along Spook Hill and Kent Roads and on the north side of Myers Corners Road.
Watch Hill, North River Road, Robinson Lane, and Diddell Road have also seen
significant residential development since the early 1970s.
New single-family homes on 1/2-acre to I-acre lots have dominated residential
construction in the 1970s and 1980s. Only two developments have featured
attached units: the Hamlet at Myers Corners and Spook Hill roads, and
Fieldstone Boulevard, on Spook Hill Road. These two housing clusters are
surrounded by permanently preserved open space. No large apartment complexes
have recently been built, nor have new mobile home parks been established.
131
,,-. ~....,_...,.. --.... ....~ "-'--.'.-'. ...-,'-
,.._...._..._--:.._.-....~-~ ...... _; _._.~_., .......__~._--:.a... ...". ...._....._-.... .......... .' .' -... -..-...-.... ~ ....
..--,;,.~3-..,..~_---~~. '.~t':;:...).~-:-,:"F.....~ ~,,~\.-~,,::,~'
'. -.,-,.-' "".'~ ..-.....,~'.,.~:;x;;/~,~...?"'_~.,.~""'7-;C~;':""'.~0"~!:"":j"':":}'".':,"7:::,}~.~T':";~.~~7....-;:"5;F;~':t~~7\-:,...':>-.:::.;,.. .': S-:':T}~J;'~!\t''.';'~ ;~
Strip residential development--linear development that gives each house its
own access to a town, county, or state-owned through road--is a continuing
trend. Several of the new single-family residential subdivisons, as well as
the Hamlet and Fieldstone Boulevard, have internal road systems that minimize
the number of curb cuts on through roads. In many areas, however, strip lots
and flag lots have been crowded along the road frontage to increase the number
of lots that could be placed on a site without increasing private road:'
contruction costs. Typical examples can be found on North River Road. Strip
residential development increases the potential for traffic conflicts and
safety hazards along Wappinger's roads, and often diminishes their aesthetic
value by leaving insufficient buffers of undisturbed vegetation.
Another observable trend in residential construction is the'development of old
subdivisions, those approved prior to 1970. Vacant lots in largely developed
neighborhoods are also being filled. This is to be expected as the demand for
housing, and housing prices, climb.
As seen at the Hamlet and Fieldstone, builders are also turning to alternative
housing styles such as attached units with large, permanent open space buffers
for common use. fowns throughout the county are seeing .more and more
clustered housing as builders respond to the demand for smaller units, central
utilities, and open space protection.
Commercial development
Commercial acreage in Wappinger has increased dramatically since 1970. At
that time,- an estimated 148 acres, or 0.9 percent of the town, was devoted to
office and commercial uses. The 1986 survey found 384 acres devoted to
business and shopping centers, or approximately 2.3 percent of the town. The
difference represents as much as a 160 percent increase in commercial
acreage.
Recent commercial development in Wappinger has reinforced the commercial strip
pattern along the entire length of Route 9. New small businesses, each with
their own driveways, are typical. The Waldbaums Plaza at Myers Corners Road
;s the largest consolidated shopping center in the town.
The proliferation of commercial uses along the town's major roads contributes
to traffic hazards and congestion by complicating the traffic flow. The
absence of connector roads or feeder roads that could link commercial uses
without relying on major roadways perpetuates this trend toward strip
development.
Shallow commercial strips are, also becoming more pronounced along Route 90,
New Hackensack Road, and Route 376 at New Hackensack.
132
.... . .... -~ -.'" .- -
, '
." ,.," __.-. ,_'_'~' . _. __~._... __.._._._._.....__ _-._..0;"'_.-------..._-- ,.--.....--.--...:-----:--...-..~;--...-.-----
-;-. "'''Y ~....""el!,:r.r...,....,.~~~..~.~,<;~.':".,;;-'"-
~:.,.,~_~~~,r:.~,~if)r"":'...~~~<!;.:~ 4~-r!~..~..~~_~:-~:,(;,.,.~~:':...7;...':~-..;..;.,;: i-;~~r~~<~~~:;"'_;::!\.....~- ~--.-:./~fr:--:s-.. , -:::.~,t7.;,...~-.~:".----::;-:-..;<::-:/-
Although Route 9 and other major roads are experiencing intensive strip
development, most of the development has been small-scale. With the exception
of the Waldbaum's Plaza, and unlike Fishkill and Poughkeepsie, Wappinger has
not been the chosen site of large retail centers. Most of the parcels along
Route 9 are small or have severe environmental limitations, such as wetlands,
that make them inappropriate for development. This scarcity of large
buildable commercial tracts has helped to limit the development of shopping
centers along Route 9. Unfortunately, it has also encouraged the narrow strip
pattern that is detrimental to the appearance,.and function of Route 9. ,..:
Office and Industrial Complexes
Recent years have seen dramatic increases in the amount of office and
industrial space both in Wappinger and in the southwestern core area of
Dutchess County. Much of this growth can be attributed to IBM's expansion in
the 1970s and 1980s. The IBM facilities at Myers Corners Road, for example,
comprise the town's largest office complex, and proposals to enlarge the
office space on this property have been presented to the town. Diverse office
users are also moving into Wappinger. Throughout the core area, office
buildings are being built on speculation. The new office building at the
corner of Route 9. and Middlebush/Old Hopewell Road is an example. A variety
of tenants are filling such spaces. as the service sector: of the regional
economy expands.
Despite this growth, however, the bulk of the office and industrial
development in Dutchess County has occurred outside of Wappinger,
predominantly in East Fishkill and the city and town of poughkeepsie.
Wappinger continues to be a primarily residential town.
Transmission Corridors
The Marcy-South line has expanded the acreage devoted to transmission lines in
Wappinger and East Fishkill and created a new corridor through the eastern
half of the town. The line runs just south of Old Hopewell Road from Cedar
Hill Road into East Fishkill. The recent land clearing for the power lines
and for new residential developments in East Fishkill has significantly
diminished the rural charm of Old Hopewell Road between Route 82 and All
Angels Hill Road.
Open Space
As the amount of developed land in the town has increased, the amount of
natural open space, including agricultural land, has diminshed. In 1970
approximately 67 percent of the town was undeveloped, and by 1986 the figure
had decreased to 56 percent. Much of the recent development has occurred on
former farms, whose lands contain some of the best and most buildable soils in
the town.
133
..-- ._--~;....- --_.- .._--~-----~...~....'.....~--:--':""~--.
,.. \..::'Y~.~~~A~f,"!1,~'?~7-.:J';~~"\~'~~,,;::tTt.~..;"?'.. '_~.~'.'~.;.:::'~. . ,..~_;~":'~..:'{';~..;~~~..t';';-;'~ ~.T-~";'':~~'''''''~:'"''f''7'f''''.,''''-: ' r-..r__'~-""""";o.' ,,-- -.
_ _ _. _ _ ',_ _ _ _ "".~---,;->'._:.':':.:' .... ."..' ~"_:' ~ 1'. '~~~,;>':'c:~-..:\ ";--:1t;-:-.~!~l :.:;::,:::.;..r'-~"'~':':""--~~." .
::__'~.""r.,.~_~t~,._.::"~~,,
.,"\
4.
The information and local perspective
Growth Management Committee, which was
development.
provided by the Town of Wappinger
appointed to oversee the plan's
5. Planning design techniques for retaining the quality of existing social,
economic, and natural environments and improving future development.
..
The Wappinger Land Use plan was prepared using the following steps:
1. Identified pertinent planning issues.
2. Analyzed town community values survey.
3. Prepared background studies.
a. Inventoried existing conditions.
b. Highlighted apparent problems.
c. Projected future needs.
4. Completed a field survey of land use in the town.
a. Conducted windshield survey of parcels with road frontage.
b. Reviewed real property tax land use records for non-residential
. p arce 1 s .
c. Used 1980 air photos to check building locations and inland land
uses.
5. Prepared base maps.
a. Natural constraints (steep slopes, water resources, shallow soils~
and soils with low permeability).
b. Existing land use.
c. Existing water and sewer systems.
d. Town-owned land.
6. Interpreted all data for planning problems and opportunities.
a. Community values survey results - identified issues of concern and
assessed degree of support for different land use controls.
b. Background studies - identified current and potential deficiencie~s,
conflicts, and opportunities in local and regional context.
.
c. Natural constraints - identified areas with multiple constraints and
areas with few constraints.
d. Existing land uses - identified existing concentrations of uses and
existing or potential land use conflicts.
.... '.. -.'~-'.~~.'-"" .-...~.-....-~'.-"~'--'-'-"-'~ .--:.. -.--....,-..--- .--.-.-......- ...--
.-.-.--..-.:.,,-...- --.... ..--..... -~.
. ..-..;.~~;...-:::..~~~;q...,~"-.'~~~!,~f...'~.r:f:"::.-'.--J ~'~,.~..,:::I:":i:fr._J~'~~~~~~r'?,~i..,..~~--y~-~-.~;.'~.,~.,~~,)_.~.~:;'.;...".::_~>r./l.~~~';~:~:r<:~~-?~?~~;;,~~?:s~~~.[~~~:::O.~~"!;:~;~'~;~"~.:- _;'",?'j:'~~:;_~~~-"'l~':--.~c
Despite the growth that has occurred in the past 16 years, the extent of open
land in Wappinger is greater than one might surmise by travelling the town's
roads. As road frontage has been developed, the woods, farmlands, and meadows
that remain in the interior lands have often been hidden from view. Strip
development, in other words, has visually exaggerated the loss of open space.
In contrast, developments that use natural features and deep buffers to
conceal themselves from the road make an area seem less developed than it 1s.
SUr~MARY
Since the last land use survey was conducted in 1970, both the population and
the developed acreage of the town have grown considerably. Currently, more
than half of Wappinger is undeveloped, but housing projects currently awaiting
final county and state approval involve more than enough land to edge
Wappinger into the "mostly developed" category currently occupied by
Poughkeepsie alone.
Wappinger is a residential community. Housing of various densities occupies
28.4 percent of the town, and 65 percent .of the total developed land.
Commercial uses cover only 2.3 percent of Wappinger despite their visual
dominance of the Route 9 corridor. Office buildings and industrial plants
cover only 0.7 percent.
Public and semi-public lands, transmission lines, the airport, and the
Maybrook corridor take up a total of 12.3 percent of the town. Active
farmlands and orchards cover 9.4 percent, and almost 47 percent of the town is
considered vacant land.
Strip development is taking hold on many of the town's roads. Strip
commercial development has intensified along Route 9, and has spread to other
roads in recent years. Strip residential development is also becoming
widespread. This land use pattern increases traffic hazards along town roads
by increasing the number of driveways and access points. It also conveys a
misleading visual impression of the town by hiding the undeveloped fields and
woodlands behind continuous strips of developed frontage. Strip development
is making Wappinger seem more developed and more suburban than it is.
As Wappinger grows, the amount of vacant and agricultural land is diminishing.
The continuing demand for housing and the intensification of commercial
development along Route 9 are the two major trends that have shaped the recent
land use changes. Because continued development is expected, careful land use
management is essential to protect Wappinger from the deleterious effects of
suburban sprawl.
134
.. _ .___ ~ __.____ .__---..........,-.......~ .;.___..._____"""';".._----.-..-.~O;.~...-
._. _'~' _~~"_'---<""--"""",",,~-I"" ..................... _"- .-....... "'.K. ~
.. . .
..._r--.-~...,~._..~':""~>'":'o..,....~.----:"'...."..:....--r:~~-~-~,..,~i...~:,~';~.-<.:'"..:>~~......~~:::I;5~~~.~....-r""'"..~:.~"':r;;-::.;,~":':-,:...~..::~-s:....::~:~:_:37.7"J'~...-~-~,...-- 'J
Despite the growth that has occurred in the past 16 years, the extent of open
land in Wappinger is greater than one might surmise by travelling the town's
roads. As road frontage has been developed, the woods, farmlands, and meadows
that remain in the interior lands have often been hidden from view. Strip
development, in other words, has visually exaggerated the loss of open space.
In contrast, developments that use natural features and deep buffers to
conceal themselves from the road make an ar~a seem less developed than it 1s.
SUMMARY
Since the last land use survey was conducted in 1970, both the population and
the developed acreage of the town have grown considerably. Currently, more
than half of Wappinger is undeveloped, but housing projects currently awaiting
final county and state approval involve more than enough land to edge
Wappinger into the "mostly developed" category currently occupied by
Poughkeepsie alone.
Wappinger is a residential community. Housing of various densities occupies
28.4 percent of the town, and 65 percent of the total developed land.
Commercial uses cover only 2.3 percent of Wappinger despite their visual
dominance of the Route 9 corridor. Office buildings and industrial plants
cover only 0.7 percent.
Public and semi-public lands, transmission lines, the airport, and the
Maybrook corridor take up a total of 12.3 percent of the town. Acti~e
farmlands and orchards cover 9.4 percent, and almost 47 percent of the town is
considered vacant land.
Strip development is taking hold on many of the town1s roads. Strip
commercial development has intensified along Route 9, and has spread to other
roads in recent years. Strip residential development is also becoming
widespread. This land use pattern increases traffic hazards along town racHis
by increasing the number of driveways and access points. It also conveys a
misleading visual impression of the town by hiding the undeveloped fields and
woodlands behind continuous strips of developed frontage. Strip development
is making Wappinger seem more developed and more suburban than it is.
As Wappinger grows, the amount of vacant and agricultural land is diminishinq.
The continuing demand for housing and the intensification of commerci,al
development along Route 9 are the two major trends that have shaped the recent
land use changes. Because continued development is expected, careful land use
management is essential to protect Wappinger from the deleterious effects of
suburban sprawl.
134
.. - .--. . .~.._-- .__.............~ "... ,;,,,---,,---,,,-,,,,:~.,,,,-_._,,~,,,."~-
,,_. ...~. ",.-"~_>__",,,,,_,~,,,,,,,,,,,,,,~,,,,-,:~:"":'~~-C'.
- ....-_..... ..-.--...........M~_~~.....f'":::~.-,.."- ':-;"~-...-...~~~_-...~....: ~':-,~"')".,"'."'t",...-..,.-.. _~.,.~~:~.~:.-"':..~:::-:"'(~~~~-.r~
LAND USE PLAN
The Land Use Plan for the Town of Wappinger is designed to be used as a guide
for managing growth and change. It consists of maps and policies that express
the community.s objectives for the future development of the town. The plan
reflects the wishes of those who answered the community values survey
described in Chapter 1, the information -gleaned fpom the basic stud'es
presented in Chapters 2 through 9, and the goals and objectives set forth in
this Chapter. It provides a framework for development 10 to 15 years into the
future by allocating land among several categories of uses, identifying
specific transportation improvements and utility systems that these land uses
require, and setting forth the policies that should guide the town's land use
decisions.
Although the plan does not have the legal status of a zoning ordinance,
subdivision regulations, building codes, or site plan review regulations, it
is a legal prerequisite to zoning, authorized by Section 272-a of Town Law.
It helps to ensure that land use controls are based on a factual understanding
of the community',s needs.
Land use change is almost always initiated by the private sector, by hundreds
of individual decisions to build homes, start new businesses, sell farms, or
make other changes. However, the private sector responds to opportunities
that governments create through zoning, subdivision regulations, and other
official statements of local policy. The comprehensive plan seeks to guide
normal market forces so that development opportunities and land use goals will
be consistent.
The town's new comprehensive plan will be effective only if it is used. This
chapter concludes with a description of implementation techniques that will
help the town accomplish the goals that the plan presents.
METHOD
The Land Use Plan is based upon technical studies as well as the input of town
residents. Sources include:
1. The background studies of population, economic base, transportation,
community facilities, water and sewer systems, natural resources,
housing, and land uses, which consider both existing conditions and
future needs.
2. The community values survey conducted by the town and the comments and
recommendations of residents in the public meetings held during the
planning process.
3. Analysis of the regional growth patterns and trends that have affected
Wappinger's growth and will continue to influence the future development
of the town.
137
"." p,- --- --..._-_.~--"P'~ - _.'______ __..._._ -___- --_...~.,---
. - ." ":'~. ..'
".. ,--~ -. ....... . -..-.-:-.;'--:'-" '-,--- ."
. . . .
-'-P,-', '." ~ .....-: ....-.....
---.-......,.,-....-.......,:-..:-....:-,........
_...,:~...._~~..........."'_-:-_"'7'..........--:-'....,""':'r~ .;-..."''''.-.'"..,......~r-~.:~-:::r~::~.:-(7'~-:-.---.,P'~. :"'._:-"'~"'~~~ ,,'~~'?'~'7
7. Presented background study highlights for public cowment.
8. Outlined goals and objectives based on identified problems and
opportunities and public comment.
9. Defined land use categories that would meet the diverse goals and
objectives.
,.
10. Designated land use districts on a plan map, including residential
density alternatives, various land use options for Myers Corners, and
open space and road network proposals.
11. Refined land use districts based on further field' surveys and analysis
of the future needs of the town and selection by the Growth Management
Committee of preferred residential densities.
12. Presented draft plan and goals and objectives for public comment.
The following sections summarize the information this process produced,
present the tow~ls goals and objectives, and describe t~e land use plan
categories and maps.
COMMUNITY VALUES
A critical step in the planning
values'survey. The survey was
landowners on the town tax rolls
designed to solicit opinions and
its future.
process was the development of a community
written and distributed by the town board to
and to certain apartment complexes. It was
comments from residents about the town and
Ninety-nine percent of those who responded to the survey are homeowners; a
majority of them have lived in Wappinger for at least eight years. The
results of the survey are described in detail in the Community Value~s
Chapter.
On the basis of the survey and follow-up discussions with the Growth
Management Committee, the following community values were identified:
_ Allow new development only if it fits in well with the existing
community.
- Preserve open space.
_ Preserve what remains of the town's semi-rural character.
_ Use strict land use controls to protect sensitive natural features and
groundwater supplies.
.
_ Expand the employment base by encouraging office uses.
_ Establish a single sewage treatment plant to serve the town.
Reduce residential zoning densities.
139
. ..'-'~'.-"'._~_.._- ':-- -..----.... ...---. - . .-.---
... -~ .r',,-,,_,_~,__._,",,"~__
-::"-:- _':'..~.. . ~!~ .;:''',,-.' ~ ............;..~-_.,:..::.:'''~....r.,..-.~.-.::7"....~..,.~....,....:.~ ~,~_.-::..-------,..-~~-:_~
.- .
.___-""':__~"..-7~".__ .~ __.~~
.' -
LAND USE PLAN
The Land Use Plan for the Town of Wappinger is designed to be used as a guide
for managing growth and change. It consists of maps and policies that express
the community's objectives for the future development of the town. The plan
reflects the wishes of those who answered the community values survey
described in Chapter 1, the information gleaned f~om the basic studles
presented in Chapters 2 through 9, and the goals and objectives set forth in
this Chapter. It provides a framework for development 10 to 15 years into the
future by allocating land among several categories of uses, identifying
specific transportation improvements and utility systems that these land uses
require, and setting forth the policies that should guide the town's land use
decisions.
Although the plan does not have the legal status of a zoning ordinance,
subdivision regulations, building codes, or site plan review regulations, it
is a legal prerequisite to zoning, authorized by Section 272-a of Town Law.
It helps to ensure that land use controls are based on a factual understanding
of the community~s needs.
Land use change is almost always initiated by the private sector, by hundreds
of individual decisions to build homes, start new businesses, sell farms, or
make other changes. However, the private sector responds to opportunities
that governments create through zoning, subdivision regulations, and other
official statements of local policy. The comprehensive plan seeks to guide
normal market forces so that development opportunities and land use goals will
be consistent.
The town's new comprehensive plan will be effective only if it is used. This
chapter concludes with a description of implementation techniques that will
help the town accomplish the goals that the plan presents.
METHOD
The Land Use Plan is based upon technical studies as well as the input of town
residents. Sources include:
1. The background studies of population, economic base, transportation,
community facilities, water and sewer systems, natural resources,
housing, and land uses, which consider both existing conditions and
future needs.
'l
2. The community values survey conducted by the town and the comments and
recommendations of residents in the public meetings held during the
planning process.
3. Analysis of the regional growth patterns and trends that have affected
Wappinger's growth and will continue to influence the future development
of tbe town.
1
4
'.."
,
;.J
',1
137
~ ...... ":'": :~-.-:,,:;"
. .
. -..-.-:-.;'--:'-- .-,'-- .' . -',' -~.-._.....-_._.. ",----
. . ... .
"." .".. --. ......-.-..--....- - -.-----. -.---..... --_...- ....--~,.."""..---
_," ....., .~._., _....""'._....,.__._-... . ~ _ _._.._". ,...... ."........._, _,.q....,...",..... ._': _......... "..... __ .....~_.". '.. _.~n._.., .,~......" .
7. Presented background study highlights for public comment.
8. Outlined goals and objectives based on identified problems and
opportunities and public comment.
9. Defined land use categories that would meet the diverse goals and
objectives.
"
10. Designated land use districts on a plan map, including residential
density alternatives, various land use options for Myers Corners, and
open space and road network proposals.
11. Refined 1 and use districts based on further field' surveys and analysis
of the future needs of the town and selection by the Growth Management
Committee of preferred residential densities.
12. Presented draft plan and goals and objectives for public comment.
The following .sections
present the town's goals
categories and maps.
summarize the information this process
and objectives, and describe the land
produced,
use pl an
COMMUNITY VALUES
A critical step in the planning
values'survey. The survey was
landowners on the town tax rolls
designed to solicit opinions and
its future.
process was the development of a COl11J1unity
written and distributed by the town board to
and to cert a in ap artment comp 1 exes. It wa,s
conment s from res i dent s about the town and
Ninety-nine
majority of
results of
Ch apter .
On the basis of the survey and follow-up discussions with the Growth
Management Committee, the following community values were identified:
percent of those who responded to the survey are homeowners; a
them have lived in Wappinger for at least eight years. The
the survey are described in detail in the Community Values
_ Allow new development only if it fits in well with the existing
community.
- Preserve open space.
Preserve what remains of the town's semi-rural character.
_ Use strict land use controls to protect sensitive natural features and
groundwater supplies.
_ Expand the employment base by encouraging office uses.
_ Establish a single sewage treatment plant to serve the town.
- Reduce residential zoning densities.
139
. ...-~....~......~_.---":"-.
"-~'----""'.---_.'''' ..__...;._-.....~....~. -.,.
.-. --. -....~~..____.._.J?"---.----
_ Preserve and enhance the capacity of the road network.
_ Expand and diversify recreation opportunities.
_ Promote public access to the Hudson River.
Expand and protect public water supplies.
_ Discourage strip development.
_ Emphasize aesthetics in development decisions.
Encourage more public transportation.
_ Provide more police protection.
_ Protect existing hamlets at Chelsea and Hughsonville.
Protect scenic areas from incompatible development.
Discourage expansion of commercial areas.
_ Support agricultural uses.
_ Encourage a range of housing types and styles.
BACKGROUND STUDIES
The background studies, included as subsequent
presented research on existing conditions and
variety of community issues. Major conclusions
Use Plan are identified below:
chapters in this master plan,
projected future needs for a
with implications for the Land
Popul ation
_ Rapid population growth has continued; the number of residents
increased 38 percent from 1970 to 1985, and has quadrupled since 1960.
Wappinger is at the center of the county suburban core.
_ Average household size is decreasing.
_ Continued substantial growth is expected; projections range from 27,350
to 32,800 by year 2000, and 29,100 to 37,900 by 2010. The estimated
1985 population is 24,209.
Housing
Housing costs are rising rapidly.
_ Apartment complexes are being converted to condominiums.
_ Apartments comprised 35.5 percent of total housing units in 19BO; the
county average is 33.5 percent.
, ,., "
._---~_... .._---_._~._.-
.....-_ ......._.._ ~_~._...-:--""""'IIt""J-. ___._~-"JO..1.~-~~-....-..~,...--.,
..."._-" '~"'.'- . ,-. ~. ~""_: q-' ,--.-
No new major apartment complexes are planned.
- More than 43 percent of households consist of only one or two persons,
yet 60 percent of housing units have three or more bedrooms.
- More than two-thirds of county households cannot afford to purchase an
average house.
,"
The gap between housing costs and what median income households can
afford has steadily widened since 1980. Households earning less than
the median have few housing choices in today's market.
- Projected housing needs range from 8,260 to 9,120 units by 1990 and
9,570 to 12,470 by 2010, compared to 7,686 units in 1980.
Economic Base
Wappinger, like Dutchess County enjoys a low unemployment rate.
- In 1980, only 13 percent of Wappinger's work force worked in the town.
- Since 1970, manufacturing jobs in the town have declined while jobs in
services and in wholesale-retail trade have increased, consistent with
regional and national trends.
Manufacturing remains the largest employer of town residents,
a~counting for 36 percent of the labor force. Most of these jobs are
in Poughkeepsie and East Fishkill.
_ The town contains few vacant corrrnercial facil ities. One major'
industrial facility--the former Fairchild plant near Myers Corners--has
closed and is largely vacant.
The IBM facility at Myers Corners is the only large active industria"!
employment site within the town; small businesses and offices make up
most of the rest of the town's commmercial and industrial base.
_ Field surveys revealed 231 businesses along the town's main roads.
_ Although Wappinger's economic base appears to be diverse, its economic
health is closely tied to the health of one major corporation: IBM.
Community Facilities
_ The Village of Wappingers Falls contains some of the facilities used by
the entire town, such as the Grinnell Library. The new town hall is
located close enough to the village to help reinforce the village as a
community center. Other town facilities, however, are scattered.
_ Other than the village, the town lacks an identifiable activity
center.
_ Recent school enrollments show that the number of students
off and, in some cases, increasing after several years
declines.
is levelinq
of steady
1 11 1
Natural Resources
Wappinger lies at the bottom of the Wappinger and Sprout Creek drainage
basins; its floodplains and streams are affected by upstream drainage
changes, pollution, and erosion.
Only 12 percent of the town is free, of steep,slopes,
soils with poor permeability, wetlands, and floodplains.
shallow so 1:1 S,
"
_ Unlike East Fishkill, the town has limited groundwater resources; the
only major aquifers lie in sand and gravel formations along the
Wappinger and Sprout Creek.
Natural open space is steadily diminishing as conventional
single-family subdivisions cover more and more of the town.
The Hudson River is a
under-appreciated because
1 imited.
unique
public
resource that
access to the
is underused
shore 1 i ne is
and
so
The town's rolling hills afford numerous scenic vistas, especially of
the Catskill Mountains to the west.
Water and Sewer Systems
_ Two-thirds of town residences (63.5 percent) are hooked into central
water systems; the remaining 36.5 percent rely on individual wells.
.~
Six municipal water districts, two private water companies, and five
apartment complex water systems exist in the town.
Slightly more than half--53.7 percent--of town residences use central
sewer systems. The remaining 46.2 percent rely on individual septic
systems.
Central sewage systems include five municipal systems, six private
plants at apartment complexes, and several small systems at mobile home
parks and other facilities.
_ Existing sewer and water systems are unable to meet current and
projected demands.
NYSDEC has ordered the town to correct serious quality and capacity
problems at its municipal sewage treatment plants. Even after such
repairs, however, these plants will be too small to accommodate planned
growth.
_ Problems involving individual wells have been reported in several areas
of the town.
_ Existing densely developed areas not served by central sewage systems,
such as the Route 9 corridor and Chelsea, are or can be expected to
encounter groundwater pollution.
142
.'_r__.'_'" r ....c...........-.-..-~....---.-.,..- _...~. ---- .......-- ..--.-. .....~.. - ._... ".,-~".'-" ------ .. ,,'--.'"
. --..-.... ---....'..
--,,_.......-... ..~,-"'.......,..
Transportation
St ate routes 9, 90, and 376 and county routes 93, 28 94 and 104 are
the high volume corridors through the town. '
- Traffic volumes on state and county roads are steadily increasing.
- Strip development and traffic increases have caused severe cong~stion
along Route 9.
Major east-west and north-south roads in the town, including Myers
Corners Road (CR93), Old Hopewell Road (CR 28), and All Angels Hill
Road (CR94), are also becoming increasingly, congested, especially
during peak commuting hours.
- Numerous town roads are being used as short cuts or to avoid existin9
trouble spots.
- Route 9 is the only state or county road in Wappinger whose current
traffic volumes approach or exceed peak-hour capacity.
- The construct ion of County Route 11 on the Maybrook rail road
right-of-way will provide a new high volume through road, but will not
solve the town's traffic problems.
- Although several bus routes serve the town, they are regul arly used by
only a small percentage of town residents. Only 3.2 percent of the 1980
'work force used public transit to commute to work.
- Strip commercial development is adversely affecting the capacity and
safety of town roads.
Land Use
- In 1986, 56 percent of the town's 17,000 acres were undeveloped.
- Current development proposals
Wappinger "mostly developed."
the county in that category.
- Residential uses account for 65 percent of the developed land, and 28
percent of the town.
involve more than enough land to make
Poughkeepsie is the only other town in
- Commercial uses cover 2.3 percent of the town.
- Although office development is booming, office buildings and industrial
facilities cover less than one percent of the town.
- Active farmlands and orchards cover less than 10 percent of the town.
.
- Strip commercial development has intensified along Route 9 and spread
to other roads.
Strip residential development is also spreading, and is increasing
traffic hazards on town roads.
143
-~-------- --_........--.
. .
.._~__ ~,.,..-.__--.. ---.____.._. _-. ~.-..---""1-
.
_ The continued demand for new housing and the intensification of
commercial development along Route 9 are the two major trends shaping
land use changes.
_ Detached single-family units
conventional subdivisions are
Wappinger'S private open land.
on one-half to one acre
rapidly covering what is
lots
left
in
of
IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANNING
.~
:j
The background studies revealed trends, problems, and conditions that should
be reflected in the town's efforts to manage growth and change. The following
list indicates the range of town characteristics that have signficant
imp~ications for long-term planning.
Increasi~g population will increase pre~sure on services, facilities,
utilities, and will require diverse new housing as well as vigilant
natural r~source protection.
_ Rising housing costs have put new homes out of reach of most town and
county residents.
_ Smaller households have special housing needs that large single-family
units do not meet.
_..:
';]
.".r.1.
'~,4
:~
j
'I
d.
'~
_ -A more' diverse emploYment base, i nvo 1 vi ng more independent emp layers,
would help insulate the town from declines in any single industry.
_ Schools in Dutchess County are beginning to feel pressure from
continued migration into the region combined with the baby boom
generation's baby boom. After several years of declining enrollments,
the reversal means that providing adequate school space may be an
ongoing concern.
_ The fragmented pattern of water and sewer systems makes it difficult to
promote better organized land uses.
'j
.,~
--':.t
'1
i
,
.S
~
'J
,
1
I
1
.,
New water supplies are needed.
_ Groundwater quality and quantity problems are likely in densely
developed areas, such as the Route 9 corridor and existing hamlets.
Increasing development will place increased pressure on the town's road
network.
_ The strip land use pattern that has contributed to Route 9 congestion
must be controlled. Alternative access routes and feeder roads are
needed ~o separate local and through traffic.
(~
-j
..~
~;l
:.,~~
- ..~
,~.<~
'I
144
_._ - - .~. _"0
-.. . .......-....---.-~~~.~..__.':'.. .....;.--.-~--:---- -~- ~~'.'-_._- _._.....~.-.
. '~ ,-.- -..".... ~-~-...
_~. ............_~ . ..... _ ., * _ r_, ,.."............,,_,-..._ ~._,__ r .-
_.._.-,..~..,-......~~~_~_..~~c~,..",:~"t.~;'-I':::?~"~~"'~~~_-~
. .
New roads are needed to improve the road network and prevent undue
congestion.
Public transportation is underused.
- The supply of open space is rapidly diminishing.
- Some agricultural uses remain, but as development continues, farmfcinds
will cover less and less of the town.
- Strip residential and commercial development makes Wappinger look more
developed than it really is.
Wappinger's position in the region makes it likely that development
pressure will persist. Therefore, the town cannot rely on market
forces to preserve what is left of the town's semi-rural character.
Instead, the town needs a variety of regulatory techniques and
acquisition programs to retaln open space corridors, scenic views,
sensitive natural areas, and recreation space.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goals and objectives of the Wappinger Master Plan were developed by
synthesizing the planning problems and opportunities identified in the
community's values, background studies, natural constraints, and existing land
use patterns. They form the basis for the land use plan and recommendations
that wlll guide future development in the town.
1. Goal: Preserve the stability and character of the community.
Objectives: . Encourage the development of an attractive environment for
living, working and playing.
. Foster a sense of community identity.
Establish a cooperative relationship with the village for
evaluating development impacts, preserving highway capacities,
encouraging diverse residential opportunities, and enhancing
visual character.
Advocate effective public participation in decision making to
ensure that the concerns of all are heard.
2. Goals: Achieve a growth pattern that calls on each development to make a
positive contribution to the community.
Develop a living environment that is visually pleasing as well as
functionally efficient.
145
~--."'----.--' .'--...... -~.- -.--~-~..--........- -~...._. .---., _....
. .